US 5,006,992 A · Process control system with reconfigurable expert rules and control modules

Abstract

An integrated system for process control in which a process supervisor procedure (which is preferably the top-level procedure) is configured as a modular software structure, with modules which can be revised by a user at any time, without significantly interrupting the operation of the process supervisor. The modular software structure can define control parameters for many process control procedures, and can retrieve data from many sources (preferably including a historical database of process data, which can provide time-stamped data). The supervisor can also call on various expert subprocedures. Preferably the expert subprocedures can also be modified by an authorized user at any time, by calling up and editing a set of natural-language rule templates which correspond to the rules being executed by the expert subprocedure.

Claims81

Dependent claims

A computer-based method for operating a substantially continuous process, comprising the steps of:

(1) operating the process with one or more sensors connected to sense conditions in the process, and one or more actuators connected to change conditions in the process;
(2) controlling one or more of said actuators with a process controller in accordance with signals received directly from one or more of said sensors and in accordance with one or more control parameters;
and
(3) running a process supervisor procedure, comprising one or more software modules, for selectively defining one or more of said control parameters for said process controller, said process supervisor procedure also calling on at least one expert subprocedure which uses a knowledge base and inference structure relevant to the process.

1 more element

A computer-based method for operating a substantially continuous process, comprising the steps of:

(1) operating the process with one or more sensors connected to sense conditions in the process, and one or more actuators connected to change conditions in the process;
(2) controlling one or more of said actuators with a process controller in accordance with signals received from said sensors and in accordance with control parameters;
(3) running a process supervisor procedure, comprising one or more software modules, for selectively defining one or more of said control parameters for said process controller, said process supervisor procedure also calling on at least one expert subprocedure which uses a knowledge base and inference structure relevant to the process;
(4) selectively presenting functional structures, to a user, for a new rule for said expert subprocedure and/or a functional structure corresponding to the user input from which a current version of said expert subprocedure was generated, and selectively compiling one or more user inputs from said functional structure into a new version of said expert subprocedure;
and
(5) selectively presenting functional structures, to a user, for a new software module for said process supervisor procedure and/or a functional structure corresponding to a user input from which a current software module of said process supervisor procedure was generated, and selectively loading the user input from said functional structure to be used by said process supervisor procedure.

3 more elements

A computer-based system for controlling a substantially continuous process, comprising:

(a) one or more sensors connected to sense conditions in the process, and one or more actuators connected to change conditions in the process;
(b) a process controller connected to receive sense data generated by at least one of said sensors, and connected to control one or more of said actuators in accordance with said sensor data and in accordance with respective control parameters;
(c) process supervisor means comprising one or more software modules, for communicating said control parameters to said process controller;
(d) at least one expert subprocedure means which uses a knowledge base and inference structure relevant to the process, and which is callable by said process supervisor means;
(e) an historical database containing at least one time-stamped data regarding the process;
wherein said process supervisor means has a maximum iteration period significantly longer than the maximum iteration period of said process controller.

3 more elements

A computer-based system for controlling a substantially continuous process, comprising:

(a) one or more sensors connected to sense conditions in the process, and one or more actuators connected to change conditions in the process;
(b) a process controller connected to receive sense data generated by at least one of said sensors, and connected to control one or more of said actuators in accordance with said sensor data and in accordance with respective control parameters;
(c) process supervisor means comprising one or more software modules, connected to communicate said respective control parameters to said process controller;
(d) at least one expert subprocedure means which uses a knowledge base and inference structure relevant to the process, and which is callable by said process supervisor means;
(e) build-expert means which is configured to:
(1) upon command, selectively present to a user a functional structure for a new rule for said expert subprocedure means;
(2) upon command, selectively present to a user a functional structure corresponding to the user input from which a current version of said expert subprocedure means was generated;
(3) and selectively to compile one or more user inputs from said functional structure into a new version of said expert subprocedure means;
wherein said process supervisor means has a maximum iteration period significantly longer than the maximum iteration period of said process controller.

6 more elements

A computer-based system for controlling a substantially continuous process, comprising:

(a) one or more sensors connected to sense conditions in the process, and one or more actuators connected to change conditions in the process;
(b) a process controller connected to receive sense data generated by at least one of said sensors, and connected to control one or more of said actuators in accordance with said sensor data and in accordance with respective control parameters;
(c) process supervisor means comprising one or more software modules, for communicating said control parameters to said process controller;
(d) at least one expert subprocedure means which uses a knowledge base and inference structure relevant to the process, and which is callable by said process supervisor means;
and
(e) build-expert means which is configured to:
(1) upon command, selectively present to a user a functional structure for a new rule for said expert subprocedure means;
(2) upon command, selectively present to a user a functional structure corresponding to the user input from which a current version of said expert subprocedure means was generated;
(3) and selectively to compile one or more user inputs from said functional structure into a new version of said expert subprocedure means;
and
(f) build-supervisor means which is configured to:
(4) upon command, selectively present to a user a functional structure for a new software module for said process supervisor means;
(5) upon command, present to a user a functional structure corresponding to a user input from which a current software module of said process supervisor means was generated;
(6) and selectively to load the user input from said functional structure to be used by said process supervisor means;
wherein said process supervisor means has a maximum iteration period significantly longer than the maximum iteration period of said process controller.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process control system with reconfigurable expert rules and control modules

Life of this patent

Process control system with reconfigurable expert rules and control modules

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims81