Control method, device, electronic device and storage medium for automation system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a control method, device, electronic device, and storage medium for an automation system. The method includes: displaying a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system; setting operating parameters for pre-operations and / or post-operations supported by the device in response to a user operating the first operable control; and configuring device nodes in the control process of the automation system based on the operating parameters for pre-operations and / or post-operations. This makes the process interface simpler, effectively avoids errors in the automation process, and saves time and energy for engineers. As a result, the smooth completion of the automation process is effectively guaranteed. Moreover, these pre-operations and / or post-operations are all supported by the device. Thus, the control process is effectively prevented from failing to execute normally because the device does not support the corresponding operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic control, and more particularly to a control method for an automation system, a control device for an automation system, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Currently, many fields are continuously implementing automation transformations to free up manpower and improve efficiency. Whether it is automated manufacturing, automated inspection, or automated testing, automated systems are widely used. Accordingly, it is necessary to pre-establish the control process of these automated systems.

[0003] Typically, control processes are established through automated management systems. Users can build the overall control process within the interface provided by the automated management system. For example, they can specify the order of each step in the process and the equipment that performs each step, so that each device can complete its task as required.

[0004] However, as the scope of automation requirements continues to expand, a control process often involves a large number of devices and steps. Setting up these numerous steps in a control process not only consumes considerable time and effort, but also creates a cluttered interface. This can lead to node errors in the established control process, preventing the automation process from being successfully implemented. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention was proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. According to one aspect of the present invention, a control method for an automation system is provided, comprising: displaying a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system; setting operation parameters for a pre-operation and / or post-operation supported by the device in response to the user operating the first operable control, wherein the pre-operation is to be executed by an execution device of the pre-operation before the control device executes its own operation, and the post-operation is to be executed by an execution device of the post-operation after the control device executes its own operation; and configuring device nodes in a control flow of the automation system based on the operation parameters of the pre-operation and / or post-operation.

[0006] Exemplarily, the first operable control includes a menu, and the menu is used to provide operation parameters of the previous operation and / or the next operation supported by the device for user selection.

[0007] Exemplarily, the control method also includes: parsing the control process into a series of ordered operations based on the device node information and the order of the nodes in the control process, wherein the device node information includes the operation parameters of the previous operation and / or the subsequent operation; planning the device division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the ordered operations based on the parsing results; and executing the ordered operations based on the planning results.

[0008] Exemplarily, based on the analysis results, the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations are planned, including: based on the analysis results, determining whether there is at least one identical operation in the subsequent operation of the previous device and the previous operation of the next device in the control process; for each operation of the at least one identical operation, determining the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to the operation based on the corresponding previous operation of the next device.

[0009] Exemplarily, based on the analysis results, the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations are planned, including: based on the analysis results, determining whether the front operations and back operations of different equipment in the control process can be executed simultaneously; and planning the front operations and back operations that can be executed simultaneously to be executed simultaneously.

[0010] Exemplarily, the control method also includes: in response to the user's previous and next operation editing instructions, displaying a user interface, the user interface including an operation display area and a third operable control, the operation display area being used to display all previous operations and / or next operations supported by the device currently being edited, and the third operable control being used to adjust the execution order of each previous operation when there are multiple previous operations for the device currently being edited and / or adjust the execution order of each next operation when there are multiple next operations for the device currently being edited.

[0011] Exemplarily, displaying a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in an automation system includes: displaying the first operable control in response to a user triggering operation on a device node in a constructed control flow.

[0012] Exemplarily, in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in an automation system, displaying a first operable control includes: displaying a second operable control, where the second operable control is used to set device parameters of the device in the automation system; and displaying the first operable control in response to the user operating the second operable control.

