METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DISPLAY PROCESS CONTROL DEVICE INFORMATION

• US 20120079407A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Holmes, David Farrell, Lattimer, Donald Robert, Lattimer, Dale Henry, Parsons, David Michael, Barns, Harry Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to display process control information are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving in a processor a first status of a first mode element, the first mode element indicating a current operating condition of an object of a process control device, receiving in the processor a second status of a second mode element, the second mode element indicating a desired operating condition of the object of the process control device, determining a mode of the object based on the first status and the second status, the mode indicating a condition of the object of the process control device, and displaying the mode of the object of the process control device within a user interface as a graphic.

Claims

1. A method to display process control information, the method comprising:

receiving in a processor a first status of a first mode element, the first mode element indicating a current operating condition of an object of a process control device;

receiving in the processor a second status of a second mode element, the second mode element indicating a desired operating condition of the object of the process control device;

determining a mode of the object based on the first status and the second status, the mode indicating a condition of the object of the process control device; and

displaying the mode of the object of the process control device within a user interface as a graphic.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the mode of the object is a normal operation mode if the first status matches the second status.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the mode of the object is determined by aggregating the first status and the second status into an aggregated result and matching the d result to a predetermined mode of the object of the process control device.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first status or the second status is received from at least one of the user interface, the process control device, or a database.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising accessing a device definition associated with the process control device to compare the first status and the second status to predetermined modes to determine the mode of the object.

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

receiving in the processor a third status of a third mode element, the third mode element indicating a condition of the object when the object is operating within normal conditions; and

determining the mode of the object of the process control device based on the first status, the second status and the third status.

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

receiving in the processor a first status of a third mode element, the third mode element indicating a current operating condition of a second object of the process control device;

receiving in the processor a second status of a fourth mode element, the fourth mode element indicating a desired operating condition of the second object of the process control device;

determining a second mode of the second object based on the first status of the third mode element and the second status of the fourth mode element, the second mode indicating a condition of the second object of the process control device; and

displaying the second mode of the second object of the process control device within the user interface as a second graphic.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

determining a third mode of the process control device based on the mode of the object and the second mode of the second object, the third mode indicating a condition of the process control device; and

displaying the third mode of the process control device within the user interface as a third graphic.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the object of the process control device is a transducer component and the second object of the process control device is a functional component configurable by a user of the process control device.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising determining a condition of a control routine based at least one of the mode of the object, the second mode of the second object or the third mode of the process control device.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving in the processor a first status of a fifth mode element, the fifth mode element indicating a current operating condition of a object of a second process control device;

receiving in the processor a second status of a sixth mode element, the sixth mode element indicating a desired operating condition of the object of the second process control device;

determining a fourth mode of the object based on the first status of the fifth mode element and the second status of the sixth mode element, the fourth mode indicating a condition of the object of the second process control device; and

displaying the mode of the object of the second process control device within the user interface as a fourth graphic.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

determining a seventh mode of a process control system that includes the first and the second process control devices based on the fourth mode of the object of the second process control device and the third mode of the process control device, the seventh mode indicating a condition of the process control system; and

displaying the fourth mode of the process control device within the user interface as a fifth graphic.

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

receiving in the processor from a user interface an instruction to cause the process control device to be in a desired mode;

changing the first status of the first mode element based on the desired mode;

changing the second status of the second mode element based on the desired mode;

transmitting the first status of the first mode element to the process control device to cause the process control device to change the operating condition of the object.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the desired mode is a normal operating mode, and the changed first status of the first mode element includes at least one of a numerical value, a condition, an event, a boolean value, or a status state.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the object is a configuration block defining a feature of the process control device.

16. An apparatus to display process control information, the apparatus comprising:

a runtime data receiver to;

receive a first status of a first mode element, the first mode element indicating a first condition of a configuration block of an object; and

receive a second status of a second mode element, the second mode element indicating a second condition of the configuration block;

a mode calculator to determine a mode of the configuration block based on the first status and the second status, the mode indicating an operating condition of the configuration block of the object; and

a renderer to display the mode of the configuration block within a user interface as a graphic.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the mode calculator is to determine the mode by aggregating the first status and the second status into an aggregated result and matching the aggregated result to a predetermined mode.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising a crossblock processor to:

access a device descriptor stored in a database that defines modes of the object; and

transmit the device descriptor to the mode calculator.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising:

a selection receiver to receive from a user interface an instruction to cause the configuration block to be in a desired mode; and

a mode selector to;

change the first status of the first mode element based on the desired mode;

change the second status of the second mode element based on the desired mode; and

transmit the first status of the first mode element to a process control device associated with the configuration block to cause the configuration block to change the operating condition of the process control device.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the mode selector is to access a device descriptor defining how the mode selector is to change the first status of the first mode element based on the desired mode and how the mode selector is to change the second status of the second mode element based on the desired mode.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the mode calculator is to determine the mode by using the device descriptor to compare the first status and the second status to predetermined modes.

17-19. -19. (canceled)

25. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive a first status of a first mode element, the first mode element indicating a current operating condition of an object of a process control device;

receive a second status of a second mode element, the second mode element indicating a desired operating condition of the object of the process control device;

determine a mode of the object based on the first status and the second status, the mode indicating a condition of the object of the process control device; and

display the mode of the object of the process control device within a user interface as a graphic.

26-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method to display process control information, comprising:

displaying a status panel graphic within a user interface to show process control information associated with a process control device, including a first graphic indicating a mode of an object included within the process control device, wherein the mode of the object is based on a combination of statuses associated with the object; and

displaying an information panel graphic adjacent to the status panel graphic including a second graphic displaying an output from the object.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the first graphic and the second graphic are separated by a distance equal to at least one half the length of either the first or second graphic.

31. A method as defined in claim 29, further comprising displaying within the status panel graphic a third graphic adjacent the first graphic, the third graphic indicating a mode of a second object included within the process control device.

32. A method as defined in claim 31, further comprising concealing the third graphic if a conditional device parameter associated with the third graphic indicates the second object is not enabled.

39. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein displaying the first graphic includes determining a set of graphics within a database associated with a type of the object and matching the first graphic within the set to at least one of the mode or the object.

33-38. -38. (canceled)

40-48. -48. (canceled)