Pipe structure recognition method, pipe structure recognition device, and semiconductor apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and provides a pipeline structure identification method, a pipeline structure identification device and a semiconductor equipment. The method comprises: identifying a pipeline control set from each visual element contained in a graphical interface displaying a pipeline diagram; wherein the type of the pipeline control comprises a pipeline, a multi-pass pipe fitting and a valve; the pipeline control of the pipeline type has a pipeline flow direction; based on a control connection determination sub-process, determining a successor pipeline control of each pipeline control in the pipeline control set along the pipeline flow direction, which has a port connection or control overlap, to obtain a pipeline connection structure; identifying each pipeline path in the pipeline connection structure to form a pipeline path set; and based on the flow direction relationship between each end of the multi-pass pipe fitting type pipeline control in different pipeline paths, determining an effective path in the pipeline path set. Thus, the connection between pipeline nodes and the upstream and downstream relationship can be automatically extracted according to the displayed pipeline diagram, and the node control efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a pipeline structure identification method, a pipeline structure identification device and a semiconductor equipment, as well as a semiconductor equipment and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as gas transportation and industrial fluid pipeline networks, gas routing diagrams (or liquid routing diagrams, etc.) are the foundation for system design and operational control. Especially in the semiconductor manufacturing technology field, which uses a wide variety of gases and requires high precision in gas control, the piping systems used for transporting various process gases / liquids in semiconductor processing must be meticulously planned and designed. For example, after the gas routing diagram is completed, a control mode needs to be set for each pipeline node, clearly defining which valves control the on / off state, flow regulation, and other states of that node. This is a necessary step to achieve automated control and logic verification of the gas routing system.

[0003] Currently, the relationships between valves controlling various pipeline nodes (e.g., through scripts, interfaces, or file configurations) require manual setup, making the process tedious and prone to errors. This is especially true when there are many valves, resulting in very long control files for individual nodes. Furthermore, using multi-way fittings (such as tees) increases the number of pipeline branch paths. For example, each time a tee is used, the pipeline path branches into two. Consequently, the preceding nodes become subject to control by valves on more branches, making the control text for these nodes more complex. This leads to an increase in the number of pipeline nodes and inevitably makes the writing of control text even more complicated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a pipeline structure identification method, a pipeline structure identification device, a semiconductor device, and a computer-readable storage medium to solve the problems in the related art.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a pipeline structure identification method applied to semiconductor devices, comprising: identifying a set of pipeline controls from various visual elements contained in a graphical interface displaying a pipeline diagram; wherein the types of the pipeline controls include pipes, multi-port fittings, and valves; the pipe type pipeline controls have a pipeline flow direction; based on a control connection determination sub-process, determining that each pipeline control in the set of pipeline controls has subsequent pipeline controls with connected ports or overlapping controls along the pipeline flow direction, to obtain a pipeline connection structure; identifying each pipeline path in the pipeline connection structure to form a set of pipeline paths; and determining the valid paths in the set of pipeline paths based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the multi-port fitting type pipeline controls in different pipeline paths.

[0006] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the pipeline structure identification method further includes: displaying a flow indicator in the graphical interface corresponding to the traversed pipeline path based on the opening and closing state of the pipeline control of the valve type.

[0007] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the pipe flow direction of a multi-port type pipe control is determined based on the pipe flow direction of the pipe control to which the pipe type is connected.

[0008] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the step of determining subsequent pipeline controls in the pipeline control set based on the control connection determination sub-process, which involves identifying each pipeline control in the pipeline control set that has port connections or control overlaps along the pipeline flow direction to obtain the pipeline connection structure, includes: traversing each current pipeline control in the pipeline control set to execute a pipeline structure acquisition sub-process, which includes: based on the control connection determination sub-process, determining one or more subsequent pipeline controls in other pipeline controls that are connected to the tail end of the current pipeline control; wherein, the tail end is determined by the pipeline flow direction; the pipeline flow direction is determined based on the drawing direction and design posture of the pipeline control; and saving the pipeline control corresponding to the subsequent pipeline control to the subsequent control set belonging to the current pipeline control.

[0009] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the control connection determination sub-process is further used to determine the pipeline control of the valve type to which the pipeline control is connected; the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process further includes: saving the subsequent pipeline control of the valve type to the valve control set belonging to the prior pipeline control.

[0010] In a first aspect embodiment, the control connection determination sub-process includes: obtaining the first bounding rectangle of the prior conduit control and the second bounding rectangle of the subsequent conduit control in the design posture; determining whether the prior conduit control and the subsequent conduit control are conduit types respectively; in response to the prior conduit control being a conduit type, determining whether the subsequent conduit control is included in at least one of the tail endpoints of the prior conduit control; if included, determining a first result of connection between the prior conduit control and the subsequent conduit control; if not included, determining the connection between the prior conduit control and the subsequent conduit control. A second result indicating that the prior pipe control and the subsequent pipe control are not connected; in response to the subsequent pipe control being a pipe type, determining whether the prior pipe control is included in at least one of the first endpoints of the subsequent pipe control; if included, determining a first result indicating that the prior pipe control and the subsequent pipe control are connected; if not included, determining a second result indicating that the prior pipe control and the subsequent pipe control are not connected; in response to the prior pipe control and / or the subsequent pipe control being a non-pipe type, determining whether the first circumscribed rectangle and the second circumscribed rectangle intersect; if yes, determining the first result; if no, determining the second result.

[0011] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the control connection determination sub-process further includes: identifying the valve type of the subsequent pipeline control and saving it to the valve control set belonging to the prior pipeline control.

[0012] In an embodiment of the first aspect, after determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is included in at least one of the tail endpoints of the preceding pipeline control, the method further includes: if included, determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is a valve type; if so, adding the subsequent pipeline control to the valve control set and determining the first result; if not included, determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is a valve type and whether the first circumscribed rectangle and the second circumscribed rectangle intersect; if so, adding the subsequent pipeline control to the valve control set and determining the second result.

[0013] In a first aspect embodiment, identifying each pipe path in the pipe connection structure to form a pipe path set includes: obtaining a starting pipe control, its subsequent pipe controls, and a temporary pipe path; wherein the first starting pipe control is the entry node of the pipe diagram, and the entry node is restricted to a pipe type; determining whether the temporary pipe path contains the starting pipe control; if it does, determining whether the recursion termination condition is met; if it is met, ending the recursion; if it is not met, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; if it is not contained, saving the starting pipe control to the temporary pipe path; and determining whether the starting pipe control has a subsequent pipe control; if there is no subsequent pipe control, determining whether the recursion termination condition is met. If the constraint condition is met, the process ends; otherwise, the temporary pipeline path is saved to the pipeline path set. If a successor pipeline control exists, determine if there are one or more successor pipeline controls. If there is one, save the successor pipeline control as a new starting pipeline control to the temporary pipeline path, and save the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. Then, recursively execute the above process with the new starting pipeline control. If there are multiple successor pipeline controls, create a temporary pipeline path for each successor pipeline control, save each successor pipeline control as a new starting pipeline control to its respective temporary pipeline path, and save each temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. Furthermore, recursively execute the above process for each new starting pipeline control.

