Methods and systems for providing electronic documentation to users of industrial process control systems

• US 5,918,233 A
• Filed: 05/30/1996
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: The Foxboro Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Sardell, Richard, La Chance, Ralph Edward, Waibel, Helmut, Landry, Donald Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US08/652,722
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 364/146, 364/188, 345/340, 345/341, 345/347, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352-357, 345/965, 345/970, 707/102-104
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

In a process control system, a user selects a displayed object. The user then asks to be shown documents related to the selected object. A list of related documents is automatically displayed to the user who may then select a document for display. The association of documents with displayed process control objects is facilitated by a document librarian. Within the document librarian, a user drags documents from within a document hierarchy over to hierarchically designated objects within the process control system, and drops them thereon. Links between the documents and the process control objects are thereby established.

Claims

1. A method for providing electronic documentation to a user of an industrial process control system, said method comprising:

(a) associating a linking attribute with each of a plurality of documents, each linking attribute identifying one or more objects that correspond to elements of an industrial process;

(b) displaying a process control screen on a computer display, said process control screen having at least one said object displayed thereon;

(c) facilitating selection of said displayed object by said user of the industrial process control system;

(d) displaying on the computer display a list of documents with linking attributes that match the selected object;

(e) facilitating selection by said user of at least one document of said list of documents; and

(f) displaying said at least one document on said computer display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said facilitating selection (b) comprises facilitating a user to select said object using a pointing facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said pointing facility comprises one of a mouse, a trackball and a touch screen.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said facilitating step (c) includes displaying a document select object corresponding to document retrieval and facilitating selection of said document select object by said user to initiate said displaying said list of documents.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said displaying step (d) is performed in response to a selection device actuation sequence by said user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said selection device actuation sequence includes a user depressing an alternative selection button on said pointing facility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein documents are stored in a plurality of predefined formats, and wherein said at least one document has a first predefined format of said plurality of predefined formats, and wherein said displaying comprises executing a display program corresponding to said first predefined format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of predefined formats include at least one of ASCII text format, word processor format, CAD format, and digitized image format.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a search of said linking attributes to find ones that match the selected object, wherein said performing said search includes passing a reference corresponding to said selected object to a database search engine and directing said database engine to search for documents having an entry corresponding to said reference within their linking attribute.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said reference to said selected object includes at least one of a compound name, a block name and an alarm name.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said process control screen includes representations of interconnected physical process elements, and wherein said at least one object comprises one of said interconnected physical process elements.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said process control screen includes an alarm list, and wherein said at least one object comprises an alarm from said alarm list.

11. A method for providing electronic documentation to a user of an industrial process control system, said method comprising:

(a) associating a linking attribute with each of a plurality of documents, each linking attribute identifying one or more hierarchically arranged objects that correspond to elements of an industrial process;

at least one linking attribute comprising a hierarchical identifier having a first identifier and a second identifier, at least one hierarchical identifier having a first identifier that identifies a given one of said objects, and a second identifier that represents a wildcard;

(b) displaying a process control screen on a computer display, said process control screen having at least one said object displayed thereon;

(c) facilitating selection of said displayed object by said user of the industrial process control system;

(d) performing a search to find linking attributes that match the selected object and displaying on the computer display a list of documents associated with any such matching linking attributes, wherein a linking attribute having a hierarchical identifier whose second identifier represents a wildcard matches any of (i) the given object identified by the first identifier of that hierarchical identifier, and (ii) a subordinate of that given object in said hierarchical arrangement;

(e) facilitating selection by said user of at least one document of said list of documents; and

(f) displaying said at least one document on said computer display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said performing said search includes searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier and said second identifier of a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first identifier of a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document comprises a compound name and said second identifier comprises a block name.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document further includes a third identifier that is passed to said database search engine during said performing said search.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said performing said search includes searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier, said second identifier and said third identifier of said hierarchical identifier.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said performing said search includes searching for documents exactly matching said hierarchical identifier and for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said searching for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard includes searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier, and matching any second identifier and any third identifier.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said searching for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard includes searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier and said second identifier, and matching any third identifier.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said first identifier comprises a compound name, said second identifier comprises a block name and said third identifier comprises an alarm name.

