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 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A quality review system for use in monitoring the operation of a process being implemented by process equipment, comprising:
 a rules database;   a configuration system including a configuration application that executes on a processor, the configuration system communicatively coupled with a user interface and the rules database, wherein the configuration application executes to enable a user to create, via the user interface, one or more rules, wherein each of the one or more rules includes logic defining an exception associated with the operation of the process, process data to use during the execution of the logic to determine if an exception occurs during the operation of the process based on the process data, and process metadata to store pertaining to a determined exception, wherein the configuration application further executes to store the one or more rules in the rules database; and   an exception engine that processes process data received from the process using the rules in the rules database to determine if the process data defines an exception as defined by any of the rules, wherein the exception engine, upon identifying an exception based on one of the rules, stores information about the exception as an exception record and stores the process metadata collected from the process for the exception.   
     
     
         50 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration system enables a user to specify a severity of the identified exception for each of the one or more rules. 
     
     
         51 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration system enables a user to specify a data source for the process data for each of the one or more rules. 
     
     
         52 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration system enables a user to specify a first data source for the process data for a particular one of the rules and a second and different data source for the process metadata for the particular one of the rules. 
     
     
         53 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration system enables a user to specify a process or procedure to be used to handle, resolve, or close the exception for a particular one of the rules. 
     
     
         54 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the exception engine receives process data from the process via data messages provided periodically by a data source associated with the process equipment during operation of the process. 
     
     
         55 . The quality review system of  claim 54 , wherein the data source is one of a process control system, a batch executive, or an operator workflow application. 
     
     
         56 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the exception engine operates in real time during operation of the process implementing an order to create an exception file for the order. 
     
     
         57 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the exception engine is configured to receive the process metadata for the rules at the same time that the exception engine receives process data for the rules. 
     
     
         58 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the exception engine requests the process metadata for a determined exception after identifying the determined exception based on received process data. 
     
     
         59 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein exception engine obtains the process metadata from a different data source than the process data. 
     
     
         60 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the process metadata comprises data that indicates the operation of the process at the time of the exception. 
     
     
         61 . The quality review system of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration application enables a user to specify processing to be performed on the process metadata prior to storing the process metadata with an exception record. 
     
     
         62 . A method of performing review of the operation of a process being implemented by process equipment, comprising:
 enabling a user, via a user interface and a computer processing device, to create a set of rules, wherein each of the rules includes logic defining an exception related to the operation of the process and indications of process data to be applied to the logic to determine if the exception occurs based on the process data, and a definition of a set of process metadata associated with the exception;   storing the created rules in a rules database;   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 during operation of the process;   processing the process data from the one or more data sources using the logic associated with the rules in the rules database to determine if an exception occurs as defined by any of the rules;   upon identifying an exception based on one of the 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 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 a user interface regarding one or more accessed exceptions and providing the user via a user interface with at least some of the process metadata stored for the accessed exception.   
     
     
         63 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , further including enabling the user to specify a severity of the identified exception for each of the rules. 
     
     
         64 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , further including enabling the user to specify a data source for the process data for each of the rules. 
     
     
         65 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , further including enabling the user specify a first data source for the process data for a particular one of the rules and a second and different data source for the process metadata for the particular one of the rules. 
     
     
         66 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , further including enabling the user to specify a process or procedure to be used to handle, resolve, or close the exception for a particular one of the rules. 
     
     
         67 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , wherein obtaining the process data includes receiving the process data from the process via data messages provided periodically by a data source associated with the process equipment during operation of the process. 
     
     
         68 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , wherein processing the process data includes processing the process data from the one or more data sources in real time using the logic associated with the rules in the rules database to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the rules. 
     
     
         69 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining the process metadata for the rules at the same time as obtaining the process data for the rules. 
     
     
         70 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes requesting the process metadata for a determined exception after identifying an exception based on received process data. 
     
     
         71 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , wherein obtaining the process metadata includes obtaining the process metadata from a different data source than the process data. 
     
     
         72 . The method of performing review of the operation of a process of  claim 62 , further including enabling the user to specify processing to be performed on the process metadata prior to storing the process metadata with an exception record. 
     
     
         73 . A quality review system, comprising:
 a user interface application that enables a user to take actions with respect to the operation of a process;   a rules database that stores a plurality of rules, wherein each of the plurality of rules includes logic that identifies conditions associated with one or more predefined exceptions within the process;   a process data collection system that receives process data from one or more data sources associated with the process during operation of the process; and   an exception engine that processes the process data using the rules in the rules database during operation of the process to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the plurality of rules, wherein the exception engine, upon identifying an exception based on one of the rules, creates an exception record that identifies the exception, and wherein the exception engine, for at least one of the identified exceptions, notifies a user via the user interface application of the exception during the operation of the process.   
     
