SYSTEMS, METHODS AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE TO PROVIDE A SEARCH SERVICE TO A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120078896A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark, Rotvold, Eric, Potter, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31166 Access data by name, object, stored in list, database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9035 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles

Abstract

Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture to provide a search service to users of a process control system are disclosed. An example system includes a search database to store a set of searchable items associated with a process control system and to store a search profile associated with a selected query result, a publisher to collect information associated with the searchable items from the process control system and to publish the collected information to the search database, and a searcher to receive a request including the search profile and a query of the searchable items in the database, to search the searchable items based on the query, and to return at least a portion of the collected information based on the search profile.

Claims

1. A system to provide a search service to users of a process control system, comprising:

a search database to store a set of searchable items associated with a process control system and to store a search profile associated with a selected query result;

a publisher to collect information associated with the searchable items from the process control system and to publish the collected information to the search database; and

a searcher to receive a request including the search profile and a query of the searchable items in the database, to search the searchable items based on the query, and to return at least a portion of the collected information based on the search profile.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the searcher comprises an indexer to index the searchable items based on the collected information.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the searcher is to modify the search profile based on the query.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the search profile comprises a user preference for one or more types of search results.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the collected information comprises at least one of operating data, device measurements, alarms, alerts, or device location.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the searcher is to request an update service from the publisher in response to receiving the query.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the search database stores information associated with off-line and on-line process control devices.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the query comprises an application context and the searcher is to search the searchable items based on the application context.

9. A method to provide a search service to users of a process control system, comprising:

monitoring a process control system for first information associated with a plurality of searchable items;

publishing the first information to a search database;

receiving a request from a requester including a query of the searchable items and specifying a search profile;

generating a response comprising second information associated with the searchable items based on the query and the search profile; and

transmitting the response to the requester.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the searchable items comprise at least one of a process control device, operational data associated with a process control device, or manufacturing data associated with a process control device.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising modifying the search profile based on the query.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein modifying the search profile comprises weighting previous queries associated with the search profile based on the query.

13. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the search profile comprises at least one of desired search results, additional query data, or historical queries associated with the search profile.

14. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising requesting the requester to refine the query.

15. An article of manufacture comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

monitor a process control system for first information associated with a plurality of searchable items;

publish the first information to a search database;

receive a request from a requester including a query of the searchable items and specifying a search profile;

generate a response comprising second information associated with the searchable items based on the query and the search profile; and

transmit the response to the requester.

16. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the searchable items comprise at least one of a process control device, operational data associated with a process control device, or manufacturing data associated with a process control device.

17. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to modify the search profile based on the query.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 17, wherein modifying the search profile comprises weighting previous queries associated with the search profile based on the query.

19. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the search profile comprises at least one of desired search results, additional query data, or historical queries associated with the search profile.

20. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to request the requester to refine the query.