Management Method, Device, Electronic Device and Storage Medium for Automated Process

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium for managing an automated process. The method includes: obtaining time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on a target between two adjacent nodes; determining the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process; determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation; and verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time. This solution can ensure the effectiveness of the target in the automated process, thereby ensuring the accurate and smooth progress of the automated process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automation, and more particularly to a method for managing an automated process, an apparatus for managing an automated process, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Currently, many fields are constantly undergoing automated transformation to achieve the purpose of liberating manpower and improving efficiency. Whether it is automated manufacturing, automated detection, or automated testing / experimentation, etc., automated systems are widely used. In an automated system, the entire automated process is disassembled into multiple operations performed by various devices. This operation not only includes the main operation of the execution device for processing the target, but also includes the transfer operation of the transfer device for transferring the target between different execution devices.

[0003] Taking a laboratory automated system as an example, different execution devices from different manufacturers, such as incubators, centrifuges, pipetting workstations, de-capping devices, microplate readers, etc., can be integrated to perform different experimental operations on corresponding samples. In addition, transfer operations, such as those performed by robotic arms, are often required between different execution devices to transfer the samples to ensure the smooth execution of the experimental process. During the operation of the automated process, each transfer device requires a certain execution time to complete each transfer operation, but timeouts may occur due to equipment failures or communication problems. In addition, due to the special requirements of some samples for exposure time. For example, when transferring the bacterial liquid contained in a microplate, the bacterial liquid may be damaged if the exposure time exceeds a certain period.

[0004] In the prior art, an automated system can plan the operations in the automated process according to time. For example, a transfer device in the automated process takes a certain amount of time to perform the corresponding transfer operation. The automated system can accordingly plan the execution operations of the subsequent devices in the automated process that are located after the transfer device, so that the subsequent devices perform the corresponding operations according to the plan. However, the problem that the transfer operation time of sample transfer is too long, resulting in too long an exposure time of the sample, is usually ignored. This may in turn lead to damage to the sample. And the damage of the sample is very likely to cause the automated process to fail to execute normally, resulting in incorrect results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application is proposed in view of the above problems. According to one aspect of the present application, a method for managing an automated process is provided. The method includes: obtaining time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on a target between two adjacent nodes; determining the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process; determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation; and verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

[0006] Exemplarily, the execution order includes a serial execution order and a parallel execution order. Determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes includes: based on the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes, determining the minimum sub-operations that are executed in a serial order between two adjacent nodes to form serial sub-operations; calculating the sum of the preset execution times of the minimum sub-operations of the serial sub-operations and determining it as the total time.

[0007] Exemplarily, determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes includes: determining the total time based on the node types of two adjacent nodes, the execution order, and the preset execution times of at least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device nodes among the two adjacent nodes, where the node types include device nodes.

[0008] Exemplarily, the node types further include the starting node of the automated process. Determining the total time includes: for the case where the two adjacent nodes are respectively the starting node and a device node, calculating the sum of the first preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the device node as the total time, where the pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the device node performs its own operation.

[0009] Exemplarily, determining the total time includes: for the case where both adjacent nodes are device nodes, calculating the sum of the second preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the post-operation corresponding to the upstream node among the two adjacent nodes, and calculating the sum of the third preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the downstream node among the two adjacent nodes, where the post-operation is the operation completed after the device corresponding to the upstream node performs its own operation, and the pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the downstream node performs its own operation; and adding the sum of the second preset execution times and the sum of the third preset execution times to obtain the total time.

[0010] Exemplarily, the node type further includes an end node of the automated process. Determining the total time includes: for the case where two adjacent nodes are a device node and an end node respectively, calculating the sum of the fourth preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the subsequent operation corresponding to the device node as the total time, where the subsequent operation is an operation completed after the device corresponding to the device node executes its own operation.

[0011] Exemplarily, before obtaining the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, the method further includes: displaying a graphical user interface, where the graphical user interface includes operable controls; in response to a first operation of the user using the operable controls, receiving the time constraint information from the user.

[0012] Exemplarily, at least one of the two adjacent nodes, the device node, corresponds to multiple targets. Receiving the time constraint information from the user in response to a first operation of the user using the operable controls includes: in response to a first operation of the user using the operable controls for each target, receiving the time constraint information for the target from the user; verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable includes: respectively verifying whether the time constraint information for each target between two adjacent nodes is reasonable.

[0013] Exemplarily, the time constraint information includes expiration time information and maximum waiting time information. Verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable includes: for the case where the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is greater than 0, verifying whether the expiration time is reasonable; and for the case where the expiration time is equal to 0, determining the maximum execution time of the transfer operation based on the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information.

[0014] Exemplarily, determining the maximum execution time of the transfer operation includes: calculating the sum of the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information as the maximum execution time.

[0015] Exemplarily, the time constraint information includes expiration time information. After verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable, the method further includes: after determining that the time constraint information is reasonable, in response to a second operation of the user, running the automated process; where, during the running of the automated process, when running to the downstream node among two adjacent nodes, determining whether the execution time of the transfer operation of the target between the two adjacent nodes exceeds the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information, and, in the case of exceeding, marking the target as an expired state.

[0016] Exemplarily, determining the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of two adjacent nodes includes: parsing the minimum sub-operations of two adjacent nodes based on the node information of the two adjacent nodes and the hardware device layout of the automation system, where the minimum sub-operation is an operation performed by a single hardware device; determining the execution order of the parsed minimum sub-operations based on the connection relationship.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present application, there is also provided a management device for an automated process, including: an acquisition module for acquiring time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on a target between two adjacent nodes; a first determination module for determining the execution order of multiple minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process; a second determination module for determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation; and a verification module for verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

[0018] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is also provided an electronic device, including a processor and a memory, where computer program instructions are stored in the memory, and when the computer program instructions are run by the processor, they are used to execute the above-mentioned management method of the automated process.

[0019] According to yet another aspect of the present application, there is also provided a storage medium, on which program instructions are stored, and when the program instructions are run, they are used to execute the above-mentioned management method of the automated process.

[0020] In the above technical solution, according to the connection relationship between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, the total time for performing the transfer operation on the target at these two nodes is determined, and then based on this total time, the time constraint information that is pre-set to constrain the execution time of this transfer operation is verified. This solution can ensure the effectiveness of the target in the automated process, thereby ensuring the accurate and smooth progress of the automated process.

[0021] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to be able to understand the technical means of the present application more clearly, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the following specifically illustrates the specific embodiments of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0022] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the present application and do not constitute a limitation to the present application. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart showing a management method of an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a plurality of minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a part of an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram showing a management device of an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0028] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the present application is not limited by the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described herein, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0029] To solve the above technical problems, according to one aspect of the present application, a management method of an automated process is provided. The management method according to the embodiments of the present application can be applied to automated processes for various suitable targets in various fields. For simplicity, the following takes an automated process in an automated system in the field of biochemistry as an example for elaboration.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart showing a management method 1000 of an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 1 shown, the management method 1000 may include step S1200, step S1400, step S1600, and step S1800.

