ENABLING A PROCESSING STEP FOR AN OBJECT TO BE PROCESSED

Abstract

Provided is a method and an arrangement for enabling a processing step for an object that is to be processed, wherein an availability result, which indicates an availability of the processing step, is determined for the processing step on the basis of rules.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a processing step for an object to be processed with an allocated credit, of the method comprising: determining an availability result by means of a processor, wherein the availability result is determined on a basis of a request from the object to be processed with a bid for the processing step, on a basis of further requests from further objects to be processed for the processing step and on a basis of further bids associated with the further requests and on a basis of an offer from a production unit suitable for carrying out the processing step, wherein the bid is a partial amount of the allocated credit allocated to the object to be processed; and enabling the processing step in a case of a processing step request from the object to be processed in exchange for a reduction in the allocated credit by the bid if the availability result indicates availability.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an enabling voucher is issued for enabling the processing step, and the enabling voucher is redeemed by the object to be processed in a predefinable period, at a time later than that of the processing step request.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the credit allocated to the object to be processed restricts the request with the bid by virtue of the partial amount being less than or equal to the amount of the allocated credit allocated to the object to be processed.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the allocated credit allocated to the object to be processed is reduced by the bid in a case of enabling and a further request with a further bid is restricted by the reduced credit currently allocated to the object to be processed.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enabling and the reduction of the allocated credit change memory contents of a memory of the object to be processed.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the allocated credit is unalterably stored in the object to be processed by the object to be processed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the allocated credit is allocated by a production control system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of partial processing steps are enabled by enabling the processing step.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enabling and the issuing of the enabling voucher are carried out autonomously by a control unit or by a control unit and the production unit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enabling voucher is issued in a cryptographically secured manner.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted to a control unit and/or to the production unit by means of an interface of the object to be processed, in particular by means of a radio interface.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method as claimed in claim 1.

13. An arrangement for enabling a processing step for an object to be processed, comprising: a control unit for determining an availability result, wherein the availability result is determined on a basis of a request from the object to be processed with a bid for the processing step, on a basis of further requests from further objects to be processed for the processing step and on a basis of further bids associated with the further requests and on a basis of an offer from a production unit suitable for carrying out the processing step, wherein the bid is a partial amount of a credit allocated to the object to be processed; and an enabling unit having an interface to the object to be processed for enabling the processing step in a case of a processing step request from the object to be processed in exchange for a reduction in the credit by the bid if the availability result indicates availability.

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the enabling unit is integrated in the control unit or is externally provided as part of the production unit.

15. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control unit is part of a cloud system or a dedicated system or is formed by a head computer or by one of a plurality of production units of a production installation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0040] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart for schematically illustrating a method for enabling a processing step according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a process on the basis of a production process graph for illustrating an auction method according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] FIG. 1 shows how a processing step is enabled for an object WP to be processed by a production unit P. For this purpose, the workpiece WP transmits a request 11 to a marketplace MP. The marketplace MP is an auction platform which receives requests with bids from various workpieces inside a production installation or manufacturing installation and compares them both with one another and with an offer 10 from the production unit P. The calculations which are needed for the functionality of the marketplace MP are carried out by a processor.

[0044] For example, a manufacturing line is provided, through which the workpiece WP runs, for example for finishing purposes. For this purpose, the workpiece WP must request processing steps from various production units, in particular from the production unit P. The workpiece WP receives a credit or budget B for this from a manufacturing execution system MES.

[0045] In particular, a production sequence is centrally preplanned for the workpiece WP by the MES with regard to the steps to be run through. The MES transmits the intended production steps to the workpiece WP. However, there is no provision for the MES to configure the production units and, in particular, the production unit P. In particular, the plan does not provide any time windows which are assigned to the individual workpieces for individual steps. Instead, the availability of production steps for a workpiece is intended to be negotiated between the manufacturing components in a decentralized manner in a workpiece-centered production system. The MES predefines only a total budget or credit B with which the workpiece WP must manage for its entire production inside the production installation or for a production substep. The manufacturing plan and the allocated credit B are either stored on the workpiece WP, that is to say in a memory on the workpiece WP, or the workpiece retrieves this information itself from a cloud service or from a central control computer.

