Method for displaying data in an industrial control system

• US 8,126,964 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pretlove, John, Svensson, Stefan, Öberg, Pierre, Mathiesen, Mogens
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US11/667,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,297 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/222, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31198 VPN virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method to distribute or share data provided by a server process of an industrial control system to a client process running on a first machine of a first user, with a client process running on a machine of a second user. The server session is logged by the server process. It is determined that the first user makes a selection to distribute or share a client process with at least one second user. An address is retrieved for the at least one other user, and a channel is opened thus providing the same data provided to the client process running on the first machine to a client process running on a second machine of at least one second user. Also included are system, a human-machine interface and a computer program for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process in a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, the method comprising:

connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,

displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,

identifying by the first user the at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,

designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,

retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,

sending a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,

opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session,

determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,

if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and

logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges

wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

formatting or re-formatting the data of said client process according to a formatting requirement of the at least one other user or their machine, and

providing the data to the at least one other user in a form compatible with the format required.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the designated privileges comprise read/write privileges, the method further comprising:

formatting said data of said client process according to the designated privileges of the at least one other user and then providing said data to the at least one other user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the privileges comprise technical and/or operational authority, the method further comprising:

formatting said data of said client process according to the privileges of the at least one other user, and

providing the data in a form compatible with the format and privileges necessary for the at least one other user.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving and/or storing at least part of said data and providing at least part of said data from a first logged session with said first user to the at least one other user or their machine.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

storing at least part of said data from a session with said client process of said first user in a memory storage unit.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

retrieving part of said data from a memory storage of an industrial data network arranged for supervision and/or control.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the identity for at least one other user and sending an invitation to the or each at least one other user to share said information.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an affirmative answer from the at least one other user to share said data from a session with said first user.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by an indication or selection of a request to share said data of a current session of said server process and providing to the requestor means to input, select, record or otherwise indicate an identity for at least one other user.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a server process receiving a share request from a client of said first user and determining that the client is currently in a shared session.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

registering an indication by the first user for technical assistance in respect of a device or process identifiable to said industrial control system, and

sending from the server to the first user a computer program for the first user to request a shared session with at least one other user.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining from the identity for at least one other user and/or from the current logged session and/or a stored logged session a document format or formats required by the at least one other user or their user machine.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the first machine is currently in a shared session, and

by formatting said data as a document according to the privilege or format for the at least one other user or other machine indicated in the information of a logged session and/or indicated in a database comprising details for technical requirements of each user.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

opening a new channel for a client of the at least one other user, and

sending to the client of the other user an update command and a format for a document for a new page or pages.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a status or condition of an industrial device or system by said data shown by a display by a text display and/or a graphical user interface running on any processor-equipped device from the list of;

workstation, controller, portable computer, personal digital assistant, mobile phone, mobile computing device.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, maintaining, diagnosing and/or controlling an industrial process or equipment including any from the list of;

a chemical or petrochemical process, an oil and/or gas installation, mine equipment, a technical system, industrial process control equipment, industrial production equipment, industrial automation equipment, industrial robot equipment.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the industrial process or equipment for any from the list of:

electricity generation, electricity transmission, electricity distribution, electricity conversion.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data stored by a server, wherein information about a session with a thin client of the first user to at least one other user utilizing a first machine is stored by said server, the method comprising

connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,

displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,

identifying by the first user the at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,

designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,

retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,

sending a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,

opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session,

determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,

if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and

logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges

wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

20. A graphical user interface for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process on a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, which session is logged by said server process, the graphical user interface comprising:

a GUI member displayed on a display of the first machine, the GUI member comprising a text function or graphical user interface elements displayed on the display and receiving input from the first user for activating with the first machine a sharing action with at least one other machine of at least one other user, the displayed interface elements further receive input from the first user for identifying the at least one other user from a list of users having the technical assistance and for designating privileges of the at least one other user, wherein the sharing action comprises retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user, opening a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing another thin client running on the second machine.

21. The graphical user interface according to claim 20, further comprising:

a text function or GUI function for configuring an identity of a second user with whom or which to share said information.

22. The graphical user interface according to claim 21, wherein the privileges comprise read and/or write privileges, and wherein the text function or GUI function for configuring the at least one other user to share said data comprises graphic or text procedures to specify the read or read/write privileges for the at least one other user.

23. The graphical user interface according to claim 21, wherein the privileges comprise technical authority or privileges, and wherein the text means or GUI member for configuring the at least one other user to share said data comprises a graphic or text procedure to specify the technical authority or privileges for the at least one other user.

24. A system for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process in a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, the system comprising:

a server and a first machine; and

at least one application which may be a server process which application is additionally arranged with one or more programs or procedures running in the server or the first machine for

connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,

displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,

identifying by the first user the at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,

designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,

retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,

sending a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,

opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session,

determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,

if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and

logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges

wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the server application is arranged to provide, on request, at least part of said data from the logged session of said first user to at least one other user.

26. The system according to claim 24, further comprising:

two or more client applications each comprising a function for recognizing a communication from a server or web server about sharing stored data.

27. The system according to claim 24, further comprising:

document format data and procedures for formatting or re-formatting said data to any of a plurality of document display formats suitable for display on any of a plurality of different types of computer-equipped devices.

28. A software application recorded on a non-transitory computer readable medium for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process in a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, the application comprising procedures to:

connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,

displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,

identifying by the first user at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,

designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,

retrieve an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,

send a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,

at the initiation of the first user cause a channel to be opened between the server and said at least one other machine thereby initiating a shared session,

determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,

if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and

log by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges, and wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

29. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising procedures to:

determine that said first user has selected a requirement to distribute and share with at least one other user, and

retrieve an address for the at least one other user dependent on an identity for the at least one other user indicated by said first user.

30. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising procedures to:

format or re-format said data of said client process according to a format requirements of the at least one other user and/or their machine.

31. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising procedures to:

retrieve and/or store at least part of said data and provide at least part of said data from a first logged session with said first user to the at least one other user and/or their machine.

32. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising running one or more procedures on a real or virtual machine running on any of a:

node, gateway, hub, router, data server.

33. The software application according to claim 28, wherein a program executing locally runs one or more procedures on a real or virtual machine running on a machine of the at least one other user.

34. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising procedures to:

provide, on request, a text display or a graphical user interface or other means for recording a requirement of said first user to distribute or share the formatted data of said client process with at least one other user.

35. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising one or more procedures to:

record an identity and/or address for the indicated at least one other user.

36. The software application according to claim 28, further comprising one or more procedures to:

record privileges of the at least one other user.

37. An industrial control system for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process of a server of said industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, which session is logged by said server process, the system comprising:

at least one application which may be a server process which application is additionally arranged with one or more programs or procedures for determining that said first user makes a selection to distribute or share said data of said client process with at least one other user, for first user to identify the at least one other user, for designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user from a list of other users having the technical assistance, for retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user, for sending a request by the first user to share or distribute data to the at least one other user, for opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session, determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session, and if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine of said first user to another thin client running on at least one other machine of at least one other user utilizing the other thin client, logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges, wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user, and

at least one second user machine comprising a display on which text and/or graphics of a client process may be displayed.