[0031] Step S1200: Obtain the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automation process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on the target between two adjacent nodes.

[0032] The automation process can be an experimental process designed in advance according to actual experimental / trial requirements. Exemplarily and non - restrictively, Step S1200 can be executed in response to any triggering operation of the user after the automation process is designed and before it runs. The triggering operation can be any suitable operation. For example, it can be triggered when the user clicks an operable control such as "pre - run the process" on the user interface after the automation process is designed and preliminarily verified. According to the embodiments of the present application, the automation process can be an operation process for performing various relevant operations required for an experiment / trial on the target. Various process information can be involved in the automation process, such as the execution subject and object of each operation, the content of the executed operation, execution conditions, execution time, execution logic, etc. The target can be the object to be operated in this automation process, and it can be any suitable target. Exemplarily and non - restrictively, the target can be experimental consumables such as test tubes, glass slides, well plates, etc. that carry samples such as bacterial solutions. Of course, for automation processes in other fields, the target can also be other forms of objects to be operated.

[0033] The automation process can be a process composed of multiple nodes connected in an orderly manner according to a certain execution method. Each node can correspond to a preset service. The service can be a specific operation executed by a preset execution subject, such as various operations performed on the target using preset experimental equipment; it can also be only the control of some parts of the process, such as decision - making control and loop control, etc. The corresponding node information can be configured for each node by the system in advance or by receiving the user's custom configuration and other configuration methods before the design stage of the automation process, or the corresponding node information can be configured for each node by the system or by receiving the user's custom configuration and other configuration methods during the design stage of the automation process. The node information can include the node name, node type, and service information corresponding to the node, etc. Among them, for the case where the service corresponding to the node includes operations performed on the target, the service information of the node can include information such as the operation categories of various operations performed at this node, the execution order of various operations, and the estimated time consumption of various operations. It is easy to understand that the node information can be set arbitrarily according to the design requirements of the actual experimental process.

[0034] Each node in the automated process can be connected in a certain connection sequence to form a complete automated process. For the entire automated process, the execution of the operations corresponding to each node is not isolated. Especially for two adjacent nodes in the automated process, the operations executed at these two nodes can be interrelated. Two adjacent nodes can be any two nodes directly connected in the order of execution in the automated process. For example, two adjacent nodes are an upstream node A and a downstream node B in the automated process. It is easy to understand that the upstream node A is closer to the starting end of the automated process than the downstream node B. The downstream node B can be an intermediate node in the automated process. The execution of the operation corresponding to the downstream node B can start only after the execution of the operation corresponding to the upstream node A is completed. In other words, for two adjacent nodes in the automated process, the execution condition of the downstream node may depend on the completion of the execution of the operation corresponding to its upstream node. Or, some operations executed by the upstream node can also affect the execution of the operation corresponding to its downstream node. Specifically, the operations corresponding to two adjacent nodes can both include operations on a certain target. For example, the operation corresponding to the upstream node A includes the following multiple operations: after the main operation of centrifuging consumable 1 by a centrifuge, the subsequent operation of transporting consumable 1 out of the centrifuge by a transfer device. The operation corresponding to the downstream node B includes the following multiple operations: after the previous operation of transporting consumable 1 into an incubator by a transfer device, the main operation of incubating the bacterial liquid in consumable 1 in the incubator. It is easy to understand that the execution of the main operation corresponding to the downstream node B depends on the subsequent operation of the transfer device of the upstream node A for transporting consumable 1 and the previous operation of the transfer device of the downstream node B for transporting consumable 1. As shown in the above example, for an equipment node, it not only corresponds to the main operation executed by the execution equipment. Before this main operation, there can be a previous operation executed by this execution equipment or other equipment. After this main operation, there can be a subsequent operation executed by this execution equipment or other equipment. In other words, for this equipment node, it can correspond to the main operation, the previous operation, and / or the subsequent operation (if any).

[0035] For the case where the operations corresponding to a node include specific operations, the execution of the operations requires a certain execution time. For example, in the above example, the main operation, the pre-operation, and the post-operation may each include one or more minimum sub-operations, and the execution of each minimum sub-operation takes a certain amount of time. The automated process can also control the execution time of these operations to ensure the efficiency of the process operation. And, as mentioned above, during the actual operation of the automated process, due to various factors such as equipment failures or communication problems, the actual execution time of the operations often exceeds their theoretical execution time. At the same time, for some specific targets, such as experimental consumables like bacterial solutions, exceeding a certain time during their stay in a specific device or during transportation may cause them to expire and become invalid. Considering these two factors, to ensure the smooth progress of the automated process and the effectiveness of the target, reasonable fault tolerance can also be set for the execution time of some related operations. Reasonable time constraint conditions can be set in the time constraint information to constrain the actual execution time of the related operations. In this way, it can still allow the operation to continue to execute normally when it exceeds the theoretical execution time, and can also mark the target as expired or to be discarded when it exceeds the constrained safe time or effective time, and further transport it to the discard location after marking it as to be discarded.

[0036] According to the embodiments of the present application, time constraint information can be set between two adjacent nodes or within a node according to actual time constraint requirements. The time constraint information within a node can be used to constrain the execution time of the main operation executed within the node using the main execution device corresponding to the node, such as a centrifuge. The time constraint information between nodes can be used to constrain the execution time of the transfer operation of the target between two adjacent nodes using a transfer device such as the one in the above example. The following mainly elaborates on the time constraint information between nodes.

[0037] As described above, the transfer operation may be a related operation performed by the transfer device on the target. For the case where any one of two adjacent nodes involves a transfer operation, time constraint information may be set between the two nodes during the design process of the automated process. The content of the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes may also be set arbitrarily according to the constraint requirements of the process. By way of example and not limitation, the time constraint information may include expiration time information and maximum waiting time information. The expiration time information may be the preset maximum safe duration of the transfer operation on the target, so that when the duration is exceeded, corresponding expiration processing is performed on the target, such as marking it as expired. The maximum waiting time information may be the preset maximum effective duration of the transfer operation on the target, so that when the duration is exceeded, corresponding invalidation and / or discarding processing is performed on the target, such as marking it as invalid and discarding. Of course, the time constraint information may also be other suitable information for constraining the duration of the transfer operation on the target. In step S1200, the corresponding duration constrained in the time constraint information may be obtained, for example, by reading the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes.

[0038] Step S1400, determine the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process.

[0039] As described above, the automated process may include multiple nodes, and the multiple nodes may be connected together according to a certain connection relationship to form a complete automated process. The connection relationship may include direct connection and may also include indirect connection. Among them, there may be a direct connection line between two directly connected nodes. And, the line may also have a direction to indicate the execution order of the connected nodes.

