CONTROL SYSTEM CONFIGURATOR AND METHODS WITH EDIT SELECTION

• US 20090125129A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Volk, Scott, Burke, Kenneth A., Meskonis, Paul, Hall, Robert, Johnson, Mark, Dardinski, Steven, Mackay, Brian, Eldridge, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23255 Object oriented programming, OOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24055 Trace, store a working, operation history
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24167 Encryption, password, user access privileges
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33125 System configuration, reconfiguration, customization, automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.

Claims

1-134. -134. (canceled)

135. Apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising

a plurality of objects representing entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system,

at least a selected object including an edit control type identifier,

functionality that facilitates editing of at least the selected object, the functionality presenting at least a selected aspect of the selected object for editing with an edit control that is based on the edit control type identifier.

136. Apparatus according to claim 135, wherein the edit control type identifier identifies the edit control to be used by the functionality in presenting the selected aspect of the selected object for editing.

137. Apparatus according to claim 136, wherein the edit control type identifier identified by the edit control type identifier is selected from among a plurality of edit controls appropriate for use by the functionality in presenting the selected aspect of the selected object for editing.

138. Apparatus according to claim 135, wherein at least the selected object represents any of a field device, a control device and a controller, a control processor, a field bus module, a block, a loop, and a compound.

139. Apparatus according to claim 138, wherein at least the selected object represents any of an historian, an object connection, a parameter connection, a display placeholder, a graphical display entity, and a report.

140. Apparatus according to claim 135, wherein the selected object has one or more parameters identifying characteristics of the entity represented by the object.

141. Apparatus according to claim 140, wherein the functionality presents parameters of the selected object in any of a spreadsheet format and a property sheet format.

142. Apparatus according to claim 140, wherein at least a selected parameter of the selected object has one or more attributes, each having one or more values.

143. Apparatus according to claim 142, wherein the functionality presents at least a selected attribute of the selected parameter for editing with the edit control.

144. Apparatus according to claim 143, wherein the attributes of the selected parameter define any of name, grouping, display label, data type, behavior, help information, edit type, data value range, data value, formula definition, and display format.

145. Apparatus according to claim 144, wherein the functionality presents the attribute defining the data value of the selected parameter with the edit control in accord with the edit control.

146. Apparatus according to claim 143, wherein the functionality presents at least the selected attribute with any of a dialog box format, list box format, edit box format, check box format, combo box format, spreadsheet format and property box format.

147. Apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising

a plurality of objects representing entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system,

at least a selected one of the objects having one or more parameters identifying characteristics of the respective entity represented by the object,

at least a selected parameter having one or more attributes having respective values,

at least the selected object including an edit control type identifier,

an editor that presents at least a selected attribute of the selected parameter of the selected object for editing with an edit control that is based on the edit control type identifier.

148. Apparatus according to claim 147, comprising functionality that facilitates designation of any of the selected parameter and selected attribute from a spreadsheet formatted display of any of parameters and attributes.

149. Apparatus according to claim 148, wherein the functionality facilitates designation of the selected object from a list of objects.

150. Apparatus according to claim 149, wherein the functionality facilitates selected of the selected object from among a hierarchical listing of objects.

151. Apparatus according to claim 147, comprising functionality that facilitates designation of any of the selected parameter and selected attribute from a property sheet formatted display any of parameters and attributes.

152. Apparatus according to claim 151, wherein the functionality presents the property sheet formatted display with a plurality of tabs, each listing a corresponding grouping of parameters.

153. Apparatus according to claim 147, wherein at least the selected object represents any of a field device, a control device and a controller, a control processor, a field bus module, a block, a loop, and a compound.

154. Apparatus according to claim 147, wherein at least the selected object represents any of an historian, an object connection, a parameter connection, a display placeholder, a graphical display entity, and a report.

155. Apparatus according to claim 148, wherein the attributes of the selected parameter define any of name, grouping, display label, data type, behavior, help information, edit type, data value range, data value, formula definition, and display format.

156. Apparatus according to claim 148, wherein the functionality presents the attribute defining the data value of the selected parameter with the edit control in accord with the edit control.

