Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing status of a process

• US 20070135944A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: David, Danni, Pfrehm, Patrick, Kelly, Brad, Knodle, Chad, Schmid, James
• Application Number:
  US11/301,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user

Abstract

An apparatus and method for receiving operational data and displaying summaries of processes for an industrial system includes a block object to define blocks for defining aspects of variables related to the operational data as well as a display client for using the blocks to provide useful and concise summaries of the processes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a summary for at least one process of a system, the apparatus comprising:

a block object for accepting input data descriptive of the at least one process and for grouping as a block at least one variable of the input data with at least one attribute for the variable; and

a display client for reading the block and producing output to display the summary for the at least one process.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the input data comprises at least one of historic data, predictive data, improved data, calculated data, derived data, reference data, real-time data, approximately real-time data, data collected by system sensors, operational data, manual input data and projected data.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises at least one of a member name, a display name, a type, a display changeable status and a visibility option.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the type comprises a type for indicating one of an actual value, a set-point, an estimated value, an upper bounds and a lower bounds.

5. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the type comprises a type for initiating one of an optimization estimation, a flagging for multi-variable control, and a flagging for viewing.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the block further comprises information of at least one of a rule result, a predictor result, and an estimation result.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the information comprises information descriptive of at least one of engineering principles, probability assessments, weighting factors, physical properties, system dynamics and prior system performance.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the system comprises one of an industrial system, a power plant and a medical setting.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the block object comprises a user interface for selecting the at least one variable and the at least one attribute.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a graphical user interface (GUI), a control tree structure and a tag listing.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the display client comprises a context menu for customizing the appearance of the output.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising at least one of a computer system, a network, at least one sensor, a server, a display system and a remote access.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an enhancement to an existing system.

14. A method for providing a summary for at least one process of a system, the method comprising:

selecting a block comprising at least one variable descriptive of the process with at least one attribute for the variable;

using a display client, reading the block to produce output; and

,

displaying the output as the summary for the at least one process.

15. The method as in claim 14, further comprising creating the block by using a block object to select the at least one variable and the at least one attribute.

16. The method as in claim 14, wherein providing comprises at least one of a continuous basis, about a real-time basis, a periodic basis and a frequent basis.

17. The method as in claim 14, wherein displaying comprises using at least one of a bar graph, a trend plot, a histogram, a pie chart, a line graph, a scatter graph, a performance plot and a pareto plot.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the bar graph comprises at least one of a bar graph drawing area, a numeric display, an attribute information area, a status information area, a bar graph title, and at least one sidebar arrow indicator.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the displaying further comprises accepting a user input for modifying properties of the display.

20. An apparatus for providing a summary for at least one process of a system, the apparatus comprising:

means for accepting input data descriptive of the at least one process and for grouping as a block at least one variable of the input data with at least one attribute for the variable; and

display means for reading the block and producing output to display the summary for the at least one process.