SOFTWARE LOCKOUT COORDINATION BETWEEN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM AND AN ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A process control system operating to control a process within a process plant, the system comprising:
- a plurality of process control equipment resources;
a process controller;
an operator user interface;
a maintenance user interface; and
a data structure storing information for determining for each of the plurality of process control equipment resources whether each of the operator user interface and the maintenance user interface may access a one of the process control equipment resources.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process control system coordinates with an associated asset management system to implement a plant safety mechanism and, in particular, to prevent unintended changes to, or otherwise undesired operation of, one or more process control equipment resources in a process plant. A maintenance technician uses the asset management system to request access to one or more of the process control equipment resources. A process operator receives the request via the process control system and grants or denies the request. Process control equipment resources for which a process operator grants a request are inoperable, in part or in whole, by the process control system. Upon completion of the maintenance task, the maintenance technician requests to return control of the process control equipment resource to the process operator. The return is complete when the process operator acknowledges the return of the resource to the process control system.
62 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A process control system operating to control a process within a process plant, the system comprising:
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a plurality of process control equipment resources; a process controller; an operator user interface; a maintenance user interface; and a data structure storing information for determining for each of the plurality of process control equipment resources whether each of the operator user interface and the maintenance user interface may access a one of the process control equipment resources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more sets of computer readable instructions for execution by one or more processors, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to:
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display a first user interface operable to control a plurality of process control equipment resources operating as part of a process that operates in a process plant; display a second user interface operable to perform tasks related to maintaining the plurality of process control equipment resources; maintain a list of process control equipment resources, the list indicating a communication parameter for each of the process control equipment resources; selectively facilitate communications between the first user interface and each of the process control equipment resources according to the communication parameter associated with each process control equipment resource; and selectively facilitate communications between the second user interface and each of the process control equipment resources according to the communication parameter associated with each process control equipment resource. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for selectively facilitating access by first and second users to a process equipment control resource operating in a process of a process plant, the method comprising:
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storing information indicative of which of the first and second users may access the process control equipment resource; retrieving the stored information for the process control equipment resource; evaluating the retrieved information to determine a user to whom the process control equipment resource is accessible; and selectively facilitating access to the process control equipment resource by either the first or the second users according to the evaluation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification