DYNAMICALLY GENERATING VISUALIZATIONS IN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ENVIRONMENT AS A FUNCTION OF CONTEXT AND STATE INFORMATION

• US 20090089709A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• 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 George, Baier, John Joseph, Hobbs, Mark, Fuller, Bruce Gordan, Jasper, Taryl Jon, McGreevy, Robert Joseph, Bromley, Clifton Harold, Schouten, Teunis Hendrik, Reichard, Douglas James
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/817
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36133 MMI, HMI: man machine interface, communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A visualization system that generates customized visualization(s) in an industrial automation environment includes an interface component that receives input concerning displayed objects and information, a context component that can detect, infer or determine context information regarding an entity, and a visualization component that dynamically generates a visualization from a set of display object to present to the entity that is a function of the received information and inferred or determined entity context.

Claims

1. A visualization system that generates customized visualization(s) in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

an interface component that receives input concerning displayed objects and information;

a context component that can detect, infer or determine context information regarding an entity; and

a visualization component that dynamically generates a visualization from a set of display object to present to the entity that is a function of the received information and inferred or determined entity context.

2. The system of claim 1, the context component can infer or determine the entity'"'"'s identity, role, location (logical or physical), current activity, similar or previous interactions with automation devices, or context data pertaining to automation devices including control systems, devices and associated equipment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device context data comprises logical/physical locations or operating status.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that can automatically take action based on an inference.

5. The system of claim 4, the AI component performing a utility-based analysis in connection with taking the automated action, wherein the expected cost of taking an action is weighed against the expected benefit of taking the action.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a data store that stores at least one of user profiles, historical data, or rules in connection with generating visualizations.

7. The system of claim 1, the visualization component generates the visualization as a function of cognitive load of a user.

8. The system of claim 1, the visualization component generates the visualization as a function of cognitive load of at least one of:

user role, user access rights, user state, capacity of user to consume information, user preferences, user goals, or user intent.

9. The system of claim 1, the visualization component reformats data to be presented to the user as a function of at least one of:

user role, user access rights, user state, capacity of user to consume information, user preferences, user goals, or user intent.

10. The system of claim 1, the visualization component modifies the visualization as a function of environmental or use conditions associated with a rendering device.

11. The system of claim 10, the visualization component modifies the visualization as a function of lighting conditions, or vision capabilities of an operator.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising reformatting the subset of data if deemed unacceptable.

16. The method of claim 14 comprising reformatting the data as a function of at least one of rendering device capabilities, user rights, user roles, or user preferences.

12. A computer-implemented methodology for presenting customized visualization in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

inferring or determining context of an information session;

inferring or determining entity intent;

analyzing a set of data; and

presenting a visualization of a subset of the analyzed data as a function of the inferred or determined context of the information session, inferred or determined intent of the entity, and the data analysis.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inference or determination regarding context of the information session is based on content of information, context of a sending entity or context of a recipient entity.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising using at least one of:

role of an entity, access rights, prior interactions, current entity state, entity preferences, or historical data in connection with inferring or determining intent of the entity.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising authenticating the user, and customizing the visualization as a function of the authentication.

18. The method claim 12, comprising modifying the visualization as a function of change in user cognitive load.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising modifying the visualization to optimize user understanding of presented data.

20. A computer-implemented system for presenting customized visualization in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for receiving input concerning displayed objects and information;

means for detecting inferring context information regarding an entity; and

means for dynamically generating a visualization from a set of display object to present to the entity that is a function of the received information and inferred or determined entity context.