Methods and apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe associated with a process control system

• US 8,825,189 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Moore, James Henry Jr., Pettus, Nathan William, Irwin, William George, Nanda, Tusar
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US11/939,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,485 Days
• Field of Search: 700/29, 700/86, 700/95, 700/97
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32077 Batch control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32095 Text, menu driven editor for batch programming, phase sequence, parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32096 Batch, recipe configuration for flexible batch control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe execution are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves executing a first recipe, and before completion of execution of the first recipe, receiving an auxiliary recipe. The example method also involves determining whether the first recipe has reached an entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed. The auxiliary recipe is then executed in response to determining that the first recipe has reached the entry point.

Claims

1. A method to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe in a process control system, the method comprising:

during execution of a process step of the batch, without pausing the execution of the batch, receiving first user input to queue an auxiliary recipe for execution;

when an entry point for the auxiliary recipe was not determined prior to starting the execution of the batch, receiving second user input during the execution of the batch to define the entry point for the auxiliary recipe;

determining whether the batch has reached the entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed, the entry point being subsequent to the process step;

in response to determining that the batch has reached the entry point, pausing the execution of the batch and executing the auxiliary recipe; and

continuing the execution of the batch at the entry point after execution of the auxiliary recipe.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising executing the auxiliary recipe using process control equipment reserved for the batch.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising re-activating the batch after completion of execution of the auxiliary recipe.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the batch is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising reserving equipment for the batch based on the first recipe identifier and facilitating the auxiliary recipe to use the equipment based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating the entry point by identifying a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch and determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the entry point for the auxiliary recipe was determined prior to starting the execution of the batch.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary recipe is queued without modifying the batch.

10. An apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe in a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a recipe interface to obtain an auxiliary recipe in response to a first user input received during execution of a batch recipe without the batch recipe being paused, the first user input to queue the auxiliary recipe for subsequent execution, the first user input to be received during execution of a process step of the batch recipe;

a user input interface to, when an entry point for the auxiliary recipe was not determined prior to starting the execution of the batch recipe, receive second user input during execution of the batch recipe to define the entry point for the auxiliary recipe;

a process status identifier to determine whether the batch recipe has reached the entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed before completion of the batch recipe, the entry point occurring after the process step; and

an operating mode selector to pause the execution of the batch recipe to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe in response to determining that the batch recipe has reached the entry point, and to continue the execution of the batch at the entry point after execution of the auxiliary recipe.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the auxiliary recipe is separate from the batch recipe.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the auxiliary recipe is executed using process control equipment reserved for the batch recipe.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch recipe.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the operating mode selector is further to pause the execution of the batch recipe prior to executing the auxiliary recipe and to re-activate the batch recipe after the auxiliary recipe completes execution.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the batch recipe is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a resource manager to identify equipment reserved for the batch recipe based on the first recipe identifier and facilitate use of the equipment by the auxiliary recipe based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the auxiliary recipe is to be queued without modifying the batch.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the recipe interface is further to determine whether the entry point for the auxiliary recipe was determined prior to starting the execution of the batch.

19. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when execute, cause the machine to at least:

during execution of a process step of the batch, without pausing the execution of the batch, receiving first user input to queue an auxiliary recipe for execution;

when an entry point for the auxiliary recipe was not determined prior to starting the execution of the batch, receiving second user input during the execution of the batch to define the entry point for the auxiliary recipe;

determine whether the batch has reached the entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed, the entry point being subsequent to the process step;

in response to determining that the batch has reached the entry point, pausing the execution of the batch and executing the auxiliary recipe; and

continue the execution of the batch at the entry point after execution of the auxiliary recipe.

20. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe using process control equipment reserved for the batch.

21. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch.

22. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to re-activate the batch after completion of execution of the auxiliary recipe.

23. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19, wherein the batch is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

24. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 23 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to reserve equipment for the batch based on the first recipe identifier and facilitate the auxiliary recipe to use the equipment based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

25. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to generate the entry point by identifying a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch and determine that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

26. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions are further to cause the machine to, before completion of the execution of the batch, determine whether the entry point for the auxiliary recipe was determined prior to starting the execution of the batch.

27. A machine accessible storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 19, wherein the auxiliary recipe is to be queued without modifying the batch.

28. A method to configure an auxiliary recipe for execution during a batch in a process control system, the method comprising:

identifying a transition point during execution of a batch between first and second process steps in the batch;

determining whether a recipe can be executed at the transition point in response to receiving user input when the first process step is running;

without pausing the execution of the batch, queuing the recipe for execution based on the user input; and

storing a recipe entry point in association with the recipe in response to determining that the recipe can be executed at the transition point, wherein the recipe entry point corresponds to the transition point, and the recipe entry point to facilitate executing the recipe after pausing the batch and to facilitate continuing the execution of the batch at the entry point after execution of the recipe.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein determining whether the recipe can be executed at the transition point comprises determining that executing the recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

30. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein determining whether the recipe can be executed at the transition point comprises determining that executing the recipe at the transition point does not conflict with execution of the batch.

31. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising generating an error message in response to determining that the recipe cannot be executed at the transition point.

32. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the recipe entry point is to occur after completion of the first process step and before a start of the second process step, and the second process step configured to be executed immediately after the first process step.

33. An apparatus to configure an auxiliary recipe for execution during a batch in a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a recipe analyzer to receive a batch and to receive a recipe;

a phase transition identifier to identify a transition point during execution of the batch between first and second process steps in the batch;

a rules compliance verifier to determine whether the recipe can be executed at the transition point in response to receiving user input when the first process step is running, the user input to, without pausing the execution of the batch, queue the recipe for execution; and

an entry point generator to store a recipe entry point, via a processor, in association with the recipe in response to determining that the recipe can be executed at the transition point, the recipe entry point to facilitate pausing the batch to execute the recipe and to facilitate continuing the execution of the batch at the entry point after execution of the recipe.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the rules compliance verifier is to determine whether the recipe can be executed at the transition point by determining that executing the recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the rules compliance verifier is to determine whether the recipe can be executed at the transition point by determining that executing the recipe at the transition point does not conflict with execution of the batch.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the recipe entry point facilitates executing the recipe at the entry point after execution of the batch has started.

37. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the recipe analyzer is to generate an error message in response to the rules compliance verifier determining that the recipe cannot be executed at the transition point.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the recipe entry point is to occur after completion of the first process step and before a start of the second process step, and the second process step configured to be executed immediately after the first process step.