[0013] Illustratively, the front operation and / or the back operation includes one or more of the following operations: loading a sample plate, unloading a sample plate, switching the sample plate, opening a door, and closing a door.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a control device for an automation system, comprising:

[0015] a display module, configured to display a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction to a device in the automation system;

[0016] A setting module, configured to set operation parameters of a front operation and / or a back operation supported by the device in response to a user operation on the first operable control;

[0017] A configuration module is used to configure device nodes in the control process of the automation system based on the operation parameters of the pre-operation and / or post-operation, wherein the pre-operation is used to be executed by the execution device of the pre-operation before the device corresponding to the control device node executes its own operation, and the post-operation is used to be executed by the execution device of the post-operation after the device corresponding to the control device node executes its own operation.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, which are used by the processor to execute the control method for an automation system as described above when the processor is running the computer program instructions.

[0019] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is provided, on which program instructions are stored. The program instructions are used to execute the control method for an automation system as described above when running.

[0020] According to the above technical solution, during the control process configuration process, the pre-operations and / or post-operations supported by certain devices in the automation system can be pre-configured directly. There is no need to add nodes for these pre-operations and post-operations separately in the process setup interface, making the process interface simpler, effectively avoiding errors in the automation process, and saving engineering personnel time and energy. This also effectively ensures the smooth completion of the automation process. Moreover, these pre-operations and / or post-operations are all supported by the devices. This effectively avoids the control process from failing to execute normally due to the devices not supporting the corresponding operations.

[0021] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are specifically listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through a more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a control method for an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a user issuing a trigger instruction according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart showing the device division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the operations arranged in an orderly manner according to the analysis results according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart showing the device division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the operations arranged in an orderly manner according to analysis results according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the execution sequence of operations in the parsing result according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram showing a control device for an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0029] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, exemplary embodiments of the present invention 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 invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present invention described in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] As mentioned above, automation systems are being utilized in an increasing number of application scenarios to improve work efficiency, such as automated manufacturing, automated inspection, and automated testing. It's understood that an automation system can include multiple automated control devices, each used to perform its own operational tasks. Some of these operations are primarily responsible for executing the control process. For example, in a test process, various chemical or physical test operations constitute primary operations. Others exist as auxiliary operations to ensure the smooth execution of the primary operations. Using the test process as an example, sample container handling between different devices in an automation system constitutes an auxiliary operation. All operations can be performed by their respective corresponding devices, and different operations can be performed by the same or different devices. Setting up a node for each operation in the control process not only wastes engineering time and effort, but also increases the risk of errors.

[0032] Taking the pipetting workstation in an automated testing system as an example, it can be understood that the pipetting workstation's own operation is a pipetting operation. An entry plate position is provided outside the pipetting workstation. In the test process, after the step of the previous device node is completed, the robotic arm will only place the sample plate that needs to be pipetted on the entry plate position of the pipetting workstation. The pipetting workstation needs to transfer the sample plate from the entry plate position to the work area within the station (i.e., complete the plate entry operation). In existing test management systems, it is necessary to add a separate action node corresponding to the plate entry operation in the visual interface built for the test process. If the engineer forgets to add the plate entry operation node when setting up the test process, when the test process is actually executed, the system will not schedule the execution time of the plate entry operation, nor will it issue a separate instruction to execute the plate entry operation. Instead, after the robotic arm places the sample plate on the entry plate position of the pipetting workstation, the pipetting workstation will be scheduled to start the pipetting operation. However, at this time, the sample plate is not in the work area within the pipetting workstation, resulting in experimental failure.

[0033] To address the above technical issues, the present invention provides a control method for an automation system. Based on this control method, in the control flow of the automation system, device nodes are only set for devices that perform the above-mentioned primary operations. Auxiliary operations are configured as pre- and post-operations of the device that performs the primary operation, and no separate nodes are set for them.

[0034] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic flow chart of a control method 100 for an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 may include the following steps.

[0035] Step S110 : Displaying a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system.

[0036] For example, the host computer may provide a user with a visual interface. Based on the visual interface, the user may use an input device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, etc.) of the host computer to issue a trigger instruction to any device in the automation system. The device is used to perform a primary operation in the control process. In response to the trigger instruction for the device, a first operable control for the device may be displayed on the visual interface. For example, in response to the trigger instruction, a user interface including the first operable control may be displayed.

