METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS STATE TRANSFER BETWEEN USER INTERFACE DEVICES IN A MOBILE CONTROL ROOM

• US 20140277595A1
• 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 10,031,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• 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

Methods and systems for operating a process plant include multiple user interface devices, each operating a plurality of applications, and operable to pass device state from device to device. A first user interface device is communicatively coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area, and executes one or more first routines for performing a function. A second user interface device is communicatively coupled via a network to the unitary, logical data storage area and executes one or more stored routines each corresponding to one of the first routines. The first user interface device passes to the second user interface device state information indicative of one or more first routines operating on the first user interface device such that the second user interface device, upon receiving the state information, executes one or more of the second routines corresponding to one or more of the first routines.

Claims

1. A system for operating a process control plant, the system comprising:

a unitary, logical data storage area including one or more data storage devices configured to store, using a common format, process data corresponding to the process plant, the process data including multiple types of process data selected from configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and event data;

a first user interface device communicatively coupled via a network to the unitary, logical data storage area and operable to execute one or more first routines, each first routine for performing a control function, an operation function, a configuration function, a maintenance function, a data analysis function, a management function, a quality control function, or a security function; and

a second user interface device communicatively coupled via the network to the unitary, logical data storage area and operable to execute one or more second routines, each second routine corresponding to one of the first routines;

wherein the first user interface device is operable to pass to the second user interface device state information indicative of one or more first routines operating on the first user device such that the second user interface device, upon receiving the state information, executes one or more of the second routines corresponding to one or more of the first routines operating on the first user interface device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the second user interface device is a mobile device.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a mobile device.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the state information is passed from the first user interface device to the second user interface device via an Internet connection.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the state information is passed from the first user interface device to the second user interface device via the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi protocols.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a location awareness component, wherein the second user interface device is operable to receive a signal from the location awareness component and to modify the execution of the one or more second routines according to the signal received from the location awareness component.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a location awareness component, wherein the location awareness component is operable to receive a signal from the second user interface device, and to cause, via the network, the second user interface device to modify the execution of the one or more routines according to the signal received from the location awareness component.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein modifying the execution of the one or more routines comprises one of:

(a) highlighting an area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(b) displaying information about a particular device within a predetermined distance of the second user interface device;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

or

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an equipment awareness component wherein the second user interface device is operable to receive a signal from the equipment awareness component and to modify the execution of the one or more second routines according to the signal received from the equipment awareness component.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the equipment awareness component comprises a transmitter transmitting to the second user interface device a wireless signal identifying the equipment with which the transmitter is associated.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein modifying the execution of the one or more routines comprises one of:

(a) highlighting on a display process plant equipment associated with the received signal;

(b) displaying on the second user interface device information about a particular device associated with the received signal;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to the device associated with the received signal;

or

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to the device associated with the received signal.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device passes state information to the second user interface device when the first and second user interface devices mutually detect one another and the same user is logged into both devices.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device passes state information to the second user interface device upon an instruction by the first user interface device to pass the state information to the second user interface device.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein, by passing the state information from the first user interface device to the second user interface device, the system facilitates one or more of the following activities:

(a) collaboration on the two user interface devices between different users;

(b) mobility of a single user across the two user interface devices;

(c) device awareness of user location within the process plant;

or

(d) device awareness of user proximity to particular process plant equipment.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein upon receiving the state information from the first user interface device, the second user interface device configures a display according to the state information and according to a device type associated with the second user interface device.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the state information is passed from the first user interface device to the second user interface device directly via a point-to-point wireless connection.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein the state information is passed from the first user interface device to the second user interface device via an intermediary network.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein the state information is passed from the first user interface device to the second user interface device via an intermediary server device.

20. A method of operating a process plant, the method comprising:

executing, on a first user interface device, one or more first routines for performing a function in the process plant, the one or more first routines operable to access process data;

tracking the state of the one or more first routines executing on the first user interface device;

storing the state of the one or more first routines executing on the first user interface device;

transferring to a second user interface device the stored state of the one or more first routines executing on the first user interface device;

executing, on the second user interface device, according to the stored state, one or more second routines corresponding to the one or more first routines; and

performing, using the second user interface device, a function in the process plant.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the second user interface device is a mobile device.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the first user interface device is a mobile device.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state of the one or more first routines comprises transferring the stored state via an Internet connection.

25. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state of the one or more first routines comprises transferring the stored state via the Bluetooth or Near Field Communication protocols.

26. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving at the second user interface device a signal indicating a proximity of the second user interface device to a device or location; and

modifying the execution of the one or more second routines according to the received signal.

27. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting from the second user interface device to a location awareness component a signal indicating a proximity of the second user interface device to a device or location; and

receiving, in response to the transmitted signal, from a server coupled via a network to the second user interface device, information specific to the device or location.

28. A method according to claim 20, further comprising performing one of the following actions on the second user interface device when in proximity to the device or location:

(a) highlighting an area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(b) displaying information about a particular device within a predetermined distance of the second user interface device;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(e) highlighting on a display process plant equipment associated with the received signal;

(f) displaying on the second user interface device information about a particular device associated with the received signal;

(g) displaying an alarm relevant to the device associated with the received signal;

or

(h) displaying a work item pertaining to the device associated with the received signal.

29. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises transferring the stored state upon detection of the first user interface device by the second user interface device, or upon detection of the second user interface device by the first user interface device.

30. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises transferring the stored state upon an instruction received at the first user interface device to pass the stored state to the second user interface device.

31. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises facilitating one or more of the following activities:

(a) collaboration on the two user interface devices between different users;

(b) mobility of a single user across the two user interface devices;

(c) device awareness of user location within the process plant;

or

(d) device awareness of user proximity to particular process plant equipment.

32. A method according to claim 20, further comprising configuring a display on the second user interface device according to the stored state and according to a device type associated with the second user interface device.

33. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises transferring the stored state via a point-to-point wireless connection.

34. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises transferring the stored state via an intermediary network.

35. A method according to claim 20, wherein transferring to the second user interface device the stored state comprises transferring the stored state via an intermediary server device.