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US-12627619-B2 - Method for controlling a process using a program product

US12627619B2US 12627619 B2US12627619 B2US 12627619B2US-12627619-B2

Abstract

Methods are known for controlling processes using control software which keeps different control elements ready at the same time. In this respect, the process of suppressing or putting control elements out of service if the control elements are not available is likewise known. The invention is to be improved, however, in that control elements and decisions are given to the user such that an intuitive use is facilitated, and the user is guided through the control of a process. For this purpose, a process control is carried out via a program product, which is represented as a chat. The user and the program product act as communication participants, wherein the planned process is controlled by control commands which are requested in the course of the chat and entered or selected in response thereto.

Inventors

  • Cafer Tosun

Assignees

  • Cafer Tosun

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20201222
Priority Date
20201023

Claims (11)

  1. 1 . A method comprising: generating a first chat session responsive to a control signal that invokes a workflow in a workflow database the control signal generated responsive to a fault in an enterprise process, the first chat session having at least a first real participant and at least a first virtual participant controlled by the workflow, the first virtual participant uniquely associated with the enterprise process; uniquely assigning a first chat bot, by a processor over a distributed network, to the first real participant, the first chat bot using semantic context and any prior predictions to predict a chat interaction by the first real participant and comparing the predicted interaction with an actual interaction and refining future predictions based on an accuracy of the predicted interaction; uniquely assigning a first parser to the first chat bot, the first parser, parsing messages in the first chat session including messages submitted by the first real participant; modifying a first knowledge base, uniquely assigned to the first chat bot, over the distributed network within a storage resource coupled to the distributed network based on the accuracy of the prediction; modifying the first knowledge base over the distributed network to include a linguistic style of the first real participant based on the parsing of the messages submitted by the first chat participant; repeating the prediction, refining, and modifying for a plurality of interactions in the first chat session; and timestamping each interaction of the first chat session.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: generating a second chat session responsive to a subsequent control signal that invokes the workflow in the workflow database; substituting the first chat bot in place of the first real participant to interact with the first virtual participant during the second chat session without input from the first real participant.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: evaluating response times for participants in the workflow by analyzing a plurality of time stamps from the first chat session to determine a throughput value for the workflow.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: calculating from a plurality of time stamps an average response time of the first real participant.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 wherein a second real chat participant participates in the first chat session further comprising: uniquely assigning a second chat bot to the second real chat participant, the second chat bot using semantic context and any prior predictions to predict a chat interaction by the second real chat participant and comparing the predicted interaction with an actual interaction and refining future predictions based on an accuracy of the predicted interaction.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 5 wherein predicting the chat interaction comprises: parsing messages within the first chat session to generate ordered message data; and comparing, in the second chat bot, the ordered message data with prior learned responses to infer a probable response based on similarities between the ordered message data and ordered message data from at least one prior chat session.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: assigning a first parser to the first virtual participant; and parsing the messages in the first chat session to directly generate control commands within the workflow.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising: issuing the control command from the first virtual participant through a process interface that provides access to at least one process external to the first chat session.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 5 wherein each of the first and the second chat bots are assigned a unique knowledge base at creation, the method further comprising: independently building each unique knowledge base from the predictions and the prediction accuracy of the assigned chat bot.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising: collectively monitoring the first and second chat bots to compare knowledge bases and relative prediction accuracy.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: assigning a first parser to the first virtual participant; and parsing the messages in the chat session to trigger a further action or command within the workflow.

Description

REFERENCE TO PENDING PRIOR PATENT APPLICATIONS This patent application is a 371 national stage entry of pending prior International (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT/162020/062333, filed 22 Dec. 2020 by Cafer Tosun for METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESS USING A PROGRAM PRODUCT, which patent application, in turn, claims benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2020 128 027.0, filed 23 Oct. 2020. The two (2) above-identified patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for controlling a process with a program product. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has long been known to control processes via software. There are a wide variety of approaches for this, with which an interaction between the users and the operating resources can take place. In general, software for process control can implement a workflow that runs within the framework of the control and in which the user can intervene if necessary. For example, a sequence diagram can be programmed in the PLC control, which also includes sensors and actuators and takes them into account as inputs and outputs, so that an operating state of the process can be determined for the control. A higher-level visualization can make the entries easier and more intuitive, so that even a user who is not trained can quickly find his way around. In principle, a number of interaction options are available to the user. The user can choose from the available options, but they are not always fully useful at all times. A new user who is to be trained generally needs an experienced employee who knows the process in order to give him the right instructions to control the process correctly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Against this background, the present invention is based on the task of describing a method for controlling a process which enables process control in a simple and intuitive manner even without in-depth knowledge of the process. This is achieved by a method for controlling a process according to the features of independent claim 1. Useful embodiments of such a method can be taken from the following dependent claims. According to the invention, a process is controlled by a program product that uses a process plan stored as a workflow. However, the program product converts the workflow into a chat, which is conducted between the users who act as communication participants in this context. The program product distinguishes between virtual communication participants, such as a chatbot of the program product itself, as well as any connected machines, and real communication participants, i.e. users. As in any chat, all communication participants can write messages in a chat room that is assigned to the process. These messages are visible to all communication participants who have access to the respective chat room. This is particularly advantageous, as it allows every communication participant to follow the development of decisions on the same information basis and to intervene in the communication if necessary. With his messages, the (at least one) virtual communication participant of the program product controls the course of the conversation in the chat to a significant extent. The real communication participants have the opportunity to exchange additional messages with each other, which do not necessarily have to do with the process control, but the required data is queried by the (at least) one virtual communication participant and answers to the questions asked are recorded by the program product. In principle, any process, be it technical or organizational, can be controlled in this way. In order to ensure that the process is as intuitive as possible, the real communication participants can be allowed to enter their answers to questions asked by the virtual communication participants, or else instructions given on their own initiative, in free speech. This is especially possible if a parser is assigned to the program product, which parses the messages entered into the chat and extracts control commands from keywords in the messages. This can involve selection decisions that the virtual communication subscriber of the program product has specified, whereupon a simple yes or no can be sufficient in individual cases. In such cases, the parser or an evaluation within the program product must take the previous messages into account in the evaluation. On the other hand, a parser can be dispensed with if only buttons are used, which are worked into the messages of the virtual communication participant, and which can be displayed and operated in an interface of the program product. However, such buttons can also be used in addition to a parser and allow a simple and quick reaction to the queries made, in individual cases with a simple click. Furthermore, the chat can be divided into several chat sections. These enable several processes or process sections to be processed in parallel and can also be operate