Apparatus and method for assessing exceedance of a process beyond safe operating limits
First Claim
1. A method implementable on a computer system for assessing a process, the process having equipment and having an instrument for measuring a process variable, the computer system having access to a process history database storing a process variable measured by the instrument, the method comprising:
- (a) electronically importing information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of a safe operating limit of the process variable from at least one external database to create a reporting record;
(b) electronically searching the process history database for data values of the process variable outside of the safe operating limit;
(c) electronically importing the data values from the process history database into the reporting record; and
(d) evaluating the data values by updating the reporting record.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method implementable with a software application for checking or assessing exceedances process variables beyond safe operating limits is disclosed. The process has instruments, a process history database, and one or more external databases. The instruments measure process variables and can be associated with the equipment. The process history database stores a plurality of values of the process variables measured by the instruments. Data of the equipment, the associated instrument, and the safe operating limit for the equipment is defined in a limit sequence of the software application. Preferably, the data of the equipment, the instrument, and the safe operating limit is imported from the one or more external databases. The process history database is searched for one or more exceedance values that are measured by the defined instrument and that exceed the defined safe operating limit. The “apparent” exceedance values are then imported from the process history database into the software application. Finally, the user uses to software application to evaluate and validate the exceedance values.
18 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method implementable on a computer system for assessing a process, the process having equipment and having an instrument for measuring a process variable, the computer system having access to a process history database storing a process variable measured by the instrument, the method comprising:
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(a) electronically importing information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of a safe operating limit of the process variable from at least one external database to create a reporting record;
(b) electronically searching the process history database for data values of the process variable outside of the safe operating limit;
(c) electronically importing the data values from the process history database into the reporting record; and
(d) evaluating the data values by updating the reporting record. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method implementable on a computer system for assessing a process, the process having equipment and having an instrument for measuring a process variable, the computer system having access to a process history database storing a process variable measured by the instrument, the method comprising:
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(a) entering information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of a safe operating limit of the process variable into a reporting record;
(b) using the information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of the safe operating limit to electronically search the process history database for data values of the process variable outside of the safe operating limit;
(c) electronically importing the data values from the process history database into the reporting record; and
(d) evaluating the data values by manually updating the reporting record with information regarding actions to be taken with respect to the data values. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable medium having instructions to perform a method implementable on a computer system for assessing a process, the process having equipment and having an instrument for measuring a process variable, the computer system having access to a process history database storing the process variable measured by the instrument, the method comprising:
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(a) electronically importing information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of a safe operating limit of the process variable from at least one external database to create a reporting record;
(b) electronically searching the process history database for data values of the process variable outside of the safe operating limit;
(c) electronically importing the data values from the process history database into the reporting record; and
(d) evaluating the data values by updating the reporting record.
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29. A computer-readable medium having instructions to perform a method implementable on a computer system for assessing a process, the process having equipment and having an instrument for measuring a process variable, the computer system having access to a process history database storing the process variable measured by the instrument, the method comprising:
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(a) entering information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of a safe operating limit of the process variable into a reporting record;
(b) using the information indicative of the instrument and information indicative of the safe operating limit to electronically search the process history database for data values of the process variable outside of the safe operating limit;
(c) electronically importing the data values from the process history database into the reporting record; and
(d) evaluating the data values by manually updating the reporting record with information regarding actions to be taken with respect to the data values.
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Specification