22. A method of electronic document management in a computerized process control system including at least one computer, said method comprising:

(a) presenting a user with a hierarchical organization of process nodes, said hierarchical organization of process nodes having a correspondence to process control objects of the process control system, said hierarchical organization of process nodes being at least partially displayed on a display of said computer;

(b) presenting said user with a hierarchical organization of document nodes, said hierarchical organization of document nodes having a correspondence to documents within said process control system, said hierarchical organization of document nodes being at least partially displayed on said display of said computer;

(c) permitting a user to designate to said computer a first node selected from one of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes;

(d) permitting a user to designate to said computer a second node selected from the other of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes; and

(e) linking said first node and said second node such that a selected process node is associated with a selected document node, said linking step including associating, with at least selected document nodes a linking field identifying one or more process control objects.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes includes a first level of process nodes and a second level of process nodes.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said process control system includes process control objects, at least some of said process control objects being identified by a first identifier and a second identifier, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes having a predefined correspondence to said first identifier and said second identifier of said process control objects.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes such that said first level of process nodes correspond to said first identifiers of said process control objects.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes such that at least a portion of said second level of process nodes correspond to said second identifiers of said process control objects.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said process control objects are further identifier by a third identifier.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein said second level of process nodes includes a node having a parent, said parent having a first identifier associated with it, said node corresponding to all process control objects that have a common first identifier with its parent, and lack a specified third identifier.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein said second level of process nodes includes a node having a parent, said parent having a first identifier associated with it, said node corresponding to all process control objects that have a common first identifier with its parent, and specify any third identifier.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes includes a first intermediate level having a plurality of first intermediate nodes therein, each first intermediate node corresponding to a particular first identifier and a particular second identifier of said process control objects.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein at least some of said first intermediate nodes have at least one child node corresponding to at least one process control object having said particular first identifier and said particular second identifier, but not having any particularly defined third identifier.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein at least some of said first intermediate nodes have at least one child node corresponding to at least one process control object having said particular first identifier and said particular second identifier, and any particularly defined third identifier.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said presenting step (a) includes presenting the user with said hierarchical organization of process nodes, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes further includes a second intermediate level having a plurality of second intermediate nodes therein, said second intermediate level being subordinate to said first intermediate level within said hierarchical organization of process nodes, each second intermediate node corresponding to a particular first identifier, a particular second identifier, and a particular third identifier of said process control objects.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein said first identifier includes compound names, said second identifier includes block names and said third identifier includes alarm names.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein said presenting step (b) includes presenting said user with said hierarchical organization of document nodes, wherein a first level of said document nodes define document categories.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said presenting step (b) includes presenting said user with said hierarchical organization of document nodes, wherein a second level of said document nodes define specific document objects.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein said permitting step (c) and said permitting step (d) include facilitating said user to operate a pointing facility to drag said first node over to said second node and to drop it thereon.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein after said drag and said drop, said method includes displaying a cross reference under each of said first node and said second node in its respective hierarchy to the other of said first node and said second node.

39. The method of claim 22, wherein said hierarchy of process nodes is displayed in a first windows panel on said computer screen, and said hierarchy of document nodes is displayed in a second windows panel on said computer screen.

40. The method of claim 22, wherein said computerized process control system has a document database, and wherein said linking step (e) includes communicating with said document database to inform it of a link between a document object corresponding to said document node and a process control object corresponding to process node.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said communicating with said document database causes a modification of the linking field associated with said document object to include reference to said process control object in said linking field.

42. The method of claim 22, wherein said computerized process control system has a document database, said document database containing document objects and storing said linking field for each document object, wherein said method further includes querying said linking fields, and creating said hierarchical organization of process nodes therefrom.

