MOBILE CONTROL ROOM WITH REAL-TIME ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS

• US 20140274123A1
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark J., Beoughter, Ken J., Christensen, Daniel D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,778,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and apparatus track the location of a mobile device within a process plant and display present information about the location of the mobile device in the process plant relative to equipment of the process plant. A location awareness component generates information pertaining to the location of the mobile control room device. A first routine interprets information generated by the location awareness component according to information stored in a database to determine a relationship between the location of the device and a layout of the process plant. A second routine generates a graphic for depiction on the display according to the determined relationship between the location of the device and the layout of the plant.

Claims

1. A mobile control room device for use in process plant, the device comprising:

a processor;

a memory device communicatively coupled to the processor;

a display communicatively coupled to the processor;

a location awareness component operable to generate information pertaining to the location of the mobile control room device;

a database stored on the memory device and storing layout information of the process plant;

a first routine stored on the memory device and operable to interpret information generated by the location awareness component according to information stored in the database to determine a relationship between the location of the mobile control device and the layout of the process plant; and

a second routine stored on the memory device and operable to generate a graphic for depiction on the display according to the determined relationship between the location of the mobile control device and the layout of the process plant.

2. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the database stores layout information for presenting the process plant from an overhead perspective.

3. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the database stores layout information for presenting the process plant from an eye-level perspective.

4. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the database stores layout information for each device in the process plant, the layout information including for each process control device:

a device tag;

a device visualization;

a device location; and

device connection information.

5. A mobile control device according to claim 4, wherein the device visualization comprises a plurality of device visualizations, each device visualization corresponding to a mobile control device type, or a mobile control device display type.

6. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the location awareness component comprises a GPS receiver.

7. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the location awareness component comprises an RFID reader.

8. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the location awareness component comprises an RFID tag and a communication channel between the processor and a server, the server providing location data to the processor.

9. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the location awareness component comprises a plurality of sensors operable to determine, relative to an anchor point, the movement and position of the mobile control device.

10. A mobile control device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a plurality of accelerometers and a plurality of gyroscopes.

11. A mobile control device according to claim 1, wherein the second routine is operable to generate a real-time graphic of the location of the mobile control device within the process plant as the mobile control device moves within the process plant.

12. A mobile control device according to claim 11, wherein the real-time graphic presents the location of the mobile control device from an overhead perspective.

13. A mobile control device according to claim 11, wherein the real-time graphic presents the location of the mobile control device in three dimensions from an eye-level perspective.

14. A method of facilitating mobile control of a process plant, the method comprising:

implementing a mobile user interface device;

providing in the mobile user interface device a location awareness component operable to generate information pertaining to the location of the mobile control room device;

providing a database storing layout information of the process plant;

implementing on the mobile user interface device a first routine operable to interpret information generated by the location awareness component according to information stored in the database to determine a relationship between the location of the mobile control device and the layout of the process plant; and

implementing on the mobile user interface device a second routine operable to generate a graphic for depiction on the display according to the determined relationship between the location of the mobile control device and the layout of the process plant.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a database storing layout information of the process plant comprises providing a database storing layout information for presenting the process plant from an overhead perspective.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a database storing layout information of the process plant comprises providing a database storing layout information for presenting the process plant from an eye-level perspective.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a database storing layout information of the process plant comprises providing a database storing layout information for each device in the process plant, the layout information including for each process control device:

a device tag;

a device visualization;

a device location; and

device connection information.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the device visualization comprises a plurality of device visualizations, each device visualization corresponding to a mobile control device type, or a mobile control device display type.

19. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a location awareness component comprises providing a GPS receiver.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a location awareness component comprises providing an RFID reader.

21. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a location awareness component comprises providing an RFID tag and a communication channel between the mobile user interface device and a server, the server providing data to the mobile user interface device.

22. A method according to claim 14, wherein providing a location awareness component comprises providing a plurality of sensors operable to determine, relative to an anchor point, the movement and position of the mobile user interface device.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein providing a plurality of sensors comprises providing a plurality of accelerometers and a plurality of gyroscopes.

24. A method according to claim 14, wherein implementing a second routine comprises implementing a routine operable to generate a real-time graphic of the location of the mobile user interface device within the process plant as the mobile user interface device moves within the process plant.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein generating a real-time graphic of the location of the mobile user interface device within the process plant as the mobile user interface device moves within the process plant comprises depicting on a display the location of the mobile user interface device from an overhead perspective.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein generating a real-time graphic of the location of the mobile user interface device within the process plant as the mobile user interface device moves within the process plant comprises depicting on a display the location of the mobile user interface device in three dimensions from an eye-level perspective.