157. Apparatus according to claim 148, wherein the functionality presents at least the selected attribute with any of a dialog box format, list box format, edit box format, check box format, combo box format, spreadsheet format and property box format.

158. Method for configuring a control system, comprising

maintaining a plurality of objects representing entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus executing the method for configuring the control system,

wherein at least a selected object includes an edit control type identifier,

presenting at least a selected aspect of the selected object for editing with an edit control that is based on the edit control type identifier.

159. Method according to claim 158, wherein the maintaining step includes maintaining an edit control type identifier that identifies the edit control to be used by the functionality in presenting the selected aspect of the selected object for editing.

160. Method according to claim 159, wherein the maintaining step includes maintaining an edit control type identifier selected from among a plurality of edit controls appropriate for use by the functionality in presenting the selected aspect of the selected object for editing.

161. Method according to claim 158, wherein at least the selected object represents any of a field device, a control device and a controller, a control processor, a field bus module, a block, a loop, and a compound.

162. Method according to claim 161, wherein at least the selected object represents any of an historian, an object connection, a parameter connection, a display placeholder, a graphical display entity, and a report.

163. Method according to claim 158, wherein the maintaining step includes maintaining with at least the selected object one or more parameters identifying characteristics of the entity represented by the object.

164. Method according to claim 163, wherein the presenting step includes presenting the parameters of the selected object in any of a spreadsheet format and a property sheet format.

165. Method according to claim 163, wherein at least a selected parameter of the selected object has one or more attributes, each having one or more values.

166. Method according to claim 165, wherein the presenting step includes presenting at least a selected attribute of the selected parameter for editing with the edit control.

167. Method according to claim 166, wherein the attributes of the selected parameter define any of name, grouping, display label, data type, behavior, help information, edit type, data value range, data value, formula definition, and display format.

168. Method according to claim 167, wherein the presenting step includes presenting the attribute defining the data value of the selected parameter with the edit control in accord with the edit control.

169. Method according to claim 166, wherein the presenting step includes presenting at least the selected attribute with any of a dialog box format, list box format, edit box format, check box format, combo box format, spreadsheet format and property box format.

170. Method for configuring a control system, comprising

maintaining a plurality of objects representing entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus executing the method for configuring the control system,

the maintaining step including maintaining with at least a selected one of the objects one or more parameters identifying characteristics of the respective entity represented by the object,

at least a selected parameter having one or more attributes having respective values,

at least the selected object including an edit control type identifier,

presenting at least a selected attribute of the selected parameter of the selected object for editing with an edit control that is based on the edit control type identifier.

171. Method according to claim 170, comprising selecting any of the selected parameter and selected attribute from a spreadsheet formatted display of any of parameters and attributes.

172. Method according to claim 171, comprising wherein the selecting step includes selecting the selected object from a list of objects.

173. Method according to claim 172, wherein the selecting step includes selecting the selected object from among a hierarchical listing of objects.

174. Method according to claim 170, comprising selecting any of the selected parameter and selected attribute from a property sheet formatted display any of parameters and attributes.

175. Method according to claim 174, wherein the selecting step includes displaying the property sheet formatted display with a plurality of tabs, each listing a corresponding grouping of parameters.

176. Method according to claim 170, wherein at least the selected object represents any of a field device, a control device and a controller, a control processor, a field bus module, a block, a loop, and a compound.

177. Method according to claim 170, wherein at least the selected object represents any of an historian, an object connection, a parameter connection, a display placeholder, a graphical display entity, and a report.

178. Method according to claim 171, wherein the attributes of the selected parameter define any of name, grouping, display label, data type, behavior, help information, edit type, data value range, data value, formula definition, and display format.

179. Method according to claim 171, wherein the presenting step includes presenting the attribute defining the data value of the selected parameter with the edit control in accord with the edit control.

180. Method according to claim 171, wherein the presenting step includes presenting at least the selected attribute with any of a dialog box format, list box format, edit box format, check box format, combo box format, spreadsheet format and property box format.