A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR ENABLING ACCESS TO PROCESS DATA OF A FOOD PRODUCTION PLANT

Abstract

A method for enabling access to process data for a food production plant can include receiving, by a central server, properties of the food production plant from the control system, generating a data model based on the properties, said data model comprising data model properties, wherein the data model is control system type independent, transmitting the data model properties to an application programming interface (API), receiving adapted data model properties from the API, updating the data model based on the adapted data model properties, receiving, by the central server, plant design data from a plant design tool, generating an API based on the data model and the plant design data, and transmitting the API to a monitoring device, thereby providing for that the monitoring device is enabled to receive the process data from the food production plant.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access to process data of a food production plant controlled by a control system, said method comprising: receiving, by a central server, properties of the food production plant rom the control system, generating a data model based on the properties, said data model comprising data model properties, wherein the data model is control system type independent, transmitting the data model properties to an application programming interface (API) tool, receiving adapted data model properties from the API tool, updating the data model based on the adapted data model properties, receiving, by the central server, plant design data from a plant design tool, generating an API based on the data model and the plant design data, and transmitting the API to a monitoring device, thereby providing for that the monitoring device is enabled to receive the process data from the food production plant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the API provides for that the monitoring device is configured to receive the process data directly from at least one sensor of the food production plant.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the process data is sensor data inaccessible to the control system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control system is a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is a human-machine interface (HMI) device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data model is control system programming language independent.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the API based on the adapted data model properties comprises: generating source code, and compiling the source code into a binary file.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the API based on the adapted data model properties comprises: generating API documentation.

9. A central server for enabling access to process data of a food production plant controlled by a control system, wherein the central server is communicatively connected to the food production plant via the control system, to an API tool, to a plant design tool and to a monitoring device, said central sever comprising a memory, a processor and a transceiver, said transceiver being configured to: receive properties of the food production plant from the control system, transmit data model properties to the API tool, receive adapted properties from the API tool, receive plant design data from the plant design too, transmit the API to the monitoring device, and said processor and memory being configured to execute; a data model generation function configured to generate a data model based on the properties, said data model comprising data model properties, wherein the data model is control system type independent, a data model update function configured to update the data model based on the adapted data model properties, and an API generation function configured to generate the API based on the data model and the plant design data.

10. The central server according to claim 9, wherein the API provides for that the monitoring device is configured to receive the process data directly from sensors in the food production plant.

11. The central server according to claim 9, wherein the process data is sensor data inaccessible to the control system.

12. The central server according to claim 9, wherein the control system is a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.

13. The central server according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring device is a human-machine interface (HMI) device.

14. A food production plant comprising: a number of food production units, a control system communicatively connected to sensors in the food production units, a central server according to claim 9, an API tool configured to generate adapted data model properties based on the data model properties, a plant design tool configured to provide plant design data, and a monitoring device configured to receive process data from the sensors in the food production units, wherein a software of the monitoring device is configured by using the API.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a food production plant comprising a control system, a central server and a monitoring device.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for enabling access to process data of the food production plant.

[0060] FIG. 3 illustrates the central server in further detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a food production plant 100 by way of example.

[0062] In this example, a food production line 102 comprising a number of food production units 104a-e is provided. However, even though not illustrated, the food production plant 100 may also comprise a number of lines or a network of food production units 104a-e connected to each other via valve batteries.

[0063] The food production units 104a-e can comprise programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and a number of sensors 106a-f. As illustrated, several sensors may be provided in one and the same food production unit and there may also be food production units without sensors. In this context, the food production units should be given a broad meaning and may also include e.g. pipes, valves or packaging equipment.

[0064] The food production units 104a-e can be controlled by a control system 108 that is communicatively connected to the food production units 104a-e. Via the control system 108, properties 110 of the food production plant 100, or more specifically the food production units 104a-e, can be provided to a central server 112.

[0065] The central server 112 is herein illustrated as a part of the food production plant. The central server can however also be shared between multiple food production plants. In the case of a shared central server, information between the different food production plants can be shared.

[0066] Based on the properties 110, a data model 114 can be formed. The data model can be seen as a digital model of the food production plant 100, that is the food production units 104a-e. To provide for increased efficiency, the data model may be control system type independent, that is, software configured for creating the data model based on the properties can be made to translate different programming languages, different architecture etc into a common format. The properties can also be so called input-output (IO) properties, also referred to as parameters.