[0014] In an embodiment of the first aspect, when it is determined that the starting pipeline control does not have a successor pipeline control, the method further includes: determining whether the starting pipeline control is a valve type; if so, saving the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set; if not, not processing; and proceeding to the step of determining whether the recursion termination condition is met.

[0015] In an embodiment of the first aspect, determining the valid path in the set of pipe paths based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths includes: determining the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths based on the pipe flow direction of each node connected to the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type; and in the set of pipe paths, excluding invalid paths where the flow direction relationship indication of each pipe control of the multi-port fitting type is non-compliant, thereby obtaining valid paths.

[0016] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a pipeline structure identification device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory storing a computer program or instructions; the processor being configured to run the computer program or instructions to perform the pipeline structure identification method as described in any one aspect of the first disclosure.

[0017] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, perform the pipeline structure identification method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0018] This disclosure provides a fourth aspect of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a process chamber, a pipeline structure, and a pipeline structure identification device as described in any of the above embodiments, the pipeline structure being in communication with the process chamber, and the pipeline structure identification device being connected to the pipeline structure.

[0019] As described above, this disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, providing a pipeline structure identification method, a pipeline structure identification device, and semiconductor equipment. The method includes: identifying a set of pipeline controls from various visual elements contained in a graphical interface displaying a pipeline diagram; wherein the types of pipeline controls include pipes, multi-way fittings, and valves; the pipeline controls of the pipe type have a pipeline flow direction; based on a control connection determination sub-process, determining that each pipeline control in the pipeline control set has subsequent pipeline controls with connected ports or overlapping controls along the pipeline flow direction, to obtain a pipeline connection structure; identifying each pipeline path in the pipeline connection structure to form a set of pipeline paths; and determining the valid paths in the set of pipeline paths based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the multi-way fitting type pipeline controls in different pipeline paths. Therefore, it is possible to automatically extract the connections and upstream / downstream relationships between pipeline nodes based on the displayed pipeline diagram, effectively improving node control efficiency and accuracy, thereby improving the production efficiency and yield of semiconductor equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the piping diagram in one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the pipeline under different design orientations in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of a tee fitting in different design orientations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 This illustration shows a flowchart of a pipeline structure identification method applied to a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the principle of the control extraction sub-process in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the principle of the control connection determination sub-process in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the connection method between pipeline controls of pipe type and valve type in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 8 This illustration shows another connection method between pipe-type and valve-type pipeline controls in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the principle of the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 10 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the path identification subprocess in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a pipeline structure identification method in yet another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a pipeline structure identification device is shown in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the pipeline structure identification device in one embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the information disclosed herein. This disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this disclosure can be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0034] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can readily implement it. This disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0035] In this disclosure, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or a group of embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples represented in this disclosure, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0036] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the representation of this disclosure, "a set" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0037] For the purpose of clarity, devices unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0038] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0039] While the terms first, second, etc., are used in some examples herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of the stated feature, step, operation, element, module, item, kind, and / or group, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or presence of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are to be interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Thus, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means “any one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C.” Exceptions to this definition will only occur if the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0040] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in this specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0041] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0042] In fluid piping system design, after the piping diagram is completed, a control mode needs to be set for each pipe node to clarify its on / off state, flow regulation, and other controlled states. This is a necessary step for achieving automated control and logic verification of the gas system. Especially in the semiconductor manufacturing field, where a wide variety of gases are used and high gas control precision is required, the piping systems used for transporting various process gases / liquids in semiconductor processing must be carefully planned and designed. For example, after the gas circuit diagram is completed, a control mode needs to be set for each pipe node, clarifying which valves control the on / off state, flow regulation, and other states of that node. This is a necessary step for achieving automated control and logic verification of the gas system.

[0043] Currently, the relationships between valves controlling various pipeline nodes (e.g., through scripts, interfaces, or file configurations) require manual setup, making the process extremely tedious and prone to errors. This is especially true when there are many valves, resulting in very long control text for individual nodes. For example, in semiconductor manufacturing technology, which uses a wide variety of gases and requires high precision in gas control, the workload for setting up gas path controls is enormous. Furthermore, using multi-way fittings (such as tees) increases the number of pipeline branch paths. For instance, each tee adds a branch, creating two pipeline paths. Consequently, earlier nodes are controlled by valves on more branches, making the control text for these nodes more complex, leading to an increase in pipeline nodes and further complicating the control text writing. If additional gas paths are added later, the workload increases several times over.

[0044] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a pipeline structure identification method, which can automatically identify the pipeline connection structure between pipeline nodes and the connection information such as pipeline path based on the drawn pipeline diagram, thereby simplifying the valve control design in the pipeline path and improving the efficiency of semiconductor equipment.

[0045] like Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic structural representation of a piping diagram according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This piping diagram is, for example, a partial gas flow diagram of a gas supply system in a semiconductor device, and more specifically, for example, a partial gas flow diagram of a semiconductor vertical furnace device.

[0046] Piping diagrams show the connections between pipe nodes. Each pipe node is implemented as a fitting. Fitting types can include pipes, valves, multi-way fittings, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, conduits may include types such as pipelines and pipeline crosses. Both pipelines and pipeline crosses are pipe fittings with pre-defined start and end points; the difference is that a pipeline crosses over other pipelines without making a connection. Figure 1 In the diagram, pipe node A1 and pipe node B represent a pipeline and a bridge, respectively.

[0048] Pipe fittings of the pipe type can have a pipe flow direction, i.e., a direction from the beginning to the end. It is understood that the pipe flow direction is determined based on the initial flow direction of the fitting and its designed orientation. The designed orientation may include the fitting's rotation angle, drawing direction, etc. For example, in... Figure 2The image shows a horizontally placed pipe node C, drawn from left to right, indicating the pipe flow is from left to right. Its left and right ends correspond to the beginning and end of the pipe, respectively. Rotating pipe node C 90° clockwise results in pipe node C', where the flow direction changes to top to bottom, and its top and bottom ends are the beginning and end of the pipe. Rotating pipe node C' 90° clockwise again results in pipe node C'', where the flow direction changes to right to left, and its right and left ends are the beginning and end of the pipe.

[0049] exist Figure 1 In this embodiment, valve-type pipe nodes D1 and D2 are also shown, respectively superimposed on pipeline-type pipe nodes A1 and A2, indicating that the on / off state of A1 and A2 can be controlled. Exemplarily, D1 and D2 are shown as circular patterns, with the inner lines of the circles indicating the valve's open / closed state. Specifically, D1, where the inner lines are parallel (i.e., in line with) the extension direction of pipe node A1, indicates the valve is open; D2, where the inner lines are perpendicular (i.e., obstructing) the extension direction of pipe node A2, indicates the valve is closed.

[0050] Multi-way fittings include those with three or more ends, such as tees or crosses. Figure 1 The multi-way fitting shown is a tee type, as illustrated in pipe node E1. It's important to understand that the flow direction of a multi-way fitting is not fixed. For example, each end of a tee can be the starting point, while the other two ends can be the ending points. However, the upstream and downstream relationships between the ends of the multi-way fitting can be determined by the flow direction of the pipe nodes of the corresponding pipe types. For instance, if the right end of E1 connects to the ending point of a line pipe node, and the left and top ends of E1 connect to the starting points of two line pipe nodes respectively, then the upstream and downstream relationship of E1 is right to left and / or top.

