DATA COLLECTION FOR ASSISTANCE IN AN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160349720A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Harkulich, Joseph, Helfrich, Kurt A., Ericsson, Matthew R., Anand, Ashish
• Granted Patent: US 10,031,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0069 Engineering, e.g. mechanical, electrical design computer engineering G09B19/0053

Abstract

Techniques to facilitate assistance to a user of an industrial application associated with an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the industrial application is displayed on a display system of a computing system. The computing system collect contextual information comprising data associated with the industrial application. A help session is initiated with an assisting entity from within the industrial application, and the contextual information is transferred for delivery to the assisting entity.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to facilitate assistance to a user of an industrial application associated with an industrial automation environment, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

display a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the industrial application on a display system of the computing system;

collect contextual information comprising data associated with the industrial application;

initiate a help session with an assisting entity from within the industrial application; and

transfer the contextual information for delivery to the assisting entity.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the assisting entity comprises a support service.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the assisting entity comprises a peer within the industrial automation environment.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the help session is displayed within the GUI of the industrial application.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the help session with the assisting entity comprises a peer-to-peer communication session.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the contextual information comprises at least one operator interface screen capture associated with the industrial application.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the contextual information comprises at least one activity log associated with the industrial application.

8. A method of operating a computing system to facilitate assistance to a user of an industrial application associated with an industrial automation environment, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the industrial application on a display system of the computing system;

collecting contextual information comprising data associated with the industrial application;

initiating a help session with an assisting entity from within the industrial application; and

transferring the contextual information for delivery to the assisting entity.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the assisting entity comprises a support service.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the assisting entity comprises a peer within the industrial automation environment.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the help session is displayed within the GUI of the industrial application.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the help session with the assisting entity comprises a peer-to-peer communication session.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the contextual information comprises at least one operator interface screen capture associated with the industrial application.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the contextual information comprises at least one activity log associated with the industrial application.

15. An apparatus to facilitate assistance to a user of an industrial application associated with an industrial automation environment, the apparatus comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the industrial application on a display system of the computing system;

collect contextual information comprising data associated with the industrial application;

initiate a help session with an assisting entity from within the industrial application; and

transfer the contextual information for delivery to the assisting entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the assisting entity comprises a support service.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the assisting entity comprises a peer within the industrial automation environment.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the help session is displayed within the GUI of the industrial application.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the help session with the assisting entity comprises a peer-to-peer communication session.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the contextual information comprises at least one operator interface screen capture associated with the industrial application.