Methods and apparatus for control configuration with versioning, security, composite blocks, edit selection, object swapping, formulaic values and other aspects

• US 7,272,815 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Volk, Scott, Burke, Kenneth A., Meskonis, Paul, Hall, Robert, Johnson, Mark, Dardinski, Steven, Mackay, Brian, Eldridge, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US09/572,343
• Time in Patent Office: 2,680 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/167, 713/200, 713/1, 713/2, 707/9, 340/5.74, 700/17, 717100-109, 717114-116, 726 1- 6, 726/18, 726/21, 726 26- 33, 711/154, 711/163, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.

Claims

1. A digital data processing apparatus of a type having one or more processors, the digital data processing apparatus for configuring a control system, the digital data processing apparatus comprising:

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as entity-representative objects that each (i) represent one or more entities in any of the control system and a system controlled thereby, and (ii) have a plurality of characteristics including;

a) one or more type characteristics, where a type characteristic identifies any of appearance and behavior of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more type characteristics are represented by one or more type characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, and

(b) one or more area characteristics, where an area characteristic identifies location of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more area characteristics are represented by one or more area characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, at least one area characteristic being selected from a hierarchy of area characteristics,

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as area permission objects that identify permissions one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more area characteristics,

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as type permission objects that identify permissions one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more type characteristics,

a security mechanism that is coupled to the objects and that controls user access to the entity-representative objects, the security mechanism permitting a user to access to an entity-representative object as a function of (i) one or more groups of which the user is a member, (ii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to the one or more type characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more type permission objects, and (iii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to one or more area characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more area permission objects.

2. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one type characteristic includes any of a compound object type, a loop object type, a block object type, and a historian object type.

3. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one type characteristic includes a characteristic selected from a hierarchy of type characteristics.

4. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one area characteristic identifies an area in which any of the control system and the system controlled thereby are disposed.

5. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one area characteristic relates to any of a plant, a building or an area therein.

15. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the security mechanism permits the user to access at least one object including any of write access, update access, create access, delete access, read access, download access to download the at least one object to an entity that it models, and upload access to upload information to the at least one object from the entity that it models.

16. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 15, comprising:

an application that facilitates any of manipulation, display, reporting or other access of the at least one object by the user, and wherein

the security mechanism is in communication with the application and grants the application access that depends on the type permission of the user, the area permission of the user, the type characteristic of the at least one object and the area characteristic of the at least one object.

17. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the applications is an editor.

18. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the application includes a mechanism to at least temporarily vary a user'"'"'s permissions during a session.

19. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the mechanism permits the user to adopt at least one of the identity and permissions of another user.

20. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the mechanism permits the user to any of activate and inactivate permissions from among a set of allowed permissions.

6. A digital data processing apparatus of a type having one or more processors, the digital data processing apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising:

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as entity-representative objects that each (i) represent one or more entities in any of the control system and a system controlled thereby, and (ii) have a plurality of characteristics including;

(a) one or more type characteristics, where a type characteristic identifies any of appearance and behavior of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more type characteristics are represented by one or more type characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, and

(b) one or more area characteristics, where an area characteristic identifies location of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more area characteristics are represented by one or more area characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, at least one area characteristic being selected from a hierarchy of area characteristics,

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as area permission objects that identify permissions one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more area characteristics,

one or more objects hereinafter referred to as type permission objects that identify permissions one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more type characteristics,

an application that facilitates any of manipulation, display, reporting or other access of the objects by a user having multiple permissions,

a security mechanism that is in communication with the application and that controls user access to the entity-representative objects,

the security mechanism permitting a user access to an entity-representative object as a function of (i) one or more groups of which the user is a member, (ii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to the one or more type characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more type permission objects, and (iii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to one or more area characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more area permission objects.

7. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the application is an editor.

8. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the application includes a mechanism to at least temporarily vary a user'"'"'s permissions during a session.

9. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the mechanism permits the user to adopt at least one of the identity and permissions of another user.

10. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the mechanism permits the user to any of activate and inactivate permissions from among a set of allowed permissions.

11. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one type characteristic includes any of a compound object type, a loop object type, a block object type, and a historian object type.

12. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one type characteristic is a characteristic selected from a hierarchy of type characteristics.

13. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one area characteristic relates to an area in which any of the control system and the system controlled thereby are disposed.

14. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one area characteristic relates to any of a plant, a building or an area therein.

