A method for operating a redundant automation system having a plurality of subsystems, wherein one subsystem of the plurality of subsystems operates as a master and assumes process control and the other subsystem operates as a reserve during redundant operation, where measures are provided by which the availability of the redundant automation system is increased, and where regardless of whether transient errors occur on the subsystem of the plurality of subsystems operating as the master or on the subsystem operating as the reserve, a total failure of the automation system is largely avoided.

A template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility is disclosed that includes a number of time-saving application development tools that significantly enhance design productivity and allow re-using of previously developed application building blocks. The development facility includes an application object template library that stores a set of previously defined application object templates. The template library is accessed by developers through a configuration utility that facilitates specifying instances of the set of previously defined application object templates to be included in an application. Thereafter, application objects are instantiated from the selected ones of the set of previously defined application object templates in a build of the specified application.

A cooperative learning system usable for process monitoring in which a monitoring model is provided for each of plural processes arranged in chronological order at predetermined transition time period intervals. The system stores, in chronological order, first monitoring data in a first process, second monitoring data in a second process, and at least one monitoring result from the first process output from a first monitoring model using the first monitoring data as an input parameter. The system performs parent model learning processing for the first monitoring model using the first monitoring data and the monitoring result from the first monitoring model, and performs child model learning processing for a second monitoring model using a monitoring result from the first monitoring model at a first time as teacher data and using the second monitoring data at a second time shifted from the first time by a transition period as an input parameter.

A method for operating a redundant automation system having a plurality of subsystems, wherein one subsystem of the plurality of subsystems operates as a master and assumes process control and the other subsystem operates as a reserve during redundant operation, where measures are provided by which the availability of the redundant automation system is increased, and where regardless of whether transient errors occur on the subsystem of the plurality of subsystems operating as the master or on the subsystem operating as the reserve, a total failure of the automation system is largely avoided.

Provided is a method for remote monitoring of a production plant and in particular a packaging plant, the plant has a plurality of working units as well as a data collection device, to which these working units are connected at least partially and/or at least intermittently for data transmission, wherein the data collection device collects relevant data for the working units and wherein a data transmission device transmits data from the data collection device to a data recording device, wherein at least one characteristic and in particular a type and/or a scope of the data to be transmitted can be determined by a user and in particular by a user of the data collection device.

All equipment will fail if not properly maintained so it is imperative to check the state of the equipment, periodically. Accordingly, an assessment system including an equipment analyzer is provided for analyzing the state of equipment. The analyzer includes an interactive interface for arranging a plurality of selectable assessment elements. Each element represents an assessment procedure for evaluating a state of equipment and is linked to a respective process pipeline. A controller activates a tool in the process pipeline for carrying out an assessing task. The controller verifies whether the task is complete based on feedback provided by the user and stores the feedback for generating reports. Whether a tool is activated or a task can be completed is limited to when the user is at the point of evaluation. Accordingly, the assessment system can ensure that evaluations are accurately completed at the time of evaluation.

Reducing nuisance notifications from building automation systems is described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive a notification of an alarm from a building automation system, compare attributes of the alarm to attributes of alarms included in a database of suppressed alarms, refrain from transmitting a notification of the alarm to a mobile device in response to the attributes of the alarm matching attributes of any of the alarms in the database, and transmit a notification of the alarm to a mobile device in response to the attributes of the alarm not matching the attributes of any of the alarms in the database.

There is described a method and system for determining a sampling plan using a statistical analysis of different regions of at least one component and determining a level of performance for each of the regions. Subsequent components are then inspected using the sampling plan. Results from the inspection may be used to update and/or modify the sampling plan in a feedback loop.

A sensor node for a distributed sensing system, can include a physical memory configured to store configuration settings data, one or more sensor channels configured to interface with one or more physical sensors to receive signals from the one or more physical sensors, and one or more configurable logic modules connected to the physical memory and operative to receive the configuration settings data and to be configured by the configuration settings data into a logic state to control whether and/or how the one or more one or more configurable logic modules receive and/or processes data from the one or more sensor channels. The one or more configurable logic modules can include one or more FPGAs and/or PLDs, for example.

According to one embodiment, a control program maintenance device includes a display processing unit that displays whether a first control program and a second control program are matched or mismatched on a display unit as a result of comparison. When a mismatch occurs, the display processing unit develops the configuration to a lower level by referring to a product tree; displays different parts in the control programs within the range to be compared on the display unit; and displays, in a developable manner and by referring to the product tree, mismatch parts in the control programs of a comparison source and a comparison destination before and after maintenance work is performed on a control program to be maintained.