[0037] Step S120, in response to the user's operation on the first operable control, sets the operation parameters of the front operation and / or back operation supported by the device. For the device, in addition to the main operation performed by it, it also supports some auxiliary operations - front operation and back operation, which are also related to the device. Among them, the front operation is used to be executed by the execution device before the device supporting it is controlled to perform its own operation. The back operation is used to be executed by the execution device after the device supporting it is controlled to perform its own operation. It can be understood that the execution device of the front operation and / or back operation can be the same device as the device supporting the operation, a different device or a part of the latter.

[0038] For example, the operation parameters of the front operation may include the name of the execution device that performs the front operation and the front operation instruction. The operation parameters of the back operation may include the name of the execution device that performs the back operation and the back operation instruction.

[0039] In one embodiment, a user interface may be displayed in response to the trigger instruction of step S110. The user interface may include a first operable control. The first operable control may include a "device" control and an "operation or operation group" control. The user may use the keyboard to enter the name of the execution device that will perform the pre-operation or post-operation in the text box of the "device" control. Correspondingly, the user may use the keyboard to enter the pre-operation instruction or post-operation instruction that can be executed by the execution device in the text box of the "operation or operation group" control.

[0040] In another embodiment, in a user interface including a first operable control, the first operable control includes a menu. The menu is used to provide operating parameters of a preceding operation or a subsequent operation supported by the device for user selection. The menu includes a "Device" menu and an "Operation or Operation Group" menu. The user can click the operable control after "Device" with a mouse. For example, the operable control can be an arrow. Thereafter, in response to the user's click operation, a menu of execution devices can be displayed. The user can select the desired execution device in the menu of execution devices. Furthermore, the user clicks the arrow after the "Operation or Operation Group" menu. In response to the user's click operation, a menu of preceding operation instructions or subsequent operation instructions that can be executed by the selected execution device can be displayed.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first operable control is presented to the user in the form of a menu. Based on the menu, the user can directly select the desired operating parameter. The operation is simple and the user's workload is reduced.

[0042] Step S130 : configuring the device nodes in the control process of the automation system based on the operation parameters of the pre-operation and / or post-operation.

[0043] Based on the operation parameters of the preceding operation and / or the following operation set in the aforementioned step S120, the device node is configured to associate the device node with the preceding operation and / or the following operation. In other words, the device node information not only includes the operation parameters to be executed by the device of this node itself, but also includes the operation parameters of the preceding operation and / or the following operation. For example, for a device, the user sets the operation parameters of the preceding operation and the following operation. Then, when the control flow executes to this device node, first, the execution device of the preceding operation executes the operation instruction of the preceding operation. Then, the device corresponding to the control device node executes its own operation instruction. Finally, the execution device of the following operation executes the operation instruction of the following operation.

[0044] According to the above technical solution, during the control process configuration process, the pre-operations and / or post-operations supported by certain devices in the automation system can be pre-configured directly. There is no need to add nodes for these pre-operations and post-operations separately in the process setup interface, making the process interface simpler, effectively avoiding errors in the automation process, and saving engineering personnel time and energy. This also effectively ensures the smooth completion of the automation process. Moreover, these pre-operations and / or post-operations are all supported by the devices. This effectively avoids the control process from failing to execute normally due to the devices not supporting the corresponding operations.

[0045] For example, the automated system is an automated testing system for performing a test on a sample, wherein a sample plate is used to carry a sample container, and the sample container is used to hold the sample. In the automated testing system, the front operation and / or the back operation include one or more of the following operations: loading a sample plate, unloading a sample plate, reversing a sample plate, opening a door, and closing a door.

[0046] For example, the device corresponding to the device node is a pipetting workstation. As mentioned above, before the pipetting workstation performs its own operation, it must place the sample plate in the pipetting operation area, that is, the working area, within the pipetting workstation. Therefore, a front operation can be set: loading the sample plate. Loading the sample plate can refer to the operation of moving the sample plate from the entrance plate position to the pipetting operation area by the transport module inside the pipetting workstation. Afterwards, the pipetting workstation performs the pipetting operation. After the pipetting operation is completed, a post operation can be set for the pipetting workstation in a similar manner: unloading the sample plate. Unloading the sample plate can refer to the operation of moving the sample plate from the pipetting operation area to the exit plate position of the pipetting workstation by the transport module inside the pipetting workstation.