[0067] Data model properties 116, being part of the data model 114, may be transferred from the central server 112 to an application programming tool (API) tool 118. The API tool 118 may be separated from the central server 112, but it may also share the same hardware as the central server in full or in part. An advantage with the API tool 118 is that the data model properties 116 may be adapted in accordance with needs and requirements related to how an API to be developed is intended to be used. These needs and requirements may be reflected in API tool input data 120 that is input to the API tool 118. This input may be provided by a user via a user interface.

[0068] Based on the API tool input data 120, adapted data model properties 122 can be formed and transmitted back to the central server 112. However, as an alternative, the API tool input data 120 may be sent to the central server directly such that the adapted data model properties can be formed in the central server.

[0069] In addition to the adapted data model properties 122, plant design data 123 can be received by the central server 112. The plant design data 123 can be provided from a plant design tool 124, which may be a tool used by process engineers for designing the food production plant 100. The plant design data 123 may be provided before the data model properties are transmitted to the API tool, and hence the plant design data 123 may be reflected in the data model properties 116 transmitted to the API tool 118.

[0070] Using both the adapted data model properties 122 and the plant design data 123, an API 125 may be formed. The API 125 may comprise software modules 127 and API documentation 127, that is, text data describing the software modules, both being automatically generated in the central server 112.

[0071] The API 125 can be provided to a monitoring device 128 such that e.g. HMI applications can be developed in which process data 130 from the food production plant 100 is used. In addition to being an HMI device, such as a touch display, the monitoring device can be personal computer using a spreadsheet-based software, such as Microsoft Excel™, in which the process data 130 is continuously being monitored.

[0072] As illustrated, the process data 130 may be provided to the monitoring device 130 via the control system or directly from one or several of the sensors 106a-f to the monitoring device. An advantage of having the option to by-pass the control system is that in case the control system 108 does not support that the process data 130, or part of the process data 130, is sent via the control system 108, this can still be possible when having the possibility to by-pass.

[0073] FIG. 2 is a flow chart 200 illustrating a method for enabling access to the process data 130 of the food production plant 100 controlled by a control system 108.

[0074] In a first step 202, the properties 110 of the food production plant 100 can be received.

[0075] In a second step 204, the data model 114 can be generated based on the properties 110. The data model 114 may comprise the data model properties 116 and the data model 114 may be control system type independent.

[0076] In a third step 206, the data model properties 116 can be transmitted to the API tool 118.

[0077] In a fourth step 208, the adapted data model properties 122 can be received from the API tool 118.

[0078] In a fifth step 210, the data model 114 can be updated based on the adapted data model properties 122.

[0079] In a sixth step 212, the plant design data 123 from the plant design tool 124 can be received by the central server 112.

[0080] In a seventh step 214, the API 125 can be generated based on the data model 114 and the plant design data 123.

[0081] In an eighth step 216, the API 125 can be transmitted to the monitoring device 128, thereby providing for that the monitoring device 128 is enabled to receive the process data 130 from the food production plant 100.

[0082] Optionally, the seventh step 214 may comprise a ninth step 218 in which source code is generated, and a tenth step 220 in which the source code can be compiled into a binary file.

[0083] Optionally, in an eleventh step 222, which may be a sub-step of the seventh step 214, API documentation can be generated.

[0084] Even though described in a certain order, the steps may be performed in other orders as well.

[0085] FIG. 3 illustrates the central server 112 in further detail. As illustrated, the central server 112 may comprise a memory 300, a processor 302 and a transceiver 304.

[0086] The transceiver 304 may be configured to receive the properties 110 of the food production plant 100 from the control system 108, transmit the data model properties 116 to the API tool 118, receive the adapted properties 122 from the API tool 118, receive the plant design data 123 from the plant design tool 124, and transmit the API 125 to the monitoring device 128.

[0087] The processor 302 and the memory 300 can be configured to execute a data model generation function 306 configured to generate a data model based on the properties 110, a data model update function 308 configured to update the data model 114 based on the adapted data model properties 122, an API generation function 310 configured to generate the API 125 based on the data model 114 and the plant design data 123.

[0088] From the description above follows that, although various embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, the invention is not restricted thereto, but may also be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject-matter defined in the following claims.