Object design for industrial automation application

• US 9,311,055 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weatherhead, Norman, Stump, Andrew R., Mansouri, Haithem, Rodriguez, Axel, Thomsen, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US14/541,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 717105-109, 717120-122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Described herein are systems, methods and apparatuses that can provide a holistic, bottom-up approach to facilitate the design of objects (e.g., modular objects that can facilitate industrial automation applications). The design approach includes selection of an object from a library of a plurality of objects; filtration of functionalities of the object based on a workflow of an application; and display of the object for customization of the object for the application with the filtered functionalities masked.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to perform acts, comprising;

determining object data indicative of an object within a defined workflow configuration, wherein the object data comprises first data representing functionalities of the object,

based on role data indicative of a role of an entity that has initiated a customization of the object, filtering the first data,

facilitating a display of second data representing an unfiltered set of the functionalities to facilitate the customization of the object for satisfying a production goal while masking third data representing a filtered set of the functionalities, and

validating the defined workflow configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object data is first object data and the acts further comprise:

linking the first object data to second object data in the defined workflow configuration.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the

based on an analysis of the defined workflow configuration, determining suggestion data that is employable to improve the defined workflow configuration.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the determining the suggestion data comprises determining the suggestion data based on metadata associated with the first object data.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the suggestion data comprises third object data that can be linked to at least one of the first object data or the second object data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the validating comprises:

validating the defined workflow configuration based on rule data associated with a workflow.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving input data that is utilized to assign a rank to the object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the filtering comprises filtering the first data based on classification data indicative of a type of an application for which the object is to be utilized.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data is further filtered based on location data representing a geographical location of the entity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data is further filtered based on industry data representing an industry associated with the entity.

11. A method, comprising:

based on query data, selecting, by a system comprising a processor, object data indicative of an object within a defined workflow configuration, wherein the object data comprises functionality data representing functionalities of the object;

based on role data indicative of a role of an entity that has initiated a customization of the object, masking a first portion of the functionality data;

facilitating a presentation of a second portion of the functionality data representing an unmasked set of the functionalities to facilitate the customization of the object for satisfying the defined workflow configuration; and

validating the defined workflow configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the query data based on context data associated with the workflow configuration.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the query data based on rule data associated with the defined workflow configuration.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the query data based on goal data associated with the defined workflow configuration.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

facilitating a configuration of the object data based on the defined workflow configuration.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the object data is first object data, the object is a first object and the method further comprises:

determining second object data indicative if a second object to improve the defined workflow configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises determining the second object data based on historical data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises determining the second object data based on meta data associated with the first object data.

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

determining object data indicative of an object in a defined workflow configuration, wherein the object data comprises functionality data representing functionalities of the object;

based on role data indicative of a role of an entity that has initiated a customization of the object, masking a first portion of the functionality data;

rendering a second portion of the functionality data representing an unmasked set of the functionalities to facilitate the customization of the object for satisfying the defined workflow configuration; and

validating the defined workflow configuration.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the workflow data represents a production rule associated with the defined workflow configuration.