[0040] According to the embodiments of the present application, two adjacent nodes in the process may be determined through the respective lines in the process, and according to the direction of the line between the two adjacent nodes, the order of execution of the corresponding services of the two nodes may be determined. The nodes located at both ends of each line may be used as two adjacent nodes. Among the determined two adjacent nodes, the node located at the end in the direction pointed by the line is the downstream node, and the node located at the end in the opposite direction of the direction pointed by the line is the upstream node. And it is determined that the service corresponding to the upstream node is executed first, and the service corresponding to the downstream node is executed later. That is, the overall execution order of the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes may be determined first.

[0041] According to the embodiments of the present application, the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes may include various operations such as the pre-operation, main operation, post-operation, etc. as described in the above examples. Each operation may also be composed of one or more minimum sub-operations. After determining the overall execution order of the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes as described above, the execution order of the minimum sub-operations included in the operations involved in the services corresponding to the nodes may be further determined. For example, based on the determined overall execution order of the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes, the service information of the nodes may be configured to the corresponding nodes, and then the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of each operation involved in the services corresponding to the two nodes may be determined. As mentioned above, the service information of a node may include the operation categories of various operations executed at this node and the execution order of various operations. The operation categories of various operations may be the sub-operation categories of the minimum sub-operations included in each operation. The execution order of various operations may be the execution order of the sub-operations of various operations executed at this node. Thus, after configuring the service information of the nodes to the corresponding nodes, the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of each operation involved in the services corresponding to the two nodes may be obtained. The execution order of the minimum sub-operations may be various appropriate execution orders, which may be a serial order, a parallel execution order, or a combined serial and parallel execution order.

[0042] Step S1600, determine the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes based on at least the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation.

[0043] As mentioned above, the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes may include various operations on the target. And the service information of the nodes may include the estimated time consumption of various operations executed at this node. The estimated time consumption may be the estimated time consumption of the minimum sub-operations of each operation executed at this node, that is, the preset execution time. In step S1400, the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of each operation involved in the services corresponding to the two nodes may be obtained, which may include the execution order of the transfer operation on the target executed between the two nodes.

[0044] Based on this execution order, any appropriate method may be used to count the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation involved in the transfer operation, and then the total time for performing the transfer operation between the two nodes may be determined. For example, for the execution order between the minimum sub-operations that is all in serial order, the preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation may be added up, and the added-up time may be determined as the total time. For the execution order between the minimum sub-operations that is all in parallel, the time of the minimum sub-operation with the longest preset execution time may be used as the total time. For the execution order between the minimum sub-operations that is a combined serial and parallel order, a corresponding reasonable method may be used to determine the total time for the transfer operation. The specific implementation of this solution will be explained later and will not be elaborated here.

[0045] Step S1800: Check whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

[0046] To ensure the smooth and effective operation of the automated process, before the automated process runs, the entire process can be traversed through a pre-run process to check the key information that is of particular concern. According to the embodiments of the present application, the total time of the transfer operation performed between two adjacent nodes determined in the above steps can be used to check whether the time constraint information between any two adjacent nodes in the process is reasonable.

[0047] As described above, the total time determined in step S1600 can be the expected execution time or the theoretical execution time of all the minimum sub-operations of the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes, which is statistically obtained by any suitable method. The time constraint information obtained in step S1200 between the two nodes is used to constrain the actual execution time of the transfer operation. The purpose of setting the time constraint information between the two nodes is to provide reasonable tolerance for the execution time of, for example, the transfer operation, that is, to allow the actual execution time of the transfer operation to appropriately exceed the theoretical execution time within the range that ensures the safety or effectiveness of the target. In other words, the actual execution time constrained in the time constraint information is set based on its theoretical time, and there is a correlation between the two. Therefore, in step S1800, based on the total time of the transfer operation determined in step S1600, it can be checked whether the time constraint information between the two adjacent nodes is reasonable. Any suitable checking logic can be used to check the reasonableness of the time constraint information. For example, it can be checked by comparing the total time with the constraint time indicated in the time constraint information.

[0048] In the above technical solution, according to the connection relationship between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, the total time of the transfer operation of the target performed between the two nodes is determined, and then based on this total time, the time constraint information preset between the two nodes and used to constrain the execution time of the transfer operation is checked. This solution can ensure the effectiveness of the target in the automated process, thereby ensuring the accurate and smooth progress of the automated process.

[0049] Exemplarily, step S1400 determines the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of two adjacent nodes, including step S1410 and step S1420.

[0050] In step S1410, based on the node information of two adjacent nodes and the hardware device layout of the automation system, the minimum sub-operations of the two adjacent nodes are parsed, where the minimum sub-operation is an operation performed by a single hardware device. The automation system can be the entire system for implementing an automated process. Multiple hardware devices can be included in the automation system, and these hardware devices can be respectively used to perform various operations on the target at different nodes or before nodes. As mentioned above, the operation can be the main operation performed by the main execution device of the node or the transfer operation performed by the transfer device. The hardware device can be any suitable device, such as a pipetting device, a centrifuge, an incubator, an ELISA reader, a robotic arm, etc. As mentioned above, the node information of the node includes the business information of the node. For the case where the business corresponding to the node includes various operations, the business information of the node can include information such as the operation categories of various operations performed at this node, the execution order of various operations, and the estimated time consumption of various operations. Any suitable method can be used to parse the respective minimum sub-operations involved in the two nodes according to the node information of the two adjacent nodes and the hardware layout of each device in the system. For example, the node information of each node can be configured into the corresponding node, and a preset parsing algorithm can be used to parse the operation process to be performed at the two nodes. Finally, multiple minimum sub-operations connected in sequence corresponding to each node can be obtained. For example, when the operations performed at the node include a pre-operation, a main operation, and a post-operation, the multiple operations parsed and connected in sequence can successively include: the minimum sub-operations involved in the pre-operation, the minimum sub-operations involved in the main operation, and the minimum sub-operations involved in the post-operation. The minimum sub-operation can be the minimum operation performed by a single hardware device, such as the handling sub-operation performed by a robotic arm.

[0051] In this step, it should be noted that considering the layout of the hardware devices at each node, corresponding minimum sub-operations can also be added according to actual needs. For example, for platform A of the automation system, due to its specific hardware layout, only one robotic arm handling is required to complete the transfer operation of the target between two corresponding device nodes. For example, only one robotic arm handling is required to transfer the consumables from the centrifuge to the incubator. For platform B, due to its different hardware layout, two robotic arm handling sub-operations may be required. For example, first, the first robotic arm is used to transfer the consumables from the centrifuge to the commutator for transfer, and then the second robotic arm is used to transfer the consumables from the commutator to the incubator. For the latter, appropriate minimum sub-operations also need to be added in step S1410 to ensure the normal progress of the automated process.

