Patent ID: 6101422
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
A process controller for viscous materials comprising a device interface, a printer interface, a non-volatile memory device, an access regulator incorporating a control generator connected to a timer device and a user interface for receiving a data access request from the user interface and generating a temporary two part authority register appropriate to the data access request all operatively connected to and communicating with a processor, the processor in turn having three interoperable communicating components provided by an activation controller, a transaction controller and a batch processor,the activation controller having means for dynamically maintaining a control file with values for parameters associated with the viscous material manufacturing and distribution location, means for dynamically storing a table of geographical district codes, each associated with a range of distances between the distribution location and the district, means for directing storage of a set of transport type codes, each associated with a transport device, means for storing a list of material end use codes and means for automatically generating a job file for each material usage site to which materials are supplied by the distribution location, said job file including automatically retrieve pre-set codes,the transaction controller comprising means for retrieving a job file on receipt of delivery order data at the user interface, means for automatically generating plant device instructions according to data in the relevant job file, and data received from the user interface, means for automatically generating a command file using the plant device instructions, means for transmitting the command file to the machine interface for transmission to the machine, means for retrieving operations data from the plant device via the machine interface and for retrieving a unique delivery docket number and directing printing via the printing interface of a unique delivery docket for the deliverable viscous material, means for writing a delivery record to a non-volatile memory device for each delivery docket printed, said record comprising data captured from print signals transmitted to the printer interface,the batch processor comprises means for retrieving the delivery records from the non-volatile memory device and for generating a transmission file which includes control data indicating aggregates for values of transactions within the delivery records, andthe access regulator having means for validating the contents of and controlling access between the user interface and the control file, the table of geographical district codes, the stored set of transport type codes, the material end use codes, the job file, the command file and the transmission file and having means for retrieving and processing time and date information from the timer device in response to an updateable access function stored in the regulator to generate a sixteen bit validation word, a comparator communicating with the user interface for comparing the validation word and a preset portion of the data access request,a generator for appending bytes to the two part authority register in response to a matched output from the comparator to identify a read only authority byte and an update authority byte and means for updating an access log with the validation word, the regulator further incorporating a bit encoder for selectively encrypting and storing selected files using the validation word.