     
         74 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein the exception engine notifies the user at the time that the exception is detected. 
     
     
         75 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein the exception engine provides information to the user via the user interface to enable the user to avoid or to mitigate the exception. 
     
     
         76 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein the process data includes data associated with an action being taken by the user via the user interface application to effect the operation of the process, wherein one of the rules identifies an expected exception based on the action being taken, and wherein the exception engine notifies the user, via the user interface, that the action will result in an exception. 
     
     
         77 . The quality review system of  claim 76 , wherein the user interface application does not implement the action to be taken until after the exception engine processes the process data related to the action to determine if an expected exception exists as a result of the action. 
     
     
         78 . The quality review system of  claim 76 , wherein the user interface application enables the user to change or abort the action to be taken. 
     
     
         79 . The quality review system of  claim 76 , wherein the exception engine informs the user of the nature of the exception. 
     
     
         80 . The quality review system of  claim 76 , wherein the exception engine informs the user how to change the action to be taken to avoid the exception. 
     
     
         81 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein one of the rules in the rules database predicts an exception in the future based on a user action being taken via the user interface application. 
     
     
         82 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein one of the rules detects an exception based on a user action already taken via the user interface application. 
     
     
         83 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein the user interface application is one of a workflow application or a batch executive application that enables a user to restart a batch run, to select different equipment for a batch run, to operate on different raw materials, to instruct a batch executive to start up or shut down, to skip a batch procedure or to execute a batch procedure. 
     
     
         84 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein the exception engine operates in real time during operation of the process and detects the occurrence of an exception in real time during operation of the process and notifies the user, via the user interface application, of the exception in real time during operation of the process. 
     
     
         85 . The quality review system of  claim 73 , wherein one of the rules is configured to detect an exception that may occur in the future, based on current values of the process data, and the exception engine notifies the user of the potential future exception when detected. 
     
     
         86 . The quality review system of  claim 85 , wherein the exception engine provides information to the user on steps to take to avoid or reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of the potential future exception. 
     
     
         87 . A method of performing quality review of the operation of a process, comprising:
 enabling a user, via a user control application and user interface, to take actions with respect to the operation of a process;   storing a plurality of rules in a rules database, wherein each of the plurality of rules includes logic that identifies conditions associated with one or more exceptions within the process;   collecting process data from one or more data sources associated with the process during operation of the process; and   processing the process data using the rules in the rules database during operation of the process to determine if an exception exists as defined by any of the plurality of rules; and   upon identifying an exception based on one of the rules, creating an exception record that identifies the exception, and for at least one of the identified exceptions, notifying the user via the user interface application of the exception during the operation of the process.   
     
     
         88 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , further including notifying the user of the existence of an exception at the time that the exception is detected. 
     
     
         89 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , further including providing information to the user via the user interface to enable the user to avoid or to mitigate the exception. 
     
     
         90 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , wherein collecting process data includes collecting data associated with an action being taken by the user via the user interface application to effect the operation of the process, wherein one of the rules identifies an expected exception based on the action being taken, and further including notifying the user, via the user interface, that the action will result in an exception. 
     
     
         91 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 90 , further including not implementing the action to be taken via the user interface until after the process data associated with the action to be taken is processed by the rules to determine if an expected exception exists as a result of the action. 
     
     
         92 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 90 , further including enabling the user to change or abort the action to be taken via the user interface. 
     
     
         93 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , further including informing the user of the nature of the exception via the user interface. 
     
     
         94 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , further including informing the user how to change the action to be taken to avoid the exception. 
     
     
         95 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , wherein storing the plurality of rules includes storing a rule in the rules database that predicts an exception in the future based on a user action being taken. 
     
     
         96 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , wherein enabling a user, via a user control application and user interface, to take actions with respect to the operation of a process includes enabling the user to take a control action comprising one or more of restarting a batch run, selecting different equipment for a batch run, causing the process to operate on different raw materials, instructing a batch executive to start up or shut down or to skip batch procedures or to execute batch procedures in a batch procedural model. 
     
     
         97 . The method of performing quality review of the operation of a process of  claim 87 , including providing information to the user on steps to take to avoid or reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of a potential future exception.