Apparatus for controlling and/or monitoring a technical installation

An apparatus for controlling and/or monitoring a technical installation for producing and/or processing metal, comprising:

• a computing system with at least one interface for connection to at least one further computing system of the installation and/or to at least one sensor apparatus of the installation and/or to at least one man-machine interface and/or to an application program;
• wherein the computing system is configured to receive a request for an item of information relating to the installation from at least one requesting further computing system and/or from a requesting sensor apparatus of the installation and/or from a requesting man-machine interface and/or from an application program via the interface;
• wherein the computing system can access a data model via the further computing system and/or the sensor apparatus and/or the man-machine interface and/or a further application program;
• wherein the data model provides an indication of what information can be accessed by the further computing system and/or the sensor apparatus and/or the man-machine interface and/or the further application program;
• wherein the computing system is configured to determine, on the basis of the data model, the further computing system and/or the sensor apparatus and/or the man-machine interface and/or the further application program which can provide the information sought;
• wherein the computing system is configured to obtain the requested information from the at least one determined further computing system and/or from the at least one determined sensor apparatus and/or from the at least one determined man-machine interface and/or from the at least one further application program via the interface;
• and
• wherein the computing system is configured to output the obtained information to the requesting further computing system and/or to the requesting sensor apparatus of the installation and/or to the requesting man-machine interface and/or to the requesting application program via the interface.

A method for controlling and/or monitoring a technical installation for producing and/or processing metal, comprising:

• using an assistant program with at least one interface for connection to application programs;
• wherein the assistant program receives a request for an item of information relating to the installation from at least one requesting application program via the interface;
• wherein the assistant program can access a data model;
• wherein the data model provides an indication of which information can be provided by at least one further application program;
• wherein the assistant program determines, on the basis of the request and on the basis of the data model, which application program can provide the requested information;
• wherein the assistant program transmits the request to the at least one determined application program which can provide the requested information;
• wherein the assistant program receives a response from the determined application program;
• and
• wherein the assistant program outputs the received response to the requesting application program.

A system for controlling and monitoring an installation for producing and processing metal, comprising:

• a computing system having at least one interface configured to connect to at least a first device, a second device, and a third device, the computing system configured to receive a request for an item of information relating to the installation from the first device via the at least one interface;
• and
• a data model accessible by the computing system, the data model configured to provide an indication which of the second device and the third device can provide the information;
• wherein the computing system is configured to obtain, via the interface, the information from the determined one of the second device and the third device;
• and
• wherein the computing system is configured to output the information to the first device.