Associated graphic displays in a process environment

• US 8,185,892 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• 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: Lucas, J. Michael, Tennyson, Hao, Campney, Bruce, Nixon, Mark J., Gilbert, Stephen, Guzman, Francis De
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHILLIP H
• Application Number:
  US10/589,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,575 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 717/105, 717/109
• US Class Current: 717/178
• 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

Graphical display support is provided within a process plant configuration, monitoring and simulation system to enable graphical displays to be created in a manner in which they are associated with one another in the runtime environment. In particular, a single graphic display editor may be used to create interrelated graphic displays that may be accessed from one another in the runtime environment to provide further information about a process entity within one of the graphic displays, to scroll through adjacent sections of a process plant or to provide different displays for different functions within the process plant, such as for an operator viewing function, a simulation function and a maintenance function. Because the same graphic editor is used to create the graphic displays, the resultant graphic displays may have the same look and feel and may be bound to the runtime environment within the plant in generally the same manner.

Claims

1. A graphic display editor for use in creating a user interface display that represents operation of one or more entities within a process plant, the graphic display editor comprising:

a repository storing a library of graphic objects, each graphic object including a visual representation of a physical or a logical entity within the process plant;

a processor coupled to the repository and programmed to execute a plurality of routines including;

a graphically based editor canvas routine that enables a user to define an executable graphic display by placing one or more visual representations of the graphic objects from the library of graphic objects onto an edit canvas to define a manner in which the one or more visual representations of the graphic objects will be displayed on a display device to a user during execution of the graphic display;

a property definition canvas routine enabling a user to define a property associated with at least one of the plurality of graphic objects;

a binding definition routine enabling a user to specify a binding between the property and a runtime environment within the process plant; and

an action definition routine enabling a user to interact with the graphic display to perform a function using the graphic display,

wherein the action definition routine enables a user to access from the graphic display a further graphic display in a sequential manner, and

wherein the further graphic display includes at least one graphic object with a visual representation placed onto the editor canvas to define the graphic display, and

wherein the at least one graphic object is depicted by a different graphic visualization in the further graphic display than the at least one graphic object is defined in the graphic display.

2. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the further graphic display provides information about an entity within the graphic display.

3. The graphic display editor of claim 2, wherein the further graphic display is a faceplate display.

4. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the graphic display illustrates a first section of the process plant and the further graphic display illustrates a second and different section of the process plant.

5. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the graphic display illustrates a first section of the process plant and the further graphic display illustrates a sub-section of the first section of the process plant.

6. The graphic display editor of claim 5, wherein the graphic display illustrates the first section of the process plant at a first level of detail and the further graphic display illustrates the sub-section of the first section of the process plant at a greater level of detail than the first level of detail.

7. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the graphical display provides a first functional view of a section of the process plant and the further display provides a second functional view of the section of the process plant.

8. The graphic display editor of claim 7, wherein the first functional view is a control operator view and the second functional view is one of a maintenance view or a business view or a simulation view or an engineering view.

9. The graphic display editor of claim 8, wherein the control operator view illustrates process values associated with one or more physical entities during operation of the process plant.

10. The graphic display editor of claim 7, wherein the first functional view is a maintenance view and the second functional view is one of a control view, or a business view or a simulation view or an engineering view.

11. The graphic display editor of claim 10, wherein the maintenance view illustrates an indication of a health or status of a physical entity within the process plant.

12. The graphic display editor of claim 1, wherein the action definition routine enables a user to access a control routine display illustrating a control routine implemented within the process plant.

13. The graphic display editor of claim 1, further including a definition routine adapted to enable a user to define a routine that effects the visual representation of one of the graphic objects based on the property during execution of the graphic display.

14. The graphic display editor of claim 13, wherein the definition routine enables a user to define the routine as an animation routine that animates the visual representation of the one of the graphic objects.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing a set of graphic displays that are executable on one or more display devices to visually represent operation of one or more entities within a process plant, the set of graphic displays comprising:

instructions executable to cause the one or more display devices to visually represent a first graphic display and a second graphic display, the first graphic display including;

a display area;

one or more visually interconnected graphic objects, each of the graphic objects including a visual representation of a physical or a logical entity within the process plant and depicted in the display area;

a property definition defining a property associated with at least one of the plurality of graphic objects;

a binding definition specifying a binding between the property and a runtime environment within the process plant; and

a visual link within the display area that enables a user to interact with the first graphic display to access the second graphic display in a sequential manner,

wherein the first graphic display includes a first one of the one or more visually interconnected graphic objects having a first visual representation of a first physical or a logical entity and the second graphic display includes the first one of the one or more visually interconnected graphic objects having a second visual representation of the first physical or logical entity.

16. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second graphic display provides information about an entity within the first graphic display.

17. The machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the second graphic display is a faceplate display.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first graphic display illustrates a first section of the process plant and the second graphic display illustrates a second and different section of the process plant.

19. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first graphic display illustrates a first section of the process plant and the second graphic display illustrates a sub-section of the first section of the process plant.

20. The machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first graphic display illustrates the first section of the process plant at a first level of detail and the second graphic display illustrates the sub-section of the first section of the process plant at a greater level of detail than the first level of detail.

21. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first graphic display provides a first functional view of a section of the process plant and the second graphical display provides a second functional view of the section of the process plant.

22. The machine readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first functional view is a control operator view and the second functional view is one of a maintenance view or a business view or a simulation view or an engineering view.

23. The machine readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first functional view is a maintenance view and the second functional view is one of a control view, or a business view or a simulation view or an engineering view.

24. The machine readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the maintenance view illustrates an indication of a health or status of a physical entity within the process plant.

25. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first graphic display is an operators view illustrating the operation of one or more physical entities within the process plant and the second graphic display is a control module display illustrating a control routine for the one or more physical entities within the process plant.

26. A process control and configuration system for use in a process plant, comprising:

a plurality of physical and logic process entities which operate together to perform a process;

a process controller communicatively connected to the plurality of physical and logical process entities;

one or more control routines implemented on the process controller to control the operation of the plurality of physical and logic process entities;

a display device including a processor and a display screen; and

a set of interrelated graphic displays, the graphic displays independently executable on the display device to visually represent the operation of a set of the process entities within the process plant on the display screen,

wherein the set of interrelated graphic displays are sequentially accessed from one another,

wherein one process entity of the set of process entities is depicted by a first graphic visualization in the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays and also depicted by a second graphic visualization in the another one of set of graphic displays.

27. The process control and configuration system of claim 26, further including a graphic display editor adapted to create each of the set of interrelated graphic displays.

28. The process control and configuration system of claim 26, wherein one of the set of interrelated graphic displays includes a display area, one or more visually interconnected graphic objects, each of the graphic objects including a visual representation of a physical or a logical entity within the process plant, a property definition defining a property associated with at least one of the plurality of graphic objects and a binding definition specifying a binding between the property and a runtime environment within the process plant.

29. The process control and configuration system of claim 28, wherein the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays includes a visual link within the display area that enables a user to interact with the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays to link to the another one of the set of interrelated graphic displays.

30. The process control and configuration system of claim 29, wherein the another one of the set of interrelated graphic displays provides information about an entity within the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays.

31. The process control and configuration system of claim 26, wherein the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a first section of the process plant and the another one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a second and different section of the process plant.

32. The process control and configuration system of claim 26, wherein the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a first section of the process plant and the another one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a sub-section of the first section of the process plant.

33. The process control and configuration system of claim 26, wherein the one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a first functional view of a section of the process plant and the another one of the set of interrelated graphic displays illustrates a second function view of the section of the process plant.

34. The process control and configuration system of claim 33, wherein the first functional view is a control operator view and the second functional view is one of a maintenance view or a business view or a simulation view or an engineering view.

35. A process control and configuration system for use in a process plant, comprising:

a plurality of physical and logic process entities which operate together to perform a process;

a process controller communicatively connected to the plurality of physical and logical process entities;

one or more control routines implemented on the process controller to control the operation of the plurality of physical and logic process entities;

a display device including a processor and a display screen; and

a graphic display editor that enables a user to design a set of interrelated graphic displays, wherein each of the set of interrelated graphic displays is independently executable on the display device to visually represent the operation of one or more of the process entities within the process plant on the display screen,

wherein the set of interrelated graphic displays are sequentially accessed from one another;

wherein a first graphic display of the set of interrelated graphic displays depicts one of the process entities by a first graphic visualization and a second graphic display of the set of interrelated graphic displays depicts the one of the process entities by a second graphic visualization.

36. The process control and configuration system of claim 35, wherein the graphical display editor is adapted to interrelate the graphic displays by allowing a user to specify a manner in which one of the graphic display is related to another one of the graphic displays.

37. The process control and configuration system of claim 36, wherein the another one of the graphic displays provides information about an entity within another one of the graphic displays.

38. The process control and configuration system of claim 36, wherein the one of the graphic displays illustrates a first section of the process plant and the another one of the graphic displays illustrates a second and different section of the process plant adjacent to the first section of the process plant.

39. The process control and configuration system of claim 36, wherein the one of the graphic displays illustrates a first section of the process plant and the another one of the graphic displays illustrates a sub-section of the first section of the process plant.

40. The process control and configuration system of claim 35, wherein the graphic display editor is adapted to interrelate the graphic displays by allowing a user to create a first one of the graphic displays as a first functional display and to create a second one of the graphic displays as a second functional display.

41. The process control and configuration system of claim 40, wherein the first functional display is a control operator display and the second functional display is one of a maintenance display or a business display or a simulation display or an engineering display.

42. The process control and configuration system of claim 40, wherein the first functional display is a maintenance display and the second functional display is one of a control display or a business display or a simulation display or an engineering display.