Integration of graphic display elements, process modules and control modules in process plants
First Claim
1. A process control system element for use in a process plant having a user interface and one or more process controllers, the process control system element comprising:
- a control module adapted to execute on the one or more process controllers to implement process control activities within the process plant;
a graphic display module adapted to produce a graphical depiction of a least a portion of the process plant on the user interface; and
a process simulation module adapted to simulate the operation of one or more physical devices within the process plant being controlled by the control module and depicted in the graphical depiction associated with the graphic display module, wherein the process simulation module is communicatively connected to the control module to communicate data between the process simulation module and the control module during operation of the control module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Graphic displays, which display information about process elements and the manner in which these elements are connected within a process, process modules, which simulate the operation of the elements depicted within the graphic displays and control modules, which perform on-line control activities within a process, may be communicatively connected together to provide a combined control, simulation and display environment that enables enhanced control, simulation and display activities. Smart process objects, which have both graphical and simulation elements, may used to create one or more graphic displays and one or more process simulation modules, each having elements which may communicate with one another to share data between the graphic displays and the process modules. Additionally, function blocks within control modules executed in the process plant may reference the elements within the graphic displays and the process modules (and vice versa) so that control modules may use simulated data developed by the process modules to perform better control, so that process modules may perform better simulation using actual pant data from the control modules, and so that the graphic displays may be used to illustrate actual process data and/or simulated process data as developed by the control modules and the process modules.
184 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A process control system element for use in a process plant having a user interface and one or more process controllers, the process control system element comprising:
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a control module adapted to execute on the one or more process controllers to implement process control activities within the process plant;
a graphic display module adapted to produce a graphical depiction of a least a portion of the process plant on the user interface; and
a process simulation module adapted to simulate the operation of one or more physical devices within the process plant being controlled by the control module and depicted in the graphical depiction associated with the graphic display module, wherein the process simulation module is communicatively connected to the control module to communicate data between the process simulation module and the control module during operation of the control module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification