Ontology-Based System and Method for Industrial Control

A method of controlling an industrial process so as to produce a product in response to an order, the method comprising:

• receiving the order from an external source;
• processing the order at an order system so as to generate an order instance representative of the received order in accordance with an order ontology;
• identifying a plurality of product order instances based upon the order instance;
• sending the plurality of product order instances respectively to a plurality of product agents, respectively;
• conducting communications between the plurality of product agents and at least one database so as to identify a plurality of generalized production plans capable of serving as bases for developing a plurality of production plan instances for at least indirectly governing a plurality of aspects of the industrial process in a manner so as to satisfy respective product orders associated with the plurality of product order instances, respectively;
• conducting additional communications between the plurality of product agents and a plurality of additional agents, wherein the plurality of product agents based upon the additional communications and the plurality of generalized production plans develop the plurality of production plan instances;
• and
• controlling the aspects of the industrial process based at least indirectly upon the production plan instances.

An industrial control system comprising:

• an order system configured to receive an order from an external source and process the order to generate an order instance in accordance with an order ontology;
• at least one database storing a plurality of selectable generalized production plans and information identifying capabilities of a plurality of control entities;
• and
• a product agent in at least indirect communication with the order system, the at least one database and the control entities,
• wherein the product agent receives at least one portion of the order instance, selects at least one of the generalized production plans, and communicates with the control entities so as to determine a production plan instance suitable for governing at least one aspect of an industrial process in order to satisfy at least one portion of the received order corresponding to the at least one portion of the order instance.