[0051] Furthermore, as can be seen from E1, tee fittings can also have different design approaches, such as... Figure 3 The posture of the upper, right, and lower ends of the middle (a) Figure 3 The posture of the left, top, and right ends of the middle (b) Figure 3 The posture of the left, top, and bottom ends of the middle (c) Figure 3 The posture of the left, lower and right ends of the middle (d).

[0052] The above describes the structural features of the piping diagram. The piping structure identification method provided in this embodiment can extract structural information from the piping diagram based on these structural features.

[0053] like Figure 4The diagram illustrates a process flow of the pipeline structure identification method applied to a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0054] exist Figure 4 The process includes:

[0055] Step S401: Identify the set of piping controls from the visual elements contained in the graphical interface displaying the piping diagram.

[0056] In some embodiments, the graphical interface may be implemented as, for example, a piping design interface, allowing users to build or edit piping diagrams using various graphical piping controls. In other embodiments, the graphical interface may also be implemented as a piping diagram preview interface. As an example, the displayed piping diagram may be, for example... Figure 1 As shown in the image. Figure 1 The various pipe fittings shown are implemented using pipe control elements in the display interface. The types of pipe control elements include pipes, multi-way fittings, and valves. For example, the pipe types include Pipeline and Cross types. The multi-way fitting types can include PipeTee types.

[0057] In some embodiments, each pipe control in the piping diagram may have an attribute value that identifies its type information. In step S401, the type information can be obtained simultaneously when identifying the pipe control. In other embodiments, the type information of the pipe control can also be identified based on the shape characteristics of the pipe, multi-way fitting, and valve (e.g., a pipe has two ends, a multi-way fitting has at least three ends, a valve is circular, etc.). The pipe control of the pipe type has a clear pipe flow direction, i.e., its two ends are the beginning and end points along the pipe flow direction, respectively.

[0058] In a specific example, in a graphical interface, visual elements are typically organized into a hierarchical tree structure with parent-child relationships (which can be called a "visual tree"), including all renderable elements such as controls, shapes, and images. Step S401 can be implemented as a control extraction sub-process (e.g., named GetChildElements) to filter all pipe controls of type PipeLine / PipeCross / PipeTee / Valve from the set of visual elements in the graphical interface, obtaining a set of pipe controls.

[0059] In some embodiments, taking into account the characteristics of the visual tree, the control extraction sub-process can traverse each child node of the visual tree (including the child nodes of the child nodes), recursively collecting child nodes that conform to the pipeline control type and adding them to the pipeline control set. In some embodiments, the control extraction sub-process can employ a method such as depth-first traversal.

[0060] like Figure 5 The diagram shown illustrates the principle of the control extraction sub-process in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0061] exist Figure 5 The process includes:

[0062] Step S501: Input the root node in the visual tree.

[0063] The root node is the top-level node in the visual tree.

[0064] Step S502: Define the set of pipeline controls at the current level corresponding to the root node returned by the recursion.

[0065] The pipeline control set is used to store the pipeline controls for each type of child node under the root node.

[0066] Step S503: Obtain the number of child nodes CC under the root node.

[0067] The number of child nodes is the number of graphical controls of the visual elements contained in the root node. To implement traversal, we define i as the i-th child node under the root node, and i is initially 0.

[0068] Step S504: Determine if i ≤ CC-1. If yes, proceed to step S505; otherwise, proceed to step S506.

[0069] Step S505: Obtain and determine whether the i-th child node is a pipe fitting type.

[0070] If yes, proceed to step S507; if no, proceed to step S510.

[0071] Step S507: Add the pipe control of the i-th child node to the current pipe control set.

[0072] Step S508: Recursively return the current collection of pipeline controls.

[0073] Step S509: Add the current set of pipeline controls to the set of pipeline controls of the parent, and take the i-th child node as the new root node, and recursively execute step S501.

[0074] By recursively executing the above process using a depth-first traversal method, the child nodes at each level under the depth of each node can be traversed level by level to extract them and add them to the set of pipe controls of the upper level, and finally obtain the set of pipe controls of the top level containing all pipe controls in the pipe diagram.

[0075] Step S510: Add 1 to i.

[0076] That is, after completing the filtering of all pipeline controls under the i-th child node, return to step S504 and loop to the next child node, i.e., the (i+1)-th child node, until step S504 determines that i reaches CC.

[0077] Step S506: End the loop and return the collection of pipeline controls.

[0078] Step S511: Determine whether the preset recursion termination condition is met.

[0079] If yes, the process ends; in some embodiments, the preset recursion termination condition can be implemented as the number of child nodes being 0 (not entering the loop). If no, return to step S509.

[0080] Back Figure 4 Step S402: Based on the control connection determination sub-process, determine the subsequent pipeline controls in the pipeline control set where each pipeline control has a port connection or control overlap along the pipeline flow direction, so as to obtain the pipeline connection structure.

[0081] For the set of pipe nodes obtained in step S101, the connection relationships between them are identified in step S102. Specifically, in the pipe connection structure, each pipe control acts as a node and has connection relationships with other pipe controls. In step S102, by traversing and determining the successor pipe controls connected to each current pipe control, the set of successor controls connected to each pipe control can be obtained, representing the pipe connection structure.

[0082] Typically, according to the design rules of piping diagrams, only pipeline-type piping controls can be used as the starting piping control. Since pipeline-type piping controls have a flow direction, their beginning and end points are identifiable. Therefore, starting from the initial piping control in the piping diagram, the flow direction of each subsequent node can be determined sequentially. For example, if the occupied end f1 of a tee fitting type piping control F is connected to the end of a pipeline-type control, then f1 can be determined as the inlet of F, and the other two ends f2 and f3 are connected to subsequent piping controls. Step S102 uses the "control connection determination sub-process" sequentially along the flow direction of the nodes in the piping diagram to determine whether a connection relationship exists between any two nodes.

[0083] As an example, step S102 can be implemented by obtaining a sub-process through a pre-designed pipeline structure. In the pipeline connection structure process, by traversing each current pipeline control and determining the connection of the controls, the sub-process identifies one or more subsequent pipeline controls connected to the tail end of the current pipeline control in other pipeline controls. As previously analyzed, the tail end is determined by the pipeline flow direction, which is determined based on the drawing direction and design posture of the pipeline control. Furthermore, the pipeline controls corresponding to the subsequent pipeline controls can be saved to the set of subsequent controls belonging to the current pipeline control. Thus, the set of subsequent controls for each current pipeline control can be obtained.

[0084] In some embodiments, the principle of the control connection determination sub-process lies in determining whether there is a connection relationship between the earlier and later pipe controls based on the intersection between the beginning and end of the earlier and later pipe controls in the pipe path set. For example, pipes are connected at the beginning and end along the pipe flow direction, the three ends of a tee are connected to pipes or tees, and pipes are connected to valves, etc.

[0085] like Figure 6 The diagram shown illustrates the principle of the control connection determination sub-process in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0086] exist Figure 6 The process includes:

[0087] Step S601: Obtain the first bounding rectangle of the prior pipeline control and the second bounding rectangle of the subsequent pipeline control under the design posture.