21. A method of digital data processing for configuring a control system, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining one or more objects hereinafter referred to as entity-representative objects that each (i) represent one or more entities in any of the control system and a system controlled thereby, and (ii) have a plurality of characteristics including;

a) one or more type characteristics, where a type characteristic identifies any of appearance and behavior of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more type characteristics are represented by one or more type characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, and

(b) one or more area characteristics, where an area characteristic identifies location of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more area characteristics are represented by one or more area characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, at least one area characteristic being selected from a hierarchy of area characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more type characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more area characteristics,

permitting a user'"'"'s access to an entity-representative object as a function of (i) one or more groups of which the user is a member, (ii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to the one or more type characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more type permission objects, and (iii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to one or more area characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more area permission objects.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one type characteristic includes any of a compound object type, a loop object type, a block object type, and a historian object type.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one type characteristic is a characteristic selected from a hierarchy of type characteristics.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one area characteristic identifies an area in which any of the control system and the system controlled thereby are disposed.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one area characteristic relates to any of a plant, a building or an area therein.

26. A method of digital data processing for configuring a control system, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining one or more objects hereinafter referred to as entity-representative objects that each (i) represent one or more entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus that executes the method for configuring the control system, and (ii) have a plurality of characteristics including;

(a) one or more type characteristics, where a type characteristic identifies any of appearance and behavior of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more type characteristics are represented by one or more type characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, and

(b) one or more area characteristics, where an area characteristic identifies location of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more area characteristics are represented by one or more area characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, at least one area characteristic being selected from a hierarchy of area characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more type characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more area characteristics,

facilitating any of manipulation, display, reporting or other access of the objects by a user having multiple permissions,

permitting a user'"'"'s access to an entity-representative object as a function of (i) one or more groups of which the user is a member, (ii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to the one or more type characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more type permission objects, and (iii) permissions those one or more groups have with respect to one or more area characteristics of the entity-representative object as identified by one or more area permission objects.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the facilitating step includes editing one or more of the objects.

28. The method according to claim 26, including the step of temporarily varying a user'"'"'s permissions during a session.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the step of temporarily varying includes adopting at least one of an identity and permissions of another user.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the step of temporarily varying includes any of activating and inactivating permissions from among a set of allowed permissions.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one type characteristic includes any of a compound object type, a loop object type, a block object type, and a historian object type.

32. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one type characteristic is a characteristic selected from a hierarchy of type characteristics.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one area characteristic relates to an area in which any of the control system and the system controlled thereby are disposed.

34. The method according to claim 26, wherein the at least one area characteristic relates to any of a plant, a building or an area therein.

35. A method of digital data processing for configuring a control system, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining one or more objects hereinafter referred to as entity-representative objects that each (i) represent one or more entities in any of the control system and a system controlled thereby, and (ii) have a plurality of characteristics including;

a) one or more type characteristics, where a type characteristic identifies any of appearance and behavior of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more type characteristics are represented by one or more type characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, and

(b) one or more area characteristics, where an area characteristic identifies location of the one or more entities represented by the respective entity-representative object, and where such one or more area characteristics are represented by one or more area characteristic objects to which the respective entity-representative object is associated, at least one area characteristic being selected from a hierarchy of area characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more type characteristics,

identifying permissions of one or more groups of users have with respect to one or more area characteristics,

permitting a user a level of access to an entity-representative object as a function of a type permission of the user, an area permission of the user, the type characteristic of the entity-representative object and the area characteristic of the entity-representative object.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the access-permitting step includes permitting the user level of access including any of write access, update access, create access, delete access, read access, download access to download the entity-representative object to an entity that it models, and upload access to upload information to the entity-representative object from the entity that it models.

37. The method according to claim 36, comprising the steps of facilitating any of manipulation, display, reporting or other access of the entity-representative object by the user.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the facilitating step includes editing one or more of the entity-representative objects.

39. The method according to claim 37, including the step of temporarily varying a user'"'"'s permissions during a session.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the step of temporarily varying includes adopting at least one of an identity and permissions of another user.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of temporarily varying includes any of activating and inactivating permissions from among a set of allowed permissions.

42. The method according to any of claims 35-41, wherein the user is a member of one or more groups, each of which has respective type permissions and respective area permissions, and wherein the user'"'"'s permissions are a sum of the permissions groups of which the user is a member.