Integration of workflow and library modules

• US 9,563,861 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• 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): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Saad M
• Application Number:
  US13/670,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31334 Database with devices, configuration, of plant
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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 computer-executable instructions; and

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

receive, from a source program, design input related to workflow development of an industrial process;

access a library populated with a plurality of objects associated with metadata related to the design input;

generate, for output on a display, a visual representation of a workflow design by integrating objects selected from the library into the visual representation of the workflow design, wherein a diagnostic functionality of one or more of the selected objects is exposed within the workflow design;

receive a set of performance goals for the workflow design, wherein the set of performance goals includes a required preventive or predictive maintenance capability for the workflow;

validate interconnectability of the selected objects such that the workflow design meets the set of performance goals; and

suggest, in response to determining that the workflow design does not meet the required preventive or predictive maintenance capability, one or more alternative or additional objects to integrate into the workflow design with the diagnostic functionality to satisfy the required preventive or predictive maintenance capability.

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

identify objects missing from the visual representation of the workflow design;

search the library comprising a plurality of objects for the objects missing from the visual representation, wherein the search comprises an evaluation of the metadata associated with the plurality of objects; and

import one more objects from the library into the workflow design to eliminate the missing objects.

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

apply rules associated with the workflow design or at least one of the selected objects.

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

retain non-selected objects in a holding area for future consumption.

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

export the workflow design to an external system, wherein the selected objects comprise a common interface that allow deployment on the external system.

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

provide two or more different types of views, wherein a configuration interface comprises at least a portion of the two or more different types of views.

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

display, in response to altering a weighting of one or more metrics associated with the required preventive or predictive maintenance capability, a value quantifying a change in at least one of the performance goals.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the value quantifying the change in at least one of the performance goals includes at least one of a production output and an energy usage.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic functionality to satisfy the required preventive or predictive maintenance capability includes at least one of a time to failure, a time to repair, and a time to replace.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic functionality is embedded into the object and is editable or configurable.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the two or more different types of views include a maintenance view for the workflow.

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

activate the diagnostic functionality of one or more of the selected objects based on an identification of a user associated with the workflow design.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system including a processor, a request for development of a workflow;

accessing, by the system, design input associated with a source program and a library comprising objects and associated metadata;

building, by the system, the workflow based on the design input, the objects, and the associated metadata;

prioritizing, by the system, a set of goals associated with the workflow, the design input, or the objects, wherein the set goals includes a required preventive maintenance capability for the workflow;

validating, by the system, interoperability of the design input and that the workflow meets the set of goals;

suggesting, in response to determining that the workflow design does not meet the required preventive capability, one or more alternative objects to integrate into the workflow to meet the set of goals; and

outputting, by the system, the workflow to a user or to an external system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

ascertaining, by the system, that the workflow is missing objects, wherein the missing objects are not included in the design input or the library; and

requesting, by the system, the missing objects from the external system; and

applying, by the system, to the workflow the missing objects received from the external system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

applying, by the system, a set of rules to the design input and the objects; and

validating, by the system, that the workflow conforms to the applied set of rules.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying, by the system, objects from the library that are not used in the workflow; and

maintaining, by the system, the objects not used in the workflow for use in a different workflow.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the outputting the workflow to the external system comprises exporting the workflow to the external system, wherein the objects comprise modular objects that can be deployed on the external system.

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

receiving a request for automation of an industrial control process;

obtaining, from an external source, objects for use in the automation of the industrial control process;

applying the objects from the external source to a design of the automation of the industrial control process;

identifying at least one object not received from the external source, wherein the at least one object is to be used in the design;

validating interconnectability of the at least one object and that the design meets a set of prioritized goals associated with the design, wherein, the set of prioritized goals includes a required preventive maintenance capability for the design;

suggesting, in response to determining that the design does not meet the required preventive maintenance capability, one or more alternative or additional objects to integrate into the design to meet the set of goals; and

importing the at least one object from a second external source.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the operations further comprise:

querying a library comprising a plurality of objects for the at least one object;

evaluating metadata associated with the plurality of objects; and

importing the at least one object from the library into the design.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, of claim 12, the operations further comprise:

exporting the design to a target system, wherein the design comprises objects comprising a common interface and the design is deployed on the target system.