[0052] In step S1420, based on the connection relationship, determine the execution order of the parsed minimum sub-operations. After separately parsing the minimum sub-operations corresponding to each node, the execution order of the minimum sub-operations including two nodes can also be determined based on the connection relationship between the two nodes. For example, according to the direction of the line between two adjacent nodes, determine the order of execution of the services corresponding to the two nodes. For example, based on the direction of the line, determine that the service corresponding to the upstream node is executed first, and the service corresponding to the downstream node is executed later. That is, it can be determined that the minimum sub-operation parsed from the upstream node is executed first, and the minimum sub-operation parsed from the downstream node is executed later, thereby determining the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of the two nodes.

[0053] According to the above solution, the minimum sub-operations involved in two nodes can be parsed according to the actual hardware device layout of the automation system, and the execution order of the minimum self-operations can be determined according to the connection relationship between the nodes. Since the actual hardware layout situation is considered, the determined minimum sub-operations between the two nodes and their execution order are more matched with the actual execution situation of the automation process, and thus more accurate. Thereby, the smooth progress of the automation process can be ensured.

[0054] Exemplarily, the execution order includes a serial execution order and a parallel execution order. Step S1600 determines the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes, including step S1610 and step S1620.

[0055] In step S1610, based on the execution order of multiple minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes, determine the minimum sub-operations that are executed in serial order between two adjacent nodes to form serial sub-operations. As described above, the minimum sub-operations of each operation involved in the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes may include the minimum sub-operations of the transfer operation of the target executed between the two nodes. Therefore, the execution order of the transfer operation of the target executed between the two nodes can also be obtained accordingly. For each minimum sub-operation in the transfer operation of the target executed between two adjacent nodes, its execution order may be a combination of serial and parallel. Specifically, for example, one of the two adjacent nodes in the automated process may be a centrifuge node. At this node, before or after the main operation of the centrifuge for centrifuging the consumables, a transfer operation of the consumables is also performed. The transfer operation may include an operation of opening the door, an operation of closing the door, and a rotation operation of the commutator. These 3 minimum sub-operations may be in parallel execution order. The minimum sub-operations in parallel execution order do not occupy the actual time of the transfer operation of the target between two adjacent nodes. Therefore, the minimum sub-operations in parallel execution order can be excluded. That is, in step S1610, the minimum sub-operations in parallel execution order can be removed to determine the minimum sub-operations that are executed in serial order between two adjacent nodes to form serial sub-operations. Then, in step S1620, the sum of the preset execution times of the minimum sub-operations in the determined serial sub-operations can be calculated and determined as the total time.

[0056] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing multiple minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 2 shown, the figure shows the minimum sub-operations of various operations involved in the services corresponding to two adjacent nodes, including the minimum sub-operations of the transfer operation of the target executed between the two nodes (the 6 minimum sub-operations shown within the rectangular dotted line in the figure). And, the execution order of these 6 minimum sub-operations includes serial execution order and parallel execution order. "47close" in the figure may be the minimum sub-operation in the subsequent operation executed at the upstream node. For example, it may be the operation of closing the lid performed by the centrifuge or the lid closing device around the centrifuge. As shown in the figure, the execution order of this minimum sub-operation may be in parallel execution order. While the execution order of the other 5 minimum sub-operations may be in serial execution order. Thus, in step S1610, the serial sub-operation formed by serializing these 5 minimum sub-operations can be determined. Further, in step S1620, the sum of the preset execution times of these 5 minimum sub-operations can be calculated and the sum of the times can be determined as the total time of the transfer operation between the two nodes. It is easy to understand that although parallel execution is a relative concept, for the embodiments of the present application, only the execution order of the minimum sub-operations that need to be excluded can be determined as the parallel execution order.

[0057] According to the above technical solution, by determining the serial sub-operations composed of the minimum sub-operations executed in serial order between two adjacent nodes, and determining the sum of the preset times of each minimum sub-operation in the serial sub-operations as the total time of the transfer operation. In this way, the time occupied by the sub-operations executed in parallel can be excluded, making the determined total time more accurate and ensuring the accuracy of the verification time constraint information. It can ensure the effectiveness of the target in the automated process, thereby ensuring the accurate and smooth progress of the automated process.

[0058] Exemplarily, step S1600 for determining the total time of the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes includes step S1630.

[0059] In step S1630, based on the node types of two adjacent nodes, the execution order, and the preset execution times of at least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device nodes among the two adjacent nodes, the total time is determined. Among them, the node type includes device nodes. According to the embodiments of the present application, the node type can be arbitrarily set according to the design requirements of the automated process. For example, it can be set based on the type of the service corresponding to each node. As mentioned above, the service can include various operations performed on the target using preset experimental equipment. According to the embodiments of the present application, the node type of a node can include a device node. The service corresponding to the device node can include various operations performed by the device, such as the pre-operation, main operation, and post-operation in the foregoing examples. At the device node, the device is the main body for performing the operation, and one or more targets are the operation objects. At least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device node can be all the minimum sub-operations involved in the various operations corresponding to the service of this device node, or the minimum sub-operations in a specific type of operation among them. For example, it can be all or part of the minimum sub-operations of the transfer operation of the target executed at the device node. In this step, based on the node types of two adjacent nodes, the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between these two nodes, and the preset times of at least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device node, the total time of the transfer operation executed between these two nodes can be determined. For example, based on the node types of two adjacent nodes, the various minimum sub-operations involved in the transfer operation executed between the two nodes can be determined. And according to the execution order of these minimum sub-operations, the minimum sub-operations with a parallel execution order can be excluded, and the serial sub-operations composed of the remaining minimum sub-operations can be determined. And the sum of the preset execution times of the various minimum sub-operations in the serial sub-operations can be calculated as the total time of the transfer operation of the target executed between these two nodes. Of course, other suitable solutions can also be used to determine the total time, and the present application does not limit it.

[0060] According to the above solution, the total time for performing a transfer operation between two adjacent nodes can be determined based on the node types of the two adjacent nodes, the execution order, and the preset execution times of at least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device nodes among the two adjacent nodes. The total time for the transfer operation determined by this solution is relatively accurate, and the calculation logic is relatively simple with a small amount of calculation.

[0061] Exemplarily, the node type further includes the starting node of the automated process. As described above, the starting node can be the node located at the starting end of the automated process. Step S1600 for determining the total time includes step S1631.

