Man-machine interface for a virtual annunciator panel display

• US 6,380,949 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Thomas, Robert P., Petrizzi, James V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/803,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 345/336, 345/348, 345/333, 345/338, 345/965, 345/970, 345/354, 345/705, 345/762, 345/708, 345/835, 345/840, 700/286, 700/292, 700/293, 700/83
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• 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

A power management control system provides control and graphical representation of a plurality of electrical devices and components of an electrical distribution system. The control system includes a virtual three-dimensional annunciator panel for displaying an indication of the status or condition of a plurality a plurality of electrical devices of an electrical distribution system. The virtual annunciator panel includes an array (6×8) of indicator buttons that represent a particular device, event or group of events of the PMCS. The buttons are displayed in different colors to indicate different alarm systems. The annunciator panel functions to notify the user/operator of an alarm condition of a device, as well as permits the user to acknowledge alarms. The development of the virtual annunciator panel display is automated using software, namely an Annunciator Panel Wizard. The Panel Wizard provides the automated configuration of the annunciator panel graphic as well as a built-in event mapping to the annunciator buttons which is user configurable. The Panel Wizard allows the user to generate the virtual annunciator panel display without any programming skills or detailed device knowledge.

Claims

1. A power management control system comprising:

a plurality of control devices;

a network for communicating with the plurality of control devices;

a user configurable annunciator panel, said panel including an array of rows and columns of indicator buttons, each indicator button being user configurable to selectively relate to any one of;

one of the plurality of control devices connected to the network,

an event involving one of the plurality of control devices, and

a group events involving the pluraliry of control devices; and

,

software defining an annunciator panel wizard, wherein the annunciator panel wizard provides user configuration of the annunciator panel, a first dialog box in the wizard accessible from the annunciator panel, the first dialog box providing a graphic of the array of rows and columns of indicator buttons for selecting any button to configure text of the selected buttons.

2. The power management control system of claim 1 further comprising a concentrator providing an interface between the network and a subset of the plurality of control devices.

3. The power management control system of claim 1 further comprising a computer, said panel and said software being associated with said computer.

4. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the computer includes RS485 interface cards providing I/O ports that define multiple Modbus RTU networks.

5. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the computer includes an RS232 to RS485 convertor.

6. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the network comprises multiple Modbus RTU networks.

7. The power management control system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of control devices includes direct connect Modbus control devices and direct connect Modbus power management devices.

8. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of second control devices includes trip units, meters, and relays.

9. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the computer contains software which monitors and controls the plurality of control devices.

10. The power management control system of claim 3 wherein the software includes a server.

11. The power management control system of claim 10 wherein the software includes logical data tables associated with the server.

12. The power management control system of claim 11 wherein the software includes a module having a tool kit for building screens and interfaces.

13. The power management control system of claim 12 wherein the software includes a graphical user interface.

14. The power management control system of claim 11 wherein the software includes at least one productivity module.

15. The power management control system of claim 14 wherein the at least one productivity module includes a cost allocation module and a load management module.

16. The power management control system of claim 11 wherein the software includes an event logger module.

17. The power management control system of claim 11 wherein the software includes a waveform capture module.

18. The power management control system of claim 11 wherein the software includes an applications module, a waveform capture module, an event logger module, a productivity module, and a module having a tool kit for building screens and interfaces.

19. The power management control system of claim 1 wherein the indicator buttons are changeable in color for indicating an alarm state.

20. The power management control system of claim 1 wherein the indicator buttons include alphanumeric indicia for describing function of each button.

21. The power management control system of claim 1 further comprising a reset button which resets indicator buttons that are in an alarm state.

22. The power management control system of claim 1 further comprising a second dialog box providing text entry spaces.

23. The power management control system of claim 1 wherein the software includes an event logger module, the system further comprising an annunciator panel configuration dialog box for configuring annunciator panel items in the event logger module.

24. The power management control system of claim 1 wherein the array comprises six columns and eight rows of indicator buttons.

25. A computer containing software for generating a user configurable annunciator panel having at least one indicator for monitoring a device of a power control system, the software including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method comprising:

selecting an annunciator panel wizard from a menu;

selecting an indicator from an array of available indicators within the annunciator panel by choosing an indicator to be newly defined or re-defined;

defining a monitored device to be associated with the selected indicator by using the annunciator panel wizard;

providing an event logger for monitoring events of a monitored device of the power control system;

providing a navigational link between said selected indicator and said event logger wherein the navigational link includes a memory register commonly addressable by said selected indicator and said event logger;

providing a script to associate said memory register and said event logger; and

assigning a visual display to said selected indicator indicative of the occurrence of said monitored event.

26. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

accessing an annunciator panel wizard dialog box and assigning a name to the annunciator panel display.

27. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

accessing an annunciator panel wizard dialog box and assigning a description to said selected indicator.

28. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

assigning a security access level value to the annunciator panel display, whereby a user assigned a security access level of at least said panel security access level value may reset a condition of said selected indicator.

29. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing a reset button within said annunciator panel display for resetting said selected indicator having an alarm state.

30. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing an acknowledge button within said annunciator panel display for acknowledging said selected indicator having an unacknowledged alarm state.

31. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing an alarm summary button within said annunciator panel display for bringing the event logger to the foreground.

32. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing a help button within said annunciator panel display for invoking a help file that provides a user instructions of the features and operation of the annunciator panel wizard.

33. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing said navigational link with a second memory register associated with said event logger.

34. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

selecting an event logger wizard for selecting the monitored device.

35. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

selecting a device to be monitored by the power control system;

selecting a monitored event associated with said selected device; and

identifying the status of the selected device that indicates a fault condition.

36. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

assigning a color to said indicator indicative of the occurrence of said monitored event.

37. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

selecting said indicator to reset an alarm indication.

38. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

selecting said indicator to acknowledge an unacknowledged alarm.

39. The computer of claim 25 wherein the software further comprises instructions for causing the computer to implement:

providing a script to assign a visual display in response to data provided by said event logger.

40. A power management control system comprising:

a plurality of control devices;

a network communicating with the plurality of control devices;

a user configurable annunciator panel, said panel including an array of indicators for visually displaying the status or condition of said plurality of control devices; and

,

a computer containing software for causing a computer to implement a method comprising;

selecting an annunciator panel wizard from a menu;

selecting an indicator from the array of indicators within the annunciator panel by choosing an indicator to be newly defined or re-defined;

defining a monitored device from the plurality of control devices to be associated with the selected indicator by using the annunciator panel wizard;

providing an event logger for monitoring events of a monitored device of the power control system;

providing a navigational link between said selected indicator and said event logger wherein the navigational link includes a memory register commonly addressable by said selected indicator and said event logger;

providing a script to associate said memory register and said event logger; and

assigning a visual display to said selected indicator indicative of the occurrence of said monitored event.