Process plant user interface system having customized process graphic display layers in an integrated environment

• US 8,127,241 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• 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: Blevins, Terrence L., Beoughter, Ken J., Lucas, J. Michael, Nixon, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US10/574,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,491 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/229, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/771
• 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

A method useful for providing a user interface for a process plant includes displaying graphical depictions of process plant elements of the process plant via the user interface. Information is generated for a plurality of content layers of a process graphic display of the process plant elements by processing data regarding operation of the process plant. Content to be displayed via the user interface is determined from the generated information by determining which content layer of the plurality of content layer is to be displayed. In some embodiments, the determination may be made based on a user profile characteristic. The generated information may therefore support multiple views of the process plant via the user interface for a plurality of different types of users of the user interface, and may involve processing data regarding actual and simulated operation of the process plant. As a result, the method may also include determining whether the process plant is currently on-line to further determine the portion of the information to be displayed via the user interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user interface for a process plant, the method comprising the steps of:

executing in a processor a process graphic display stored in a memory, the process graphic display (a) depicting on a display device process plant elements of the process plant, (b) operable to display on the display device each of a plurality of content layers, and (c) implementing one or more smart process objects, each of which smart process objects includes information for the plurality of content layers, wherein the information for the plurality of content layers of the process graphic display includes;

(1) a set of graphic display elements common to each of the content layers, the set of graphic display elements illustrating a set of interconnected plant equipment to be illustrated in each of the plurality of content layers and

(2) a set of information to be displayed in conjunction with the common set of graphic display elements for each of the different ones of the content layers, the set of information unique to the content layer;

generating information for the plurality of content layers;

determining a content layer of the plurality of content layers to display via the user interface; and

,

displaying via the user interface the determined content layer of the plurality of content layers,

wherein each of the different ones of the content layers is customized for a different type of user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises processing runtime data received from the process plant in connection with the process plant elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises selecting the determined content layer based on a user profile characteristic, wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for operator access, and wherein the displaying step comprises rendering an operator content layer of the plurality of content layers based on the runtime data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises processing simulation data in connection with simulated operation of the process plant elements.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for maintenance access, and wherein the displaying step comprises rendering a maintenance content layer of the plurality of content layers based on the simulation data.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising introducing simulated disturbances into the simulated operation of the process plant elements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for training instructor access, and wherein the displaying step comprises rendering an instructor content layer of the plurality of content layers to support the introducing step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises implementing object methods defined in a plurality of objects respectively modeling the process plant elements depicted in the process graphic display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each object of the plurality of objects further defines a graphical depiction of the process plant element for each content layer of the plurality of content layers.

10. A user interface system for a process plant having a process plant element, the system comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a display device;

an object comprising information stored in the computer-readable medium regarding operation of the process plant element; and

,

an execution engine to utilize the object information in a runtime environment to generate content for a plurality of content layers of a process graphic display, wherein the object information includes;

(1) a set of graphic display elements common to each of the content layers, the set of graphic display elements illustrating a set of interconnected plant equipment to be illustrated in each of the plurality of content layers and

(2) a set of information to be displayed in conjunction with the common set of graphic display elements for each of the different ones of the content layers, the set of information unique to the content layer;

wherein the display device depicts a specified content layer of the plurality of content layers and wherein each of the different ones of the content layers is customized for a different type of user.

11. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the object information relates to receiving runtime data from the process plant in connection with on-line operation of the process plant element.

12. The user interface system of claim 11, wherein the specified content layer is determined based on a user profile characteristic, and wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for operator access such that the specified content layer is directed to a customized depiction of the runtime data in an operator content layer of the plurality of content layers.

13. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the object information relates to generating simulation data in connection with simulated operation of the process plant element.

14. The user interface system of claim 13, wherein the specified content layer is determined based on a user profile characteristic, and wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for maintenance access such that the specified content layer is directed to a customized depiction of the simulation data in a maintenance content layer of the plurality of content layers.

15. The user interface system of claim 13, wherein the object comprises further information related to a simulated disturbance of the simulated operation of the process plant element.

16. The user interface system of claim 15, wherein the specified content layer is determined based on a user profile characteristic, and wherein the user profile characteristic comprises an indication for training instructor access such that the specified content layer is directed to a customized depiction of the simulation data arising from the simulated disturbance in an instructor content layer of the plurality of content layers.

17. A method of providing a user interface for a process plant, the method comprising the steps of:

generating content for a plurality of different types of users of the user interface by processing data regarding on-line and simulated operation of the process plant;

executing a display module operable to render on a display device each of a plurality of customized depictions of the process plant; and

rendering a selected portion of the content in one of the plurality of customized depictions of the process plant by determining the selected portion of the content in accordance with a current user type of the plurality of different user types, wherein the selected portion of the content includes;

(1) a set of graphic display elements common to each of the plurality of customized depictions, the set of graphic display elements illustrating a set of interconnected plant equipment to be illustrated in the customized depiction for each of the plurality of different user types and

(2) a set of depiction-specific display information to be displayed in conjunction with the common set of graphic display elements for the current user type that differs for each of the plurality of different user types, the set of depiction-specific display information unique to the type,

wherein each graphic display element has associated with it the set of depiction-specific display information for each of the plurality of customized depictions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rendering step comprises determining whether the process plant is on-line to further determine the selected portion of the content for the customized depiction.

19. A method of configuring a user interface for a process plant, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a process graphic display of a plurality of graphic display elements representative of a plurality of process plant elements of the process plant, respectively, the process graphic display operable to display on a display device each of a plurality of content layers for selectively displaying information related to on-line and simulated operation of the process plant elements;

configuring the plurality of graphic display elements by defining parameters related to on-line operation of the corresponding process plant elements and by defining simulation parameters to support simulated operation of the corresponding process plant elements; and

,

wherein each of the plurality of content layers is used to create a customized view of the process graphic display and includes;

(1) a set of graphic display elements common to each of the content layers, the set of graphic display elements illustrating a set of interconnected plant equipment to be illustrated in the content layer and

(2) a set of information to be displayed in conjunction with the common set of graphic display elements for a particular content layer that differs for each of the plurality of content layers, the set of information unique to the content layer,

wherein each of the graphic display elements has associated with it content layer information for each of the plurality of content layers and

wherein the content layer unique display information for each of the plurality of content layers is customized for a different type of user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of objects for the plurality of graphic display elements, respectively, wherein each object includes the parameters related to on-line operation and the simulation parameters.