Patent application EP17170621A (EP), filed 2017-05-11
Publication number: EP3249556A1
Title: CONVERSATION INTERFACE AGENT FOR MANUFACTURING OPERATION INFORMATION
Abstract: A conversation interface system provides remote access to manufacturing operation information using plain language message exchange. A cloud-based conversation interface service is exposed to an instant messaging application, and receives plain language queries from via the instant messaging application's interface requesting information relating to one or more industrial systems. The cloud-based system synchronizes the queries to one or more on-premise conversation interface agent devices residing at one or more plant facilities. The on-premise agent devices translate the queries and apply the translated queries to local sources of manufacturing operation data. The on-premise agent devices then generate and return response messages based on the retrieved information, and the cloud-based system directs the response messages the originators of the queries via the instant messaging interface.
IPC codes: G06F  17/    30            A I
G06F  16/   242            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A system for remotely interacting with manufacturing operation information, comprising:
number: 2
text: The system of claim 1, further comprising a chat identity component configured to define an identifier for the system, wherein the identifier causes the cloud-based conversation interface system to recognize the system as a member of a chat group defined for the instant message application.
number: 3
text: The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more sources of industrial device data comprise at least one of an industrial device residing on a same network as the system or a data collection device that collects and stores industrial device data generated by a set of industrial devices.
number: 4
text: The system of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the query component is further configured to, in response to a determination that at least one data item of the one or more items of manufacturing operation information is accessible by another system, send an instruction to the other system to retrieve the at least one data item.
number: 5
text: The system of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the query monitoring component is configured to detect the receipt of the plain language query message based on a monitoring of a publish-subscribe database to which the cloud-based conversation interface system publishes the plain language query message, and wherein the reply publishing component is configured to send the plain language reply message to the cloud-based conversation interface system by publishing the plain language reply message to the publish-subscribe database.
number: 6
text: The system of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the query monitoring component is further configured to detect receipt of a plain language request message from the cloud-based conversation interface system, wherein the plain language request message originates from the instant message application, and comprises a request to be informed when a condition of an industrial device or process specified by the plain language request message becomes satisfied.
number: 7
text: The system of claim 6, wherein
the translation component is further configured to identify the condition and the industrial device or process based on an analysis of the plain language request message, and
the query component is further configured to begin monitoring a subset of data items indicative of the condition of the industrial device or process based on the analysis of the plain language request message, wherein the subset of data items are stored in the one or more sources of industrial device data, and
wherein the reply publishing component is further configured to, in response to a determination by the query component that the condition of the industrial device or process has been satisfied, generate a plain language notification message stating that the condition has been satisfied, and send the plain language notification message to the cloud-based conversation interface system.
number: 8
text: A method for remotely accessing status and operational information for an industrial system, comprising:
number: 9
text: The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing, by the system, an identifier for the system based on configuration input, wherein the identifier causes the cloud-based conversation interface system to recognize the system as a member of a chat group defined for the instant message application.
number: 10
text: The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving at least one of the status or the operational statistic from at least one of a data collection device that collects and stores industrial device data generated by a set of industrial devices associated with the industrial system or from at least one industrial device via a plant network, and the method further comprises routing, by the cloud-based conversation interface system, the plain language query message to the system based on at least one of the identifier or contextual information contained in the plain language query message.
number: 11
text: The method of one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the detecting comprises detecting publication of the plain language query message to a publish-subscribe database, and wherein the sending comprises publishing the plain language reply message to the publish-subscribe database.
number: 12
text: The method of one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising detecting, by the system, receipt of a plain language request message from the cloud-based conversation interface system,
wherein the plain language request message originates from the instant message application, and comprises a request to be notified when a condition of the industrial system specified by the plain language request message becomes satisfied.
number: 13
text: The method of claim 12, further comprising:
number: 14
text: A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
number: 15
text: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the retrieving comprises at least one of retrieving at least one of the status or the operational statistic from a data collection device that collects and stores industrial device data generated by a set of industrial devices associated with the industrial system, or retrieving at least one of the status or the operational statistic from one or more industrial devices via a network.
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-11-29
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2003079024A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2010228829A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: - MICROSOFT: "Introducing SQL Server Notification Services", 7 August 2013 (2013-08-07), XP055400977, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://web.archive.org/web/20130807052230/https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms166495%28v=sql.90%29.aspx> [retrieved on 20170824]
ref_type: npl
severity: background
ref_id: US2003079024
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2010228829
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: - Microsoft, "Introducing SQL Server Notification Services", (20130807), URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20130807052230/https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms166495%28v=sql.90%29.aspx, (20170824), XP055400977 [A] 7,13 * Introducing SQL Server Notification Services; paragraph  [0001]  - paragraph  [0004] *
ref_type: npl
severity: background
Final disposition: pending (2017-11-29)