Multivariable process matrix display and methods regarding same

• US 6,587,108 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Guerlain, Stephanie A. E., Jamieson, Gregory A., Bullemer, Peter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Mylinh T
• Application Number:
  US09/346,059
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/440.1, 345/440.2, 345/965, 345/970, 345/771, 345/764, 700/83, 702/127, 702/128
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/971 Cooperative decision support systems for group of users

Abstract

A graphical user display for providing real-time process information to a user for a continuous multivariable process operable under control of a plurality of process variables which include at least manipulated variables and controlled variables includes a matrix array of information describing at least one relationship between one or more controlled variables displayed along a first axis of the array and one or more manipulated variables displayed along a second axis of the array. Further, the display includes one or more graphical devices. Each graphical device is positioned in proximity to a corresponding process variable of the controlled variables and the manipulated variables. Further, each graphical device is representative of at least a state (e.g., current value state, past value state, or predicted value state) of the corresponding process variable. A computer implemented method for providing the graphical user display is also provided.

Claims

1. A graphical user display for providing real-time process information to a user for a continuous multivariable process, wherein the continuous multivariable process is operable under control of a plurality of process variables, wherein the plurality of process variables include at least manipulated variables and controlled variables, the graphical user display comprising:

a matrix array of information describing at least one relationship between one or more controlled variables of a set of controlled variables displayed along a first axis of the array and one or more manipulated variables of a set of manipulated variables displayed along a second axis of the array; and

one or more graphical devices, wherein each graphical device is positioned in proximity to a corresponding process variable of the set of controlled variables and the set of manipulated variables, and further wherein each graphical device is representative of at least a state of the corresponding process variable.

2. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein the matrix array includes information describing the relationship between each of the set of controlled variables and each of the set of manipulated variables.

3. The graphical user display of claim 2, wherein the information describing the relationship between each of the set of controlled variables and each of the set of manipulated variables includes gain values for each controlled variable relative to each manipulated variable.

4. The graphical user display of claim 2, wherein the multivariable process is further defined by a set of disturbance variables displayed along the second axis, and further wherein the matrix array includes information describing the relationship between each of the controlled variables of the set of controlled variables and each of the disturbance variables of the set of disturbance variables.

5. The graphical user display of claim 4, wherein the information describing the relationship between each controlled variable of the set of controlled variables and each of the disturbance variables of the set of disturbance variables includes gain values for each controlled variable relative to each disturbance variable.

6. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein each of the graphical devices is positioned adjacent to the corresponding process variable of the set of controlled process variables and the set of manipulated variables.

7. The graphical user display of claim 6, wherein one or more of the graphical devices are representative of a current value of the corresponding process variable relative to at least one set of user defined high and low process limit values.

8. The graphical user display of claim 7, wherein at least one of the graphical devices includes:

a gauge axis; and

a graphical shape positioned along the gauge axis representative of the current value for the corresponding process variable.

9. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein the at least one graphical device further includes at least one pair of high and low limit elements representative of the set of user defined high and low process limit values for the corresponding process variable, and further wherein the graphical shape along the gauge axis is representative of the current value of the corresponding process variable relative to the limit values.

10. The graphical user display of claim 9, wherein the at least one graphical device includes a first pair of high and low limit elements displayed along the gauge axis representative of engineering hard high and low limits for the corresponding process variable and a second pair of high and low limits elements displayed along the gauge axis representative of operator set soft limits for the corresponding process variable.

11. The graphical user display of claim 9, wherein the graphical shape is positioned adjacent one limit element of the pair of high and low limit elements when the current value for the corresponding process variable is within a certain percentage of one of the set of user defined high and low process limits.

12. The graphical user display of claim 9, wherein the graphical shape is positioned outside of the pair of high and low limit elements when the current value for the corresponding process variable is outside of the set of user defined high and low limit values by at least a predetermined percentage.

13. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein graphical device further includes a graphical symbol representative of an optimization characteristics for the corresponding process variable.

