Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Elmar Thurner

Dirk Langkafel

Stefan Doblmayr

Armin Amrhein

Gotthard Pfander

Thomas Merkl

The invention relates to a method for programming and/or executing programs for industrial automation systems. Modules and functions that respectively represent partial tasks of an automation solution are modeled and/or generated by using input aids and optionally a display device. The modules and functions are structured and networked by input aids and optionally the display device in such a way that they form at least one hierarchical tree, as at least one machine-independent program. According to the invention, each machine-independent program in the form of at least one hierarchical tree is loaded into the corresponding components of the automation system. The corresponding components of the automation system execute each machine-independent program.

Device and method for programming and/or executing programs for industrial automation systems

The invention relates to a system and a method for tracing and evaluating the communication of software applications, especially MES applications in an entire system. The tracing and evaluation can be carried out progressively or step-by-step on a project level, an adapter level and a port level, i.e. individual communication connections and individual applications, but the entire project is also traced by (even heterogeneous) application environments. The tracing and evaluation mechanisms enable higher-level services to access online the archived trace and error data at all times. An example of one such service is the generation of a report in the pharmaceutical field, indicating the materials used and sent in production orders.

System and method for tracing and/or evaluating the exchange of information

The invention relates to an engineering method and system for industrial automation systems, in particular for MES systems, based on at least one computational unit with an input auxiliary device, an output auxiliary device, in addition to at least one display device. According to said method, the modelled objects comprise installation structures or installation parts and are linked to meta information. The modelled objects are structured in the engineering method as hierarchical trees and can be interconnected by lateral networking or by means of a cursor. The objects are executed in run-time by evaluating the meta information in a target system, whereby the functions of an installation that has been modelled in the engineering method are determined from the structure of the tree and the networked connections.

Engineering method and system for industrial automation systems

Objects (with data, attributes, behavior, functions) for software applications, especially MES-applications, are linked to meta information and structured as hierarchical trees (whereby different forms of representation can be selected) and are branched or cross-linked together (laterally and/or horizontally). During the running time, the objects are added to form software applications whereby the common functions of the software applications are derived from the structure of the hierarchical trees. Software applications for MES-systems are constructed for automation systems, for industrial controls (also movement controls) and for office applications (office area).

Software application software architecture and method for the construction of software applications especially for measuring systems

A system and method for projecting the transformation of object trees, especially in MES systems, wherein the course object tree and target object tree are represented in a common meta-object model of a software system, especially a framework. The source object tree is transformed into the target object tree by adjustment. Transformation occurs directly in the object of the meta-object model, thereby enabling communication between connected applications by means of pure data exchange.

System and method for projecting transformations of object trees

Process data to a client is provided for process data to a client from a server in an Industrial Automation System. An incompletely determined and/or extensible request for process data from the client by the server is received. The structure and kind of process data to be sent to the client by a server application is determined. An XML type message of meta data being descriptive on structure and kind of the process data and the process data are generated. The XML type message is then sent to the client.

System, method & apparatus of providing process data to a client

The invention relates to a plug-in communication module () and a method for communicating using a plug-in communication module () to simplify the communication interfacing of assemblies and devices. A communication module () is proposed with means () for storing and executing software components () with communication functionality, with first connection means () for direct electrical and mechanical coupling to interfaces () of at least a first assembly (), with access means () for accessing local communication means () of the first assembly () and with second connection means () for electrical coupling to interfaces () of at least a second assembly (). Advantageous embodiments relate in particular to a communication module, with which at least one of the software components () is provided to execute communication tasks using Internet technologies and/or at least one of the software components () is a Web server or is provided to execute Web services.

Plug-in communication module and method for communicating using a plug-in communication module

Applications to be connected, particularly MES (manufacturing execution system) applications, as well as the communications mechanisms are depicted in the object model of the framework (IF; IF meaning industrial framework) by using wrappers and/or adapters and, as a result, can be manipulated in a uniformly homogenous manner in the framework. The invention is advantageous in that the very heterogeneous structures of the applications are depicted on a common model and can be comfortably and easily used by a user by means of generic mechanisms. That is to say that the effort of programming is eliminated and, as a result, this communication can be easily projected by establishing a so-called connection.

System and method for communicating between software applications, particularly MES (manufacturing execution system) applications

Customizable Drag & Drop enables easy activation of user defined or project specific functions concerning two related objects: A user interface graphically displays objects of a particular module. An extending function extends the drag and drop operation to allow the user to define a new set of semantics that is applied when a drag and drop operation is executed. In this way communication can be established using Customizable Drag & Drop extended by a user defined function. Also definition and modification of the deployment of an industrial automation system and hyperlinking of objects in manufacturing execution systems is achieved by Customizable Drag & Drop.

Customizable drag and drop for industrial software applications

The invention relates to a system and a method for modelling and executing business processes in MES systems (manufacturing execution systems) or manufacturing control systems by means of a plurality of independently operating processes which are modelled by automatic state or execution machines and interconnected asynchronous connections. Said processes can be independently distributed to a plurality of computers (deployment) and communicate with each other in an asynchronous manner. The modelling of said automatic execution machines is carried out by means of activity and data flow diagrams according to UML representation. An advantage of the inventive system or method is that said processes can be immediately executed and tested. External software systems can be integrated by means of wrappers or adapters.

System and method for modeling and/or executing software applications, especially MES applications

Multiple Views of an Industrial Plant are graphically displayed and viewed. A graphical user interface displays the views in corresponding panes or windows of the graphical user interface. The views, being graphical representations of systems of the Industrial Plant, are coupled by a coupler according to a predetermined relationship between the underlying systems of the Industrial Plant represented by the coupled views. The coupler automatically refocuses the panes to display different views of the Industrial Plant based on a selection of an object in any of the panes or on a manual refocus of one view and on the predetermined relationship for coupling the views. The Coupled views represent different domains of the Industrial Plant or Industrial Network e.g. real-time monitoring and operation, configuration, debugging, maintenance, scheduling, asset management, documentation, training, simulation, physical construction, material flow monitoring, programming, interconnecting function blocks, performance analysis. The analysis may be provided at different points in time (now, past, predicted future) and with a different spatial focus (parts, whole). Coupling different views greatly reduces handling effort for building and operating Industrial Plants.

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Nürnberg, Germany

Elmar Thurner