Systems and methods for interactive virtual reality process control and simulation (IVRPCS)
First Claim
1. A method of computer generation of an interactive virtual reality world for monitoring and/or controlling a process that is physical or computational, comprising:
- constructing a first group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called raw data views, are analog representations or alphanumeric equivalents of outputs from at least two signal interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
constructing a second group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called derived views, include visual representations, called output objects, of one or more processing variables or of one or more units of processing equipment in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated, which output objects are derived from outputs from analog or digital signal output, or from analog or digital sensor interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
constructing in the derived views one or more visual representations, called input objects, of controllable elements, if any, in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated, which input objects include visual representations of adjustable parameters, called control elements, associated with an analog or digital signal input interface of a controllable element of a unit of equipment or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated;
interfacing the input objects, including the control elements thereof, with the corresponding inputs of signal interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated so that changing the control elements through manipulation by mouse, keyboard command, or by other input device associated with the computer displaying a derived view, a value or state of a control element in an input object causes a corresponding change in the analog or digital signal presented at the corresponding signal input interface of a unit of equipment or of variables or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated;
controlling a unit of equipment or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process through manipulation of the control elements; and
interfacing through communications circuits or network one or more interactive virtual worlds with a human or cyber user of the one or more interactive virtual worlds.
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Abstract
A system for visualizing, controlling, and managing information includes a data analysis unit for interpreting and classifying raw data using analytical techniques. A data flow coordination unit routes data from its source to other components within the system. A data preparation unit handles the graphical preparation of the data and a data rendering unit presents the data in a three-dimensional interactive environment where the user can observe, interact with, and interpret the data. A user can view the information on various levels, from a high overall process level view, to a view illustrating linkage between variables, to view the hard data itself, or to view results of an analysis of the data. The system allows a user to monitor a physical process in real-time and further allows the user to manage and control the information in a manner not previously possible.
161 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method of computer generation of an interactive virtual reality world for monitoring and/or controlling a process that is physical or computational, comprising:
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constructing a first group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called raw data views, are analog representations or alphanumeric equivalents of outputs from at least two signal interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
constructing a second group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called derived views, include visual representations, called output objects, of one or more processing variables or of one or more units of processing equipment in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated, which output objects are derived from outputs from analog or digital signal output, or from analog or digital sensor interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
constructing in the derived views one or more visual representations, called input objects, of controllable elements, if any, in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated, which input objects include visual representations of adjustable parameters, called control elements, associated with an analog or digital signal input interface of a controllable element of a unit of equipment or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated;
interfacing the input objects, including the control elements thereof, with the corresponding inputs of signal interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated so that changing the control elements through manipulation by mouse, keyboard command, or by other input device associated with the computer displaying a derived view, a value or state of a control element in an input object causes a corresponding change in the analog or digital signal presented at the corresponding signal input interface of a unit of equipment or of variables or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated;
controlling a unit of equipment or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process through manipulation of the control elements; and
interfacing through communications circuits or network one or more interactive virtual worlds with a human or cyber user of the one or more interactive virtual worlds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of computer generation of an interactive virtual reality world for monitoring and controlling a process that is physical or computational, comprising:
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constructing a raw data world;
constructing a process overview world;
constructing a variable interaction world;
constructing a detailed derivation world;
providing a user with a means of navigating the collection of worlds by selecting an output object and following the output, object'"'"'s links to other worlds, or by selecting an input object and following the input object'"'"'s links to other worlds;
displaying views in the other worlds; and
enabling the use to drill-up, drill-down, and drill-across through worlds.
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21. A system for conveying information to a user through a display of a three-dimensional world, comprising:
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receiving data from at least two data sources;
transforming the data from each data source into a three-dimensional graphical object;
presenting each graphical object to the user within the three-dimensional world;
generating a processed set of data from at least one source of data;
transforming the processed set of data into a processed data graphical object; and
presenting the processed data graphical object in the three-dimensional world.
