Nature of Information Processing

Information Processing can be described as a cycle, where data (which may have no
inherent meaning to the user) is converted into information (which does have meaning to
the user). This conversion takes one of three forms:

Computation utilizes mathematics to create the information from data. Example:

a cash register (either mechanical or digital) uses addition to convert the
individual item prices (data) into the total amount owed to the store (information).
Transduction is the mechanical conversion of one type of energy into another
type. Example: A mechanical speaker converts an electric signal (data) into sound
waves (information).
Translation is the conversion of a string of symbols from one set into another.
Example: a person fluent two languages could rewrite a document that is written
in a language that the observer does not understand (data) into a language that the
observer does understand (information). Note that translation is the only
Information processing form that can not yet be performed purely by a machine. It
requires an organic brain (some electronic computer programs can 'translate' but
in reality they are using complex programs, which actually rely solely on
computation to complete the process).

Automation is the use of computers to perform previously manual tasks.

Industrial automation is the use of control systems such as computers to control
industrial machinery and processes, replacing human operators.
A control system is a device or set of devices to manage, command, direct or regulate the
behaviour of other devices or systems.
A computer is a machine which manipulates data according to a list of instructions
which makes it an ideal example of a data processing system.
Industrial processes are procedures involving chemical or mechanical steps to aid in the
manufacture of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale.
Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures,
mechanisms, and algorithms for controlling the output of a specific process.
In practice, process control systems can be characterized as one or more of the following
forms:

Discrete Found in many manufacturing, motion and packaging applications.

Robotic assembly, such as that found in automotive production, can be
characterized as discrete process control. Most discrete manufacturing involves
the production of discrete pieces of product, such as metal stamping.

Batch Some applications require that specific quantities of raw materials be

combined in specific ways for particular durations to produce an intermediate or
end result. One example is the production of adhesives and glues, which normally
require the mixing of raw materials in a heated vessel for a period of time to form
a quantity of end product. Other important examples are the production of food,
beverages and medicine. Batch processes are generally used to produce a
relatively low to intermediate quantity of product per year (a few pounds to
millions of pounds).

Continuous Often, a physical system is represented though variables that are

smooth and uninterrupted in time. The control of the water temperature in a
heating jacket, for example, is an example of continuous process control. Some
important continuous processes are the production of fuels, chemicals and
plastics. Continuous processes, in manufacturing, are used to produce very large
quantities of product per year (millions to billions of pounds).

Applications having elements of discrete, batch and continuous process control are often
called hybrid applications.
Data processing is any computer process that converts data into information or
knowledge. The processing is usually assumed to be automated and running on a
computer. Because data are most useful when well-presented and actually informative,
data-processing systems are often referred to as information systems to emphasize their
practicality. Nevertheless, both terms are roughly synonymous, performing similar
conversions.
In the context of data processing, data are defined as numbers or characters that represent
measurements from observable phenomena. A single datum is a single measurement from
observable phenomena. Measured information is then algorithmically derived and/or
logically deduced and/or statistically calculated from multiple data (evidence).
Information is defined as either a meaningful answer to a query or a meaningful stimulus
that can cascade into further queries.
Information retrieval (IR) is the science of searching for information in documents,
searching for documents themselves, searching for metadata which describe documents,
or searching within databases, whether relational stand-alone databases or hypertextuallynetworked databases such as the World Wide Web.
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or
more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This
sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information.
Management means the organization of and control over the structure, processing and
delivery of information.