[0047] For another example, some devices may have special requirements for the orientation and / or clamping direction of the sample plate when it enters the device. For such devices, the operation of reversing the sample plate can be set as a user-configurable pre-operation. Specifically, the user can set the corresponding reversal angle as needed. Preferably, eight optional reversal angles can be pre-set before shipment, corresponding to eight numerical values. Thus, the operation instruction for reversing the sample plate can also include the numerical value selected by the user.

[0048] For another example, some equipment has a door separating its interior from the exterior. Examples include incubators and centrifuges. For such equipment, the door opening operation can be set as a user-configurable front operation. The door closing operation can also be set as a user-configurable back operation.

[0049] It will be understood that setting the pre-operations and / or post-operations supported by the above-mentioned devices is merely exemplary and does not limit the present invention.

[0050] Automated testing systems typically include many different devices. While each device has its own primary operational tasks, they also have specific requirements for the sample plates they operate on and their own state in order to successfully complete their primary tasks. Therefore, corresponding pre-operations and / or post-operations can be configured to meet the diverse needs of different devices, ensuring the smooth execution of the established testing process.

[0051] In one embodiment, step S110 of displaying the first operable control in response to a user trigger instruction on a device in the automation system may include displaying the first operable control in response to a user trigger operation on a device node in the constructed control flow.

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a user issuing a trigger instruction according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2The control flow is shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the control flow includes 3 device nodes. The user can right-click the device node for which the user wishes to set the pre-operation and / or post-operation. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the user chooses to set the pre-operation and / or post-operation for the second device node. After clicking the device node with the right button of the mouse, the following screen will be displayed: Figure 2 The user can then click on the "before / after operation" control 210 in the list to issue a trigger instruction. In response to the user's trigger instruction to the device in the automation system, a first operable control can be displayed.

[0053] Thus, during or after the control process is established, the first operable control can be directly called out through each device node in the control process.

[0054] In another embodiment, step S110 of displaying the first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system may include the following steps.

[0055] First, the second operable control is displayed. The second operable control is used to set device parameters for a device in the automated system. It will be appreciated that the second operable control can be one or more operable controls, which can be distributed within the same user interface or distributed across different user interfaces. In one embodiment, the user interface including the second operable control can also include a list of devices in the automated system. The user can use a mouse to select the device in the list of devices in the automated system for which they wish to set pre- and / or post-operations. Assume that the device selected by the user is a pipetting workstation. In response to the user's device selection, a "Condition Settings" table can be displayed to the right of the list of devices in the automated system. This table can include some of the second operable controls. Next, in response to the user's operation on the second operable control, the first operable control is displayed. For example, the user can use a mouse to click the "Edit" control within the second operable control to display another user interface. In response to the user triggering the "Edit" control, the first operable control can be displayed.

[0056] Thus, before building a control flow, the corresponding first operable controls can be directly called for different devices in the automation system to set corresponding pre-operations and / or post-operations for the devices. Furthermore, based on the devices with pre-operations and / or post-operations set, the control flow can be directly built, improving the building efficiency.

[0057] Exemplarily, the set preceding and / or following operations are editable. The control method may further include displaying a user interface in response to a user's preceding or following operation editing instruction. The user interface includes an operation display area and a third operable control. The operation display area is used to display all preceding and / or following operations supported by the currently edited device. The third operable control is used to adjust the execution order of each preceding operation if the currently edited device has multiple preceding operations and / or adjust the execution order of each following operation if the currently edited device has multiple following operations.