[0062] In step S1631, for the case where two adjacent nodes are respectively the starting node and the device node, calculate the sum of the first preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the device node as the total time, where the pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the device node performs its own operation. The starting node can be the target starting position point, for example, the original position point for storing consumables, such as in the original storage device of the consumables. The device corresponding to the device node can be the main execution device that performs the main operation on the target at the device node, such as the centrifuge in the foregoing example. And other devices may also be involved at the device node, such as the transfer device that performs the transfer operation on the target. The transfer device can be the main execution device corresponding to the node, or a peripheral device of the main execution device, such as the lid-opening and lid-closing devices, or other transfer devices such as a robotic arm.

[0063] For the case where two adjacent nodes are the starting node and the device node, the transfer operation on the target performed between the two nodes can be a series of operation processes for transferring the target from the starting position in a storage device such as the original consumables to the main execution device corresponding to the device node, so that the main execution device can perform the main operation on the target. Since no operation on the target is involved at the starting node, the transfer operation on the target performed between the two nodes can include the pre-operations involved in the device node connecting the starting node and completed before the main execution device performs the main operation. For example, the pre-operations can be handling sub-operations, lid-opening operations, lid-closing operations, etc. performed by the transfer device involved in the device node. The pre-operations can be understood as the preparation operations before the main execution device performs the main operation.

[0064] In a specific example, the upstream node can be the starting node of consumable 1, and the downstream node can be the device node representing the pipetting workstation. Then, based on the service information of the device node of the pipetting workstation, the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation involved in the previous operations completed before the pipetting operation is performed at the pipetting workstation can be determined. The previous operation can be the preparatory work done to facilitate the pipetting operation at the pipetting workstation. As mentioned above, the service information of the device node can include the sub-operation categories of each minimum sub-operation included in the operations performed at this node. For example, it can include the sub-operation categories of the previous operations corresponding to the device node. Exemplarily rather than restrictively, based on the sub-operation categories of the previous operations, each minimum sub-operation involved in the previous operations can be determined, and the corresponding serial sub-operations can be determined based on the execution order of the minimum sub-operations. Finally, based on the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation, the sum of the first preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation in the serial sub-operations can be calculated as the total time of the transfer operation of the target performed between the starting node and this device node. Furthermore, based on this total time, it can be verified whether the time constraint information between the starting node and the device node is reasonable. Those of ordinary skill in the art can easily understand this solution and will not be elaborated here.

[0065] According to the above solution, when two adjacent nodes are the starting node and the device node, the sum of the first preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the previous operations corresponding to this device node can be determined as the estimated total time of the transfer operation between these two nodes. This solution has a simple execution logic, a small amount of calculation, and the determined total time is relatively accurate, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of verification.

[0066] Exemplarily, step S1630 for determining the total time includes step S1632 and step S1633.

[0067] In step S1632, for the case where two adjacent nodes are both device nodes, calculate the sum of the second preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the post-operation corresponding to the upstream node among the two adjacent nodes, and calculate the sum of the third preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the downstream node among the two adjacent nodes. Herein, the post-operation is the operation completed after the device corresponding to the upstream node executes its own operation. The pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the downstream node executes its own operation. It is easy to understand that for two adjacent device nodes, after the main execution device corresponding to the upstream device node completes the main operation on the target, the target can be transported out of the execution device and transported to the main execution device corresponding to the downstream device node, so that the main execution device of the downstream device node can execute the corresponding main operation on the target. Therefore, the transfer operation between the two device nodes can be the post-operation performed by the transfer device involved in the upstream device node among the two device nodes on the target and the pre-operation performed by the transfer device involved in the downstream device node on the target. As mentioned above, the pre-operation corresponding to the device node can be the operation completed before the main execution device corresponding to the device node executes the main operation. That is, it can be the preparatory work for the main operation. It is easy to understand that the post-operation corresponding to the device node can be the operation of transporting the target out of the main execution device after the main execution device corresponding to the device node executes the main operation, so as to facilitate the target to reach the next position point.

[0068] The service information of the device node can include the sub-operation categories of the pre-operation corresponding to the device node, or the sub-operation categories of the post-operation corresponding to the device node. For the case where two adjacent nodes are device nodes, all the minimum sub-operations involved in the post-operation can be found from the sub-operation categories of the post-operation corresponding to the upstream device node, and based on the execution order of the minimum sub-operations, the sum of the preset execution times of these minimum sub-operations can be calculated, that is, the sum of the second preset execution times is obtained. And all the minimum sub-operations involved in the pre-operation can be found from the sub-operation categories of the pre-operation corresponding to the downstream device node, and based on the execution order of the minimum sub-operations, the sum of the preset execution times of these minimum sub-operations can be calculated, that is, the sum of the third preset execution times is obtained.

[0069] Refer again to Figure 2, the upstream device node can be a device node whose main execution device is a centrifuge, and the downstream device node can be a device node whose main execution device is an incubator. The post-operations involved in the upstream device node of the centrifuge can include all the minimum sub-operations of transferring the consumables out after the centrifuge performs a centrifugation operation on the consumables. Such minimum sub-operations include, for example, the rotation sub-operation of rotating the commutator consumables to the outlet ("43rotate" shown in the figure), the door-opening sub-operation ("44open" shown in the figure), the handling sub-operation of the robotic arm transporting the consumables out ("45lhd" shown in the figure), and the door-closing sub-operation ("47close" shown in the figure). Based on the execution order of these minimum sub-operations, the sum of the preset execution times of the serial minimum sub-operations can be determined as the second sum of preset execution times. For example, the door-closing sub-operation with a parallel execution order can be excluded, and the sum of the preset execution times of the other 3 minimum sub-operations can be determined as the second sum of preset execution times. The minimum sub-operations involved in the pre-operations corresponding to the downstream device node whose main execution device is an incubator can include the handling sub-operation of the robotic arm transporting the consumables into the device ("46lhd" shown in the figure) and the plate-placement sub-operation of placing the consumables into the incubator ("48platein" shown in the figure). The execution order of these two minimum sub-operations is a serial execution order. Therefore, the preset execution times of these two minimum sub-operations can be used as the third sum of preset execution times.

[0070] In step S1633, add the second sum of preset execution times and the third sum of preset execution times to obtain the total time. The sum of the second sum of preset execution times of the post-operations corresponding to the upstream device node determined in the above steps and the third sum of preset execution times of the pre-operations corresponding to the downstream device node can be added, and the added time can be determined as the estimated total time of the transfer operation between the two device nodes.

[0071] According to the above solution, for the case where two adjacent nodes are both device nodes, based on the sum of the preset execution times of the minimum sub-operations involved in the post-operations corresponding to the upstream device node and the sum of the preset execution times of the minimum sub-operations involved in the pre-operations corresponding to the downstream device node, the estimated total time of the transfer operation between the two adjacent nodes is determined, and then based on the total time, it is verified whether the time constraint information is reasonable. This solution has a simple execution logic, a small amount of calculation, and the determined total time is relatively accurate, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of the verification.