43. A system for providing electronic documentation to a user of an industrial process control system, said system comprising:

(a) means for associating a linking attribute with each of a plurality of documents, each linking attribute identifying one or more objects that correspond to elements of an industrial process;

(b) means for displaying a process control screen on a computer display, said process control screen having at least ones aid object displayed thereon;

(c) means for facilitating selection of said displayed object by said user of the industrial process control system;

(d) means for displaying on the computer display a list of documents with linking attributes that match the selected object;

(e) means for facilitating selection by said user of at least one document of said list of documents; and

(f) means for displaying said at least one document on said computer display.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said means for facilitating selection (c) comprises means for facilitating a user to select said object using a pointing facility.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said pointing facility comprises one of a mouse, a trackball and a touch screen.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for facilitating (c) includes means for displaying a document select object corresponding to document retrieval and means for facilitating selection of said document select object by said user to initiate said displaying said list of documents.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for displaying (c) operates in response to a selection device actuation sequence by said user.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said selection device actuation sequence includes a user depressing an alternative selection button on said pointing facility.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein documents are stored in a plurality of predefined formats, and wherein said at least one document has a first predefined format of said plurality of predefined formats, and wherein said means for displaying comprises means for executing a display program corresponding to said first predefined format.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein said plurality of predefined formats include at least one of ASCII text format, word processor format, CAD format, and digitized image format.

51. The system of claim 43, comprising means for performing a search of said linking attributes to find ones that match the selected object, wherein said means for performing said search includes means for passing a reference corresponding to said selected object to a database search engine and directing said database engine to search for documents having an entry corresponding to said reference within their linking attribute.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein said reference to said selected object includes at least one of a compound name, a block name and an alarm name.

62. The system of claim 43, wherein said process control screen includes representations of interconnected physical process elements, and wherein said at least one object comprises one of said interconnected physical process elements.

63. The system of claim 43, wherein said process control screen includes an alarm list, and wherein said at least one object comprises an alarm from said alarm list.

53. A system for providing electronic documentation to a user of an industrial process control system, said system comprising:

(a) means for associating a linking attribute with each of a plurality of documents, each linking attribute identifying one or more hierarchically arranged objects that correspond to elements of an industrial process;

at least one linking attribute comprising a hierarchical identifier having a first identifier and a second identifier, at least one hierarchical identifier having a first identifier that identifies a given one of said objects, and a second identifier that represents a wildcard;

(b) means for displaying a process control screen on a computer display, said process control screen having at least one said object displayed thereon;

(c) means for facilitating selection of said displayed object by said user of the industrial process control system;

(d) means for performing a search to find linking attributes that match the selected object and displaying on the computer display a list of documents associated with any such matching linking attributes, wherein a linking attribute having a hierarchical identifier whose second identifier represents a wildcard matches any of (i) the given object identified by the first identifier of that hierarchical identifier, and (ii) a subordinate of that given object in said hierarchical arrangement;

(e) means for facilitating selection by said user of at least one document of said list of documents; and

(f) means for displaying said at least one document on said computer display.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said means for performing said search includes means for searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier and said second identifier of a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein said first identifier of a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document comprises a compound name and said second identifier comprises a block name.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein a hierarchical identifier associated with at least one said document further includes a third identifier that is passed to said database search engine by said means for performing said search.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein said means for performing said search includes means for searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier, said second identifier and said third identifier of said hierarchical identifier.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein said means for performing said search includes means for searching for documents exactly matching said hierarchical identifier and for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for searching for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard includes means for searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier, and matching any second identifier and any third identifier.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for searching for documents matching said hierarchical identifier using at least one wildcard includes means for searching for documents exactly matching said first identifier and said second identifier, and matching any third identifier.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein said first identifier comprises a compound name, said second identifier comprises a block name and said third identifier comprises an alarm name.

64. A system for electronic document management in a computerized process control system including at least one computer, said system comprising:

(a) means for presenting a user with a hierarchical organization of process nodes, said hierarchical organization of process nodes having a correspondence to process control objects of the process control system, said hierarchical organization of process nodes being at least partially displayed on a display of said computer;

(b) means for presenting said user with a hierarchical organization of document nodes, said hierarchical organization of document nodes having a correspondence to documents within said process control system, said hierarchical organization of document nodes being at least partially displayed on said display of said computer;

(c) means for permitting a user to designate to said computer a first node selected from one of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes;

(d) means for permitting a user to designate to said computer a second node selected from the other of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes; and

(e) means for linking said first node and said second node such that a selected process node is associated with a selected document node.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes includes a first level of process nodes and a second level of process nodes.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein said process control system includes process control objects, at least some of said process control objects being identified by a first identifier and a second identifier, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes has a predefined correspondence to said first identifier and said second identifier of said process control objects.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein said first level of process nodes correspond to said first identifiers of said process control objects.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein at least a portion of said second level of process nodes correspond to said second identifiers of said process control objects.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein said process control objects are further identifier by a third identifier.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein said second level of process nodes includes a node having a parent, said parent having a first identifier associated with it, said node corresponding to all process control objects that have a common first identifier with its parent, and lack a specified third identifier.

