HMI presentation layer configuration system

• US 7,590,541 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bromley, Clifton H., Reichard, Douglas J., Dorgelo, Eric G., Gordon, Kevin G., Virji, Shafin A., Semkow, Marc D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Albertalli; Brian L
• Application Number:
  US11/240,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A human-machine interface generation system comprises a voice recognition component that receives voice commands relating to generation of a human-machine interface within an industrial automation environment. The voice recognition component further translates the voice commands into machine code, such as into a query that conforms to a database query language. A view generation component communicatively coupled to the voice recognition component generates a human-machine interface based at least in part upon the received voice commands. For example, the view generation component can access a data store that includes graphical depictions of portions of a plant relating to the received voice commands.

Claims

1. A computer implemented human-machine interface (HMI) generation system comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory, the processor executes;

a voice recognition component that receives voice commands relating to generation of a human-machine interface within an industrial automation environment, the voice recognition component further translates the voice commands into machine code;

a view generation component communicatively coupled to the voice recognition component, the view generation component generates a human-machine interface based at least in part upon the received voice commands; and

a data store accessed by the view generation component based upon the received voice commands to facilitate generating the human-machine interface, the data store retains data in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model (HSDM), the HSDM employs a common schema to represent devices, portions of devices, processes, portions of processes, associations between components, systems and applications at all levels of a plant wide system, the common schema allowing the low level logic language of a programmable logic controller (PLC) to interface with the high level language employed by a plant wide application allowing seamless communication between the PLC and the high level language application.

2. The system of claim 1, the view generation component accesses the data store that further includes graphical depictions of portions of the industrial automation environment that relate to the received voice commands.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interactive component that requests additional information from an initiator of the voice commands, the requested information is based at least in part upon the received voice commands.

4. The system of claim 3, the interactive component requests user identity prior to the view generation component generating the human-machine interface.

5. The system of claim 4, the interactive component requests information relating to authorization of use of the human-machine interface and location of devices associated with the human-machine interface.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user recognition component that recognizes a user based upon a dialect associated with the voice commands.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a classification component that aids in voice recognition upon recognition of identity of the user.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a detection component that recognizes synonyms and translates the synonyms to machine code.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connection component that facilitates communicatively coupling a device that displays the human-machine interface with entities within the human-machine interface that are controlled through such interface.

10. The system of claim 1, the data store includes information relating to at least one of a device, system, process, and sub-process within the industrial automation environment.

11. The system of claim 10, the data store includes at least one of a graphical depiction of the device, a photographic image of the device, and video relating to the device.

12. The system of claim 10, the data store includes at least one of devices associated with a device and capabilities of the device.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an updating component that automatically updates devices and their associated content in the data store based upon detecting the addition or removal of a device from a network, process or system.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a filtering component that filters data within the data store based at least in part upon user identity, user role, and user location.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising an interface component that facilitates generation and implementation of the human-machine interface from a remote location.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a security component that ensures that an individual providing the voice commands is authorized to generate the human-machine interface.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising an aggregation component that aggregates data associated with a distributed database.

18. The system of claim 1, the high level language application is at least one of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or a Supply Chain Management (SCM) system.

19. A computer-implemented method for generating human-machine interfaces comprising:

receiving voice commands, at a voice recognition component, relating to at least one of a device, a system, a process, and a sub-process for which a human-machine interface is desirable generated;

analyzing the voice commands on a processor to determine intent of a provider of the voice commands;

accessing a data store based at least in part upon the voice commands, the data store retaining data in a memory in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model schema, the schema represent devices, portions of devices, processes, portions of processes, associations between components, systems and applications at all levels of a plant wide system, the common schema allowing the low level logic language of a programmable logic controller (PLC) to interface with the high level language employed by a plant wide application allowing seamless communication between the PLC and the high level language application, the schema can be applied to at least one of a batch process, a continuous process, a discrete process, or inventory tracking;

retrieving data from the data store to be utilized by a processor for constructing the human-machine interface or a portion thereof; and

generating by processor at least a portion of the human-machine interface, for display via a display device, based at least in part upon the analysis of the voice commands, the data retrieved from the data store, or a combination thereof.

20. The methodology of claim 19, further comprising creating a connection to facilitate controlling the at least one of the device, the system, the process, and the sub-process by way of the human-machine interface.

21. The methodology of claim 19, further comprising requesting additional information based at least in part upon the received voice commands.

22. The methodology of claim 19, further comprising generating portions within the human-machine interface that result in a tool-tip being displayed upon a mouse hovered over the portions.

23. The methodology of claim 19, further comprising:

requesting identity of the provider of the voice commands; and

verifying identity through at least one of voice recognition, username, password, and personal identification number.

24. The methodology of claim 19, further comprising automatically populating a data store with data utilized in connection with generating the human-machine interface.

25. An HMI generation system, comprising:

means for receiving and analyzing voice commands by a processor relating to generating an HMI in an industrial automation environment;

means for accessing a plant database to retrieve data utilized for generation of the HMI, accessing a data store based at least in part upon the voice commands, the data store retains data in a memory in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model schema, the schema represent devices, portions of devices, processes, portions of processes, associations between components, systems and applications at all levels of a plant wide system allowing the low level logic language of a programmable logic controller (PLC) to interface with the high level language employed by a plant wide application allowing seamless communication between the PLC and the high level language application; and

means for generating by a processor the HMI based at least in part upon the received voice commands.

26. The HMI generation system of claim 25, further comprising means for updating the database.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for accessing user authorizations with respect to a device and implementing such authorizations within the generated HMI.