Quality review system with metadata collection

Abstract

A quality review system may be used to analyze the operation of manufacturing processes within a plant based on data collected by various data sources in the plant, such as batch executive applications, to automatically detect, store, and display exceptions within those processes for use by a quality review engineer to determine if the process operation meets certain quality standards. The quality review system includes a configuration application that enables a user to create one or more exception rules, an exception engine that analyses process data using the rules to detect one or more exceptions within the process, and a review application that enables quality review personnel to review each determined exception for resolution purposes. Moreover, the quality review system collects metadata about the process plant for or after detecting an exception and stores the metadata along with an exception record for use by a reviewer. This system thus provides the reviewer with contextual information regarding the detected exception which, in turn, enables the reviewer to better understand and process the exception.

1 . A quality review system for use in monitoring the operation of a process, comprising:
 a rules database that stores a plurality of rules, wherein each of the plurality of rules includes logic that identifies a set of conditions associated with an exception within the process;   one or more data sources configured to collect process operational data within the process during operation of the process and configured to send the collected process operational data in one or more data messages, wherein the process operational data includes process data used in one or more of the rules to analyze an exception and includes process metadata identifying one or more process operational conditions when collected;   an exception engine that processes the process data within one or more data messages from the data sources using the rules in the rules database to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the plurality of rules based on the process data within the one or more data messages, wherein the exception engine, upon identifying an exception based on one of the rules, creates an exception record for the determined exception and stores the exception record in an exception record database, and wherein the exception engine stores the collected process metadata associated with the process operational data that included the process data that resulted in the exception in addition to the exception record; and   a review interface that enables a user to review exceptions as identified by the exception engine and as stored as the exception records in an exception record database, wherein the review interface accesses the exception record database, presents information regarding one or more identified exceptions in the exception records to a user via a user interface and provides the user with the process metadata stored for the exception records via the user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data sources collect the process metadata for a set of process data at the same time as the process data is collected. 
     
     
         3 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the exception engine sends an instruction to one of the data sources to collect the process metadata when the exception engine detects an exception in process data sent from the one of the data sources. 
     
     
         4 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises process environmental data. 
     
     
         5 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises one or more process variable values or process states. 
     
     
         6 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises a process snapshot including predetermined process operational data useful to a reviewer in performing exception review. 
     
     
         7 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a work flow application that controls the operation of the process to implement different stages of the process. 
     
     
         8 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a batch executive application that controls the operation of a batch process to implement different batch stages of the batch process. 
     
     
         9 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a batch historian or a process historian coupled to the process. 
     
     
         10 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process data includes one or more of batch status data, batch parameter data, batch process measurement data, batch progress data, and batch procedural model state data. 
     
     
         11 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process data includes one or more of an indication of a batch order being implemented, materials and processes associated with a batch order, a batch recipe or a batch procedural model being implemented. 
     
     
         12 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process data includes one or more of process parameter data, batch state data, batch state change data, batch alarms or batch alerts. 
     
     
         13 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process data includes one or more indications of batch procedure starting and stopping times or events or of batch procedural model state changes. 
     
     
         14 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises process data sent to another process database including one or more of a batch log file, a process control historian, a process equipment historian or a batch historian. 
     
     
         15 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises one or more of process variable values, batch procedural model states, recipe information, an order name, materials for an order, process flows for an order, process equipment to be used in an order, work flows to be applied to an order or a batch procedural model used in an order. 
     
     
         16 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises data that indicates the operation of the process at the time of the exception. 
     
     
         17 . The quality review system of  claim 1 , wherein the process metadata comprises data batch state information, process parameter values as measured or determined from the process, process equipment information, or alarm or alert information from process equipment. 
     
     
         18 . A quality review system for use in monitoring the operation of a process, comprising:
 one or more data sources configured to collect process operational data within the process during operation of the process;   an exception detection system coupled to the one or more data sources, including;
 a rules database that stores a plurality of rules, wherein each of the plurality of rules includes logic defining one or more exceptions and indications of process data to be applied to the logic to determine if one or more exceptions exist based on the process data, and a definition of a set of process metadata associated with the one or more exceptions; 
 a communication interface communicatively coupled to the one or more data sources, the communication interface configured to receive process data from the one or more data sources at different times during operation of the process and configured to obtain the process metadata associated with the one or more exceptions; and 
 an exception engine that processes the process data from the one or more data sources using the logic associated with the plurality of rules in the rules database to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the plurality of rules on a set a process data; 
 wherein the exception engine, upon identifying an exception based on one of the plurality of rules, creates an exception record for the determined exception and stores the exception record in an exception record database, and wherein the exception engine stores the process metadata for the exception as part of the exception record; and 
   a review interface that enables a user to review exceptions stored as the exception records in an exception record database, wherein the review interface accesses the exception record database, presents information to a user via a user interface regarding one or more identified exceptions and provides the user via the user interface with at least some of the process metadata stored for the exception record.   
     
