Graphic element with multiple visualizations in a process environment

• US 8,185,219 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• 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: Gilbert, Stephen, Beoughter, Ken J., Lucas, John Michael, Nixon, Mark J., Hao, Tennyson
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US12/702,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17- 18, 700/83, 700/86, 715762-763
• US Class Current: 700/83
• 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

Smart graphic elements are provided for use as portions or components of one or more graphic displays, which may be executed in a process plant to display information to users about the process plant environment, such as the current state of devices within the process plant. Each of the graphic elements is an executable object that includes a property or a variable that may be bound to an associated process entity, like a field device, and that includes multiple visualizations, each of which may be used to graphically depict the associated process entity on a user interface when the graphic element is executed as part of the graphic display. Any of the graphic element visualizations may be used in any particular graphic display and the same graphic display may use different ones of the visualizations at different times. The different visualizations associated with a graphic element make the graphic element more versatile, at they allow the same graphic element to be used in different displays using different graphical styles or norms. These visualizations also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens, such as PDA and telephone display screens.

Claims

1. A graphic display editor for use in a process plant to create a graphic display that represents an operation of one or more entities within the process plant, the graphic display editor comprising machine-readable instructions stored in a tangible, computer-readable medium, the instructions comprising:

a library of graphic objects, wherein one of the graphic objects includes a multiplicity of different visual representations of a physical or a logical entity within the process plant; and

a graphically based editor canvas routine that enables a user to define an executable graphic display by placing indications of one or more graphic objects from the library of graphic objects onto an edit canvas to define a manner in which visual representations of the one or more graphic objects will be displayed on a display device to a user during execution of the graphic display, wherein the graphically based editor canvas routine enables the user to select between the multiplicity of different visual representations for the one of the graphic objects when the one of the graphic objects is placed into the edit canvas.

2. The graphic display editor of claim 1, further including a property definition canvas routine adapted to enable a user to define a property associated with the one of the graphic objects and a binding definition routine adapted to enable a user to specify a binding between the property and a runtime environment within the process plant.

3. The graphic display editor of claim 2, further including a script definition routine adapted to enable a user to define an executable routine that operates on the property.

4. The graphic display editor of claim 3, wherein the script definition routine operates in conjunction with an animation routine that animates the selected one of the multiplicity of different visual representations of the one of the graphic objects.

5. The graphic display editor of claim 4, further including an animation definition routine adapted to enable a user to define an animation routine that animates the selected one of the multiplicity of different visual representation of the one of the graphic objects.

6. The graphic display editor of claim 5, wherein the animation routine applies at least one of a skew, a rotation, a translation, and a resizing to the selected one of the multiplicity of different visual representations of the one of the graphic objects.

7. The graphic display editor of claim 4, wherein the script definition routine enables a user to define the executable routine as a routine that detects a condition associated with the process entity and that indicates the detected condition with a change to the selected one of the multiplicity of different visual representations of the one of the graphic objects.

8. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the one of the graphical display objects includes an indication defining one of the multiplicity of different visual representations as a default visual representation to be used when the display object is executed.

9. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity according to a first graphical standard or norm and a second one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity according to a second graphical standard or norm.

10. The graphic display editor entity of claim 9, wherein the first graphical standard or norm is associated with an oil and gas industry graphical standard or norm or with a pharmaceutical industry graphical standard or norm.

11. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity according to a first graphical style and a second one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity according to a second graphical style.

12. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity in a manner designed for display on a first type of display device and a second one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity in a manner designed for display on a second type of display device.

13. The graphic display editor of claim 12, wherein the first type of display device is a standard computer screen and the second type of display device is a handheld display device associated with a personal data assistant or a telephone device.

14. The graphic display editor of claim 12, wherein the first type of display device includes a display screen that is significantly different in size than the second type of display device.

15. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity in a manner associated with a first function within the process plant and a second one of the multiplicity of different visual representations depicts the process entity in a manner associated with a second function within the process plant.

16. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the graphically based editor canvas routine is adapted to enable a user to store different ones of the multiplicity of different visual representations for the one of the graphic objects at different times.

17. A graphical display configuration system for use in creating a display representing the interconnections between one or more physical or logical process entities within a process plant, the system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more sets of instructions executable by a processor, the one or more sets of instructions comprising;

a library of one or more graphic objects, each graphic object associated with a process entity, executable to store a value of a property associated with the process entity, and including one or more graphic visualizations of the process entity, wherein one of the graphic objects includes a multiplicity of different graphic visualizations of the process entity, and one of the one or more graphic visualizations is selectable to be displayed on a display device as a graphic representation of the process entity when the graphic object is executed by the processor; and

a display editor module executable to create an executable graphic display object that represents an operation of the one or more process entities, the display editor comprising a graphically-based editor canvas routine that enables a user to define the executable graphic display object by placing indications of one or more graphic objects from the library of graphic objects onto an edit canvas to define a manner in which graphic visualizations of the one or more graphic objects will be displayed on the display device during execution of the graphic display object, wherein the graphically based editor canvas routine enables the user to select, when the one of the graphic objects is placed into the edit canvas, between the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations to be displayed upon execution of the one of the graphic objects.

18. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein the identity of the one of the multiplicity of graphical visualizations that is to be displayed on the display device when the graphic object is executed is selectable.

19. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity according to a first graphical standard or norm and a second one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity according to a second graphical standard or norm.

20. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity according to a first graphical style and a second one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity according to a second graphical style.

21. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity in a manner designed for display on a first type of display device and a second one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity in a manner designed for display on a second type of display device.

22. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein a first one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity in a manner associated with a first function within the process plant and a second one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations depicts the process entity in a manner associated with a second function within the process plant.

23. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein the graphic object is executable to accept and store different ones of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations at different times.

24. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, wherein the graphic object further includes an animation routine that animates one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations based on the value of the property.

25. The graphical display configuration system of claim 17, further including a property definition canvas routine executable to enable a user to define the property associated with the one of the one or more graphic objects and a binding definition routine executable to enable a user to specify a binding between the property and a runtime environment within the process plant.

26. The graphical display configuration system of claim 25, further including a script definition routine executable to enable a user to define an executable routine that operates on the property.

27. The graphical display configuration system of claim 26, wherein the script definition routine operates in conjunction with an animation routine that animates the selected one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations of the one of the graphic objects.

28. The graphical display configuration system of claim 27, wherein the script definition routine enables a user to define the executable routine as a routine that detects a condition associated with the process entity and that indicates the detected condition with a change to the selected one of the multiplicity of different graphic visualizations of the one of the graphic objects.