Diagnostic Tool and Diagnostic Method for Determining An Interruption in A Plant

Content Provider	The Lens
Abstract	A diagnostic tool, a computer software program, and a method for determining an interruption in a plant with at least one device includes determining a plant status at a recording time by recording at least one plant status value and transmitting the plant status to the diagnostic tool, determining a device status at a recording time by recording at least one device status value and transmitting the device status to the diagnostic tool, assigning a shared time base to the transmitted device status and the transmitted plant status, and correlating the transmitted device status and the transmitted plant status by coordinating the device status and the plant status on the shared time base.
Related Links	https://www.lens.org/lens/patent/010-530-406-170-28X/frontpage
Language	English
Publisher Date	2019-05-21
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Patent
Jurisdiction	United States of America
Date Applied	2017-04-21
Agent	Henry M. Feiereisen Llc
Applicant	Siemens Ag
Application No.	201715493980
Claim	A diagnostic tool having a computer software program stored thereon in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said program including routines configured to determine whether or not an interruption of a device in a plant having a plant time base that is different from the device time base was a planned interruption when the routines are executed by a processor, said diagnostic tool comprising: a routine configured to determine a status of the plant by recording a plant status value at a recording time having a plant time stamp and to transmit the plant status value to the processor; a routine configured to determine a status of the device by recording a device status value at the recording time having a device time stamp and transmit the device status value to the processor; a routine configured to overwrite either the plant time stamp with the device time stamp or the device time stamp with the plant time stamp, depending on whether the device time stamp or the plant time stamp is already available, in order to assign a shared time base to the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value; and a routine configured to correlate the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value on the shared time base to determine whether the interruption in the plant is a planned interruption or an unplanned interruption. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , further comprising, a routine configured to integrate the status of the device and the plant. The diagnostic tool of claim 2 , wherein the plant-status value and the device status value are provided the same time stamp by integration of the status of the plant and the device. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , wherein the interruption is categorized as a production-interfering interruption or not a production-interfering interruption. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value are displayed graphically as a function of time on the shared time base. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , wherein the device status and the plant status at least include information relating to an operation and/or a downtime of the plant. The diagnostic tool of claim 6 , wherein the device status and the plant status include further information relating to the operation or the downtime. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , configured as a computer software automation too The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , wherein the recording, the transmitting of the device status and of the plant status and the assigning to the shared time base are executed with a minimal or with no time offset. The diagnostic tool of claim 1 , wherein the plant time stamp and the device time stamp include at least one of a date or a current time. A diagnostic method for determining whether or not an interruption of an automated process in a plant was a planned interruption, despite the plant having a plant time base that is different from the time base of a device used by the automated process, when the diagnostic method is implemented by a processor, comprising the steps of: determining a status of the plant by recording a plant status value at a recording time having a plant time stamp and transmitting the plant status value to the processor; determining a status of the at least one device by recording a device status value at the a recording time having a device time stamp and transmitting the device status value to the processor; overwriting either the plant time stamp with the device time stamp or the device time stamp with the plant time stamp, depending on whether the device time stamp or the plant time stamp is already available, in order to assign a shared time base to the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value; and correlating the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value on the shared time base to determine whether the interruption in the plant is a planned interruption or an unplanned interruption. The diagnostic method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of integrating the status of the at least one device and the status of the plant. The diagnostic method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of providing the same time stamp to the plant status value and the device status value upon integration of the status of the plant and the status of the device. The diagnostic method of claim 11 , wherein the interruption is categorized as a production-interfering interruption or not a production-interfering interruption. The diagnostic method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of displaying the correlated device status and the correlated plant status graphically. The diagnostic method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of recording and transmitting the device status and plant status and assigning the device and plant time base to the shared time base are executed with minimal or no time offset. The diagnostic method of claim 11 , wherein the device status and the plant status include information relating to an operation and/or a downtime of the plant. The diagnostic method of claim 17 , wherein the device status and the plant status include further information relating to the operation or downtime. Diagnostic apparatus having a software program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium therein, said program including routines configured to determine whether or not an interruption of a device in a plant having a plant time base that is different from the device time base was a planned interruption, said diagnostic apparatus comprising: a processor configured to execute the software program; and a software program configured to be executed by the configured to execute a software program processor, said software program including a routine configured to determine a status of the plant by recording a plant status value at a recording time having a plant time stamp and transmit the plant status value to the processor; a routine configured to determine a status of the device by recording a device status value at the recording time having a device time stamp and transmit the device status value to the processor; a routine configured to overwrite either the plant time stamp with the device time stamp or the device time stamp with the plant time stamp, depending on whether the device time stamp or the plant time stamp is already available, in order to assign a shared time base to the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value; and a routine configured to correlate the transmitted device status value and the transmitted plant status value on the shared time base to determine whether the interruption in the plant is a planned interruption or an unplanned interruption.
CPC Classification	CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL;FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS;MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE; COMMERCIAL; FINANCIAL; MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES;SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE; COMMERCIAL; FINANCIAL; MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR Climate Change Mitigation Technologies In The Production Or Processing Of Goods
Examiner	John H Le
Extended Family	107-023-251-119-535 155-693-809-699-094 119-050-306-698-220 073-417-761-688-99X 039-424-516-386-317 034-204-743-656-317 010-530-406-170-28X 162-325-574-767-076 056-232-473-728-144
Patent ID	10295997
Inventor/Author	Siegel Tobias
IPC	G05B23/02 G05B19/418 G06Q10/06
Status	Active
Owner	Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Simple Family	073-417-761-688-99X 107-023-251-119-535 119-050-306-698-220 155-693-809-699-094 039-424-516-386-317 034-204-743-656-317 010-530-406-170-28X 162-325-574-767-076 056-232-473-728-144
CPC (with Group)	G05B19/048 G05B23/0264 G05B19/4183 G06Q10/06313 G06Q10/20 Y02P90/02 G05B23/0275 G05B21/02 G05B23/02 G05B23/0272 G05B23/0283
Issuing Authority	United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Kind	Patent/New European patent specification (amended specification after opposition procedure)