14. The graphical user display of claim 13, wherein the graphical symbol is representative of a corresponding process variable to be maximized.

15. The graphical user display of claim 13, wherein the graphical symbol is representative of a corresponding process variable to be minimized.

16. The graphical user display of claim 13, wherein graphical device further includes a graphical symbol representative of a corresponding process variable which is to be at a target resting value.

17. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein graphical device further includes a graphical symbol representative of the corresponding process variable being constrained to set point.

18. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein graphical device further includes a graphical symbol representative of the corresponding processing variable being wound up.

19. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein graphical shape is a circle positioned along the gauge axis.

20. The graphical user display of claim 8, wherein the graphical shape has a color of a set of colors that reflects the current value for the corresponding process variable relative to the set of user defined high and low process limit values.

21. The graphical user display of claim 20, wherein one of the set of colors for the graphical shape represents one of a current value of the corresponding process variable being within the set of user defined high and low process limit values, the current value of the corresponding process variable being within a certain percentage of a limit of the set of user defined high and low process limit values, and the current value of the corresponding process variable being a certain percentage outside of the set of user defined high and low process limit values.

22. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein the matrix display includes rows and columns of information, wherein the rows correspond to one of the set of manipulated variables and the set of controlled variables and wherein the columns correspond to the other of the set of manipulated variables and the set of controlled variables, and further wherein one or more of the rows and columns is of a particular color to represent a characteristic for the process variable corresponding to one or more rows and columns.

23. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein each process variable of the set of controlled variables and manipulated variables displayed is selectable for navigation to more detailed information regarding the selected process variable, wherein the detailed information is displayed on the same screen with the matrix array.

24. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein the display further includes an indicator representative of the number of manipulated variables that are available for use in control of controlled variables and the number of controlled variables that are constrained to set points or that are at or outside of user defined limits and need to be addressed by the controller.

25. The graphical user display of claim 1, wherein the state of the corresponding process variable includes one of a current state, past state, or predicted state of the corresponding process variable.

26. A computer implemented method for providing a graphical user display for providing real-time process information to a user with regard to a continuous multivariable process being performed at a process plant, wherein the continuous multivariable process is operable under control of a plurality of process variables, the plurality of process variables including at least manipulated variables and controlled variables, the method comprising:

displaying a matrix array of information describing at least one relationship between one or more controlled variables of a set of controlled variables displayed along a first axis of the array and one or more manipulated variables of a set of manipulated variables displayed along a second axis of the array;

displaying one or more graphical devices, each graphical device displayed in proximity to a corresponding process variable of the set of controlled variables and the set of manipulated variables, each graphical device representative of at least a state of the corresponding process variable; and

continually updating the one or more graphical devices.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the matrix array includes information describing the relationship between each controlled variable of the set of controlled variables relative to each manipulated variable of the set of manipulated variables.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further includes providing information gain values for each controlled variable relative to each manipulated variable, and further wherein displaying the matrix array includes displaying such gain values in the matrix array.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the multivariable process is further defined by a set of disturbance variables displayed along the second axis of the array, and further wherein the method includes providing information describing the relationship between each of the controlled variables of the set of controlled variables relative to each of the disturbance variables of the set of disturbance variables and displaying such information in the matrix array.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the information describing the relationship between each controlled variable of the set of controlled variables relative to each of the disturbance variables of the set of disturbance variables includes gain values for each controlled variable relative to each disturbance variable.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying one or more graphical devices includes displaying each of the graphical devices adjacent to a corresponding process variable.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying one or more graphical devices includes displaying at least one graphical device representative of at least the current state of a corresponding process variable, wherein displaying the at least one graphical device includes:

displaying a gauge axis; and

displaying a graphical shape positioned along the gauge axis representative of a current value for the corresponding process variable.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein displaying the at least one graphical device further includes displaying at least one pair of high and low limit elements along the gauge axis representative of a set of user defined high and low process limit values for the corresponding process variable.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein displaying the at least one graphical device further includes displaying a first pair of high and low limit elements representative of engineering hard high and low limits for the corresponding process variable and displaying a second pair of high and low limit elements representative of operator set soft limits for the corresponding process variable.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein displaying the graphical shape positioned along the gauge axis representative of a current value for the corresponding process variable includes:

