Apparatus and method for displaying changes in statistical parameters in a process control system

• US 20090112532A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mylaraswamy, Dinkar, Kolavennu, Soumitri N., Foslien, Wendy K., Reising, Dal Vernon
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

At least one statistical output associated with a process model and a rate of change associated with each statistical output is identified, such as by using historical data associated with the process model. The statistical outputs and the rates of change are used to generate a graphical display, such as a phase plane plot. Each point in the display is based on one of the statistical outputs and its associated rate of change. The graphical display could include multiple portions, such as quadrants, and one of the portions can be selected and highlighted. The different portions of the graphical display may represent whether the process model is a poor fit to current conditions and approaching a better fit, a poor fit and approaching a poorer fit, a good fit and approaching a poorer fit, and a good fit and approaching a better fit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying at least one statistical output associated with a process model and a rate of change associated with each statistical output;

generating a graphical display comprising at least one point, each point based on one of the statistical outputs and its associated rate of change; and

presenting the graphical display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the process model comprises a multivariable statistical model; and

the at least one statistical output comprises at least one deviation of multiple output signals of the multivariable statistical model from a normal correlation pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the process model comprises a multivariable statistical model; and

the at least one statistical output comprises at least one correlation factor among multiple variables of the multivariable statistical model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical display comprises multiple portions; and

further comprising selecting one of the portions of the graphical display based on the at least one point.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising highlighting the selected portion of the graphical display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected portion of the graphical display is highlighted using an indicator that depends on the portion selected.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the graphical display comprises multiple points; and

the points are positioned in one or more portions of the graphical display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the different portions of the graphical display are associated with both (i) a fit of the process model to current process conditions and (ii) a change in the model fit as a function of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the different portions represent whether the process model is a poor fit to current conditions and approaching a better fit, a poor fit to current conditions and approaching a poorer fit, a good fit to current conditions and approaching a poorer fit, and a good fit to current conditions and approaching a, better fit.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving information from the user defining a time period for the graphical display and a number of points to display in the graphical display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical display further comprises a trend plot associated with the process model.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory configured to store at least one statistical output associated with a process model and a rate of change associated with each statistical output; and

at least one processor configured to;

generate a graphical display comprising at least one point, each point based on one of the statistical outputs and its associated rate of change; and

present the graphical display to a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the process model comprises a multivariable statistical model; and

the at least one statistical output comprises at least one deviation of multiple output signals of the multivariable statistical model from a normal correlation pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the process model comprises a multivariable statistical model; and

the at least one statistical output comprises at least one correlation factor among multiple variables of the multivariable statistical model.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the graphical display comprises multiple portions; and

the at least one processor is further configured to select one of the portions of the graphical display based on the at least one point.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to highlight the selected portion of the graphical display, the selected portion highlighted using an indicator that depends on the portion selected.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the graphical display comprises multiple points; and

the points are positioned in one or more portions of the graphical display.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the different portions of the graphical display are associated with both (i) a fit of the process model to current process conditions and (ii) a change in the model fit as a function of time.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the different portions represent whether the process model is a poor fit to current conditions and approaching a better fit, a poor fit to current conditions and approaching a poorer fit, a good fit to current conditions and approaching a poorer fit, and a good fit to current conditions and approaching a better fit.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a network interface; and

the at least one processor is configured to present the graphical display to the user by transmitting information defining the graphical display to a device associated with the user over at least one network.

21. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

identifying at least one statistical output associated with a process model and a rate of change associated with each statistical output;

generating a graphical display comprising at least one point, each point based on one of the statistical outputs and its associated rate of change; and

presenting the graphical display to a user.