Patent ID: 8214068

Claim:
A collaborative automation system (PS) encompassing devices that provide distributed production and control service, in form of transport and processing machines with associated device-agents as well as products with associated product-agents, wherein the devices that provide production and control service are associated with a Device Profile for Web-Services-Protocol-based web service; wherein device functions are implemented as device service, and device agents, that describe agent functions, are implemented as agents service in the Device Profile for Web-Services-Protocol-based web service; wherein the automation system features a coordination unit that provides a communication platform; wherein the communication platform is operated as a uniform, Device Profile for Web-Services-oriented platform with service-oriented architecture; wherein within the coordination unit a layout of the collaborative automation system as well as the state of the production at run time is implemented; and wherein the coordination unit features a support interface for connecting with an agent system that supports the selection of services and the optimal routing of products.