GRAPHICAL INTERFACE FOR DISPLAY OF ASSETS IN AN ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130097545A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grewal, Ardaman Singh
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31396 Business management, production, document, asset, regulatory management, high level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates employing a graphical user interface to monitor and/or manage an asset within an industrial environment. A graphical user interface can facilitate asset management including a first field that provides a user with a hierarchical representation of assets within an industrial environment. The graphical user interface can further include a second field that displays available management functionality associated with an asset selected within the first field.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

facilitating, by a system comprising a processor, a hierarchical representation of assets within an industrial environment based on characteristic data associated with the assets; and

receiving input data, via a graphical interface, to select at least one of the assets and facilitate monitoring of the at least one of the assets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises determining the hierarchical representation based on respective physical locations of the assets within the industrial environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises determining the hierarchical representation based on respective industry standards employed by the assets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises determining the hierarchical representation based on hierarchy data associated with an enterprise related to the industrial environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating a first presentation of an asset graphic associated with the at least one of the assets; and

facilitating a second presentation of information indicative of available functionality associated with the at least one of the assets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating a display of information indicative of a detail related to the graphical interface; and

updating the display in response to determining a change in the information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the assets comprises at least one of a physical device, software, or a firmware within the industrial environment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the physical device comprises at least one of a programmable logic controller, a pump, a press, a valve, a drain, a heater, a cooler, a switch, a sensor, or a conveyor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data is first input data and the method further comprises:

receiving second input data, via the graphical interface, to facilitate management of the at least one of the assets; and

based on the second input data, at least one of validating the at least one of the assets, backing up the at least one of the assets, archiving data associated with the at least one of the assets, updating the at least one of the assets with replacement software, updating the at least one of the assets with replacement firmware, updating the at least one of the assets with additional software, or updating the at least one of the assets with additional firmware.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

facilitating a representation of assets within an industrial environment in a hierarchical representation;

employing a graphical interface to receive a selection of an asset of the assets; and

facilitating, via the graphical interface, a presentation of data that is determined based on monitoring the asset.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the asset is at least one of a programmable logic controller, a pump, a press, a valve, a drain, a heater, a cooler, a switch, a sensor, or a conveyor within the industrial environment.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

authorizing access to the asset based at least in part on a location of the asset in the hierarchical representation.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

authorizing access to a functionality associated with the asset based at least in part on a type of the functionality.

14. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising;

a component configured to determine a hierarchical representation of assets within an industrial environment based upon characteristic data associated with the assets; and

a graphical interface configured to receive input data that selects at least one of the assets to facilitate monitoring of the at least one of the assets.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

a detection component configured to ascertain at least one of when an asset of the assets has been added to the industrial environment, when the asset has been removed from the industrial environment, or when the asset has been updated within the industrial environment.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the detection component is further configured to receive message data from the asset comprising information indicative of at least one of a type of the asset, an identity of the asset, a location on a network of the asset, or an associated asset having a dependency to the asset.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the asset is configured to utilize identification data to detect and maintain an alteration of the asset within the industrial environment.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

an updating component configured to update the hierarchical representation of the assets based upon an alteration of the assets determined by the detection component.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory comprises a data store configured to retain at least one electronic document associated with the at least one of the assets employed within the industrial environment, wherein the electronic document is descriptive of at least one of an operation of the at least one of the assets or an operation instruction associated with the at least one of the assets.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

a security component configured to ascertain an authorization related to the at least one of the assets, wherein the authorization restricts an implementation of a functionality associated with the at least one of the assets.