[0088] Specifically, the first pipeline control is configured as StartElement, the first bounding rectangle is configured as StartElementRect, and a pair of tail endpoints are configured as StartElementEndPoint1 and StartElementEndPoint2. The second pipeline control is configured as EndElement. These can be two pipeline controls in the pipeline control set. The first and second pipeline controls can be any two pipeline controls, or two adjacent or spaced pipeline controls arranged in the array order. By performing geometric transformations on the pipeline controls to obtain their bounding rectangles, it is easy to determine whether there is a connection between their ends. The first and last endpoints are the first and last pairs of endpoints of the pipeline control graphic along the pipeline flow direction. For the bounding rectangle, a pair of endpoints can be represented as the corner points of the corresponding sides of the bounding rectangle of the pipeline control.

[0089] As previously described, the design posture, i.e. the posture of the piping control in the piping diagram, may have changed relative to the initial posture, such as by a rotation angle.

[0090] Step S602: Determine whether the prior pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control are pipeline types respectively.

[0091] That is, determine whether the preceding and subsequent pipe controls are both ends of a Pipeline or a Cross. If it is a pipe type, there are clearly defined beginning and end points. The pipe connection relationship can be obtained by checking whether the outer rectangles contain each other's endpoints at the beginning and end.

[0092] It should be noted that, upon completion, the design drawings are typically pre-checked using manual or machine inspection to ensure that the pipe openings between the pipe controls are aligned and not intersecting. Therefore, in this sub-process, it is only necessary to check whether the endpoints of the circumscribed rectangles of the preceding and following pipe controls have an inclusion relationship at their ends, i.e., whether the rectangles intersect, to determine whether the preceding and following pipe controls are connected. Of course, in other embodiments, the endpoints of the pipe control openings can be obtained, and the docking relationship between the endpoints can be determined to more accurately determine whether the openings of the preceding and following pipe controls are accurately docked without intersecting. Alternatively, the result of the connection between the pipe controls obtained based on the overlapping intersection of the circumscribed rectangles in this sub-process can be used as a preliminary result to assist manual further determination of whether the openings are accurately docked without intersecting, improving the efficiency of the judgment.

[0093] If the preceding pipe control is of pipe type, proceed to step S603. If the subsequent pipe control is of pipe type, proceed to step S610.

[0094] If it is determined that the preceding pipe control and / or the subsequent pipe control is not a pipe type, proceed to step S612.

[0095] Step S603: In response to the prior piping control being a pipe type, determine whether the subsequent piping control is included in at least one of the tail endpoints of the prior piping control.

[0096] If yes, proceed to step S604; if no, proceed to step S605.

[0097] Step S604: Determine the first result of the connection between the preceding pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control, such as True.

[0098] Step S605: Determine a second result, such as Flase, that is not connected between the preceding pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control.

[0099] That is, if the preceding pipeline control is of the pipeline type, whether the subsequent pipeline control contains its tail endpoint can determine whether there is a connection between them.

[0100] Understandably, in the case of a connection, the downstream piping control could be of the type of pipe, valve, multi-way fitting, etc.

[0101] In some optional embodiments, the control connection determination sub-process is further used to determine the type of pipe control to which the pipe control is connected. Specifically, a determination of whether the subsequent pipe control is a valve can be added between step S603 and steps S604 and S605, and the subsequent pipe control of valve type can be saved to the valve control set belonging to the prior pipe control.

[0102] As an example, if it is determined to be yes in step S603, proceed to step S606: determine whether the downstream pipeline control is a valve type. If yes, proceed to step S607; if no, proceed to step S604.

[0103] Step S607: Add the downstream pipeline control to the valve control set Valves, and then proceed to step S604 to determine the first result.

[0104] As an example, if the result is negative in step S603, proceed to step S608: determine whether the downstream pipeline control is a valve type and whether the first and second circumscribed rectangles intersect. If yes, proceed to step S609: add the downstream pipeline control to the valve control set, and then proceed to step S605 to determine the second result. If no, proceed directly to step S605.

[0105] Specifically, the connection method between pipe type and valve type piping controls can be as follows: Figure 7 and Figure 8 As exemplified. In Figure 7 In the example, a pipe-type control F1 is drawn, and a valve-type control F2 is connected to its end, encompassing both end points of F1. This situation can be determined through the judgments in steps S606 and S607. Alternatively, in... Figure 8 In this process, the pipe control F1 (pipe type) and the valve control F2 are stacked, and their bounding rectangles intersect. This situation can be determined through the judgments in steps S608 and S609.

[0106] Step S610: In response to the fact that the subsequent pipeline control is of pipeline type, obtain a pair of start and end points of the subsequent pipeline control.

[0107] In some embodiments, the downstream pipeline control is configured as EndElement, and its second outer rectangle is configured as EndElementRect. If the downstream pipeline control is a pipeline type with two ends, its start and end ends can be determined based on the initial pipeline flow direction and the design posture. Let a pair of start and end points be configured as EndElementStartPoint1 and EndElementStartPoint2.

[0108] Step S611: Determine whether the prior conduit control is included in at least one of the first endpoints of the subsequent conduit control.

[0109] If it is included, proceed to step S604; if it is not included, proceed to step S605.

[0110] Step S612: In response to the prior piping control and / or subsequent piping control being a non-pipe type, determine whether the first circumscribed rectangle and the second circumscribed rectangle intersect. If yes, proceed to step S604 to determine the first result; if no, proceed to step S605 to determine the second result. Specifically, for multi-way fittings and valves, it is only necessary to determine the connection based on the intersection with the circumscribed rectangles of other piping controls, because they do not have fixed / defined start and end points.

[0111] like Figure 9 The diagram shown illustrates the principle of the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0112] In some embodiments, the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process can be configured as a pre-designed GetGraphNodes sub-process for invocation in step S402. The control connection determination sub-process can also be configured as a pre-designed IsRectsConnected process for invocation by the GetGraphNodes process.

[0113] exist Figure 9 The process includes:

[0114] Step S901: Input is a collection of pipeline controls. The collection of pipeline controls is obtained by the control extraction sub-process GetChildElements.

[0115] Step S902: Define the pipeline structure and obtain the results returned by the sub-process. The returned results are defined to contain the connection information of each current pipeline control and the node that is the current pipeline control. For example, the returned results are defined as a dictionary type, including <pipeline control, node connection information>, represented as Dictionary.<Element,GraphNode> The node connection information includes the current pipe control (Element CurrentNode) and the successor pipe control (Element NextNode). For example, a pipe control of the pipe type has two ends, so its corresponding node has one successor pipe control (Element NextNode1). A tee fitting control has three ends, so its corresponding node has two successor pipe controls (Element NextNode1 and Element NextNode2).

[0116] Since a pipeline in a piping diagram may pass through one or more valves, the node connection information may also include a set of valve controls for each valve type that the current pipeline control passes through. In some optional embodiments, the valve type pipeline control may be determined during the control connection determination sub-process to improve processing efficiency. Of course, the valve type pipeline control can also be determined in other ways, such as based on shape, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0117] Furthermore, iterate through each pipe control in the pipe control set to obtain their successor pipe controls.

[0118] If the pipe control collection is configured as Elements, then the j-th pipe control in the collection corresponds to the current pipe control and is represented as Elements[j]. The variable j is initialized to 0. ElementCount is the number of pipe controls in the pipe control collection.