71. The system of claim 69, wherein said second level of process nodes includes a node having a parent, said parent having a first identifier associated with it, said node corresponding to all process control objects that have a common first identifier with its parent, and specify any third identifier.

72. The system of claim 69, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes includes a first intermediate level having a plurality of first intermediate nodes therein, each first intermediate node corresponding to a particular first identifier and a particular second identifier of said process control objects.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein at least some of said first intermediate nodes have at least one child node corresponding to at least one process control object having said particular first identifier and said particular second identifier, but not having any particularly defined third identifier.

74. The system of claim 72, wherein at least some of said first intermediate nodes have at least one child node corresponding to at least one process control object having said particular first identifier and said particular second identifier, and any particularly defined third identifier.

75. The system of claim 72, wherein said hierarchical organization of process nodes further includes a second intermediate level having a plurality of second intermediate nodes therein, said second intermediate level being subordinate to said first intermediate level within said hierarchical organization of process nodes, each second intermediate node corresponding to a particular first identifier, a particular second identifier, and a particular third identifier of said process control objects.

76. The system of claim 69, wherein said first identifier includes compound names, said second identifier includes block names and said third identifier includes alarm names.

77. The system of claim 64, wherein a first level of said document nodes define document categories.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein a second level of said document nodes define specific document objects.

79. The system of claim 64, wherein said means for permitting (c) and said means for permitting (d) include means for facilitating said user to operate a pointing facility to drag said first node over to said second node and to drop it thereon.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein said system includes means for displaying a cross reference under each of said first node and said second node in its respective hierarchy to the other of said first node and said second node.

81. The system of claim 64, wherein said hierarchy of process nodes is displayed in a first windows panel on said computer screen, and said hierarchy of document nodes is displayed in a second windows panel on said computer screen.

82. The system of claim 64, wherein said computerized process control system has a document database, and wherein said means for linking includes means for communicating with said document database to inform it of a link between a document object corresponding to said document node and a process control object corresponding to process node.

83. The system of claim 82, wherein said means for communicating with said document database causes a modification of the linking field associated with said document object to include reference to said process control object in said linking field.

84. The system of claim 64, wherein said computerized process control system has a document database, said document database containing document objects and storing linking field for each document object, wherein said system further includes means for querying said linking fields, and creating said hierarchical organization of process nodes therefrom.

85. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, said computer program product for providing electronic documentation to a user of an industrial process control system, said computer program product comprising:

(a) means for associating a linking attribute with each of a plurality of documents, each linking attribute identifying one or more objects that correspond to elements of an industrial process;

(b) means for displaying a process control screen on a computer display, said process control screen having at least one said object displayed thereon;

(c) means for facilitating selection of said displayed object by said user of the industrial process control system;

(d) means for displaying on the computer display a list of documents with linking attributes that match the selected object;

(e) means for facilitating selection by said user of at least one document of said list of documents; and

(f) means for displaying said at least one document on said computer display.

86. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, said computer program product for electronic document management in a computerized process control system, said computer program product including:

(a) means for presenting a user with a hierarchical organization of process nodes, said hierarchical organization of process nodes having a correspondence to process control objects of the process control system, said hierarchical organization of process nodes being at least partially displayed on a display of said computer;

(b) means for presenting said user with a hierarchical organization of document nodes, said hierarchical organization of document nodes having a correspondence to documents within said process control system, said hierarchical organization of document nodes being at least partially displayed on said display of said computer;

(c) means for permitting a user to designate to said computer a first node selected from one of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes;

(d) means for permitting a user to designate to said computer a second node selected from the other of said hierarchical organization of process nodes and said hierarchical organization of document nodes; and

(e) means for linking said first node and said second node such that a selected process node is associated with a selected document node, said means for linking including means for associating, with at least selected document objects, a linking field identifying one or more process control objects.