Method of generating a product recipe for execution in batch processing

• US 8,606,379 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Marruchella, Dawn, Irwin, William George, Sherriff, Godfrey Roland, Nanda, Tusar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/240,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 700/86, 700/87, 700/83, 700/100, 700/99, 700/97
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of generating a product recipe for execution by a batch process in an automated manufacturing environment, such the product recipe is associated with a plurality of actions, a set of transitions, and a set of parameters, and such that the plurality of actions define a plurality of logical levels including a phase level at which the batch process interacts with equipment, includes receiving a procedure definition specifying the plurality of actions, receiving a transaction definition specifying the set of transitions so that each one in the set of transitions is associated with two or more of the plurality of actions, and receiving the set of parameters. Receiving the set of parameters includes receiving at least one dynamic input parameter that resolves to a value without obtaining the value from the recipe or an operator prompt associated at the phase level of the recipe.

Claims

1. A method of generating a product recipe for execution by a batch process in an automated manufacturing environment, wherein the product recipe is associated with a plurality of actions, a set of transitions, and a set of parameters, wherein the plurality of actions define a plurality of logical levels including a phase level at which the batch process interacts with equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, on a computer device, a procedure definition specifying the plurality of actions;

receiving, on a computer device, a transaction definition specifying the set of transitions, wherein each one in the set of transitions is associated with two or more of the plurality of actions;

receiving, on a computer device, the set of parameters, including;

receiving, on a computer device, at least one dynamic input parameter including an unresolved value, wherein the unresolved value of the dynamic input parameter resolves to a value during execution of the product recipe of the batch process without obtaining the value from the product recipe or an operator prompt associated at the phase level of the product recipe, and,

generating the product recipe, on a computer device, using the received procedure definition, transaction definition, and set of parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value supplied to the batch process by an external entity during the execution of the batch process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value supplied to the batch process by a web service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value supplied to the batch process by a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value supplied to the batch process from an operator prompt associated with one of the plurality of logical levels of the recipe above the phase level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value of a reporting parameter generated during the execution of the batch process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reporting parameter is associated with the phase level of the recipe.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of a reporting parameter associated one of the plurality of actions; and

associating the selected reporting parameter with an input parameter to the recipe.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a mapping of the selected reporting parameter to an input parameter of another one of the plurality of actions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter that corresponds to a value associated with a parameter of an equipment entity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the equipment entity is selected by the batch process during runtime.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one dynamic input parameter includes:

receiving a path specifying an equipment entity; and

receiving a parameter identifier specifying a parameter of the equipment entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the path specifying the equipment entity includes receiving a reference to one of an equipment module or a control module dynamically selected during the execution of the batch process.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the path specifying the equipment entity includes receiving a specific reference to one of an equipment module or a control module.