[0119] Step S903: Determine whether j ≤ ElementCount-1.

[0120] If not, it indicates that the traversal is complete and proceeds to step S904: end the loop of j and return the result, which is the dictionary information <pipeline control, node connection information>.

[0121] If so, proceed to step S905.

[0122] Step S905: Select a current pipeline control Elements[j] from the pipeline control set as the current pipeline control.

[0123] Step S906: Use the current pipeline control as the prior pipeline control to obtain the first circumscribed rectangle and a pair of tail endpoints of the prior pipeline control in the design posture.

[0124] As described in the previous embodiments, the first pipeline control is configured as StartElement, the first outer rectangle is configured as StartElementRect, and the pair of tail endpoints are configured as StartElementEndPoint1 and StartElementEndPoint2. Furthermore, a set of successor controls belonging to the first pipeline control, nextElements, is defined.

[0125] Optionally, step S907 can also be performed: Define the set of valve controls Valves that belong to the current pipeline control.

[0126] Define k to iterate through each subsequent pipe control in the pipe control set, with k initially set to 0.

[0127] Step S908: Determine whether k ≤ ElementCount - 1.

[0128] If yes, proceed to step S909; if no, proceed to step S910.

[0129] Step S909: Call the control connection determination sub-process IsRectsConnected to obtain either a first result (that there is a connection between the preceding pipeline control Elements[j] and the following pipeline control Elements[k]) or a second result (that there is no connection).

[0130] If the first result has a connection, then proceed to step S911: add the subsequent pipeline control to the successor control set. Then proceed to step S912: increment k by 1.

[0131] If the result is the second one, then proceed to step S912. Then return to step S908 and repeat the process.

[0132] Step S910: End the loop of k and obtain the set of successor controls of Elements[j].

[0133] For example, step S913 is executed: a node connection information GraphNode is created for the current pipeline control and added to the dictionary information. The current pipeline control is obtained from the current pipeline control itself, and subsequent pipeline controls are obtained from the set of subsequent controls. The valve control set of the current pipeline control can be obtained from the control connection determination sub-process.

[0134] Step S914: Increment j by 1. Return to step S903 and repeat.

[0135] Therefore, in Figure 9 In this embodiment, the pipeline connection structure is constructed by performing a double loop traversal on the input pipeline control set, that is, finding one or more subsequent nodes for each current pipeline control according to the pipeline flow direction.

[0136] After obtaining the pipeline connection structure, each possible pipeline path can be further determined.

[0137] Back Figure 4 Step S403: Identify each pipe path in the pipe connection structure to form a set of pipe paths.

[0138] Step S403 aims to determine one or more complete pipe paths, starting from the initial pipe path control and proceeding through the subsequent pipe path controls indicated by the pipe connection structure. A complete pipe path refers to a path from a pipe inlet to a pipe outlet on the pipe diagram. The first initial pipe path control can be the pipe inlet control on the pipe diagram.

[0139] In some embodiments, the path identification sub-process in step S403 can be configured as a pre-designed FindPipePathByStartElement process, so that it can be invoked in step S403. The set of pipeline paths can be defined as resultPaths.

[0140] like Figure 10 The diagram shown illustrates the principle of the path identification sub-process in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0141] exist Figure 10 The process includes:

[0142] Step S1001: Obtain the starting pipeline control, its subsequent pipeline controls, and the temporary pipeline path.

[0143] The first starting pipeline control is the entry node of the pipeline diagram, and the entry node is restricted to a pipeline type. In some embodiments, the pipeline control serving as the entry node may have corresponding specific attributes, such as an IsStart attribute item, where a value of "True" or "1" indicates an entry node, and a value of "False" or "0" indicates a non-entry node, etc.

[0144] For example, by obtaining the GraphNode of each starting pipeline control in the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process, the set of subsequent pipeline controls can be obtained. The starting pipeline control is defined as SElement, the temporary pipeline path can be defined as tempPath, and the set of nodes under tempPath can be defined as tempPath.Nodes.

[0145] Step S1002: Determine whether the temporary pipeline path includes the starting pipeline control.

[0146] It's worth noting that for pipe controls with only two ends, they extend along a single pipe path without adding new paths. Branching only occurs at multi-port pipe controls, creating new temporary pipe paths. Therefore, the initial pipe control in the piping diagram is usually a pipe control of the pipe type (typically Pipeline type). If two pipe paths contain duplicate pipe controls of the same pipe type, they may be duplicate pipe paths, which can be filtered in step S1002.

[0147] If it is included, proceed to step S1003. If it is not included, proceed to step S1004.

[0148] Step S1003: Determine whether the recursion termination condition is met.

[0149] In some embodiments, the recursion termination condition can be configured as the recursive call root, such as calling the first starting pipeline control itself.

[0150] If the conditions are met, the process ends.

[0151] If the conditions are not met, proceed to step S1005: save the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. Further, a new starting pipeline control can be selected (e.g., selected by the user), and the process returns to step S1001 to recursively execute the above procedure.

[0152] Specifically, the current starting pipeline control is saved to tempPath.Nodes, and tempPath is saved to resultPaths.

[0153] Step S1004: Save the starting pipeline control to the temporary pipeline path.

[0154] Step S1006: Determine whether the starting pipeline control has a successor pipeline control.

[0155] If no subsequent pipeline control exists, proceed to step S1003. Optionally, between steps S1006 and S1003, a check on valve type pipeline controls can be added to skip this step, since valves do not affect the pipeline path.

[0156] As an example, if no subsequent pipeline control exists, step S1007 is executed: determine whether the starting pipeline control is a valve type. If yes, step S1008 is executed: save the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. The presence of a valve does not affect the direction of the pipeline path. If not, no action is taken, and the process proceeds to step S1003.

[0157] Returning to step S1006, if a subsequent pipeline control exists, proceed to step S1009.

[0158] Step S1009: Determine that there are one or more subsequent pipeline controls.

[0159] If there is only one successor pipeline control, that is, the corresponding starting pipeline control is a pipeline control with two pipes at both ends, execute step S1010: take the successor pipeline control as the new starting pipeline control SElement, execute step S1005 to save the new starting pipeline control and its temporary pipeline path, and return to step S1001 with the new starting pipeline control to recursively execute the above process.

[0160] If there are multiple subsequent pipe controls, i.e., the initial pipe control is a multi-way fitting type pipe control, execute step S1011: create temporary pipe paths for each subsequent pipe control. For example, if it is a tee fitting type, create one new temporary pipe path, tempPath2. If it is another multi-way fitting type, create the number of temporary pipe paths as n-1 (the number of fitting connections).

[0161] Step S1012: Use each subsequent pipeline control as a new starting pipeline control.

[0162] Then, step S1005 is executed for each new starting pipeline control, saving them to their respective temporary pipeline paths, and each of the temporary pipeline paths is saved to the pipeline path set. Furthermore, the above process starting from step S1001 is recursively executed for each new starting pipeline control.

[0163] Back Figure 4 Step S404: Based on the flow direction relationship between each end of the multi-port pipe control in different pipe paths, determine the effective paths in the set of pipe paths.

[0164] For multi-way pipe fittings, such as tee pipe fittings, there may be multiple directions of start and end points, so they need to be processed again in this sub-process.

