METHODS AND APPARATUS TO PRESENT RECIPE PROGRESS STATUS INFORMATION

• US 20090164933A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pederson, Alan Richard, Jones, Bryan Michael, Marruchella, Dawn Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• 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 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to present recipe progress status information are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves displaying a user interface screen associated with a recipe being executed in a process control system. The recipe includes a plurality of process phases. A plurality of process stage progress indicator are displayed in the user interface screen in an arrangement representative of the process flow of the recipe. Each of the process stage progress indicators is representative of at least one of the process phases of the recipe. A first one of the process stage progress indicators is indicative of a progress of at least one of the process phases. The first process stage progress indicator is updated in substantially real-time based on information received from the process control system.

Claims

1. A method of displaying recipe information for a process control system, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface screen associated with a recipe being executed in a process control system, wherein the recipe includes a plurality of process phases;

displaying a plurality of process stage progress indicators in the user interface screen in an arrangement representative of the process flow of the recipe, wherein each of the process stage progress indicators is representative of at least one of the process phases of the recipe, and wherein each of the process stage progress indicators is indicative of a progress of at least one respective one of the process phases; and

updating a first one of the process stage progress indicators in substantially real-time based on information received from the process control system.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a parameter from a plurality of parameters associated with the process phase corresponding to the first process stage progress indicator, wherein the parameter is selected based on relative importance for observation by a user relative to others of the plurality of parameters; and

displaying the parameter in association with the first process stage progress indicator.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising filling at least a portion of the first process stage progress indicator using at least one of a pattern fill or a color fill to represent at least one of an alarm or a notification.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying a second one of the process stage progress indicators in connection with the first process stage progress indicator to form a recipe progress bar graph, wherein a first amount of fill of the first process stage progress indicator in concatenation with a second amount of fill of the second process stage progress indicator represents an overall progress of the recipe.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying a second plurality of process stage progress indicators in the user interface screen in an arrangement representative of a process flow of a second recipe while simultaneously displaying the plurality of process stage progress indicators representative of the process flow of the recipe.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying detailed information corresponding to at least one of the process phases in a detailed information display area.

7. (canceled)

8. An apparatus to display recipe information for a process control system, the method comprising:

a screen selector to select a user interface screen to display in association with a recipe being executed in a process control system, wherein the recipe includes a plurality of process phases;

a user interface manager to display a plurality of process stage progress indicators in the user interface screen in an arrangement representative of the process flow of the recipe, wherein each of the process stage progress indicators is representative of at least one of the process phases of the recipe, and wherein each of the process stage progress indicators is indicative of a progress of at least one respective one of the process phases; and

a data processor to generate updated progress information for a first one of the process stage progress indicators in substantially real-time based on information received from the process control system.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a parameter selector to select a parameter from a plurality of parameters associated with the process phase corresponding to the first process stage progress indicator, wherein the parameter is selected based on relative importance for observation by a user relative to others of the plurality of parameters, and wherein the user interface manager is further to display the parameter in association with the first process stage progress indicator.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a notification generator to generate at least one of an alarm or a notification, wherein the user interface manager is further to cause filling of at least a portion of the first process stage progress indicator using at least one of a pattern fill or a color fill to represent at the least one of the alarm or the notification.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the user interface manager is further to display a second one of the process stage progress indicators in connection with the first process stage progress indicator to form a recipe progress bar graph, wherein a first amount of fill of the first process stage progress indicator in concatenation with a second amount of fill of the second process stage progress indicator represents an overall progress of the recipe.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a detailed information generator to generate detailed information corresponding to at least one of the process phases for display in a detailed information display area.

12. (canceled)

14-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method of displaying recipe information for a process control system, the method comprising:

displaying a screen associated with a recipe including a plurality of process phases;

partitioning the screen into bounded display areas, wherein the bounded display areas include a plurality of summary information display areas and a detailed information display area;

generating a plurality of summary capsules, each corresponding to at least one of the process phases of the recipe;

displaying each of the summary capsules in a respective one of the summary information display areas in an arrangement indicative of a process flow of the recipe; and

displaying detailed information corresponding to at least one of the process phases of the recipe in the detailed information display area.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising displaying the detailed information in the detailed information display area in response to a user selecting one of the summary information display areas, wherein the detailed information corresponds to at least one of the process phases corresponding to the selected one of the summary information display areas.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the bounded display areas are in a grid-like arrangement or a tabular arrangement.

25. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising displaying overall recipe progress information in an overall recipe progress display area.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. An apparatus to display recipe information for a process control system, the method comprising:

a screen selector to select a screen to display in association with a recipe including a plurality of process phases, wherein the screen is partitioned into bounded display areas, and wherein the bounded display areas include a plurality of summary information display areas and a detailed information display area;

a summary information generator to generate a plurality of summary capsules, each corresponding to at least one of the process phases of the recipe;

a user interface manager to display each of the summary capsules in a respective one of the summary information display areas in an arrangement indicative of a process flow of the recipe; and

a detailed information generator to generate detailed information corresponding to at least one of the process phases of the recipe for display in the detailed information display area.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the user interface manager is further to display the detailed information in the detailed information display area in response to a user selecting one of the summary information display areas, and wherein the detailed information corresponds to at least one of the process phases corresponding to the selected one of the summary information display areas.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, further comprising a parameter selector to select a parameter from a plurality of parameters corresponding to at least one of the process phases, wherein the parameter is selected based on relative importance for observation by a user relative to others of the plurality of parameters, and wherein the user interface manager is further to display the parameter in association with one of the summary capsules.

30-32. -32. (canceled)

34-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method of displaying recipe information for a process control system, the method comprising:

displaying a screen associated with first and second recipes being executed in at least one process control system;

displaying a first plurality of process stage progress indicators in the screen in an arrangement representative of a first process flow of the first recipe and a second plurality of process stage progress indicators in the screen in an arrangement representative of a second process flow of the second recipe, wherein each of the first process stage progress indicators represents at least one of a first plurality of process phases of the first recipe, and wherein each of the second process stage progress indicators represents at least one of a second plurality of process phases of the second recipe; and

displaying a first progress fill element in association with one of the first process stage progress indicators and a second progress fill element in association with one of the second process stage progress indicators, wherein the first progress fill element indicates a progress of at least one of the first process phases of the first recipe corresponding to the one of the first process stage progress indicators, and wherein the second progress fill element indicates a progress of at least one of the second process phases of the second recipe corresponding to the one of the second process stage progress indicators.

41. A method as defined in claim 40, further comprising updating the first and second progress fill elements in substantially real-time.

42. A method as defined in claim 41, further comprising filling at least a portion of the first progress fill element using at least one of a pattern fill or a color fill to represent at least one of an alarm or a notification.

43. A method as defined in claim 40, further comprising:

selecting a parameter from a plurality of parameters associated with at least one of the first process phases, wherein the parameter is selected based on relative importance for observation by a user relative to others of the plurality of parameters; and

displaying the parameter in association with the first process stage progress indicators.

44. A method as defined in claim 40, further comprising displaying detailed information corresponding to at least one of the process phases in a detailed information display area.

45. A method as defined in claim 40, further comprising displaying other progress fill elements in association with others of the first process stage progress indicators, wherein the first progress fill element and the other progress fill elements cooperatively represent the overall progress of the first recipe.

47. A method as defined in claim 40, further comprising assigning weighting values to each of the first process stage progress indicators, and setting the size of each of the first process stage progress indicators based on a corresponding one of the weighting values.

46. (canceled)

48-66. -66. (canceled)