[0072] Exemplarily, the node type also includes an end node of the automated process. The end node can be an end position point indicating the end of the process. Step S1630 for determining the total time includes step S1634.

[0073] In step S1634, for the case where two adjacent nodes are a device node and an end node respectively, calculate the sum of the fourth preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the post-operation corresponding to the device node as the total time. Here, the post-operation is the operation completed after the device corresponding to the device node performs its own operation.

[0074] It is easy to understand that the end node can be the position point where the process ends, and the end node does not include the specific operation of the device on the target. Therefore, for the case where the upstream node of two adjacent nodes is a device node and the downstream node is an end node, the execution time of the transfer operation on the target performed between these two nodes can be determined only based on the estimated execution time of the post-operation corresponding to the device node. Specifically, based on the service information of the device node, for example, all the minimum sub-operations involved can be determined from the sub-operation category of the post-operation corresponding to the device node. Then, according to the execution order of these minimum sub-operations, serial sub-operations can be determined, and further, the sum of the preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation in the serial sub-operations can be determined as the fourth execution time. The minimum sub-operations involved in the post-operation corresponding to the device node directly connected to the end node can also be any appropriate minimum sub-operations. Such as door-opening sub-operations, door-closing sub-operations, handling sub-operations, etc. The sum of the fourth preset execution times can be determined as the estimated total time of the transfer operation between the device node and the end node, and the time constraint information can be verified based on this total time to check whether it is reasonable.

[0075] According to the above solution, for the case where two adjacent nodes are a device node and an end node, the sum of the preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the post-operation corresponding to the device node can be determined as the estimated total time of the transfer operation between these two nodes. Furthermore, the rationality of the time constraint information can be verified based on this total time. This solution has a simple execution logic, a small amount of calculation, and the determined total time is relatively accurate, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of the verification.

[0076] Exemplarily, before obtaining the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process in step S1200, the method 1000 further includes step S1110 and step S1120.

[0077] In step S1110, a graphical user interface is displayed, and the graphical user interface includes operable controls. As described above, during the design stage of the automated process, time constraint information between two adjacent nodes can be set. The two adjacent nodes can be an upstream node A and a downstream node B. Exemplarily rather than restrictively, in response to a user's selection operation on the time constraint information of the upstream node, a graphical user interface for setting the time constraint information can be displayed. According to an embodiment of the present application, the time constraint information between two nodes can include one or more types. Therefore, in the graphical user interface, there can also be one or more operable controls. Each operable control can be used to operate and set each type of time constraint information. For example, the time constraint information between two nodes can include expiration time information and maximum waiting time information. In the graphical user interface, there can be a "Time Constraint Information Setting between Nodes" list. Under this list, there can be two operable controls for setting the time constraint information between the currently selected node and its adjacent downstream node. One of them can be an operable control for setting the "expiration time" of the transfer operation between the two nodes, and the other can be an operable control for setting the "maximum waiting time". The operable control can be any suitable control, such as an input control or a dropdown list selection control. In addition, in the case where there is time constraint information for multiple targets between the two adjacent nodes, the graphical user interface can also be used to set the time constraint information for each target. Similarly, in the above example, under the "Time Constraint Information Setting between Nodes" list in the graphical user interface, there can also be multiple rows of operable controls, which can be respectively used to set the time constraint information for constraining the transfer operation of each target.

[0078] In step S1120, in response to a first operation of the user using the operable control, time constraint information is received from the user. The first operation of the user using the operable control can be any suitable operation. The first operation can be, for example, an operation where the user enters a desired time number through an input control, or an operation where the user selects a desired time number through a dropdown list control. When the user finishes entering or selects the desired constraint time, the time constraint information entered or selected by the user can be received and can be displayed on the graphical user interface. For example, in step S1120, the time number "55" entered by the user using the input control under the "expiration time" list in the graphical user interface can be received, and the constraint time "55" can be correspondingly displayed on the interface. Thus, the execution time of the transfer operation of, for example, "consumable 1" performed between two nodes can be constrained. After this setting is completed, in step S1200, the expiration time of the target can be obtained at this node, and in step S1800, based on the determined total time, the expiration time "55" seconds in the time constraint information can be verified.

[0079] The above solution that provides a visual human - machine interaction interface and operable controls for users to freely set time constraint information can facilitate users to set more accurate time constraint information and also offers a better user experience.

[0080] Exemplarily, at least one device node in two adjacent nodes corresponds to multiple targets.

[0081] Step S1120, in response to a first operation of the user using the operable control, receives time constraint information from the user, including step S1121. In step S1121, in response to the user's first operation on each target using the operable control, receives time constraint information for that target from the user. For example, any one of the device nodes in two adjacent nodes includes operations of a main execution device on multiple consumables. This device node is also involved in transfer operations performed on multiple consumables. The time constraint information is used to respectively constrain the execution time of the transfer operation of each target between two adjacent nodes. For example, in the examples of steps S1110 and S1120 above, time constraint information for different consumables input by the user using the operable control of the graphical user interface can be received respectively. For example, the expiration time of "consumable 1" input by the user is "55" seconds, and the expiration time of "consumable 2" is "50" seconds. It is necessary to respectively determine the total time of the preset execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 1" and the total time of the preset execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 2" involved in the device nodes of the two nodes in step S1600.

[0082] Step S1800 checks whether the time constraint information is reasonable, including step S1810. In step S1810, checks whether the time constraint information of each target between two adjacent nodes is reasonable respectively. For the example of receiving time constraint information for "consumable 1" and "consumable 2" from the user respectively above, in step S1810, based on the total time of the preset execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 1" determined in step S1600, checks the expiration time of "55" seconds that constrains "consumable 1" and determines whether the expiration time of "55" seconds is set reasonably. In addition, based on the total time of the preset execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 2" determined in step S1600, checks the expiration time of "50" seconds that constrains "consumable 2" and determines whether its expiration time of "50" seconds is set reasonably.

[0083] Figure 3A partial schematic diagram showing an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, there are three device nodes in the automated process. Among them, the upstream node "pipetting workstation" and the downstream node "centrifuge" are adjacent device nodes. Time constraint information for restricting the execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 3" can be included between these two device nodes. For these two device nodes, the sum of the estimated execution time of the post-operation of "consumable 3" involved in the device node of the "pipetting workstation" and the estimated execution time of the pre-operation of "consumable 3" involved in the device node of the "centrifuge" can be determined in step S1600 as the total time of the transfer operation of "consumable 3" performed between these two nodes. And in step S1800, the time constraint information for restricting the execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 3" can be verified based on the determined total time.

