PRESENTATION OF GRAPHICAL VISUALIZATIONS AND CONTROL MECHANISMS IN-LINE WITH PROGRAMMING LOGIC

• US 20170205792A1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanek, Christopher E., Henderson, Benjamin, Como, Christopher W., Ericsson, Matthew R., Reichard, Douglas J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,073,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23067 Control, human or man machine interface, interactive, HMI, MMI
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25268 PLD programmable logic device

Abstract

Techniques to facilitate programming industrial control systems to operate machinery in an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, a user interface is displayed for a control program editor comprising programming logic associated with at least one machine system. Operational data associated with operating the at least one machine system controlled by an industrial controller executing the programming logic is received. The programming logic and the operational data are processed to determine contextual associations between the programming logic and the operational data. In the user interface for the control program editor, the operational data is displayed in context with the programming logic associated therewith based on the contextual associations.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to facilitate programming industrial control systems to operate machinery in an industrial automation environment, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

display a user interface for a control program editor comprising programming logic associated with at least one machine system;

receive operational data associated with operating the at least one machine system controlled by an industrial controller executing the programming logic;

process the programming logic and the operational data to determine contextual associations between the programming logic and the operational data; and

in the user interface for the control program editor, display the operational data in context with the programming logic associated therewith based on the contextual associations.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the operational data comprises visualizations associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the operational data comprises key performance indicators associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the operational data comprises at least one interaction control which upon selection directs the industrial controller to execute at least a portion of the programming logic to control an operation of the at least one machine system.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 4 wherein the program instructions further direct the computing system to receive a selection of the at least one interaction control and responsively display new operational data resulting from the industrial controller executing the at least the portion of the programming logic to control the operation of the at least one machine system.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the programming logic comprises textual and graphical formats.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the programming logic comprises relay ladder logic.

8. A method to facilitate programming industrial control systems to operate machinery in an industrial automation environment, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface for a control program editor comprising programming logic associated with at least one machine system;

receiving operational data associated with operating the at least one machine system controlled by an industrial controller executing the programming logic;

processing the programming logic and the operational data to determine contextual associations between the programming logic and the operational data; and

in the user interface for the control program editor, displaying the operational data in context with the programming logic associated therewith based on the contextual associations.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the operational data comprises visualizations associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the operational data comprises key performance indicators associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the operational data comprises at least one interaction control which upon selection directs the industrial controller to execute at least a portion of the programming logic to control an operation of the at least one machine system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a selection of the at least one interaction control and responsively displaying new operational data resulting from the industrial controller executing the at least the portion of the programming logic to control the operation of the at least one machine system.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the programming logic comprises textual and graphical formats.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the programming logic comprises relay ladder logic.

15. An apparatus to facilitate programming industrial control systems to operate machinery in 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 processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

display a user interface for a control program editor comprising programming logic associated with at least one machine system;

receive operational data associated with operating the at least one machine system controlled by an industrial controller executing the programming logic;

process the programming logic and the operational data to determine contextual associations between the programming logic and the operational data; and

in the user interface for the control program editor, display the operational data in context with the programming logic associated therewith based on the contextual associations.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the operational data comprises visualizations associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the operational data comprises key performance indicators associated with the operation of the at least one machine system.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the operational data comprises at least one interaction control which upon selection directs the industrial controller to execute at least a portion of the programming logic to control an operation of the at least one machine system.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to receive a selection of the at least one interaction control and responsively display new operational data resulting from the industrial controller executing the at least the portion of the programming logic to control the operation of the at least one machine system.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the programming logic comprises textual and graphical formats.