Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2004-08-10
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S115000, C700S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775582
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a data processing system and device for a cohesive technical process, having at least one processing station for an initial product or end product of the process both of which have an associated specific data record for administering features and/or process information for said products and wherein the processing station has an associated upstream or downstream product buffer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The reference DE 295 12 330 U1 discloses a device for product data maintenance for a technical process in which a product has associated production documentation which records relevant data, for example equipment versions, accompanying papers, test records etc. Some of this documentation is attached to the product, and/or is used for internal documentation.
It is also known for a product which has different equipment versions to have associated equipment and/or configuration information, accompanying the process, associated with the product, in the form of a logcard, a sticker associated with the product, or in an electronic form. This is used not only for comprehensive company-internal production description or quality analysis, but also is used to assist in reconstruction of the product life cycle in the event of any subsequent claims. These data records are administered and recorded using a central computation system, which is linked via a bus system to every relevant processing station in the technical process.
A packaging machine is disclosed in DE 199 20 255 A1 which has a revolving brochure feed apparatus, having a large number of holders, each of which holds one brochure, and by means of which a brochure can be positioned in front of a product cup in a product chain. Furthermore, the packaging machine has a feed apparatus, by means of which the brochure can be inserted into the holder of the brochure feed apparatus in a handover area. The movements of a folding box chain and of a product chain are synchronized such that the product can be inserted into the folding boxes from the side, transversely with respect to the movement direction of the chains. This is necessary for certain products, for example in the case of pharmaceutical industry products, in particular medications, in order to insert a brochure or leaflet into the pack.
Furthermore, it is well-known that many packaging machines have processing stations with controlled work cycles, such as stations for forming, filling, closing, sealing, perforating or separating products or packages etc. Such packaging machines have been used for a long time, and need no further elaboration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to design a data processing system for a cohesive technical process such that a data record associated with a product is processed and administered in a decentralized manner during the technical product process. This object is achieved as a result of at least one respective product-associated or partial-product-associated data record being produced and/or varied in a decentralized manner at the respective processing station during the technical process, and which can be passed on in time with the processing to the respective processing station. The data traffic associated with the products therefore does not load central data lines, since only the data required for subsequent processing stations in the technical process and the data required for subsequent documentation is interchanged between adjacent processing stations.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is where the functionality of the product and/or process data handling of the technical process is formed in a decentralized manner via data processing appliances. Autonomous units with respectively associated data processing system functions are thus set up in a distributed manner. According to the invention, the tasks normally carried out by at least one separate, central host computer are carried out by decentralized data processing appliances. The processing rate is thus not dependent on all the processes running in parallel in the host computer, and computation power required on a decentralized basis can be configured independently and individually for each of the processing stations.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is the dynamic use of data record storage locations in a processing station. It is thus possible to optimally fill the physical memory installed in the processing station with product data records. Data record storage locations, having data record size which is fixed in advance in a processing station, utilize the physical overall memory that is provided optimally only if the maximum data record length of a storage location matches the product data record length. Dynamic storage space administration advantageously allows different product data record lengths and, in the process, the predetermined total memory size can be used flexibly and optimally.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is where the data record for an initial product or end product is dynamically matched to a data record length required from the process sequence. Hence, only data which is relevant to the further processing stations is interchanged between two processing stations. Dynamic data record length adaptation allows a data record to be used which varies depending on the process or product requirements. The data record can be enlarged or reduced at any processing station. If, for example, it is found from a specific feature of a product or partial product that process sequences which have already been carried out are repeated, or that additional process steps are required (tolerance discrepancies, defective parts, incomplete processing steps etc.), then the additional data can be dynamically attached to the already existing product data record. The dynamically amended data record can be used at a later time to analyze and reconstruct the processing steps carried out, particularly any processing steps which may have been repeated. One version of this preferred embodiment comprises the combination of at least two product data records, having a predetermined memory size and linked via pointers or via a link that has been entered. These records are held in at least two storage locations, but are logically associated.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is where the data record structure of an initial product and/or end product is composed of at least one of the following data record entries, which may be combined if required:
identifier for features;
data type information;
feature;
dimension unit for one or more features;
limit values of features;
validity identifier for features;
access authorizations; and
process information for an initial product and/or end product.
This procedure allows assignment of information which can be uniquely associated with an initial product and/or end product and describes characteristics (features) which are advantageously associated with the product.
The data record entries are described in more detail in the following text:
an identifier describes the name of a feature such as “weight”, “date”, “number”;
the actual value is entered in a feature, for example, an entry “10” is made into the feature for a “10 kg” entry;
data type information is used to define how the individual feature data items occur, for example as an integer, real, pointer, text type etc.;
a dimension unit describes the dimension unit of a physical variable, for example “kg”, “m/s”, “number” etc.;
upper and lower limits for respective features are provided in the data record by means of feature limit values;
validity identifiers for features are used to define whether the features of an initial product and/or of an end product have been described validly in the respective data record;
access authorizations for each feature are used to control whether users, processing stations, data processing appliances or authorized processes etc. may access data records and/or features and what data rights are assigned to them; and
process information all
Schaaf Joachim
Schovenberg Wolfgang
Frank Elliot L
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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