[0165] In some embodiments, step S404 can be implemented as determining the effective path in the set of pipe paths based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths.

[0166] As described in the previous embodiments, the flow direction relationship between the ends of the multi-port pipe control in different pipe paths can be determined based on the pipe flow direction of each node connected to the multi-port pipe control. Taking a tee as an example, the flow direction of each PipeTee in each PipePath is set according to the flow direction of the nodes before and after the PipeTee. For example, a tee may have different pipe flow directions in different paths, such as left->right, right->down, left->down, right->left, etc.

[0167] In some implementation sets, invalid paths include situations such as loops, T-junctions, and reverse flow directions, which will not be listed one by one.

[0168] In some embodiments, the principle of step S404 is configured as a multi-channel flow setting sub-process SetConditionAction.

[0169] In some embodiments, after step S404, the method may optionally further include: displaying a flow indicator in the graphical interface corresponding to the energized pipeline path based on the open / closed state of the pipeline control of the valve type. As an example, the flow indicator may be set as a flow pattern that dynamically changes according to the valve state, for example... Figure 1 As shown by arrow G in the diagram. Specifically, when a valve in a pipeline path is opened, a flow pattern can be displayed for that pipeline path to alert the user. Conversely, if the valve is closed, the flow pattern disappears. Additionally, for multi-way fittings, such as tees, different flow direction animations can be set, such as left->right, right->down, left->down, and right->left.

[0170] As a further example, since each pipeline path consists of multiple pipe nodes of various types and multiple valves, the status of all valves on this pipeline path can be detected by automated algorithms to automatically control whether the flow is displayed or not in this pipeline path. As an example, by determining the opening and closing status of each valve in the actual pipeline path of the actual pipeline system in real time from hardware sensors or control commands, it can be reflected in the display or non-display of the flow pattern in the "twin" pipeline path in the pipeline diagram.

[0171] In some embodiments, the flow pattern of a pipeline path can be set based on the open / closed state of valves in different ways. In one example, for a pipeline path, a flow pattern may only be displayed if every valve is open. Further exemplarily, when the pipeline path is fully open, the displayed flow pattern can be implemented as an animation to more visually reflect the flow direction within the pipeline path. In another example, since each valve actually controls the opening / closing of a segment of the pipeline path, even if not every valve in a pipeline path is open, a fluid pattern can be displayed for the segments of the pipeline path connected to the pipe inlet where the valves are open, to indicate that these segments are filled with fluid.

[0172] Therefore, in specific application examples, users can set the opening and closing state of the valve through software control or hardware operation. Optionally, users can directly perform opening and closing operations on the pipeline control of the valve type through the display interface of the pipeline diagram, and this opening and closing operation can be detected and trigger control commands to the corresponding physical valve, thereby directly setting the corresponding opening and closing state of the physical valve.

[0173] like Figure 11 The diagram shown illustrates a flowchart of a pipeline structure identification method in yet another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0174] In this embodiment, the method obtains the set of pipeline paths by calling the control extraction sub-process GetChildElements, the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process GetGraphNodes, the control connection determination sub-process IsRectsConnected, the path recognition sub-process FindPipePathByStartElement, and the multi-channel flow setting sub-process SetConditionAction.

[0175] exist Figure 11 The process includes:

[0176] Step S1101: Define the set of pipeline paths that will be returned as Result.

[0177] The type of Result is PipePath[].

[0178] Step S1102: Call the sub-process GetChildElements, pass in the root node of the form control in the graphical interface, and get the returned pipeline control collection Elements.

[0179] The Elements category contains a set of pipeline controls of types such as PipeLine, PipeCross, PipeTee, and Valve.

[0180] Step S1103: Call the sub-process GetGraphNodes and pass in the collection of pipeline controls. GetGraphNodes further calls the sub-process IsRectsConnected to return the collection of subsequent controls.

[0181] Step S1104: Define p and determine whether p ≤ ElementCount - 1.

[0182] If yes, proceed to step S1105; otherwise, proceed to step S1106.

[0183] Step S1105: Define the starting pipeline control startElement = Element[p].

[0184] Step S1107: Call the sub-process FindPipePathByStartElement, pass in the starting pipeline control, and return the pipeline path collection Result.

[0185] Step S1108: Increment p by 1. Return to step S1104 and repeat.

[0186] Step S1106: Call the sub-process SetConditionAction to remove invalid pipeline paths from the pipeline path collection Result and retain those containing valid pipeline paths.

[0187] Step S1109: Return the pipeline path collection Result.

[0188] like Figure 12 The diagram shows a schematic of a pipeline structure identification device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that the principle and technical implementation of the pipeline structure identification device can refer to the pipeline structure identification method in previous embodiments, therefore, it will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0189] The pipeline structure identification device 1200 includes:

[0190] The control extraction module 1201 is used to identify a set of pipeline controls from the visual elements contained in the graphical interface displaying the pipeline diagram; wherein, the types of pipeline controls include pipes, multi-way fittings and valves; the pipeline controls of the pipe type have the pipeline flow direction.

[0191] The control connection determination module 1202 is used to determine, based on the control connection determination sub-process, the subsequent pipeline controls in the pipeline control set that have port connections or control overlaps along the pipeline flow direction for each pipeline control, so as to obtain the pipeline connection structure.

[0192] The path identification module 1203 is used to identify each pipeline path in the pipeline connection structure and form a pipeline path set;

[0193] The multi-port flow direction setting module 1204 is used to determine the effective path in the set of pipe paths based on the flow direction relationship between each end of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths.

[0194] In some embodiments, the pipeline structure identification device further includes a flow identification module, which displays a flow identification in the graphical interface corresponding to the traversed pipeline path based on the opening and closing status of the pipeline control of valve type.

[0195] In some embodiments, the control connection determination sub-process, which determines that each pipeline control in the pipeline control set has a port connection or control overlap along the pipeline flow direction to obtain the pipeline connection structure, includes: traversing each current pipeline control in the pipeline control set to execute the pipeline structure acquisition sub-process, including: based on the control connection determination sub-process, determining one or more subsequent pipeline controls connected to the tail end of the current pipeline control in other pipeline controls; wherein, the tail end is determined by the pipeline flow direction; the pipeline flow direction is determined based on the drawing direction and design posture of the pipeline control; and saving the pipeline control corresponding to the subsequent pipeline control to the subsequent control set belonging to the current pipeline control.

[0196] In some embodiments, the control connection determination sub-process is further used to determine the pipe control of the valve type to which the pipe control is connected; the pipe structure acquisition sub-process further includes: saving the subsequent pipe control of the valve type to the valve control set belonging to the prior pipe control.

[0197] In some embodiments, the control connection determination sub-process includes: obtaining the first bounding rectangle of the prior pipeline control and the second bounding rectangle of the subsequent pipeline control in the design posture; determining whether the prior pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control are pipeline types respectively; in response to the prior pipeline control being a pipeline type, determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is included in at least one of the tail endpoints of the prior pipeline control; if included, determining a first result of connection between the prior pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control; if not included, determining that the prior pipeline control and the subsequent pipeline control are not connected. A second result of connection; in response to the subsequent conduit control being a pipe type, determining whether the preceding conduit control is included in at least one of the first endpoints of the subsequent conduit control; if included, determining a first result of connection between the preceding and subsequent conduit controls; if not included, determining a second result of non-connection between the preceding and subsequent conduit controls; in response to the preceding conduit control and / or the subsequent conduit control being a non-pipe type, determining whether the first and second circumscribed rectangles intersect; if yes, determining the first result; if no, determining the second result.

