Priority coding for control room alarms
First Claim
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1. An alarm system for alerting the operator of a nuclear power plant of abnormal operating conditions, each abnormal operating condition resulting from an abnormal processor component parameter signal falling within one of a preestablished set of at least two priority of importance categories, comprising:
- an alarm display means including a screen area for displaying the images of a plurality of alarm tiles in a normal state and, upon the occurrence of an abnormal parameter signal, in an activated state that includes a concise descriptor within the activated tile image of the abnormal operating condition resulting from the abnormal parameter'"'"'s signal;
means for associating a priority category with each abnormal parameter signal for which a tile image is displayed in an activated state;
means for displaying with the descriptor of each activated tile, a preestablished, distinctly shaped coded image indicative of the priority of category of the abnormal operating condition that resulted from the abnormal parameter.
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Abstract
Indicating the priority of a spatially fixed, activated alarm tile on an alarm tile array by a shape coding at the tile, and preferably using the same shape coding wherever the same alarm condition is indicated elsewhere in the control room. The status of an alarm tile can change automatically or by operator acknowledgement, but tones and/or flashing cues continue to provide status information to the operator.
65 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An alarm system for alerting the operator of a nuclear power plant of abnormal operating conditions, each abnormal operating condition resulting from an abnormal processor component parameter signal falling within one of a preestablished set of at least two priority of importance categories, comprising:
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an alarm display means including a screen area for displaying the images of a plurality of alarm tiles in a normal state and, upon the occurrence of an abnormal parameter signal, in an activated state that includes a concise descriptor within the activated tile image of the abnormal operating condition resulting from the abnormal parameter'"'"'s signal; means for associating a priority category with each abnormal parameter signal for which a tile image is displayed in an activated state; means for displaying with the descriptor of each activated tile, a preestablished, distinctly shaped coded image indicative of the priority of category of the abnormal operating condition that resulted from the abnormal parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling the presentation of abnormal condition alarms in an alarm system for use by an operator of a nuclear power plant, comprising:
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activating at least two of a multiplicity of alarm tiles on an alarm tile array such that each activated tile presents an activated descriptor of the source of an abnormal condition in the plant; for one of said activated tiles, presenting a shape coded indication that the associated source requires attention with high priority; for the other of said activated tiles, presenting a shape coded indication that the associated source requires attention with a low priority; wherein the operator can respond to each activated alarm tile so each tile is in one of four statuses consisting of, a new alarm associated with an abnormal condition and unacknowledged tile, an existing alarm associated with an abnormal condition and acknowledged tile, a cleared alarm associated with a normal condition and unacknowledged tile, and a reset alarm condition associated with a normal condition of an acknowledged alarm; generating a first, momentary audible tone upon the activation of a new alarm; generating a second, momentary audible tone upon the occurrence of a cleared alarm; and generating a third, periodically repeating audible tone during a new alarm and a cleared alarm. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification