Content management

• US 9,760,077 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• 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:
  US15/092,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 707769
• 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. An editor for developing an industrial control program, comprising:

a memory that stores executable components;

a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising;

an interface component configured to receive a query related to implementation of an industrial process;

a monitor component configured to observe usage indications of modular objects stored in a data store, wherein the modular objects include associated metadata that defines one or more functional aspects of the modular objects;

an organization module configured to identify, based on the usage indications, two or more modular objects, of the modular objects, that have a pattern of being used together, and in response to identification of the two or more modular objects, combine the two or more modular objects to yield a combined modular object and create new metadata for the combined modular object, wherein the new metadata comprises combined or consolidated metadata associated with the two or more modular objects; and

a search component configured to, in response to receipt of the query, search the data store and identify, based on the metadata, one or more combined modular objects, including the combined modular object, that satisfy the query,

wherein the interface component is further configured to output the one or more combined modular objects and respective metadata associated with the one or more combined modular objects.

2. The editor of claim 1, wherein the monitor component is configured to observe, as the usage indications, at least one of key words associated with the modular objects, functionalities of the modular objects, or usage patterns associated with the modular objects.

3. The editor of claim 1, wherein the organization module is configured to combine the two or more modular objects based on a determination by the monitor component that the two or more objects are capable of being used together to perform an industrial function.

4. The editor of claim 1, wherein a portion of the metadata associated with a modular object, of the modular objects, identifies at least one of a descriptor for the modular object, one or more keywords associated with the modular object, information identifying one or more applications in which the modular object has been used, versioning data for the modular object, an author of the modular object, validation information for the modular object, safety information for the modular object, or identification of a product for which the modular object was designed.

5. The editor of claim 1, wherein the interface component is further configured to receive annotation data directed to at least a portion of the metadata associated with one of the modular objects, and the executable components further comprise a modification component configured to apply the annotation data to the portion of the metadata to yield annotated metadata.

6. The editor of claim 5, wherein the executable components further comprise a context manager configured to store copies of the annotated metadata and the portion of the metadata prior to annotation in the data store in association with the one of the modular objects.

7. The editor of claim 1, wherein the modular objects are configured to, in response to execution by an industrial control system, perform control of at least one industrial device associated with the industrial process.

8. The editor of claim 1, wherein the interface component is further configured to receive workflow request data defining a production goal for the industrial process, and the executable components further comprise:

an extraction module configured to obtain design input data from a design tool system based on the workflow request data; and

a develop module configured to generate a workflow design based on a subset of the modular objects selected based on the design input data.

9. The editor of claim 8, wherein the develop module is further configured to determine that at least one functionality of the workflow design can be alternatively performed by two different objects of the modular objects, and the interface component is configured to display two different views based respectively on the two different objects for selection.

10. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a system comprising at least one processor, usage indications of modular objects stored in an object library, wherein the modular objects include associated metadata that defines one or more functional aspects of the modular objects;

identifying, by the system based on the monitoring, two or more modular objects, of the modular objects, that have a pattern of being used together;

in response to the identifying, combining, by the system, the two or more modular objects based on the usage indications yielding a combined modular object;

creating, by the system, new metadata for the combined modular object based on first metadata associated with a first of the two or more modular objects and second metadata associated with a second of the two or more modular objects;

in response to receiving query data relating to design of an industrial process;

searching, by the system, the object library;

identifying, by the system based on a comparison of the query data with the metadata and new metadata, one or more modular objects, including the combined modular object, that satisfy the query data, and

outputting, by the system, the one or more modular objects and a subset of the metadata associated with the one or more modular objects.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring, as the usage indications, at least one of key words associated with the modular objects, functionalities of the modular objects, or usage patterns associated with the modular objects.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising combining two or more other modular objects in response to a determination, yielded by the monitoring, that the two or more other modular objects are capable of being used together to perform an industrial function.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing, as the metadata associated with a modular object of the modular objects, at least one of a descriptor for the modular object, one or more keywords associated with the modular object, information identifying one or more applications in which the modular object has been used, versioning data for the modular object, an author of the modular object, validation information for the modular object, safety information for the modular object, or identification of a product for which the modular object was designed.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving annotation data directed to at least a portion of the metadata associated with one of the modular objects; and

applying the annotation data to the portion of the metadata to yield annotated metadata.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing copies of the annotated metadata and the portion of the metadata, prior to annotation, in the object library in association with the one of the modular objects.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

executing at least one of the modular objects on an industrial control system; and

performing control of at least one industrial device of the industrial process based on the executing.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving workflow request data defining a production goal for the industrial process;

receiving design input data from a design tool system based on the workflow request data; and

generating a workflow design based on a subset of the modular objects selected based on the design input data.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring usage indications of modular objects stored in a data store, wherein the modular objects include associated metadata that defines one or more functional aspects of the modular objects;

identifying, based on the monitoring, two or more modular objects, of the modular objects, that operate together according to a pattern;

in response to the identifying, combining the two or more modular objects based on the usage indications yielding a combined modular object;

generating new metadata for the combined modular object based on first metadata associated with a first of the two or more modular objects and second metadata associated with a second of the two or more modular objects;

in response to receiving query data relating to design of an industrial process;

identifying, based on a comparison of the query data with the metadata and new metadata, one or more modular objects, including the combined modular object, that satisfy the query data, and

outputting the one or more modular objects and a subset of the metadata associated with the one or more modular objects.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring, as the usage indications, at least one of key words associated with the modular objects, functionalities of the modular objects, or usage patterns associated with the modular objects.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the combining comprises combining the two or more modular objects based on a determination, based on the monitoring, that the two or more objects are capable of being used together to perform an industrial function.