Content management

• US 9,031,975 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Weatherhead, Norman, Stump, Andrew R., Mansouri, Haithem, Rodriguez, Axel, Thomsen, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/670,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13004 Programming the plc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Content management includes populating a library with modular objects and metadata associated with the modular objects. In response to a query, the library can be searched based in part on the metadata. The query can relate to implementation of an industrial process. One or more modular objects in the library can be identified as satisfying the query. A result of the query can be output and the output can include the identified modular objects and the respective metadata associated with the identified modular objects. The metadata can be anything known about the object that might not be accessible at runtime control.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to at least;

populate a library with a plurality of modular objects and metadata associated with the plurality of modular objects;

search the library, in response to a query related to implementation of an industrial process, wherein the search is based in part on the metadata;

receive ratings for the plurality of modular objects;

rank the plurality of modular objects as a function of the ratings;

identify one or more modular objects from the plurality of modular objects that satisfy the query; and

output a result of the query, wherein the output includes the one or more modular objects and respective metadata associated with the one or more modular objects, and wherein the output is in an order based on the rank.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the executable instructions to:

apply an annotation to at least one metadata to create at least one annotated metadata; and

update the library with the at least one annotated metadata.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the executable instructions to:

receive metadata associated with a first modular object of the plurality of modular objects when the first modular object is created.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the executable instructions to:

extract key terms from the query;

match the key terms to the metadata;

access a modular object associated with the metadata that matches the key terms; and

return the modular object as the result of the query.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the executable instructions to:

suggest a subset of modular objects from the plurality of modular objects to employ for implementation of the industrial process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the executable instructions to:

observe usage of the plurality of modular objects;

combine two or more modular objects of the plurality of modular objects as a result of the observed usage; and

create new metadata based on the combination of the two or more modular objects.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises functionalities of an associated modular object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata is industry application specific and includes industry practice information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the library is a global library hosted through a public network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the library is a private library accessible through a private network.

11. A method, comprising:

creating, by a system including a processor, a library that includes one or more objects and one or more metadata related to the one or more objects;

distinguishing, by the system, a first object of the one or more objects in the library that matches a request;

requesting, by the system, input related to the first object;

ranking, by the system, the first object against the one or more objects based on the input; and

presenting, by the system, a visual representation of the first object and at least a first metadata from the one or more metadata, wherein the first metadata is related to the first object, and wherein the visual representation is presented in an order based on the ranking.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distinguishing comprises:

mining the request for main attributes;

comparing the main attributes to the one or more metadata;

ascertaining the first metadata contains at least one of the main attributes, wherein the first metadata is linked to the first object; and

applying the first object to the visual representation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

applying, by the system, the one or more metadata to respective objects of the one or more objects when the respective objects are created.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, an annotation to the first metadata;

updating, by the system, the library with the annotation, wherein an unannotated version of the first metadata is not updated; and

storing, by the system, the unannotated version and the annotation in the library, wherein the unannotated version, the annotation, and the first object are linked.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the system, a first industrial use for the first object and a second industrial use for at least a second object is a same industrial use;

merging, by the system, the first object and at least the second object; and

creating, by the system, new metadata as a result of the merging.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing device including a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

populating a library with objects and associated metadata, wherein each metadata can be associated with one or more objects;

evaluating the associated metadata in response to a query for an industrial application;

determining at least one metadata matches the query;

outputting at least one object associated with the at least one metadata as a result of the query;

comparing a received ranking of the at least one object against rankings received for other objects; and

outputting a second object, wherein a visual representation of the at least one object and the second object are presented in an order based on the comparing.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring industrial applications where each of the objects are used;

merging two or more objects as a result of the monitoring; and

creating new metadata for the merged two or more objects.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

applying at least one annotation to at least one metadata of the associated metadata;

generating at least one annotated metadata based on the at least one annotation; and

updating the library to include the at least one annotated metadata.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

extracting key terms from the query;

matching the key terms to the associated metadata;

accessing a modular object that matches the key terms, wherein the modular object is linked to the associated metadata; and

returning the modular object as the result of the query.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying one or more modular objects from a plurality of modular objects that satisfy the query; and

suggesting a subset of modular objects from a plurality of modular objects to employ for the industrial application.