Automation management system and method

• US 8,843,221 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Wang, David, Red, Daisy, Nausley, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/954,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

A method for monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment is disclosed herein. The method includes collecting a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series define timing values for the at least one task. comparing each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value, generating an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons and selectively generating a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance value.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring performance of equipment located in an automation environment, comprising:

identifying a cycle associated with the equipment, the cycle defined by a sequence of a plurality of tasks;

collecting, over a plurality of repetitions of the sequence, a series of signals for each of the plurality of tasks in the cycle from a controller configured to control the equipment;

associating, for each of at least some of the plurality of repetitions, one or more signals in the series to define a completion time for each of the plurality of tasks;

comparing, for each of the plurality of tasks, each of the completion times to a reference value indicative of an expected completion time of a given task;

generating, using a processor and for each of the plurality of tasks, an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons;

selectively generating a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance values; and

if a predictive failure indication is generated, identifying which of the plurality of tasks in the cycle resulted in the predictive failure indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing, for each of the plurality of tasks, each of the completion times to the reference value comprises:

determining, for each of the plurality of tasks, a difference between each of the completion times and the reference value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the accumulated variance value comprises:

summing, for each of the plurality of tasks, the differences corresponding to at least some of the completion times.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for each of the plurality of tasks, a slope of the accumulated variance values over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively generating the predictive failure indication further comprises:

if the slope is at least one of increasing or decreasing over the period of time, generating the predictive failure indicator; and

if the slope is substantially constant over the period of time, not generating the predictive failure indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value for a given task is based on data other than the series of signals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reference value for a given task is further based on a predefined specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value for a given task is based on the series of signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predictive failure indication is at least one of audible or visual.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of signals are at least one of analog data or digital data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, for each of at least some of the plurality of repetitions, the one or more signals in the series to define a completion time for each of the plurality of tasks, comprises:

identifying, for a given repetition, which of the one or more signals in the series correspond to a start time of a given task and which of the one or more signals in the series correspond to an end time of given task; and

determining the completion time based on a difference between the start and end times.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment includes a plurality of machines and wherein a start time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a first combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines and an end time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a second combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines.

13. A method of monitoring performance of equipment including a plurality of machines located in an automation environment, comprising:

identifying a cycle associated with the equipment, the cycle defined by a sequence of a plurality of tasks;

collecting, over a plurality of repetitions of the sequence, a series of signals for each of the plurality of tasks in the cycle from a controller configured to control the equipment;

associating, for one of the plurality of repetitions, one or more signals in the series to define a completion time for each of the plurality of tasks;

comparing, for each of the plurality of tasks, each of the completion times to a reference value indicative of an expected completion time of a given task using a processor, wherein the reference value is based on data other than the series of signals;

generating an indication based on the comparison; and

if the indication generated signifies a failure, identifying which of the plurality of tasks in the cycle resulted in the indication signifying the failure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the series of signals includes at least one of input data, output data or timer data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference value of a given task is based on a predefined specification.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference value of a given task is based on a user'"'"'s predefined determination of at least one of a design start time, a design end time or a design duration.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication is at least one of visual or audible.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein comparing the completion time to the reference value comprises:

determining, for each of the plurality of tasks, a difference between the completion time and the reference value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reference value for a given task is associated with a threshold value and comparing the completion time to the reference value further comprises:

determining, for each of the plurality of tasks, whether the difference exceeds a threshold value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication is at least one of a cautionary indicator, a warning indicator or a normal operation indicator, and wherein generating the indication further comprises:

if the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold value, generating one of the warning indicator and the cautionary indicator; and

if the difference is less than the threshold value, generating the normal operation indicator.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the equipment includes a plurality of machines and wherein a start time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a first combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines and an end time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a second combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines.

22. An apparatus for monitoring performance of equipment located in an automation environment, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

identify a cycle associated with the equipment, the cycle defined by a sequence of a plurality of tasks;

collect, over a plurality of repetitions of the sequence, a series of signals for each of the plurality of tasks in the cycle from a controller configured to control the equipment;

associate, for each of at least some of the plurality of repetitions, one or more signals in the series to define a completion time for each of the plurality of tasks;

compare, for each of the plurality of tasks, each of the completion times to a reference value indicative of an expected completion time of a given task;

generate, for each of the plurality of tasks, an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons;

selectively generate a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance values; and

if a predictive failure indication is generated, identify which of the plurality of tasks in the cycle resulted in the predictive failure indication.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, for each of the plurality of tasks, a slope of the accumulated variance value over a period of time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to selectively generate the predictive failure indication including:

if the slope is at least one of increasing or decreasing over the period of time, generate the predictive failure indicator; and

if the slope is substantially constant over the period of time, not generate the predictive failure indicator.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the equipment includes a plurality of machines and wherein a start time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a first combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines and an end time of each of the plurality of tasks is defined by the states of a second combination of one or more inputs or outputs of the plurality of machines.