[0058] Optionally, a previous / next operation edit instruction can be issued in response to a user's operation on a second operable control. In one embodiment, a user can use a mouse to select a device in a list of devices in the automation system for which they wish to edit previous and / or subsequent operations. The user can then click the "Edit" control in the second operable control to trigger the previous / next operation edit instruction. In response to the previous / next operation edit instruction, a user interface including a third operable control can be displayed. In this embodiment, the user interface including the third operable control can also include the aforementioned second operable control. In response to the previous / next operation edit instruction, a user interface including an operation display area and the third operable control can be displayed. The operation display area can display all previous operations or all subsequent operations for the currently selected device. The following description uses the example of adjusting the execution order of all previous operations for the currently selected device. For example, the "Up" and "Down" controls in the third operable control can be used to adjust the execution order of all previous operations for the currently selected device. Specifically, the user can first select the previous operation for which they wish to adjust the execution order from among all previous operations for the currently selected device. Clicking the "Up" control once will advance the execution order of the selected previous operation by one step, i.e., move the execution time of the selected previous operation to before the execution time of the previous operation. Clicking the "Up" control twice can advance the execution order of the selected previous operation by two steps, that is, the execution time of the selected previous operation is advanced to before its two previous operations. Similarly, clicking the "Down" control once can delay the execution order of the selected previous operation by one step, that is, the execution time of the selected previous operation is delayed to after its next previous operation. Clicking the "Down" control twice can delay the execution step of the selected previous operation by two steps, that is, the execution time of the selected previous operation is delayed to after its next two previous operations. It can be understood that when the selected previous operation is in the first row, the "Up" control is not available. When the selected previous operation is in the last row, the "Down" control is not available. When the selected device has only one previous operation, both the "Up" control and the "Down" control are unavailable.

[0059] Optionally, the preceding and / or succeeding operations may include one or more independent operations and / or one or more operation groups. An operation group can be edited as a whole, or the operations within the operation group can be edited individually. For example, the preceding operations may include both independent operations and operation groups. The execution order of independent operations and operation groups can be adjusted. The execution order of operations within an operation group can also be adjusted.

[0060] Therefore, users can customize the execution order of the pre-operation and / or post-operation of the equipment as needed, meeting the needs of different users and ensuring the flexibility of the control process.

[0061] Exemplarily, in response to the previous and next operation editing instructions, the displayed user interface may also include a "Set Default" control, a "Delete" control, and an "Edit" control. The "Set Default" control is used to restore all settings of the currently activated operation to the system default configuration. The system default configuration can be pre-set based on experience and is not limited here. Preferably, a prompt window can be displayed after the user clicks the "Set Default" control to prevent the user from operating it incorrectly. For example, the prompt window may include a text prompt such as "Please confirm whether to restore the default configuration." In addition, the prompt window may also include a confirmation control and a cancel control. The confirmation control is used to confirm the operation of restoring the default configuration. The cancel control is used to cancel the restoration of the default configuration. The "Delete" control is used to delete the operation selected by the user. The "Edit" control is used to edit the operation selected by the user, such as changing its operating parameters.

[0062] Exemplarily, the user can first select an operation group in the operation display area. Then click the "Edit" control to call up the operation group editing interface. In one embodiment, the operation group editing interface may include an intra-group operation display area and a fourth operable control. The fourth operable control includes an "Up" control, a "Down" control, a "Set Default" control, an "Add" control, a "Delete" control, and an "Edit" control. Among them, the "Up" control and the "Down" control are used to adjust the execution order of operations in the current intra-group operation display area in response to the user's operation. The "Set Default" control is used to restore all settings in this operation group to the system default configuration. The "Add" control is used to add a new operation to the operation group. The "Delete" control is used to delete the operation selected by the user in the operation group. In the intra-group editing interface, the "Edit" control is not available. The specific functional implementation of these controls has been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0063] Exemplarily, after the device node is configured in step S130 , the control method may further include step S140 , step S150 , and step S160 .

[0064] Step S140: parsing the control flow into a series of orderly arranged operations based on the device node information and the order of the nodes in the control flow, wherein the device node information includes operation parameters of the preceding operation and / or the succeeding operation.

