System and method for integrated workflow scaling

• US 8,745,634 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Software, LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Arvind, Shah, Sanjay M., Troy, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Camquy
• Application Number:
  US12/905,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/433 Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

A system is provided. The system comprises a first computer located in a first plant, a first memory, and a first object based process management application stored in the first memory. The system further comprises a second computer located in a location separate from the first plant, a second memory, and a second object based process management application stored in the second memory. When executed on the first computer, the first application invokes scripts in response to events and the scripts launch tasks. When executed on the second computer, the second computer invokes scripts in response to events and the scripts launch tasks, one of the events acted on by the second application is a message received from the first application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first computer system located at a first plant;

a first memory;

a first object based business process management (BPM) application stored in the first memory that, when executed by the first computer system,

automatically executes a first workflow that receives a first input from a human machine interface (HMI) in a first plant,

in response to the first input launches a first event, wherein the first event is associated with a first script and wherein launching the first event causes the first script to be executed, the first script assigns a first task associated to a first functional role performed at the first plant,

receives a second input associated with the first task,

in response to the second input launches a second event, wherein the second event is associated with a second script and wherein launching the second event causes the second script to be executed, the second script transmits a request to launch a second task,

accesses a first business process management data store located in the plant, and

presents first contextual information accessed from the first business process management data store on a display associated with the first functional role;

a second computer system located separate from the first plant;

a second memory;

a second object based business process management application stored in the second memory that, when executed by the second computer system,

automatically executes a second workflow that receives the request to launch the second task,

assigns the second task associated to a second functional role performed at the office separate from the first plant,

receives a third input associated with the second task,

in response to the third input transmits information to the human machine interface that changes the process mediated by the human machine interface in the first plant,

accesses a second business process management data store located at an office separate from the first plant, and

presents second contextual information accessed from the second business process management data store on a display associated with the second functional role,

wherein the first contextual information is not stored in the second business process management data store and wherein the tasks associated with the first workflow are identified as those that take place at the first plant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein some information stored in the first business process management data store is copied to the second business process management data store periodically.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a workflow builder stored in a memory that, when executed on a computer system, provides a first control for defining an object that comprises a portion of a task and provides a second control for defining an event associated with the object, wherein the second control automatically generates a script definition that becomes part of the object definition, where the script executes when the event occurs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the script launches a different task.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the workflow builder provides a third control for identifying a context of the event to transport to the different task launched by the script.

6. The workflow builder of claim 5, wherein the context of the event comprises at least one of current sensed value associated with the object, a time of the event, or a location of the event.

7. A system, comprising:

a computer system;

an at least one memory;

an application stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the computer system,

automatically executes a first workflow that receives a first input from a human machine interface (HMI) in a first plant,

in response to the first input generates a first event that assigns a first task associated to a first functional role performed at the first plant,

receives a second input associated with the first task,

in response to the second input generates a second event that assigns a second task associated to a second functional role performed at an office separate from the first plant and generates a request to launch the second task,

automatically executes a second workflow that receives the request to launch the second task,

assigns the second task associated to the second functional role performed at the office separate from the first plant,

receives a third input associated with the second task,

in response to the third input transmits information to the human machine interface that changes the process mediated by the human machine interface in the first plant,

wherein the application generates the first event by executing a first script associated with a first instantiated object that receives the first input and generates the second event by executing a second script associated with a second instantiated object that receives the second input;

wherein the application when executed by the computer system,

accesses a first data store related to the first plant, and

presents first contextual information accessed from the first data store on a display associated with the first functional role;

accesses a second data store related to the office separate from the first plant, and

presents second contextual information accessed from the second data store on a display associated with the second functional role; and

wherein the first contextual information is not stored in the second data store and wherein the tasks associated with the first workflow are identified as those that take place at the first plant.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first input is a request to change a process specification.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first input indicates that a job has been completed.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the human machine interface presents a first context and wherein the first input is based on the first context, wherein the first task is handled in a second interface that presents a second context and wherein the second input is based on the second context.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first script launches the first task.

12. A system, comprising:

a computer system;

an at least one memory;

an application stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the computer system,

automatically executes a first workflow that receives a first input from a human machine interface (HMI) in a first plant,

in response to the first input generates a first event that assigns a first task associated to a first functional role performed at the first plant,

receives a second input associated with the first task,

in response to the second input generates a second event that assigns a second task associated to a second functional role performed at an office separate from the first plant and generates a request to launch the second task,

automatically executes a second workflow that receives the request to launch the second task,

assigns the second task associated to the second functional role performed at the office separate from the first plant,

receives a third input associated with the second task,

in response to the third input transmits information to the human machine interface that changes the process mediated by the human machine interface in the first plant,

wherein the application generates the first event by executing a first script associated with a first instantiated object that receives the first input and generates the second event by executing a second script associated with a second instantiated object that receives the second input;

wherein the first script launches the first task and the second script launches the second task;

wherein the human machine interface presents a first context and wherein the first input is based on the first context;

wherein the first task is handled in a second interface that presents a second context and wherein the second input is based on the second context;

wherein the application when executed by the computer system,

accesses a first data store related to the first plant, and

presents first contextual information accessed from the first data store on a display associated with the first functional role;

accesses a second data store related to the office separate from the first plant, and

presents second contextual information accessed from the second data store on a display associated with the second functional role; and

wherein the first contextual information is not stored in the second data store and wherein the tasks associated with the first workflow are identified as those that take place at the first plant.

13. A system, comprising:

a computer system;

an at least one memory;

an application stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the computer system,

automatically executes a workflow that receives a first input from a human machine interface (HMI) in a first plant,

in response to the first input generates a first event that assigns a first task associated to a first functional role performed at the first plant,

receives a second input associated with the first task,

in response to the second input generates a second event that assigns a second task associated to a second functional role performed at an office separate from the first plant,

accesses a first data store related to the first plant, and

presents first contextual information accessed from the first data store on a display associated with the first functional role;

accesses a second data store related to the office separate from the first plant, and

presents second contextual information accessed from the second data store on a display associated with the second functional role,

receives a third input associated with the second task,

in response to the third input transmits information to the human machine interface that changes the process mediated by the human machine interface in the first plant,

wherein the application generates the first event by executing a first script associated with a first instantiated object that receives the first input and generates the second event by executing a second script associated with a second instantiated object that receives the second input, and

wherein the first contextual information is not stored in the second data store and wherein the tasks associated with the workflow are identified as those that take place at the first plant.