Table-Based Control Program Generation for Complete State Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating executable control programs for technical processes are complex, prone to unexpected error states, and fail to account for all possible combinations of input signals and states, leading to production losses.
Innovation Solution
A computer-aided method using an input table to monitor every input signal and error condition, with a check table to ensure all states and transitions are defined, preventing unexpected errors by creating a comprehensive control program.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a graphic user interface is used to define control program functionality with blocks and signal lines, then the control program can be generated for technical processes, but the interface becomes complex and unexpected error states occur during execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control program definition into separate tables: an input table for defining states and transitions, and a check table for verifying completeness. This segmentation reduces the complexity of the user interface by dividing the monolithic graphic interface into modular, manageable components that can be configured and verified independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step where the control program is first defined in tabular form and then automatically converted into executable code with integrated error state monitoring. This intermediary representation layer acts as a mediator between the user's high-level specifications and the low-level executable implementation, ensuring completeness and correctness.
2Device complexity
If the graphic user interface is dissected into submodels to reduce complexity, then the interface becomes more manageable, but unexpected error states still occur during control program execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the check table mechanism that automatically verifies whether all possible states and transitions are properly defined in the input table. This feedback loop ensures completeness of the control program specification before execution, preventing unexpected error states by identifying missing configurations in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary verification of the control program specification using the check table before the program is executed. This preliminary action identifies and flags incomplete state definitions or missing transitions, allowing corrections to be made before deployment and preventing runtime errors.
3Ease of operation
If traditional graphic user interfaces are used to define all states and transitions, then control functionality can be specified, but not all possible input signal combinations are monitored leading to production losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the table-based definition system universal by designing it to automatically handle any number of states, transitions, and input signals through structured data formats. The check table mechanism universally verifies all possible combinations, ensuring comprehensive error state coverage regardless of system complexity without requiring different interface approaches for different scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a technical process. The functionality of a control program is determined by states, input signals, and output signals via an operating interface and subsequently converted, by a computer, into an executable program code. An input table describes the functionality of the control program. Each state and input signal of the technical process is assigned a line/column of the input table by defining, in each cell of the input table, signal change waiting for transition to next state, or monitored for error detection, or random. In every defined state, input signals defined in the input table are either continuously monitored with regard to a signal change or an error condition, or randomly set and consequently not monitored by the program code. During creation of the program code, a check table provides all bit combinations of input signals information on which meaning or processing bit combinations were assigned.