[0198] In some embodiments, the control connection determination sub-process further includes: identifying the valve type of the subsequent pipeline control and saving it to the valve control set belonging to the prior pipeline control.

[0199] In some embodiments, after determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is included in at least one of the tail endpoints of the preceding pipeline control, the method further includes: if included, determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is a valve type; if so, adding the subsequent pipeline control to the valve control set and determining the first result; if not included, determining whether the subsequent pipeline control is a valve type and whether the first circumscribed rectangle and the second circumscribed rectangle intersect; if so, adding the subsequent pipeline control to the valve control set and determining the second result.

[0200] In some embodiments, identifying each pipe path in the pipe connection structure to form a pipe path set includes: obtaining a starting pipe control, its subsequent pipe controls, and a temporary pipe path; wherein the first starting pipe control is the entry node of the pipe diagram, and the entry node is restricted to a pipe type; determining whether the temporary pipe path contains the starting pipe control; if it does, determining whether the recursion termination condition is met; if it is met, ending the recursion; if it is not met, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; if it is not contained, saving the starting pipe control to the temporary pipe path; and determining whether the starting pipe control has a subsequent pipe control; if there is no subsequent pipe control, determining whether the recursion termination condition is met. The process is as follows: If the condition is met, the process ends; if not, the temporary pipeline path is saved to the pipeline path set. If a successor pipeline control exists, determine if there are one or more successor pipeline controls. If there is one, save the successor pipeline control as a new starting pipeline control to the temporary pipeline path, and save the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. Then, recursively execute the above process with the new starting pipeline control. If there are multiple successor pipeline controls, create a temporary pipeline path for each successor pipeline control, save each successor pipeline control as a new starting pipeline control to its respective temporary pipeline path, and save each temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set. Furthermore, recursively execute the above process for each new starting pipeline control.

[0201] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the starting pipeline control does not have a successor pipeline control, the method further includes: determining whether the starting pipeline control is a valve type; if yes, then saving the temporary pipeline path to the pipeline path set; if no, then not processing; and proceeding to the step of determining whether the recursion termination condition is met.

[0202] In some embodiments, determining the valid paths in the pipe path set based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths includes: determining the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type in different pipe paths based on the pipe flow direction of each node connected to the pipe control of the multi-port fitting type; and excluding invalid paths in the pipe path set where the flow direction relationship indication of each pipe control of the multi-port fitting type is non-compliant, thereby obtaining valid paths.

[0203] It should be noted that, in Figure 12 The various functional modules in the embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program or instruction product. A computer program or instruction product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When a computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, it produces, in whole or in part, the flow or function according to this disclosure. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another.

[0204] and, Figure 12 The apparatus disclosed in the embodiments can be implemented through other modular division methods. The apparatus embodiments shown above are merely illustrative. For example, the module division is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, a group of modules or modules may be combined or dynamically integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the shown or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0205] in addition, Figure 12 The functional modules and sub-modules in the embodiments can be dynamically integrated within a single processing unit, or each module can exist physically independently, or two or more modules can be dynamically integrated within a single unit. These dynamic units can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. If these dynamic units are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This storage medium can be a read-only memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0206] It should be specifically noted that the flowchart representations of the embodiments described above in this disclosure can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions configured to implement a specific logical function or process. Furthermore, the scope of the preferred embodiments of this disclosure includes other implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved.

[0207] For example, Figure 4 The order of the steps in the method embodiments may vary in specific scenarios and is not limited to the above representation.

[0208] like Figure 13 The diagram shown illustrates the structure of a pipeline structure identification device / computer device according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0209] The pipeline structure identification device can also be defined as a computer device, and the computer device 1300 can be exemplified as a processing terminal, such as a server, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone or other terminal.

[0210] The computer device 1300 includes a bus 1301, a processor 1302, and a memory 1303. The processor 1302 and the memory 1303 can communicate via the bus 1301. The memory 1303 can store computer programs or instructions. The processor 1302 implements the method flow or function of the previous embodiments by running the computer program or instructions in the memory 1303, for example... Figure 4 This enables the computer device to be implemented as a pipeline structure identification device.

[0211] Bus 1301 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, although only one thick line is used in the diagram, this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0212] In some embodiments, the processor 1302 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MCU), a system-on-chip (System-on-Chip), or a field-programmable array (FPGA). The memory 1303 may include volatile memory for temporary data storage during program execution, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0213] The memory 1303 may also include non-volatile memory for data storage, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HElementCount), or solid-state disk (SSD).

[0214] In some embodiments, the computer device 1300 may further include a communicator 1304. The communicator 1304 is used for communication with external devices. In specific examples, the communicator 1304 may include one or more wired and / or wireless communication circuit modules. For example, the communicator 1304 may include one or more of, such as a wired network card, a USB module, a serial interface module, etc. The wireless communication protocols followed by the wireless communication module include, for example, Nearfield communication (NFC) technology, Infrared (IR) technology, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), etc.

[0215] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when run, implement the method flow or function of any of the previous embodiments.

[0216] That is, the method steps in the above embodiments are implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as CD ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk or magneto-optical disk), or implemented as computer code that is originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and will be stored in a local recording medium after being downloaded via a network, so that the method represented herein can be stored in such software processing on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a special processor or programmable or special hardware (such as ASIC or FPGA).

[0217] This disclosure may also provide a computer program product, comprising one or more computer programs or instructions, which, when run, perform all or part of the processes or functions described in this disclosure. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions.

[0218] Computer programs or instructions can be stored in a readable storage medium or transferred from one readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The readable storage medium can be any available medium capable of access, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0219] This disclosure also provides a semiconductor device, which includes a process chamber, a piping structure, and a piping structure identification device as described in any of the above embodiments. The piping structure is connected to the process chamber, and the piping structure identification device is connected to the piping structure, for example, electrically connected to the valves at each node in the piping structure. The foregoing description of the piping structure identification device can be quoted in its entirety here, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity. The semiconductor device is, for example, a vertical furnace device, whose piping structure includes a supply pipeline for supplying one or more gases such as reactive gases and inert gases to the process chamber, and an exhaust pipeline for discharging inert gases, residual reactive gases, and byproducts from the process chamber. The supply pipeline and the exhaust pipeline include pipes for gas flow and valves installed on the pipes. The piping structure identification device is used to automatically set the controlled mode of the piping structure, including which valves control the on / off state of each node, flow regulation, etc. The semiconductor device can also be a monolithic vapor deposition, etching device, or other process equipment using multiple gaseous / liquid sources, whose piping structure includes gas pipelines and liquid pipelines. Compared with existing technologies, the semiconductor equipment disclosed herein has higher control efficiency and accuracy, and faces greater advantages in subsequent pipeline expansion and modification. It is more applicable, helps to reduce customer equipment costs, and improve equipment output.