[0065] See again Figure 2 ,exist Figure 2 The constructed control flow contains 3 device nodes, and the order of the device nodes is provided. It can be understood that the line between two adjacent device nodes can represent the transfer operation of the parts to be operated (such as the aforementioned sample plate) between the two. The arrow of the line can represent the direction of transfer, that is, the order in which the nodes are executed. According to the operating parameters of the previous operation included in the device node information, the operating parameters of the device's own operation corresponding to the device node and the operating parameters of the subsequent operation, as well as the order of the device nodes, the control flow is parsed into a series of orderly arranged operations. Figure 2 In the control flow of the illustrated embodiment, the first node is consumables node 220, which is not a device node and does not support pre- or post-operations. The series of ordered operations obtained by parsing this control flow may include: pre-operation of device node 230 → native operation of the device corresponding to device node 230 → post-operation of device node 230 → pre-operation of device node 240 → native operation of the device corresponding to device node 240 → post-operation of device node 240. In one specific embodiment, the device corresponding to device node 230 is a pipetting workstation. The device corresponding to device node 240 is a plate washer. The pipetting workstation is provided with pre-operations—sample plate transfer and sample plate loading. The pipetting workstation's native operation is pipetting. Furthermore, the pipetting workstation is provided with post-operations—sample plate removal and sample plate transport. The plate washer has no pre- or post-operations. The plate washer's native operation is plate washing. Therefore, in this embodiment, the series of ordered operations obtained by parsing is: sample plate transfer → sample plate loading → pipetting → sample plate removal → sample plate transfer → plate washing.

[0066] Step S150 , planning the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations according to the analysis result.

[0067] Based on the sequence of operations obtained in step S140, the device that performs each operation is determined. The execution time for each operation by the device can also be determined. The resulting plan is: 30 seconds for sample plate transport → 10 seconds for sample plate loading at the pipetting station → 60 seconds for pipetting at the pipetting station → 10 seconds for sample plate unloading at the pipetting station → 30 seconds for sample plate transport → 30 seconds for plate washing at the plate washer.

[0068] Step S160: performing an orderly arrangement operation according to the planning result.

[0069] Thus, based on the planning result obtained in step S150 above, the devices in the automation system can perform corresponding operations in sequence.

[0070] In this embodiment, the device nodes set with pre-operations and / or post-operations are parsed into orderly operations that can be executed by the automation system, thereby ensuring that the control process can be executed in an orderly and smooth manner.

[0071] Figure 3 FIG1 shows a schematic flow chart of the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the operations arranged in order according to the analysis results in step S150 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, step S150 may include the following steps.

[0072] Step S151 : Determine, based on the analysis result, whether there is at least one identical operation between the subsequent operation of the previous device and the previous operation of the next device in the control flow.

[0073] As previously mentioned, the analysis results can include a series of ordered operations. For example: transport → sample plate inlet → pipetting → sample plate outlet → transport → plate wash. It is understood that multiple pre-operations and / or post-operations can be set for a single device. Furthermore, based on the analysis results, it can be determined whether at least one identical operation exists among all post-operations of the preceding device in the control flow and all pre-operations of the following device. Identical operations can refer to operations that share the same execution device, operating instructions, and execution time.

[0074] Step S152: for each operation of the at least one identical operation, determine the device division of labor and execution time corresponding to the operation according to the corresponding previous operation of the subsequent device.

[0075] In one embodiment, the parsing results for all relevant operations of a pipetting workstation are: transport → sample plate in → pipetting → sample plate out → transport. The parsing results for all relevant operations of an incubator, the device immediately adjacent to the pipetting workstation, are: transport → sample plate in → incubation → sample plate out. It will be understood that, in the parsing results of the control flow, the relevant operations of the pipetting workstation and those of the incubator are continuous. The pipetting workstation has two post-operations: sample plate out and transport. The incubator has one pre-operation: transport. The pipetting workstation, as the device immediately preceding the incubator, has a post-operation: transport, which is the same as the pre-operation of the incubator. Furthermore, the robotic arm that performs the transport operation and the execution time are determined based on the pre-operation of the incubator. For example, if the end position of the robotic arm transport operation in the post-operation of the pipetting workstation is set to "end position" (indicating the end position of the operation), if the end position of the robotic arm transport defined in the post-operation incubator is the incubator's entry plate position, the end position set by the pipetting workstation will be overwritten by the incubator's entry plate position.