[0046] The auction method and the process of determining an availability result 20 are carried out by the processor. In this case, the processor can access cloud services, for example in order to retrieve or store requests from the workpieces, offers from the production units or availability results for various workpieces or various, temporally successive requests from a workpiece.

[0047] The processor may be part of a programmable logic controller which is provided in the production installation for the purpose of controlling or regulating one or more production units. Since the processor carries out the functionality of the auction platform, it is a necessary prerequisite for all production units and workpieces involved to be able to trust the processor. In a scenario in which the marketplace MP is formed by one of the production units in the production installation, manipulation protection of the production unit with the marketplace functionality should be especially ensured.

[0048] The requested service or production step is paid for by the workpiece WP after a successful bid, that is to say provided that the availability result 20 indicates availability. For example, a message containing a data record from the production unit P to the workpiece WP contains a flag which signals the OK of the marketplace. Otherwise, the flag signals that a bid was too low or an offer from a production installation was not available and an auction was therefore unsuccessful. Alternatively, it is possible to dispense with this message, with the result that the failed auction is indicated by a failure to receive an availability result. The payment is effected by transmitting a processing step request 12 to the production unit P. The credit B of the workpiece WP is now reduced and the corresponding memory entry in the workpiece memory, cloud server or control computer is updated. In return, the workpiece WP receives an enabling voucher 30 or a ticket for using the service of the production unit P, which voucher is transmitted by the workpiece WP to the production unit P during use.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates the production of a product Tower of Hanoi, consisting of a base, ring 1 and 2, on the basis of a production process graph. The graph illustrates processing steps which are to be handled and are carried out either in succession, in a parallel manner or alternately to one another. For example, a budget of 30 is predefined at the root node and therefore for the entire production process. The amount 30 may be an amount in any desired stipulated currency. A consistent currency should be heeded only within a production installation. Otherwise, correct performance of the auction is not ensured. The credit for each object to be processed is managed by means of a central account.

[0050] In a first auction, a price of 1 results for the operation Store Hanoi Tower. For example, the first bid for the processing step Store Hanoi Tower 1 was directly the value 1 or a first request contained a lower bid which was not sufficient for issuing an enabling voucher and a second request was transmitted with the higher value 1 and was successful. The remaining budget of 29 can be used at most in the next auction. A price of 3 results for the subsequent step Assemble (R2, T) 2 in the auction. The following table lists further bids which result in an enabling voucher for the associated processing steps 3-10.

T=Assemble (R1, B):2

R2=Drill (D2):1

D2=Mill (C2):2

C2=Supply (Cube):4

B=Print (Base):7

R1=Mill (CH1):2

CH1=Drill (C1):1

C1=Supply (Cube):5

[0051] Remaining budget:2

[0052] A remaining credit remains, for example, after all steps for producing the Tower of Hanoi have been carried out. A bid is individually made for each step, such as the drilling or milling of individual components of the Tower of Hanoi. Since the credit of the end product Tower of Hanoi is limited, only a limited quantity of production services can be allocated. In workpiece-centered production control, this limits the possibilities of an attacker who is able to manipulate the workpiece or its virtual image or individual components of the end product. In particular, an attack on a virtual image is relatively easily possible in scenarios in which the virtual image or a so-called digital twin is accessible via an IT communication network. Although manipulation by modifying a production sequence stored on the digital twin may be possible in the case of a credit with a permanently predefined upper limit, it prevents a denial of service attack on production resources inside a production installation, for example.

[0053] Moreover, the currency constitutes the basis for pricing by the auction method and, in addition to the resource restriction used as a security mechanism, also provides a useful metric for optimizing the production process. In particular, the sequence in which various workpieces can use a service is matched to one another and is optimized with respect to waiting times or utilization of the machines.

[0054] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0055] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.