Checking method, device, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11016474-B2
Application number	US-201716464523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for checking whether and/or how a technical process may be carried out using a technical system with two or more units having technical capabilities that are potentially relevant to the technical process. At least one ontology is used which describes the technical system and the technical process, and a constraint satisfaction problem is generated using the at least one ontology. In the method, solutions are found for the constraint satisfaction problem. The solutions may be stored or output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for checking an implementation of a technical process by a production system having a plurality of production units, each production unit having technical capabilities potentially relevant to the technical process, the method comprising:
applying, by a production unit of the plurality of production units of the production system, at least one ontology that describes the production system and the technical process;
forming a constraint satisfaction problem, comprising at least one constraint in a form of a capability matching condition, by way of the at least one ontology, wherein the capability matching condition is defined by a requirement for the technical capabilities offered by the plurality of production units of the production system to match capabilities required for a required technical process, so that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process;
determining solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem according to the capability matching condition;
assigning a production unit having a suitable technical capability to the required technical process when the capability matching condition is fulfilled, indicating that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process; and
storing or outputting the determined solutions.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the production system is a controller, an automation system, an assistance system, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering a search space for the solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the filtering is performed by way of constraint reasoning, semantic reasoning, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semantic reasoning is performed by way of an ontological reasoner, a semantic reasoner, or both the ontological reasoner and the semantic reasoner that at least partly applies the ontology.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the constraint reasoning is performed by way of a constraint reasoner.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the filtering is conducted before the determining of the solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ontology comprises the plurality of production units of the production system and/or capabilities in relation to at least one or more production units or all of the production units of the plurality of production units.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one ontology further comprises capabilities in relation to one or more conditions or all of the conditions for the technical capabilities that exist for the plurality of production units.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ontology comprises a topology of the production system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ontology comprises planning information of the technical process.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the planning information comprises a work plan, a part list, or both the work plan and the part list for a product to be produced.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem optimize one or more optimization criteria.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more optimization criteria comprise a duration of the technical process, a resource input, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the duration of the technical process is a production time.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the resource input is an energy input.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constraint satisfaction problem further comprises at least one constraint in a form of a combinatorial consistency condition, a numerical consistency condition, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constraint satisfaction problem further comprises at least one constraint in a form of a forwarding condition.

19. A device configured to check an implementation of a technical process, the device comprising:
a knowledge base having at least one ontology that describes a production system and the technical process;
a constraint satisfaction problem generator that is configured to apply data of the at least one ontology and to generate a constraint satisfaction problem comprising at least one constraint in a form of a capability matching condition, wherein the capability matching condition is defined by a requirement for technical capabilities offered by a plurality of production units of the production system to match capabilities required for a required technical process, so that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process; and
a constraint solver that is configured to solve the constraint satisfaction problem according to the capability matching condition and, when the capability matching condition is fulfilled, indicating that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process, assign a production unit having a suitable technical capability to the required technical process.

20. The device of claim 19 , further comprising:
a filter configured to filter a search space for solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the filter comprises a constraint reasoner, a semantic reasoner, or a combination thereof.

22. A computer program product stored on a device, wherein, when the computer program product is executed, the computer program product causes the device to:
apply at least one ontology that describes a production system and a technical process;
form a constraint satisfaction problem, comprising at least one constraint in a form of a capability matching condition, by way of the at least one ontology, wherein the capability matching condition is defined by a requirement for technical capabilities offered by a plurality of production units of the production system to match capabilities required for a required technical process, so that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process;
determine solutions to the constraint satisfaction problem according to the capability matching condition;
assign a production unit having a suitable technical capability to the required technical process when the capability matching condition is fulfilled, indicating that the production system is capable of implementing the required technical process; and
store or output the determined solutions.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Grimm Stephan
• Haselböck Alois

Classifications

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title

• G06N5/02

  Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B2219/32347

  Knowledge based simulation engine, use answers from user, database · CPC title

• G05B2219/32015

  Optimize, process management, optimize production line · CPC title