Patent ID: 7366618

Claim:
A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: a. receive from a user as input observed data derived from observations of a site associated with one or more processes whose identities are not known, wherein the observed data comprises data describing physical characteristics of a substance observed at the site whose role in a process is not limited to a product of a process and data describing physical characteristics or type of equipment observed at the site; b. search the observed data against a database that maintains relationships between data for a plurality of processes, data for a plurality of substances, physical characteristics of the substances and the role a substance has in one or more of the plurality of processes and data for a plurality of equipment, physical characteristics of the equipment and the role a piece of equipment has in one or more of the plurality of processes; and c. determine an identity of one or more candidate processes among the plurality of processes that are responsible for producing the observed data based on said search.