Processing System and Method

Abstract

A method and computer program product for monitoring one or more processes occurring during a first portion of a multi-portion recipe being executed on a processing device to obtain data concerning at least of portion of the one or more processes. At least a portion of the data is stored. The availability of the at least a portion of the data is enabled to one or more processes occurring during a second portion of the multi-portion recipe.

1 .- 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A method comprising:
 receiving an indication of a product to be produced on a processing device;   identifying a recipe for the product, wherein the recipe is chosen from a plurality of available recipes;   processing the recipe to parse the recipe into a plurality of discrete states and define one or more state transitions; and   defining at least one finite state machine for the recipe using at least a portion of the plurality of discrete states.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  wherein the recipe is executed within a manifold of the processing device. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein the manifold is chosen from the group consisting of: a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48  wherein at least a portion of the plurality of discrete states are sequential discrete states. 
     
     
         52 . A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an indication of a product to be produced on a processing device;   identifying a recipe for the product, wherein the recipe is chosen from a plurality of available recipes;   processing the recipe to parse the recipe into a plurality of discrete states and define one or more state transitions; and   defining at least one finite state machine for the recipe using at least a portion of the plurality of discrete states.   
     
     
         53 . The computer program product of  claim 52  wherein the recipe is executed within a manifold of the processing device. 
     
     
         54 . The computer program product of  claim 53  wherein the manifold is chosen from the group consisting of: a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold. 
     
     
         55 . The computer program product of  claim 52  wherein at least a portion of the plurality of discrete states are sequential discrete states. 
     
     
         56 . A method comprising:
 receiving an indication of a multi-component product to be produced on a processing device, wherein the multi-component product includes:
 a first product component, and at least a second product component; 
 identifying a first recipe for the first product component, wherein the first recipe is chosen from a plurality of available recipes; 
 identifying a second recipe for the second product component, wherein the second recipe is chosen from the plurality of available recipes; 
 processing the first and second recipes to parse the first and second recipes into a plurality of discrete states and define one or more state transitions; 
 defining a first finite state machine for the first recipe using at least a first portion of the plurality of discrete states; and 
 defining a second finite state machine for the second recipe using at least a second portion of the plurality of discrete states. 
   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the first product component is produced within a first manifold of the processing device. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the first manifold is chosen from the group consisting of: a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the second product component is produced within a second manifold of the processing device. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the second manifold is chosen from the group consisting of: a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 56  wherein at least a portion of the plurality of discrete states are sequential discrete states.