Industrial control and monitoring method and system

• US 20040098148A1
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Lefler, Kelly J., Retlich, Kevin A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32404 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A technique is provided for integrating human machine interfaces with control and monitoring systems. Control and monitoring systems may be integrated into a human machine interface to enable access to various systems including networked and programmable electrical components, such as components of motor control centers, and databases that including component, system designation data, configuration information, settings, and so forth. The database and components are accessed by execution of a program embedded in the human machine interface to provide desired information in response to selection of a particular physical component of the system. The information serves as the basis for an operator display through the human machine interface.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring or controlling operation of an electrical industrial equipment system, the method comprising:

displaying a representation of programmable physical components of the system in a computer workstation for a human operator via a human machine interface program, the physical components comprising a plurality of programmable devices;

detecting an operator selection of one of the physical components from the representation;

executing a software component embedded in the human machine interface program to acquire data representative of real time operation of the selected physical component; and

displaying a monitoring or control window in the computer workstation based upon the acquired data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the data acquired by the software component is stored in a database accessed by the software component upon execution thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the database stores data representative of a network address for the selected component, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the selected physical component at the network address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the database stores designation data for the selected physical component that include data representative of a function of the selected physical component in the equipment system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the physical components includes a memory object storing configuration parameters thereof, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the memory object of the selected physical component.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of configuring each of the physical components and a database for the physical components from which data are acquired upon selection of the software component.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of configuring the software component by specific reference to a linked physical component represented via the human machine interface program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system includes a motor control center and the physical components include electrical power devices configured to drive electric motors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring or control window includes representations of virtual meters indicating operational parameters of the selected physical component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a link to documentation descriptive of the selected physical component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a spreadsheet presenting data representative of operational events for the selected physical component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a physical representation of the selected physical component in the equipment system.

13. A computer system for monitoring or controlling operation of an electrical industrial equipment system, the system comprising:

an human machine interface program configured to display a representation of programmable physical components of the system in a computer workstation for a human operator, the physical components comprising a plurality of programmable devices, and to detect an operator selection of one of the physical components from the representation; and

an executable a software component embedded in the human machine interface program and configured to acquire data representative of real time operation of the selected physical component, and to display a monitoring or control window in the computer workstation based upon the acquired data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a database for storing data representative of operational parameters of the selected physical component, wherein at least some of the data acquired by the software component is stored in a database accessed by the software component upon execution thereof.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the database stores data representative of a network address for the selected component, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the selected physical component at the network address.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the software component is configured to specifically reference a linked physical component represented via the human machine interface program.

17. An electrical industrial equipment system comprising:

a plurality of programmed physical components configured to control operation of electrical loads; and

a computer system coupled to the physical components for monitoring or controlling operation of the physical components, the computer system comprising;

an human machine interface program configured to display a representation of the programmable physical components of the system in a computer workstation for a human operator, and to detect an operator selection of one of the physical components from the representation; and

an executable a software component embedded in the human machine interface program and configured to acquire data representative of real time operation of the selected physical component, and to display a monitoring or control window in the computer workstation based upon the acquired data.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a database for storing data representative of operational parameters of the selected physical component, wherein at least some of the data acquired by the software component is stored in a database accessed by the software component upon execution thereof.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the database stores data representative of a network address for the selected component, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the selected physical component at the network address.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the software component is configured to specifically reference a linked physical component represented via the human machine interface program.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the physical components includes a memory object storing configuration parameters thereof, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the memory object of the selected physical component.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the physical components comprise a motor control center and the physical components include electrical power devices configured to drive electric motors.

23. A system for monitoring or controlling operation of an electrical industrial equipment system, the system comprising:

means for displaying a representation of programmable physical components of the system in a computer workstation for a human operator, the physical components comprising a plurality of programmable devices;

means for detecting an operator selection of one of the physical components from the representation;

means for acquiring data representative of real time operation of the selected physical component; and

means for displaying a monitoring or control window in the computer workstation based upon the acquired data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying includes a human machine interface program.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for acquiring data includes an executable software component embedded in the human machine interface program.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising a database for storing at least some of the data acquired by the means for acquiring data.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the database stores designation data for the selected physical component that include data representative of a function of the selected physical component in the equipment system.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein each of the physical components includes a memory object storing configuration parameters thereof, and wherein the data acquired by the means for acquiring data include data acquired from the memory object of the selected physical component.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the monitoring or control window includes representations of virtual meters indicating operational parameters of the selected physical component.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a link to documentation descriptive of the selected physical component.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a spreadsheet presenting data representative of operational events for the selected physical component.

32. A computer program for monitoring or controlling operation of an electrical industrial equipment system comprising:

at least one machine readable medium; and

a computer program stored on the at least one medium and including routines for displaying a representation of programmable physical components of the system in a computer workstation for a human operator via a human machine interface program, the physical components comprising a plurality of programmable devices;

detecting an operator selection of one of the physical components from the representation;

executing a software component embedded in the human machine interface program to acquire data representative of real time operation of the selected physical component; and

displaying a monitoring or control window in the computer workstation based upon the acquired data.

33. The computer program of claim 32, wherein at least some of the data acquired by the software component is stored in a database accessed by the software component upon execution thereof.

34. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the database stores data representative of a network address for the selected component, and wherein the data acquired by the software component include data acquired from the selected physical component at the network address.

35. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the database stores designation data for the selected physical component that include data representative of a function of the selected physical component in the equipment system.

36. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the monitoring or control window includes representations of virtual meters indicating operational parameters of the selected physical component.

37. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a link to documentation descriptive of the selected physical component.

38. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the monitoring or control window includes a spreadsheet presenting data representative of operational events for the selected physical component.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the interface comprises a human machine interface and the system includes an industrial process monitored by the interface.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein the data stored in the reference database includes a network address for at least the selected component.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein the program includes executable code embedded in the interface.

43. The system of claim 38, wherein the interface includes an association between a user viewable indicium of the representation and a physical component selectable by user activation of a region associated with the indicium.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the association between the user viewable indicium of the representation and the physical component is user configurable.

39. A system for monitoring operation of a component comprising:

an interface configured to display a representation of a system having associated components;

a reference database configured to store data pertaining to the associated components; and

an program executable by selection of a component by reference to the representation, the program configured to access operational data from the selected component based upon data from the reference database and to display user viewable indicia via the interface based upon the accessed operational data.