Methods and apparatus for accessing process control data

• US 8,312,060 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Stephen, Hammack, Stephen G., Zhou, Ling, Lucas, J. Michael, Nixon, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bétit, Jacob F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corbo, Griselle
• Application Number:
  US11/556,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 707/202, 707/809
• US Class Current: 707/809
• 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

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for accessing process control data involve loading a client object and communicating a data access request from the client object to a real object configured to communicate with a server. The real object then communicates a query to the server based on the data access request and obtains process control data from the server in response to the query. The process control data is then mapped from a first data layout associated with a server schema to a second data layout associated with a client schema. The mapped process control data is then communicated to an application.

Claims

1. A method for accessing process control data, comprising:

loading, at a client application, a user interface comprising at least one user-generated partial class associated with a user-defined data access function and at least one pre-generated partial class associated with a client schema of the user interface;

communicating a data access request based on the user-defined data access function from the user interface to a client model in the client application;

in response to the data access request from the user interface, loading a real object and instantiating a client object and a communication path between the client object and the real object in accordance with the client model, the communication path comprising an object handle, a mask, and a mapping between an element of the at least one user-generated partial class and another element of the pre-generated partial class, wherein the client object is based on the at least one user-generated partial class and the at least one pre-generated partial class, and the real object is based on a server schema of a process control server, wherein the client object references the object handle to access the real object via the mask and wherein the mask includes a pointer from the client schema to the server schema;

communicating a query from the real object to the process control server based on the data access request;

obtaining process control data from the process control server in response to the query, wherein the process control data is at least one of stored process control data or real-time process control data;

mapping, via the client model, the process control data from a first data layout associated with the server schema to a second data layout associated with the client schema, wherein the second data layout corresponds to a human-readable application view; and

communicating the mapped process control data to the user.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the process control data is obtained from the process control server in extensible markup language.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client object is loaded via the client application.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein mapping the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout comprises mapping a plurality of client role elements associated with the client schema to a server role element associated with the server schema.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein mapping the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout comprises mapping a client object associated with the client schema to a plurality of server objects associated with the server schema.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein mapping the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout comprises mapping a client role element associated with the client schema to a plurality of server role elements associated with the server schema.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein mapping the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout comprises inserting a client role element and a client object into the client schema, wherein the server schema does not include a server role element and a server object corresponding to the client role element and the client object.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein mapping the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout comprises implementing a client role element as a command.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data access request comprises at least one of:

a request to perform a mathematical operation at the server based on data collected at the server and communicate a result to the process control application;

or

a request to perform a real-time measurement via a device in a process control system and communicate a real-time measurement value to the process control application.

10. An apparatus for accessing process control data, comprising:

a processor system; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor system, the memory including stored instructions that enable the processor system to;

load, at a client application, a user interface comprising at least one user-generated partial class associated with a user-defined data access function and at least one pre-generated partial class associated with a client schema of the user interface;

communicate a data access request based on the user-defined data access function from the user interface to a client model in the client application;

in response to the data access request from the user interface, load a real object and instantiate a client object and a communication path between the client object and the real object in accordance with the client model, the communication path comprising an object handle, a mask, and a mapping between an element of the at least one user-generated partial class and another element of the pre-generated partial class, wherein the client object is based on the at least one user-generated partial class and the at least one pre-generated partial class, and the real object is based on a server schema of a process control server, wherein the client object references the object handle to access the real object via the mask and wherein the mask includes a pointer from the client schema to the server schema;

communicate a query from the real object to the process control server based on the data access request;

obtain process control data from the process control server in response to the query, wherein the process control data is at least one of stored process control data or real-time process control data;

map, via the client model, the process control data from a first data layout associated with the server schema to a second data layout associated with the client schema, wherein the second data layout corresponds to a human-readable application view; and

communicate the mapped process control data to the user interface.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the process control data is obtained from the process control server in extensible markup language.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the client object is loaded via the client application.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to map the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout by mapping a plurality of client role elements associated with the client schema to a server role element associated with the server schema.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to map the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout by mapping a client object associated with the client schema to a plurality of server objects associated with the server schema.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to map the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout by mapping a client role element associated with the client schema to a plurality of server role elements associated with the server schema.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the process system to map the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout by inserting a client role element and a client object into the client schema, wherein the server schema does not include a server role element and a server object corresponding to the client role element and the client object.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to map the process control data from the first data layout to the second data layout by implementing a client role element as a command.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to unload the client object after communicating the mapped process control data to the process control application.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions enable the processor system to unload the client object by specifying that the client object is unused.

20. A tangible machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

load, at a client application, a user interface comprising at least one user-generated partial class associated with a user-defined data access function and at least one pre-generated partial class associated with a client schema of the user interface;

communicate a data access request based on the user-defined data access function from the user interface to a client model in the client application;

in response to the data access request from the user interface, load a real object and instantiate a client object and a communication path between the client object and the real object in accordance with the client model, the communication path comprising an object handle, a mask, and a mapping between an element of the at least one user-generated partial class and another element of the pre-generated partial class, wherein the client object is based on the at least one user-generated partial class and the at least one pre-generated partial class, and the real object is based on a server schema of a process control server, wherein the client object references the object handle to access the real object via the mask and wherein the mask includes a pointer from the client schema to the server schema;

communicate a query from the real object to the process control server based on the data access request;

obtain process control data from the process control server in response to the query, wherein the process control data is at least one of stored process control data or real-time process control data;

map, via the client model, the process control data from a first data layout associated with the server schema to a second data layout associated with the client schema, wherein the second data layout corresponds to a human-readable application view; and

communicate the mapped process control data to the user interface.

21. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the process control data is obtained from the process control server in extensible markup language.

22. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the client object is loaded via the client application.