Three-dimensional immersive system for representing an automation control environment

• US 20070075995A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Gordon, Kevin, Virji, Shafin, Dorgelo, Eric, Reichard, Douglas, Bromley, Clifton, Semkow, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for representing a production environment comprises a modeling module that creates a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a production environment. The system also includes a view module that renders a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from a reference point that is based at least in part upon a location. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for representing a production environment, comprising:

a modeling module that creates a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a production environment; and

a view module that renders a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from a reference point that is based at least in part upon a location.

2. The system of claim 1, the three-dimensional model comprises at least one cell.

3. The system of claim 2, the at least one cell is associated with at least one computer-implemented representation of an object of the production environment.

4. The system of claim 3, the graphical depiction of the portion of the three-dimensional model comprises a field of view from the reference point such that the field of view includes less than all of the three-dimensional model.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a context module that supplies user context information to the view module.

6. The system of claim 5, the field of view is limited to include objects associated with the user context information.

7. The system of claim 6, the at least one cell is accessed by the view module based at least in part upon whether the at least one cell is within the field of view.

8. The system of claim 7, a graphical representation of the object is animated.

9. The system of claim 8, the object is animated based at least in part upon whether the object is associated with a currently-accessed cell.

10. The system of claim 9, the object is a piece of production equipment.

11. The system of claim 10, the graphical representation of the object is associated with metadata that relates to at least one of a user role in a production environment, time, operational data of a piece of equipment, and configuration of a piece of equipment.

12. The system of claim 9, the object is at least one control of a piece of production equipment.

13. The system of claim 12, the graphical representation of the object is associated with metadata that relates to at least one of a user role in a production environment, time, operational data of a piece of equipment, and configuration of a piece of equipment.

14. A computer-implemented method for accessing items in a production environment, comprising:

accessing a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a production environment; and

rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from a reference point that corresponds to a location of the production environment.

15. The method of claim 14, rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model includes rendering at least a portion of a cell of the three-dimensional model.

16. The method of claim 15, rendering at least a portion of the cell includes rendering a graphical depiction of an object associated with the cell.

17. The method of claim 16, rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model includes rendering a field of view from a reference point wherein the field of view comprises less than all of the three-dimensional model.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising employing context information pertaining to a user to render the field of view.

19. The method of claim 18, employing context information includes limiting rendering of one or more objects in the field of view based at least in part upon whether the one or more objects are included in a user context that is related to the context information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising accessing the cell based at least in part upon whether the cell is within the field of view.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising animating a graphical representation of the object.

22. The method of claim 21, animating a graphical representation of the object includes animating the object based at least in part upon whether the object is associated with a currently-accessed cell.

23. The method of claim 22, rendering a field of view from a reference point includes displaying metadata relating to at least one of a user role in a production environment, time, operational data of a piece of equipment, and configuration of a piece of equipment.

24. A computer-implemented system for accessing items in a production environment, comprising:

means for accessing a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a production environment; and

means for rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from a reference point that corresponds to a location of the production environment.

25. The system of claim 24, the means for rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model includes means for rendering at least a portion of a cell of the three-dimensional model.

26. The system of claim 25, the means for rendering at least a portion of the cell includes means for rendering a graphical depiction of an object associated with the cell.

27. The system of claim 26, the means for rendering a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model includes means for rendering a field of view from a reference point wherein the field of view comprising less than all of the three-dimensional model.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for employing context information pertaining to a user to render the field of view.

29. The system of claim 28, the means for employing context information includes means for limiting rendering of one or more objects in the field of view based at least in part upon whether the one or more objects are included in a user context that is related to the context information.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for accessing the cell based at least in part upon whether the cell is within the field of view.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for animating a graphical representation of the object.

32. The system of claim 31, the means for animating a graphical representation of the object includes means for animating the object based at least in part upon whether the object is associated with a currently-accessed cell.

33. The system of claim 32, the means for rendering a field of view from a reference point includes means for displaying metadata relating to at least one of a user role in a production environment, time, operational data of a piece of equipment, and configuration of a piece of equipment.