METHOD FOR INITIATING OR RESUMING A MOBILE CONTROL SESSION IN A PROCESS PLANT

• US 20140277617A1
• 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., Moore, James H. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 11,573,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• 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

User interface sessions in a user interface device are initiated or resumed according to stored state data. A session request is received from a first client device. A user profile associated with the session request is identified and a determination made as to whether a previous session exists. If no previous session exists, a new session is instantiated using a default session configuration. If a previous session exists, a new session is instantiated according to the previous session.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a user interface session on a first client device for controlling a process plant, the method comprising:

receiving from the first client device a session request;

identifying a user profile associated with the session request;

determining whether a previous session exists; and

if no previous session exists, instantiating a new session using a default session configuration;

or

if a previous session exists, instantiating a new session according to the previous session.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein identifying a user profile associated with the session request comprises receiving from the first client device a user identifier associated with the user profile, the user identifier currently logged into the first client device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein identifying a user profile associated with the session request comprises receiving from the first client device a user identifier associated with the user profile, the user identifier currently logged into a second client device.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to the second client device a request to instantiate on the first client device a session according to the session operating on the second client device; and

receiving from the second client device a confirmation.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether a previous session exists comprises requesting from the first client device a session identifier associated with the previous session.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether a previous session exists comprises receiving from the first client device, in response to the session identifier request, a session identifier.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether a previous session exists comprises receiving with the session request a session identifier.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein instantiating a new session according to the previous session comprises:

determining whether a session identifier was received with the session request;

if a session identifier was received with the session request, instantiating a session associated with the session identifier;

or

if no session identifier was received with the session request, instantiating a session associated with a most recent session.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein instantiating a session associated with a most recent session comprises instantiating a session associated with a most recent session of a user identifier associated with the first client device.