[0220] In summary, this disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, providing a pipeline structure identification method, a pipeline structure identification device, and semiconductor equipment. The method includes: identifying a set of pipeline controls from various visual elements contained in a graphical interface displaying a pipeline diagram; wherein the types of pipeline controls include pipes, multi-way fittings, and valves; the pipeline controls of the pipe type have a pipeline flow direction; based on a control connection determination sub-process, determining that each pipeline control in the pipeline control set has subsequent pipeline controls with connected ports or overlapping controls along the pipeline flow direction, to obtain a pipeline connection structure; identifying each pipeline path in the pipeline connection structure to form a pipeline path set; and determining the valid paths in the pipeline path set based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the multi-way fitting type pipeline controls in different pipeline paths. Therefore, it is possible to automatically extract the connections and upstream / downstream relationships between pipeline nodes based on the displayed pipeline diagram, effectively improving node control efficiency and accuracy, and improving the production efficiency and yield of semiconductor equipment.

[0221] It is worth noting that actual piping diagrams, especially those in semiconductor equipment, are complex network structures composed of numerous pipes, tees, bridges, valves, and other pipe nodes, some of which are shared by multiple paths. Therefore, the data in piping diagrams is extremely complex, making automated identification of effective pipe paths extremely difficult. In view of this, the pipe structure identification method provided in this disclosure, through the ingenious logical coordination of multiple sub-processes, achieves efficient, convenient, and accurate extraction of pipe path sets, improving efficiency and effectively solving the problems of complex pipe network leading to complex pipe node control and corresponding complex control text writing in related technologies. Furthermore, the method in this disclosure can be combined with a visual display method, making pipe control more intuitive, convenient, and efficient. The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this disclosure should still be covered by the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A piping structure identification method applied to a semiconductor apparatus, characterized by, The method comprises: identifying a set of pipeline controls from visual elements included in a graphical interface displaying a pipeline diagram; wherein the types of the pipeline controls include a pipe, a multi-pass fitting, and a valve; the pipeline control of the pipe type has a pipe flow direction; determining, based on a control connection determination sub-process, a successor pipeline control of each pipeline control in the set of pipeline controls that has a port connected or overlaps with the pipeline control along the pipe flow direction to obtain a pipeline connection structure; identifying each pipe path in the pipeline connection structure to form a set of pipe paths; determining, based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipeline control of the multi-pass fitting type in different pipe paths, an effective path in the set of pipe paths.

2. The pipe arrangement identification method according to claim 1, characterized by, The method further comprises: displaying a flow indicator in the graphical interface for a pipe path that is turned on based on the open / close state of the pipeline control of the valve type.

3. The pipe configuration identification method according to claim 1, characterized by, The pipe flow direction of the pipeline control of the multi-pass type is determined based on the pipe flow direction of the connected pipeline control of the pipe type.

4. The pipe structure identification method according to claim 1, characterized by, The control connection determination sub-process comprises: traversing each current pipeline control in the set of pipeline controls to execute a pipeline structure acquisition sub-process, comprising: determining, based on the control connection determination sub-process, one or more successor pipeline controls connected to the tail end of the current pipeline control among other pipeline controls; wherein the tail end is determined based on the pipe flow direction; the pipe flow direction is determined based on the drawing direction and the design posture of the pipeline control; saving the pipeline control corresponding to the successor pipeline control to a set of successor controls belonging to the current pipeline control.

5. The pipe structure identification method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized by, The control connection determination sub-process comprises: obtaining a first bounding rectangle of a preceding pipeline control and a second bounding rectangle of a following pipeline control in the design posture; determining whether the preceding pipeline control and the following pipeline control are of the pipe type, respectively; in response to the preceding pipeline control being of the pipe type, determining whether the following pipeline control contains at least one tail end point of the preceding pipeline control; if yes, determining a first result that the preceding pipeline control is connected to the following pipeline control; if no, determining a second result that the preceding pipeline control is not connected to the following pipeline control; in response to the following pipeline control being of the pipe type, determining whether the preceding pipeline control contains at least one head end point of the following pipeline control; if yes, determining a first result that the preceding pipeline control is connected to the following pipeline control; if no, determining a second result that the preceding pipeline control is not connected to the following pipeline control; in response to the preceding pipeline control and / or the following pipeline control being of the non-pipe type, determining whether the first bounding rectangle and the second bounding rectangle intersect; if yes, determining the first result; if no, determining the second result.

6. The pipe configuration identification method according to claim 5, characterized by, The control connection determination sub-process further comprises: identifying the following pipeline control of the valve type and saving it to a set of valve controls belonging to the preceding pipeline control.

7. The pipe configuration identification method according to claim 5, characterized by, After the determination of whether the following pipeline control contains at least one tail end point of the preceding pipeline control, the method further comprises: If yes, determine whether the subsequent pipe control is a valve type; if yes, add the subsequent pipe control to the valve control set and determine the first result; If no, determine whether the subsequent pipe control is a valve type and whether the first bounding rectangle and the second bounding rectangle intersect; if yes, add the subsequent pipe control to the valve control set and determine the second result.

8. The pipe configuration identification method according to claim 1, characterized by, The identifying each pipe path in the pipe connection structure to form a pipe path set comprises: Obtaining a starting pipe control and a subsequent pipe control thereof and a temporary pipe path; wherein the first starting pipe control is an entry node of the pipe diagram, and the entry node is limited to a pipe type; Determining whether the temporary pipe path contains the starting pipe control; If yes, determining whether a recursive end condition is met; if yes, ending; if no, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; If no, saving the starting pipe control to the temporary pipe path; and determining whether the starting pipe control has a subsequent pipe control; If no, determining whether a recursive end condition is met; if yes, ending; if no, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; If yes, determining whether the subsequent pipe control is one or more; If one, saving the subsequent pipe control as a new starting pipe control to the temporary pipe path, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set, and recursively executing the above process with the new starting pipe control; If more, creating a temporary pipe path for each subsequent pipe control, saving each subsequent pipe control as a new starting pipe control to the respective temporary pipe path, and saving each temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; and recursively executing the above process for each new starting pipe control, respectively.

9. The pipe configuration identification method according to claim 8, characterized by, When it is determined that the starting pipe control has no subsequent pipe control, further comprising: Determining whether the starting pipe control is a valve type; If yes, saving the temporary pipe path to the pipe path set; If no, no processing is performed; Proceeding to the step of determining whether the recursive end condition is met.

10. The pipe configuration identification method according to Claim 1, characterized by, The determining valid paths in the pipe path set based on the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-pass pipe type in different pipe paths comprises: Determining the flow direction relationship between the ends of the pipe control of the multi-pass pipe type in different pipe paths based on the pipe flow direction of each node connected by the pipe control of the multi-pass pipe type; Excluding invalid paths indicated as non-compliant by the flow direction relationship of each pipe control of the multi-pass pipe type from the pipe path set to obtain valid paths.

11. A piping structure identification device characterized by comprising: Comprise: A processor and a memory; The memory stores a computer program or instructions; The processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions to perform the pipe structure identification method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A semiconductor device, characterized by comprising: Comprise: A process chamber, a pipe structure, and a pipe structure identification device according to claim 11, wherein the pipe structure is in communication with the process chamber, and the pipe structure identification device is connected to the pipe structure.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or an instruction stored in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program or the instruction being executed to perform the pipe structure identification method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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