[0076] Therefore, if at least one identical operation exists between the subsequent operation of a current device and the preceding operation of a subsequent device, these identical operations can be combined into a single execution. This simplifies the execution steps of the control flow, making it smoother during execution. Furthermore, the device division of labor and execution time for the operation are determined based on the preceding operation of the subsequent device, ensuring accurate and efficient execution of the operation.

[0077] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart showing the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the operations arranged in order according to the analysis results in step S150 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, step S150 may include the following steps.

[0078] Step S153: Determine whether the preceding and following operations of different devices in the control process can be executed simultaneously based on the analysis result. Step S154: Plan the preceding and following operations that can be executed simultaneously to be executed simultaneously.

[0079] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the execution sequence of operations in the parsing result according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the horizontal rightward direction of the table represents the passage of time. Figure 5It is only used to show the order in which each operation is executed. The horizontal length of each square in the table does not indicate the length of time the operation takes to execute. In one embodiment, the relevant operations of the device node of the pipetting workstation include sample plate removal, sample plate transportation, and sample cover. The relevant operations of the device node of the incubator include door opening, sample plate transportation, and incubator internal transportation. As mentioned above, when the post-operation of the previous device and the front operation of the next device have the same operation, the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to the operation can be determined according to the front operation of the next device. In this embodiment, the post-operation of the pipetting workstation and the front operation of the incubator have the same operation of sample plate transportation. Therefore, the end position of the robot arm transportation in the operation instruction of the sample plate transportation of the incubator is determined as the end position of the sample plate transportation. During the actual execution of the control process, the sample plate transportation operation is only executed once. In Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, there are pre-operations and post-operations that can be performed simultaneously by the pipetting workstation and the incubator, respectively. The criteria for determining whether the pre-operations and post-operations of different devices in the control process can be performed simultaneously may include: the execution devices corresponding to the two operations are not the same, and the execution of the control process will not be affected even if the corresponding execution devices execute the related operations at the same time. In this embodiment, the sample plate discharging operation of the pipetting workstation is performed by the transfer module inside the pipetting workstation. The door opening operation of the incubator is performed by the robotic arm of the automation system. Therefore, the sample plate discharging operation of the pipetting workstation and the door opening operation of the incubator can be determined as operations that can be performed simultaneously. See Figure 5 ,The operations that can be executed simultaneously, namely the sample plate unloading operation of the ,pipetting workstation and the incubator door opening operation, have the same ,execution time.

[0080] According to the determination result of step S153, the execution order of the control process can be determined. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the control flow can be executed in the following order: sample plate removal at the pipetting workstation and simultaneous incubator door opening → sample plate transfer → sample capping → transfer within the incubator. In this embodiment, the sample plate transfer operations at the pipetting workstation and the incubator are combined. That is, the sample plate is transferred directly from the pipetting workstation's exit plate position to the incubator's entrance plate position. The sample capping operation is then performed during or after the transfer process. This simplifies the execution steps of the control flow.

[0081] Therefore, when there are operations that can be executed simultaneously in the pre-operations and post-operations of different devices, they are executed in parallel, which can effectively improve the execution efficiency of the control process.

[0082] According to another aspect of the present invention, a control device for an automation system is provided. Figure 6FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device 600 for an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, the control device 600 includes a display module 610 , a setting module 620 and a configuration module 630 .

[0083] The display module 610 is configured to display a first operable control in response to a user's triggering instruction on a device in the automation system.

[0084] The setting module 620 is configured to set operation parameters of a front operation and / or a back operation supported by the device in response to a user operation on the first operable control.

[0085] Configuration module 630 is used to configure device nodes in the control flow of the automation system based on the operational parameters of pre-operations and / or post-operations. Pre-operations are executed by the execution device of the pre-operations before the device corresponding to the control device node performs its own operation. Post-operations are executed by the execution device of the post-operations after the device corresponding to the control device node performs its own operation.

[0086] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided. Figure 7 FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 may include a processor 710 and a memory 720. The memory 720 stores computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed by the processor 710, they are used to execute the control method for the automation system as described above.

[0087] According to another aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is provided, on which program instructions are stored, and when executed, the program instructions are used to execute the control method for an automation system as described above. 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 compact disc 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.