[0084] In this figure, the upstream node "pipetting workstation" and the downstream node "incubator" are also adjacent device nodes. Time constraint information for restricting the transfer operations of "consumable 4" and "consumable 5" respectively can be included between these two device nodes. In step S1600, the sum of the estimated execution time of the post-operation of "consumable 4" involved in the device node of the "pipetting workstation" and the estimated execution time of the pre-operation of "consumable 4" involved in the device node of the "incubator" can be determined as the total time of the transfer operation of "consumable 4" performed between these two nodes, such as referred to as "the total transfer time of consumable 4". And the sum of the estimated execution time of the post-operation of "consumable 5" involved in the device node of the "pipetting workstation" and the estimated execution time of the pre-operation of "consumable 5" involved in the device node of the "incubator" can be determined as the total time of the transfer operation of "consumable 5" performed between these two nodes, such as referred to as "the total transfer time of consumable 5". In step S1810, the time constraint information for restricting the execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 4" can be verified based on "the total transfer time of consumable 4"; and the time constraint information for restricting the execution time of the transfer operation of "consumable 5" can be verified based on "the total transfer time of consumable 5".

[0085] According to the above solution, when time constraint information for multiple targets is included between two adjacent nodes, the time constraint information for each target can be verified separately. This can ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the verification. Thus, the accurate execution of the automated process can be ensured.

[0086] Exemplarily, the time constraint information includes expiration time information and maximum waiting time information. The expiration time indicated by the expiration time information may be the maximum safe duration of a preset target transfer operation, so that corresponding expiration processing can be performed on the target when the duration is exceeded. For example, the target can be marked as a problem target to prompt the user to pay attention to the problem target. The maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information may be the maximum effective duration of the transfer operation on the target, so that corresponding invalidation and / or discard processing can be performed on the target when the duration is exceeded. The preset expiration time may be equal to the sum of the execution time of the transfer operation and the fault tolerance time. The preset maximum waiting time may be a relative time relative to the expiration time, that is, it may be the additional time beyond the expiration time. For example, in step S1620, the expiration time input by the user is 50 seconds and the maximum waiting time is 10 seconds. Then this maximum waiting time represents an additional 10 seconds on the basis of 50 seconds, that is, the maximum waiting time indicated by the time constraint information obtained in step S1200 may be 60 seconds. Furthermore, during the actual execution of the process, if it is recognized that the actual transfer operation time for transferring the target between these two nodes exceeds 60 seconds, corresponding invalidation and / or discard processing can be performed on the target.

[0087] Step S1800 verifies whether the time constraint information is reasonable, including step S1820 and step S1830. In step S1820, for the case where the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is greater than 0, verify whether the expiration time is reasonable. It is easy to understand that in the case where the user of the automated process pays attention to the expiration time, the expiration time can be set using the operable control in the graphical user interface. At this time, the expiration time is not 0. The expiration time information can be verified based on the total time of the determined transfer operation in this step. It can be determined that the time constraint information is reasonable when the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is greater than or equal to the total time. If the expiration time is greater than or equal to the total time of the transfer operation on the target performed between these two nodes determined in step S1600, it can be explained that the expiration time is set more reasonably. However, when the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is less than the total time, it is determined that the time constraint information is incorrect, which may affect the smooth progress of the automated process. When it is determined that the time constraint information is unreasonable, corresponding prompt information can also be issued to remind the user to make modifications. For example, a prompt box of "verification failed" can be popped up on the verification interface, and the node information of the verification failure can also be prompted. Thus, it is convenient for the user to modify the time constraint information between the corresponding nodes based on the prompt information.

[0088] In step S1830, for the case where the expiration time is equal to 0, based on the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information, determine the maximum execution time of the transfer operation. It can be understood that for the case where the user does not pay attention to the expiration time information but only to the maximum waiting time information, the expiration time may not be set, and only the maximum waiting time is set. For example, if the number entered by the user in the operable control corresponding to the expiration time is 0, and the number entered in the operable control corresponding to the maximum waiting time is 10, it can indicate that the expiration time constraint of the target between the two nodes is not started, and only the maximum time constraint is started. As described above, since the maximum waiting time set by the user is a relative time relative to the expiration time. When the expiration time indicated by the expiration time constraint information is 0, the automated process cannot accurately know the maximum waiting time during actual operation, so it cannot accurately execute the time constraint of the maximum waiting time, that is, it cannot accurately know the constraint of the maximum execution time of the transfer operation of the target executed between the two nodes. In this step, the maximum waiting time can be updated based on the total time of the transfer operation determined in the foregoing steps between the two nodes.

[0089] According to the above solution, when the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information in the preset time constraint information is 0, the maximum waiting time information in the time constraint information can be updated. This solution can effectively ensure the rationality of the preset time constraint information, thereby ensuring the effective and accurate operation of the automated process.

[0090] Exemplarily, step S1830 for determining the maximum execution time of the transfer operation includes step S1831. In step S1831, calculate the sum of the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information as the maximum execution time. According to the embodiments of the present application, when the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is 0, the total time of the transfer operation determined in step S1600 between the two nodes and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information can be added, and the added time can be updated as the maximum execution time of the transfer operation. This solution can ensure the rationality of each preset time constraint information, thereby ensuring the effective and accurate operation of the automated process. Moreover, the execution logic of this solution is relatively simple and the calculation amount is also small.

[0091] Exemplarily, the time constraint information includes expiration time information. After step S1800 for verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable, the method 1000 further includes step S1900.

[0092] In step S1900, after determining that the time constraint information is reasonable, in response to the user's second operation, an automated process is run. During the running of the automated process, it is determined whether the execution time of the transfer operation of the target between two adjacent nodes exceeds the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information. And, in the case of exceeding, the target is marked as an expired state. The second operation can be any suitable operation. Exemplarily but not restrictively, in the user interface, there may be a control for "running the process", and the second operation may be the operation of the user clicking on this control. According to an embodiment of the present application, after verifying that the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes is correct, the automated process can be run. And, in the case where the time constraint information includes expiration time information, when the process runs to the transfer operation associated with the expiration time information, the actual execution time of the transfer operation of the target between the two nodes can be monitored, and when its actual execution time exceeds the expiration time, the target can be marked as an expired state. Thus, the user can be prompted that the target has expired, so as to facilitate corresponding processing of the expired target.

[0093] The above solution can, during the running stage of the automated process, perform expiration monitoring on the actual execution time of the transfer operation of the target based on the verified correct time constraint information, and mark the target as expired in the case of determining that the target has expired. Thus, the user can be reminded to pay special attention to the expired target to ensure the effectiveness and availability of the target, and further ensure the smooth and effective execution of the automated process.

[0094] According to another aspect of the present application, a management device for an automated process is further provided. Figure 4 The schematic block diagram of a management device 400 for an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 4 shown, the device 400 includes an acquisition module 410, a first determination module 420, a second determination module 430, and a verification module 440.

[0095] The acquisition module 410 is configured to acquire the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on the target between two adjacent nodes;

[0096] The first determination module 420 is configured to determine the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process.

