Patent · US Expired

Dynamic unit selection in a process control system

US6522934B1 · kind B1 · utility

44Cited by
10References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 2, 1999
Grant dateFeb 18, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 2, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A process control system includes a controller that executes a control routine which performs a series of unit procedures within a process. The control routine is written or created to specify the class of unit to be used for each unit procedure, but not the actual unit itself. At the start of each unit procedure of the control routine, a dynamic unit selection routine selects a particular unit as the unit to be used during operation of that unit procedure. When called, the dynamic unit selection routine determines a set of possible units to be used, determines if each of the set of possible units is suitable for use during that unit procedure of the control routine based on a suitability criterion, prioritizes the units that meet the suitability criterion based on a priority criterion and selects the particular unit from the prioritized list of suitable units in order of priority. The dynamic unit selection routine may determine if one or more of the units on the prioritized list of suitable units is capable of being acquired and may select the first unit on the prioritized list of suitable units that is capable of being acquired as the unit to be used by the control routine.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.