Configuration system using security objects in a process plant

• US 7,971,052 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Koska, Herschel O., Lucas, John Michael, Jundt, Larry Oscar, Ott, Michael George, Havekost, Robert Burke, Webb, Arthur, Stevenson, Dennis L., Nixon, Mark J., Li, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US12/423,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 709217-222, 710 8- 10, 711/163, 711/164, 711/170, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713164-167, 713182-186, 707781-788, 715741-744, 726 2- 4, 726 16- 21, 726 26- 30, 340/5.2, 340/5.74
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23109 Configuration of display device, operator panel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32154 Object, attribute for geometry, technology, function oop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A configuration system uses process plant items that may represent, or be capable of representing, entities in a process plant to assist in configuring, organizing, and changing the control and display activities within the process plant. Access to the items may be controlled by associating access control data with the items. The configuration system may also use objects that represent, or may be capable of representing, one or more steps to be performed by entities in the process plant. Access to these objects may be controlled by associating access control data with the objects. The access control data may indicate whether users or certain users may be able to, for example, view or modify all or some data associated with the process plant items or the objects. The process plant items may comprise, for example, module class objects which may be capable of generically representing process entities of the process plant, module objects which may be capable of specifically representing process entities of the process plant, composite templates, module templates, etc. The objects that represent, or may be capable of representing, one or more steps to be performed by entities in the process plant may comprise, for example, phase classes or unit phases.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating configuration of process plant items for use in controlling or monitoring at least a portion of a process plant, comprising:

providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of an object capable of being representative of at least one of;

a process entity within the process plant and used in a process control routine for controlling or monitoring the at least the portion of the process plant, or

one or more steps to be performed by one or more process entities within the process plant and used in the process control routine or in another process control routine for controlling or monitoring the at least the portion of the process plant;

receiving via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited; and

setting a value of a parameter included in the object to indicate that access to the object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing the user interface to facilitate the configuration of the object comprises providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of a class object that is capable of generically representing the process entity within the process plant.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing the user interface to facilitate the configuration of the object comprises providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of an object that is capable of specifically representing the process entity within the process plant.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing the user interface comprises providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of at least one of a composite template, a module template, a phase class, or a unit phase.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving via the user interface user input data indicating a level of security associated with the object.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the data indicating the level of security comprises at least one of data indicating that no access is to be permitted, data indicating that no access by particular persons is to be permitted, data indicating that no access by particular types of users is to be permitted, data indicating read-only access, data indicating read-only access by particular persons, and data indicating read-only access by particular types of users.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the object is to be limited comprises, for each of at least some sub-element objects of a plurality of sub-element objects that correspond to functions to be performed by the process entity during operation of the process plant, receiving corresponding data indicating that access to the sub-element object is to be limited.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein receiving via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the object is to be limited further comprises receiving data indicating that access to the object as a whole is to be limited.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving via the user interface user input data indicating a subportion of the object to which access is to be limited.

10. A method for controlling access to items capable of being associated with a process plant, comprising:

providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of a group of items, each item in the group of items capable of representing at least one of;

a process entity within the process plant and used in a process control routine for controlling or monitoring at least a portion of the process plant, or

one or more steps to be performed by one or more process entities within the process plant and used in the process control routine or in another process control routine for controlling or monitoring the at least the portion of the process plant;

receiving via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the group of items is to be limited; and

setting a value of a parameter included in an object corresponding to the each item in the group of items to indicate that access to the group of items by a configuration application is to be limited.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein providing the user interface to facilitate the configuration of the group of items comprises providing a user interface to facilitate configuration of a group of objects, each object in the group of objects corresponding to a particular item in the group of items.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the objects comprises a class object that is capable of generically representing a process entity within the process plant.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the objects comprises an object that is capable of specifically representing a process entity within the process plant.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the objects comprises at least one of a composite template, a module template, a phase class, or a unit phase.

15. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the user input data indicating that access to the group of items is to be limited comprises data indicating that read-only access is to be provided to each item in the group of items.

16. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the user input data indicating that access to the group of items is to be limited comprises data indicating that one or more items cannot be removed from the group of items.

17. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the user input data indicating that access to the group of items is to be limited comprises data indicating that one or more items cannot be added to the group of items.

18. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising receiving via the user interface user input data indicative of a level of security associated with the group of items.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the data indicative of the level of security comprises at least one of data indicating that only read-only access is to be permitted to particular persons, data indicating that only read-only access is to be permitted to particular types of users, and data indicating that only read-only access is to be permitted to users with which associated user security data indicates only read-only access is to be permitted.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the user security data comprises a password entered by the user.

21. A configuration system for facilitating configuration of a process plant, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a processor in communication with the computer-readable medium;

a database to store an object capable of being representative of at least one of;

a process entity used in a process control routine within the process plant, the process control routine used in controlling or monitoring at least a portion of the process plant, or

one or more steps to be performed by one or more process entities used in the process control routine or in another process control routine within the process plant, the another process control routine used in controlling or monitoring the at least the portion of the process plant; and

a configuration routine stored on the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to;

provide a user interface to facilitate configuration of the object,

receive via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited, and

set a value of a parameter included in the object to indicate that access to the object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited.

22. A configuration system for facilitating configuration of a process plant, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a processor in communication with the computer-readable medium;

a database to store a group of items, each item in the group of items capable of representing at least one of;

a process entity used in a process control routine within the process plant for controlling or monitoring at least a portion of the process plant, or

one or more steps to be performed by one or more process entities used in the process control routine or in another process control routine within the process plant for controlling or monitoring the at least the portion of the process plant; and

a configuration routine stored on the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to;

provide a user interface to facilitate configuration of the group of items,

receive via the user interface user input data indicating that access to the group of items is to be limited, and

set a value of a parameter included in each object corresponding to each member of the group of items that access to the group of items by a configuration application is to be limited.