[0097] The second determination module 430 is configured to determine the total time for performing the transfer operation between two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation.

[0098] A verification module 440 is configured to verify whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

[0099] According to another aspect of the present application, an electronic device is further provided. Figure 5 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, the electronic device 500 includes a processor 510 and a memory 520. Among them, computer program instructions are stored in the memory 520, and when the computer program instructions are run by the processor 510, they are used to execute the above-mentioned management method 1000 of the automation process.

[0100] According to still another aspect of the present application, a storage medium is further provided. Program instructions are stored on the storage medium, and when the program instructions are run, they are used to execute the above-mentioned management method of the automation process. The storage medium may include, for example, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0101] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific implementation solutions and their beneficial effects of the above-mentioned management device, electronic device, and storage medium of the automation process by reading the relevant descriptions of the above-mentioned management method of the automation process. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0102] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application thereto. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make various changes and modifications therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as claimed in the appended claims.

[0103] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application.

[0104] In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0105] In the specification provided herein, a large number of specific details are set forth. However, it can be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and technologies have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0106] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline the present application and assist in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the methods of the present application should not be construed as reflecting the intention that the claimed present application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected by the corresponding claims, the inventive point lies in that the corresponding technical problems can be solved by features less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0107] Those skilled in the art can understand that, except for features that are mutually exclusive, any combination can be used for all the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all the processes or units of any method or device so disclosed. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) can be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0108] In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that, although some of the embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments rather than other features, the combination of the features of different embodiments means that it is within the scope of the present application and forms different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0109] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art should understand that a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in the management device for the automated process according to the embodiments of the present application. The present application can also be implemented as a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for executing part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can be in the form of one or more signals. Such signals can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or in any other form.

[0110] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and those skilled in the art can design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present application can be implemented by means of hardware including several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims listing several devices, several of these devices can be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not denote any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

[0111] As described above, it is only the specific implementation manner of the present application or the description of the specific implementation manner, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, and all of them should be covered by the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A management method for an automated process, characterized in that, it includes: Obtain the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automated process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on a target between the two adjacent nodes; Determine the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between the two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automated process; Determine the total time for performing the transfer operation between the two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation; and Verify whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

2. The management method for an automated process according to claim 1, characterized in that, the execution order includes a serial execution order and a parallel execution order, the determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between the two adjacent nodes includes: Based on the execution order of the minimum sub-operations between the two adjacent nodes, determine the minimum sub-operations that are executed in the serial order between the two adjacent nodes to form serial sub-operations; Calculate the sum of the preset execution times of the minimum sub-operations of the serial sub-operations and determine it as the total time.

3. The management method for an automated process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the determining the total time for performing the transfer operation between the two adjacent nodes includes: Determine the total time based on the node types of the two adjacent nodes, the execution order, and the preset execution times of at least some of the minimum sub-operations involved in the device nodes among the two adjacent nodes, where the node types include device nodes.

4. The management method for an automated process according to claim 3, characterized in that, the node types further include the starting node of the automated process, and the determining the total time includes: For the case where the two adjacent nodes are respectively the starting node and a device node, calculate the sum of the first preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the device node as the total time, where the pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the device node performs its own operation.

5. The management method for an automated process according to claim 3, characterized in that, the determining the total time includes: For the case where the two adjacent nodes are both device nodes, calculate the sum of the second preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the post-operation corresponding to the upstream node among the two adjacent nodes, and calculate the sum of the third preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the pre-operation corresponding to the downstream node among the two adjacent nodes, where the post-operation is the operation completed after the device corresponding to the upstream node performs its own operation, and the pre-operation is the operation completed before the device corresponding to the downstream node performs its own operation; and Add the sum of the second preset execution times and the sum of the third preset execution times to obtain the total time.

6. The management method for an automated process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The node type further includes an end node of the automation process, and the determining of the total time includes: For the case where two adjacent nodes are respectively a device node and an end node, calculate the sum of the fourth preset execution times of each minimum sub-operation involved in the subsequent operation corresponding to the device node as the total time, where the subsequent operation is an operation completed after the device corresponding to the device node executes its own operation.

7. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before obtaining the time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in the automation process, the method further includes: Displaying a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including operable controls; Responding to a first operation of the user using the operable controls, receiving the time constraint information from the user.

8. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 7, characterized in that, At least one of the two adjacent nodes is a device node corresponding to multiple targets, and the responding to a first operation of the user using the operable controls and receiving the time constraint information from the user includes: Responding to a first operation of the user using the operable controls for each target, receiving the time constraint information for the target from the user; The verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable includes: respectively verifying whether the time constraint information for each target between the two adjacent nodes is reasonable.

9. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time constraint information includes expiration time information and maximum waiting time information, The verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable includes: For the case where the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information is greater than 0, verifying whether the expiration time is reasonable; and For the case where the expiration time is equal to 0, determining the maximum execution time of the transfer operation based on the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information.

10. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 9, characterized in that, The determining of the maximum execution time of the transfer operation includes: Calculating the sum of the total time and the maximum waiting time indicated by the maximum waiting time information as the maximum execution time.

11. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time constraint information includes expiration time information. After verifying whether the time constraint information is reasonable, the method further includes: After determining that the time constraint information is reasonable, responding to a second operation of the user and running the automation process; Wherein, during the running of the automation process, when running to the downstream node among two adjacent nodes, determining whether the execution time of the transfer operation of the target between the two adjacent nodes exceeds the expiration time indicated by the expiration time information, and, in the case of exceeding, marking the target as an expired state.

12. The method for managing an automation process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The determining of the execution order of the minimum sub-operations of the two adjacent nodes includes: Parse the minimum sub-operations of the two adjacent nodes based on the node information of the two adjacent nodes and the layout of the hardware devices of the automation system, where the minimum sub-operations are operations performed by a single hardware device; Determine the execution order of the parsed minimum sub-operations based on the connection relationship.

13. A management device for an automation process, Characterized in that, Comprising: An acquisition module, configured to acquire time constraint information between two adjacent nodes in an automation process, where the time constraint information is used to constrain the execution time when performing a transfer operation on a target between the two adjacent nodes; A first determination module, configured to determine the execution order of multiple minimum sub-operations between the two adjacent nodes according to the connection relationship between the two adjacent nodes in the automation process; A second determination module, configured to determine the total time for performing a transfer operation between the two adjacent nodes at least according to the execution order and the preset execution time of each minimum sub-operation; And A verification module, configured to verify whether the time constraint information is reasonable according to the total time.

14. An electronic device, comprising a processor and a memory, Wherein, The memory stores computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are run by the processor, they are used to execute the management method of the automation process according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A storage medium, on which program instructions are stored, and the program instructions are used to execute the management method of the automation process according to any one of claims 1 to 12 when running.

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