Hierarchical Supervision of Discrete-Event Systems

Abstract

Hierarchy is a layered architecture in which control authority is structured according to scope, as measured by temporal horizon and logical depth of command. The fundamental problem with hierarchy is to guarantee that each layer faithfully executes the commands received from the next higher, as confirmed by the corresponding feedback loop. Such hierarchical consistency is addressed in the framework of controlled DES already introduced; it is achieved by suitable refinement of the information transmitted from a given layer to the next higher.