[0088] A person skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation scheme and beneficial effects of the control device, electronic device, and storage medium for the automation system by reading the above description of the control method for the automation system, and will not be described in detail here for the sake of brevity.

[0089] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as claimed in the appended claims.

[0090] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0091] In the several embodiments provided in this 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 described is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used, such as combining or integrating multiple units or components into another device, or ignoring or not performing some features.

[0092] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are described. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0093] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present invention and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach to the present invention should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed invention requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except where mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus disclosed herein may be combined in any combination. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0095] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0096] The various component embodiments of the present invention 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 will appreciate that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in a control device for an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention 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 for implementing the present invention can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0097] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of appropriately programmed computers. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0098] The foregoing description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention or an illustration of a specific embodiment. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be readily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention are intended to be encompassed by the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an automation system, characterized in that: include: In response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system, displaying a first operable control; In response to a user operation on the first operable control, setting operation parameters of a preceding operation and / or a following operation supported by the device, wherein the preceding operation is to be executed by the execution device of the preceding operation before controlling the device to execute its own operation, and the following operation is to be executed by the execution device of the following operation after controlling the device to execute its own operation; Based on the operation parameters of the pre-operation and / or the post-operation, a device node in a control process of the automation system is configured, wherein in the control process, separate nodes are not provided for the pre-operation and the post-operation of the device.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The first operable control includes a menu, and the menu is used to provide operation parameters of the front operation and / or the back operation supported by the device for user selection.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The control method further includes: Parsing the control flow into a series of ordered operations according to device node information and the order of nodes in the control flow, wherein the device node information includes operation parameters of the preceding operation and / or the succeeding operation; According to the analysis results, planning the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations; and According to the planning result, the operations of the orderly arrangement are performed.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein: The step of planning the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations according to the analysis results includes: Determining, based on the analysis result, whether there is at least one identical operation between a subsequent operation of a previous device and a previous operation of a subsequent device in the control process; For each operation of at least one identical operation, the device division of labor and execution time corresponding to the operation are determined according to the corresponding previous operation of the subsequent device.

5. The control method according to claim 3, wherein: The step of planning the equipment division of labor and execution time corresponding to each operation in the orderly arranged operations according to the analysis results includes: Determining, based on the analysis results, whether pre-operations and post-operations of different devices in the control process can be executed simultaneously; Plan preceding and following operations that can be performed simultaneously to execute them simultaneously.

6. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The control method further includes: In response to the user's previous and next operation editing instructions, a user interface is displayed, which includes an operation display area and a third operable control. The operation display area is used to display all previous operations and / or next operations supported by the device currently being edited, and the third operable control is used to adjust the execution order of each previous operation when there are multiple previous operations for the device currently being edited and / or adjust the execution order of each next operation when there are multiple next operations for the device currently being edited.

7. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The displaying of a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system includes: In response to a user triggering operation on a device node in the constructed control flow, the first operable control is displayed.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The displaying of a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system includes: displaying a second operable control for setting a device parameter of a device in the automation system; In response to a user operation of the second operable control, the first operable control is displayed.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The front operation and / or the back operation include one or more of the following operations: inserting a sample plate, removing a sample plate, reversing a sample plate, opening a door, and closing a door.

10. A control device for an automation system, characterized in that: include: a display module, configured to display a first operable control in response to a user triggering instruction on a device in the automation system; a setting module, configured to set operation parameters of a front operation and / or a back operation supported by the device in response to a user operation on the first operable control; A configuration module is configured to configure a device node in a control process of the automation system based on operation parameters of the pre-operation and / or the post-operation, wherein the pre-operation is executed by an execution device of the pre-operation before the device corresponding to the device node is controlled to execute its own operation, and the post-operation is executed by an execution device of the post-operation after the device corresponding to the device node is controlled to execute its own operation, wherein in the control process, separate nodes are not set for the pre-operation and post-operation of the device.

11. An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein: The memory stores computer program instructions, which are used by the processor to execute the control method for an automation system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 when the processor runs the computer program instructions. 12 . A storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, wherein the program instructions are used to execute the control method for an automation system according to claim 1 when running.

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