     
         19 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein exception engine obtains the process metadata from the same data source as the process data. 
     
     
         20 . The quality review system of  claim 19 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the process metadata at the same time as the process data. 
     
     
         21 . The quality review system of  claim 19 , wherein the exception engine requests the process metadata for a determined exception after identifying the determined exception based on received process data. 
     
     
         22 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the exception engine obtains the process metadata from a different data source as the process data. 
     
     
         23 . The quality review system of  claim 22 , wherein the exception engine requests the process metadata via the communication interface for a determined exception after identifying the determined exception based on received process data. 
     
     
         24 . The quality review system of  claim 22 , wherein the exception engine receives the process metadata along with a set of process data prior to analyzing the process data with one of the rules. 
     
     
         25 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a work flow application that controls the operation of the process to implement different stages of the process. 
     
     
         26 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a batch executive application that controls the operation of a batch process to implement different batch stages of the batch process. 
     
     
         27 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more data sources includes a batch historian or a process historian coupled to the process. 
     
     
         28 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the process data includes one or more of batch status data, batch parameter data, batch process measurement data, batch progress data, and batch procedural model state data. 
     
     
         29 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the process data includes one or more of process parameter data, batch state data, batch state change data, batch alarms and batch alerts. 
     
     
         30 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the process metadata comprises process data stored in another process storage device including one or more of a batch log file, a process control historian, process equipment, or a batch historian. 
     
     
         31 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the process metadata comprises one or more of process variable values, batch procedural model states, recipe information, an order name, materials for an order, process flows for an order, process equipment to be used in an order, work flows to be applied to an order or a batch procedural model used for an order. 
     
     
         32 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the process metadata comprises data that indicates the operation of the process at the time of the exception. 
     
     
         33 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the process metadata along with the process data from a data source. 
     
     
         34 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the process metadata separately from the process data. 
     
     
         35 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein the exception engine processes the process metadata prior to storing the process metadata. 
     
     
         36 . The quality review system of  claim 35 , wherein the exception engine process the process metadata by reformatting the process metadata or converting the process metadata to different units. 
     
     
         37 . The quality review system of  claim 18 , wherein different ones of the rules specify different process metadata for the exceptions defined by the different rules. 
     
     
         38 . A method of monitoring a process, comprising:
 storing a plurality of rules, wherein each of the plurality of rules includes logic defining one or more exceptions related to the operation of a process and indications of process data to be applied to the logic to determine if one or more exceptions exist based on the process data, and a definition of a set of process metadata associated with the one or more exceptions;   obtaining, via a communication network, process data from one or more data sources within the process, at different times during operation of the process;   obtaining, via a communication network, process metadata associated with the one or more exceptions;   processing the process data from the one or more data sources using the logic associated with the plurality of rules in the rules database to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the plurality of rules based on the process data;   upon identifying an exception based on one of the plurality of rules, creating an exception record for the determined exception, storing the exception record in an exception record database, and storing the process metadata for the exception as associated with the exception record in the exception record database; and   enabling a user, via a user interface device, to review the exceptions stored as the exception records in the exception record database, including accessing the exception record database via a communication network, presenting information to a user via the user interface regarding one or more accessed exceptions and providing the user via the user interface with at least some of the process metadata stored for the accessed exception.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process data includes obtaining the process data from a first data source and wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining the process metadata from a second and different data source than the first data source. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining the process metadata at the same time as obtaining the process data. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata for an exception includes obtaining the process metadata for the exception after determining the existence of the exception. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata for an exception includes obtaining the process metadata for the exception before determining the existence of the exception. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata for an exception includes requesting the process metadata from a data source after determining the existence of the exception based on a set of process data. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process data includes obtaining the process data from a work flow application that controls the operation of the process to implement different stages of the process or from a batch executive application that controls the operation of the batch process to implement different batch stages of the batch process. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining the process metadata from one or more of a batch historian coupled to the process or a process control historian coupled to the process or a control system coupled to a process. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process data includes obtaining one or more of batch status data, batch parameter data, batch process measurement data, batch progress data, batch procedural model state data, batch state data, batch state change data, batch alarms or batch alerts. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining process operational data that indicates the operation of the process at the time of the exception. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 38 , further including processing the process metadata prior to storing the process metadata by reformatting the process metadata or converting the process metadata to different units. 
     
     
         49 .- 97 . (canceled)