User configurable alarms and alarm trending for process control system

• US 8,000,814 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Havekost, Robert B., Nixon, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTSON, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/574,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/80, 700/83, 700/266, 700/19, 700/21, 700/26, 700/27, 700/32, 700/33, 702/183, 702/185, 340/3.7, 340/500, 340/815.4, 340/825.36, 340/3.1, 715/772
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23424 Select construction element from function library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31467 Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31469 Graphical display of process as function of detected alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32342 Real time simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/12 characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 : Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 : Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 : Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 : Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 : Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 : Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 : for process control and configuration

Abstract

Various graphical displays for plant process operators are provided which combine aspects of alarm priority and alarm age to assist operators in making better choices in responding to alarms. The disclosed graphical displays provide improved contextual information about specific alarms and the relationships with other alarms in the same control module, equipment module, etc. Hierarchically organized presentations of active alarms and alarm age profiles are also provided to assist operators in evaluating causes of “alarm floods” in chain reactions within complex process environments. Various types of alarm or display alerts are also provided for improved monitoring of processed conditions and changes in process controls.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for a process control system that includes a plurality of data inputs and a variety of alarms for said data inputs, the interface comprising:

a main panel display including a plurality of alarm indicators, wherein each of the alarm indicators includes a visual representation of an active alarm for a data input from one or more of a control module, an equipment module, or a processing unit and provides indicia of alarm priority and alarm age; and

an alarm profile display providing contextual information corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of alarm indicators wherein the contextual information includes another alarm indicator to which the selected alarm indicator is a parent, the alarm profile display including a plurality of alarm profiles wherein active alarms are grouped by at least one or more of time span, plant area, process unit and equipment module, and

wherein the alarm profiles are super imposable on a process graphic display so that alarm profiles can be seen in the spatial context of equipment schematics depicted in the process graphic display.

2. The interface of claim 1 wherein the main panel display is simultaneously viewable with the alarm profile display.

3. The interface of claim 1 further comprising a listing of all active alarms along with alarm age profiles for each active alarm.

4. The interface of claim 3 wherein the listing of all active alarms is divided into at least one of common control modules, common equipment modules or common process units.

5. The interface of claim 4 wherein the listing of all active alarms comprises a total active alarm listing and at least three sub-categories of alarms divided by one of common control modules, common equipment modules or common process units.

6. The interface of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of different operator definable display alerts for augmenting the plurality of alarm indicators.

7. The interface of claim 6 wherein one type of display alert comprises setting a target display alert for a target range for a process variable wherein the target display alert may begin immediately or after a delay and continue indefinitely or for a limited time and the target display alert provides an alarm when the target range is achieved or when the target range is not achieved within a preselected time period.

8. The interface of claim 6 wherein one type of display alert that comprises setting a range display alert for a desired value range for a process variable wherein the range display alert may begin immediately or after a delay and continue indefinitely or for a limited time and the range display alert provides an alarm when the process variable falls outside of the desired value range.

9. The interface of claim 6 wherein one type of display alert comprises setting a ramp display alert for a desired accumulated value for an output process variable wherein the ramp display alert provides an alarm when the actual accumulated value for the output process variable approaches and exceeds the desired accumulated value.

10. The interface of claim 1 wherein the plurality of alarm indicators are color-coded to provide an indication of alarm priority and alarm age.

11. The interface of claim 1 wherein the alarm profile display for the selected alarm includes additional information about the active alarm.

12. The interface of claim 11 further comprising parent control objects, wherein the main panel display and the alarm profile display are navigable to provide information about the parent control objects.

13. The interface of claim 1 wherein the interface is adaptable for PDA or handheld devices.

14. The interface of claim 6 further comprising summary displays for a plurality of the display alerts and the current status of all display alerts.

15. The interface of claim 1 further comprising hierarchical alarm profile displays indicating where and when a heaviest alarm activity is occurring.

16. The interface of claim 1 comprising graphical displays of active alarm counts vs. alarm age profiles.

17. The interface of claim 16 wherein the alarm profiles may be defined by at least one of time span, plant area, process unit and equipment modules.

18. A method for generating a graphical user interface for a process control system that includes a plurality of data inputs and a variety of alarms for said data inputs, the method comprising:

displaying a main panel display including a plurality of alarm indicators, wherein each of the alarm indicators includes a visual representation of an active alarm for a data input from one or more of a control module, an equipment module, or a processing unit and provides indicia of alarm priority and alarm age,

displaying an alarm profile display in response to selecting an alarm indicator from the main panel display, the alarm profile display providing contextual information corresponding to the selected alarm indicator, wherein the contextual information includes another alarm indicator to which the selected alarm indicator is a parent, the alarm profile display including a plurality of alarm profiles wherein active alarms are grouped by one or more of time span, plant area, process unit and equipment module, and

superimposing the alarm profiles on a process graphic display so that the alarm profiles can be seen in the spatial context of equipment schematics depicted in the process graphic display.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising simultaneously displaying the main panel display and the alarm profile display upon selecting the alarm indicator.