APPARATUS AND METHODS TO ACCESS INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20080301703A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark J., Beoughter, Ken, Lucas, John Michael, Blevins, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Example apparatus and methods to access information associated with a process control system are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving a first user-defined parameter name to reference a first datum value in a first data source. The first one of a plurality of data source interfaces is enabled to access the first datum value in the first data source. The example method also involves enabling referencing the first datum value in the first data source based on the first user-defined parameter name. In addition, data source interface software is then generated to access the first datum value in the first data source in response to receiving a first data access request including the first user-defined parameter name.

Claims

1. An apparatus to access information associated with a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor system; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor system, the memory including stored instructions that enable the processor system to;

receive a first user-defined parameter name to reference a first datum value in a first data source;

enable a first one of a plurality of data source interfaces to access the first datum in the first data source;

enable referencing the first datum value in the first data source based on the first user-defined parameter name; and

generate data source interface software configured to access the first datum value in the first data source in response to receiving a first data access request including the first user-defined parameter name.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first data source is one of a control system field device, a programmable logic controller, or a database.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to generate the data source interface software based on a second one of the plurality of data source interfaces to enable the data source interface software to access a second datum value in a second data source in response to receiving a second data access request including a second user-defined parameter name.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the first and second data access requests have a first format, and wherein the data source interface software is configured to:

generate a third data access request having a second format associated with the first data source based on the first data access request; and

generate a fourth data access request having a third format associated with the second data source based on the second data access request.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the first data source is associated with a first data access protocol and the second data source is associated with a second data access protocol different from the first data access protocol.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to display a tabular graphical user interface having a plurality of user-selectable fields to enable a user to specify the first user-defined parameter name.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to store the data source interface software in a module data structure that can be communicated to a network entity to be executed by the network entity.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first one of the data source interfaces is configured to access the first data source via a common communication interface.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the common communication interface is implemented using an object linking and embedding standard.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to enable a data processing function to configure the data source interface software to perform a mathematical operation on the first datum value.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to enable an alarm function to configure the data source interface software to generate an alarm based on the first datum value.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to configure the data source interface software to communicate with a third party data source via a common communication interface.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the stored instructions enable the processor system to provide the data source interface software with a module resource manager to establish a data context with a resource manager of the common communication interface, and wherein the resource manager associates first properties of the data context with second properties of the common communication interface associated with accessing data in the third party data source.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the common communication interface includes a plurality of other resource managers, each of which is uniquely associated with a different one of a plurality of other data source interfaces.

15. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a first user-defined parameter name to reference a first datum value in a first data source;

enable a first one of a plurality of data source interfaces to access the first datum in the first data source;

enable referencing the first datum value in the first data source based on the first user-defined parameter name; and

generate data source interface software configured to access the first datum value in the first data source in response to receiving a first data access request including the first user-defined parameter name.

16. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to generate the data source interface software based on a second one of the plurality of data source interfaces to enable the data source interface software to access a second datum value in a second data source in response to receiving a second data access request including a second user-defined parameter name.

17. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second data access requests have a first format, and wherein the machine accessible medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to:

generate a third data access request having a second format associated with the first data source based on the first data access request; and

generate a fourth data access request having a third format associated with the second data source based on the second data access request.

18. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to configure the data source interface software to access the first data source using a first data access protocol and access the second data source using a second data access protocol different from the first data access protocol.

19. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to display a tabular graphical user interface having a plurality of user-selectable fields to enable a user to specify the first user-defined parameter name.

20. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to store the data source interface software in a module data structure that can be communicated to a network entity to be executed by the network entity.

21. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to configure the data source interface software to access the first data source via a common communication interface.

22. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 21, wherein the common communication interface is implemented using an object linking and embedding standard.

23. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to enable a data processing function to configure the data source interface software to perform a mathematical operation on the first datum value.

24. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to enable an alarm function to configure the data source interface software to generate an alarm based on the first datum value.

25. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to configure the data source interface software to communicate with a third party data source via a common communication interface.

26. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 25 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to provide the data source interface software with a module resource manager to establish a data context with a resource manager of the common communication interface, and wherein the resource manager associates first properties of the data context with second properties of the common communication interface associated with accessing data in the third party data source.

27. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 26, wherein the common communication interface includes a plurality of other resource managers, each of which is uniquely associated with a different one of a plurality of other data source interfaces.

28. A method to access information associated with a process control system, the method comprising:

receiving a first user-defined parameter name to reference a first datum value in a first data source;

enabling a first one of a plurality of data source interfaces to access the first datum value in the first data source;

enabling referencing the first datum value in the first data source based on the first user-defined parameter name; and

generating data source interface software configured to access the first datum value in the first data source in response to receiving a first data access request including the first user-defined parameter name.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising generating the data source interface software based on a second one of the plurality of data source interfaces to enable the data source interface software to access a second datum value in a second data source in response to receiving a second data access request including a second user-defined parameter name.

30-37. -37. (canceled)