Incremental association of metadata to production data

• US 20070078537A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Chand, Sujeet, Kalan, Michael, Hall, Kenwood, Baier, John, Hood, Gavan, Briant, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates utilizing metadata appended to data related to an industrial automation environment with a controller that is associated with a hierarchically structured data model. An interface component can facilitate receipt of data associated with at least one of an instruction set, a configuration, and a collection. An append component can affix metadata to at least one of the instruction set, the configuration, and the collection, wherein the metadata conforms to a hierarchically structured data model.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates manufacturing within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

an interface component that facilitates receipt of data associated with at least one of an instruction set, a configuration, and a collection; and

an append component that affixes metadata to at least one of the instruction set, the configuration, and the collection, wherein the metadata conforms to a hierarchically structured data model.

2. The system of claim 1, the instruction set is related to a manufacturing demand for a product.

3. The system of claim 1, the configuration relates to at least one of a manufacturing and an automation system.

4. The system of claim 1, the collection relates to data about a product to meet a demand.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a programmable logic controller that relates to the hierarchically structured data model.

6. The system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon ISAS95.

7. The system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon ISA_S88.

8. The system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon a combination of ISAS95 and ISA_S88.

9. The system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model represents the physical hierarchical location within an industrial automation environment that includes at least one tag and a device.

10. The system of claim 9, the physical hierarchical location of is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, and an output within a subcell.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a distribute component that facilitates distribution of data to at least one of the system, a disparate system, a component within the system, and a component within the disparate system.

12. The system of claim 11, the distribute component utilizes at least one of a directory service, a caching service, and a storage service to enable the metadata to be distributed to a participating system.

13. The system of claim 12, the distribute component provides the distribution of metadata with data to the participating system during a communication outage.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bridge component that provides a first network protocol utilized to carry data from the programmable logic controller and configures the data for transmittal over a second network protocol.

15. The system of claim 14, the bridge component bridges multiple communication networks.

16. The system of claim 14, the first network protocol is one of Fieldbus, Profibus, Hart, Modbus, ASI-bus, and Foundation Fieldbus.

17. The system of claim 16, the second network protocol is Common Industrial Protocol (CIP).

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a validate component that ensures the integrity of the metadata.

19. The system of claim 18, the validate component utilizes a template and at least one of a discoverable service and a set of services to validate at least one of metadata, data, metadata affixed to data, and manipulations to metadata.

20. The system of claim 18, the template extends from a shipped product or pre-defined information.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that provides at least two layers of protection in relation to a modification to metadata.

22. The system of claim 1, the metadata is system configuration that affects at least one of operation and safety of a delivered system.

23. The system of claim 1, the metadata is a template that can be at least one of the following:

a raw material definition;

a work order;

a recipe;

a physical template;

a procedural template;

a template that can be modified; and

a standard-based template.

24. A method that facilitates implementing appending data related to an industrial automation environment with metadata, comprising:

implementing a hierarchically structured data model;

affixing metadata to data; and

utilizing the metadata with data to implement a common definition of data.

25. The method of claim 24, the common definition can include a portion of an aspect of an industrial automation environment that is accessible to all components therein.

26. The method of claim 24, the hierarchically structured data model represents the physical hierarchical location within an industrial automation environment of at least one of a device, a tag, and a variable.

27. The method of claim 24, the physical hierarchical location of is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, and an output within a subcell.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

validating the metadata with data with a template and a version; and

distributing the metadata with data to a participating industrial automation environment.

29. The method of claim 24, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISAS95 and ISA_S88.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing at least one of a bridge between at least two disparate networks and a mapping between disparate data.

31. A programmable logic controller utilized within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for facilitating receipt of data associated with at least one of an instruction set, a configuration, and a collection; and

means for affixing metadata to at least one of the instruction set, the configuration, and the collection, wherein the metadata conforms to a hierarchically structured data model.