determining whether the current value for the corresponding process variable is within a certain percentage of the set of user defined high and low process limit values; and

displaying the graphical shape adjacent one of the pair of high and low limit elements when the current value is within such a certain percentage.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein displaying a graphical shape positioned along the gauge axis representative of a current value for the corresponding process variable includes:

determining whether the current value for the corresponding process variable is outside the set of user defined high and low process limit values by at least a predetermined percentage; and

displaying the graphical shape outside of the pair of high and low limit elements when the current value is outside the set of user defined high and low process limit values.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the method further includes displaying a graphical symbol along the gauge axis representative of an optimization characteristic for the corresponding process variable.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the graphical symbol is representative of a corresponding process variable to be maximized.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the graphical symbol is representative of a corresponding process variable to be minimized.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the graphical symbol is representative of a corresponding process variable which is to be at a target resting value.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein displaying the graphical device further includes displaying an additional graphical shape representative of the processing variable being constrained to set point.

42. The method of claim 32, wherein displaying the graphical device further includes displaying an additional graphical shape representative of the processing variable being wound up.

43. The method of claim 32, wherein displaying the graphical shape includes displaying the graphical shape in a color that reflects the state of the current value for the corresponding process variables.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein one of the set of colors for the graphical shape represents one of a current value of the corresponding process variable being within the set of user defined high and low process limit values, a current value of the corresponding process variable being within a certain percentage of a limit of the set of user defined high and low process limit values, and a current value of the corresponding process variable being a certain percentage outside of the set of user defined high and low process limit values.

45. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying the matrix array includes displaying a matrix array that includes rows and columns of information, wherein the rows correspond to one of the set of manipulated variables and the set of controlled variables and wherein the columns correspond to the other of the set of manipulated variables and the set of controlled variables, and further wherein the method includes displaying one or more of the rows and columns in a particular color, wherein the particular color represents a characteristic of the process variable corresponding to such a row or column in the particular color.

46. The method of claim 26, wherein the method includes:

receiving user input to select one of the displayed controlled variables and manipulated variables; and

displaying more detailed information for the selected one of the process variables on the same screen with the matrix array.

47. The method of claim 26, wherein the method includes:

determining the number of manipulated variables that are available for use in control of controlled variables;

determining the number of controlled variables that are constrained to set points or that are at or outside of user defined limits and need to be addressed by the controller; and

displaying an indicator representative of the relationship between the determined number of manipulated variables and the determined number of controlled variables.

48. The method of claim 26, wherein the state of the corresponding process variable includes one of a current state, a past state, or a predicted state of the corresponding process variable.

49. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further includes:

sorting a plurality of process variables as a function of one or more characteristics associated therewith; and

changing the order of the displayed process variables as a function of the sorting of the process variables.

50. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further includes:

filtering a plurality of process variables as a function of one or more characteristics associated therewith; and

displaying certain of the plurality of process variables based on the filtering thereof.

51. A computer implemented method for providing a graphical user display for providing real-time process information to a user with regard to a continuous multivariable process being performed at a process plant, wherein the continuous multivariable process is controlled through control of a plurality of process variables, the plurality of process variables including at least manipulated variables and controlled variables, the method comprising:

determining the number of manipulated variables that are available for use in control of controlled variables;

determining the number of controlled variables that are constrained to set points or that are at or outside of user defined limits;

displaying a matrix array of information describing at least one characteristic of one or more controlled variables displayed along a first axis of the array and one or more manipulated variables displayed along a second axis of the array; and

displaying one or more graphical devices, each graphical device displayed in proximity to a corresponding process variable of the set of controlled variables and the set of manipulated variables, each graphical device representative of at least a state of the corresponding process variable.