Patent ID: 8866625

Claim:
A method for aggregating and transmitting process metadata of a heterogeneous production system, comprising the steps of: sending a user request, from a communication device to a central unit that is in communication with the heterogeneous production system; generating, by processing circuitry, a metadata profile based on the user request at the central unit, the metadata profile including authentication data for authenticating a manufactured product in a production process, the manufactured product being manufactured by performing the production process by the heterogeneous production system, and standardized control signals for accessing a plurality of process devices that co-act to perform the production process of the heterogeneous production system, the standardized control signals being specific to the user request; establishing, by the processing circuitry, a first signaling channel from the central unit to an aggregation module to send the authentication data to the aggregation module, the plurality of the process devices of the process accessible via the aggregation module; locating and authenticating, by the processing circuitry, the manufactured product in the process by the aggregation module based on the authentication data; establishing, by the processing circuitry, a second signaling channel from the central unit to the aggregation module to send the standardized control signals; capturing, by the processing circuitry, process-specific data specific to the manufactured and authenticated product from the production process at the aggregation module based on the generated standardized control signals of the metadata profile; transmitting, by the processing circuitry, the process-specific data from the aggregation module to the central unit, and generating the process metadata at the central unit, the process metadata being related to interrelated stages of the production process via which the manufactured product is manufactured; and transmitting, by the processing circuitry, the process metadata from the central unit to the communication device.