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22. A system for the computer generation of an interactive virtual reality world for process control comprising:
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a means for constructing a first group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called raw data views, are analog representations or alphanumeric equivalents of outputs from at least two signal interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
a means for constructing a second group of one or more related screen displays associated with the operation of an industrial or commercial process, which screen displays, called derived views, include visual representations, called output objects, of one or more processing variables or of one or more units of processing equipment in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated, which output objects are derived from outputs from analog or digital signal output, or from analog or digital sensor interfaces of equipment or of variables in the industrial or commercial process that is to be monitored, controlled, or simulated;
a means constructing in the derived views one or more visual representations, called input objects, of controllable elements, if any, in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated, which input objects include visual representations of adjustable parameters, called control elements, associated with an analog or digital signal input interface of a controllable element of a unit of equipment or of a computational module in the industrial or commercial process that is to be controlled or simulated;
views in the interactive virtual reality world in three dimensions, and wherein the perspectives in the derived views can be moved by the user through a unit of equipment or through a computational module to display an “
x-ray vision”
view of the internal aspects of a unit of equipment, of a workpiece being handled, of a feedstream being processed, or a computational process being executed. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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29. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a means for storing limit values of parameters of a signal output interface, and of detecting and displaying that a parameter of a signal output interface associated with an output object has exceeded one or more limit values, and during periods a parameter of a signal output interface associated with an output object has exceeded one or more limit values, displaying a notice, called an alarm window, that describes each parameter and parameter value that has exceeded one or more limit values, wherein such display is adjacent to the relevant output object in user'"'"'s display screen or in another part of the user'"'"'s display screen and is in schematic form, in symbolic form, or as alphanumeric data.
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30. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a means for computing, and for storing and displaying, the results of root cause analysis of parameters exceeding limit values, and during periods a parameter of a signal output interface associated with an output object has exceeded one or more limit values, the results of computing root cause analysis pertaining to a parameter of a signal output interface associated with an output object that has exceeded one or more limit values are displayed in schematic form or as alphanumeric data in the alarm window, adjacent to the associated output object, or in another area of the user'"'"'s display screen.
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31. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a database containing information about each root cause analysis that is performed and includes a means for displaying a visual representation or alphanumeric data to a user of the computer displaying a process overview world, and upon request from the user to display additional information about the result of a root cause analysis, displays such additional information to the user.
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32. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a means for predicting that parameters of one or more units of equipment or of computational modules associated with an output object have reached a threshold probability of exceeding limit values, wherein such computer stores and displays the identity of the parameters and the results of the prediction as a visual representation or as alphanumeric data in an area, called a prediction window, adjacent to the associated output object displayed in a user'"'"'s display screen, or in another area of the user'"'"'s display screen.
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33. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a means for determining unused capacity of one or more units of equipment or of computational modules associated with an output object, and of storing the results of the determination, wherein such computer stores and displays the identity of the parameters involved and the results of the determination as a visual representation or as alphanumeric data in an area, called a capacity window, adjacent to the associated output object displayed in a user'"'"'s display screen, or in another area of the user'"'"'s display screen.
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34. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer displaying a process overview world, or a computer interfaced over a communications network with the computer displaying a process overview world, includes a means for determining how existing capacity of one or more units of equipment or of computational modules might be used more efficiently, wherein such computer stores and displays the results of the determination as a visual representation or as alphanumeric data in an area, called an efficiency window, adjacent to the associated output object displayed in a user'"'"'s display screen, or in another area of the user'"'"'s display screen.
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63. A system of computer generation of an interactive virtual reality world for monitoring and controlling a process that is physical or computational, comprising:
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a means for constructing a raw data world;
a means for constructing a process overview world;
a means for constructing a variable interaction world;
a means for constructing a detailed derivation world;
a means for providing a user with a means of navigating the collection of worlds by selecting an output object and following the output object'"'"'s links to other worlds, or by selecting an input object and following the input object'"'"'s links to other worlds;
a means for displaying views in the other worlds; and
a means for enabling the use to drill-up, drill-down, and drill-across through worlds.
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64. A system for conveying information to at user through a display of a three-dimensional world, comprising:
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a means for receiving data from at least two data sources;
a means for transforming the data from each data source into a three-dimensional graphical object;
a means for presenting each graphical object to the user within the three-dimensional world;
a means for generating a processed set of data from at least one source of data;
a means for transforming the processed set of data into a processed data graphical object; and
a means for presenting the processed data graphical object in the three-dimensional world.
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Specification