Integrated navigational tree importation and generation in a process plant

• US 8,935,298 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Eryurek, Evren, Hokeness, Scott N., Harris, Stuart, Dillon, Steven, Rome, Greg, Westbrock, Jon, Kavaklioglu, Kadir
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, SHEREE N
• Application Number:
  US10/331,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,397 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707 1- 3, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/803, 707/999.1, 709/206, 705/27, 715/764, 715/236
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31467 Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36121 Tree oriented menu, go to root, scroll up down, select mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

A process plant data collection and organization system uses a common or integrated navigational tree structure to organize and enable a user to view and access information obtained from different applications or data sources within a process plant, even when those different applications have different manners of organizing or enabling users thereof to view the collected information. The integrated navigational tree may be developed from and may use the navigational tree categories of the different applications or may map the data within different categories of the navigational trees of the different applications into categories within the integrated navigational tree. The integrated navigational tree enables a user to view and access plant data collected or developed by different applications within the process plant in a single place and in an organized manner so that the user can view data related to the plant from a higher point of view than provided by any of the individual applications.

Claims

1. A data integration system for use in conjunction with a process plant having a plurality of data source applications, each of which collects or generates application data pertaining to entities within the process plant, the data integration system comprising:

a database configured to store the application data pertaining to the entities within the process plant wherein the application data is collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications;

an integration application stored on a computer readable memory and executable on a processor to create an integrated navigational tree for use in viewing or accessing the application data from the plurality of data source applications as stored in the database, the integrated navigational tree including categories for categorizing the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications, the categories displayed in the navigational tree as a hierarchy having a first level with at least one selectable element defining one or more physical plant device categories and a second level associated with the first level having one or more selectable indications defining one or more particular sub-categories of physical entities within the process plant that fall within the first level plant device category, wherein the integrated navigational tree is a single navigational tree and wherein data from different ones of the plurality of data source applications and associated with the first level plant device category is assessable by selecting different ones of the selectable indications of the second level; and

a navigational tree memory configured to store the integrated navigational tree.

2. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include plant categories defined by the S88 standard.

3. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the integration application includes a default navigational tree structure that specifies the categories for categorizing the application data and uses the default navigational tree structure to create the integrated navigational tree.

4. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include high-level categories defining each of the plurality of the data source applications and include sub-categories defined according to navigational trees associated with each of the plurality of data source applications.

5. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include logical function categories defining logical functions of the process plant.

6. The data integration system of claim 5, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of a device maintenance function, a device monitoring function, a control function, and a plant efficiency function.

7. The data integration system of claim 5, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of power equipment, field instrumentation equipment, rotating equipment and efficiency equipment.

8. The data integration system of claim 5, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of process areas, units, equipment, and control modules.

9. The data integration system of claim 1, further including a mapping application stored on a computer readable memory and executable on a processor to display depictions of the categories of the integrated navigational tree, to display depictions of data items associated with a navigational tree of one of the data source applications and to enable a user to specify a connection between the data items associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and the categories of the integrated navigational tree.

10. The data integration system of claim 9, wherein the mapping application enables a user to specify a connection between a particular data item associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and a particular category of the integrated navigational tree by selecting the depiction of the particular data item within the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications, dragging the depiction of the selected particular data item to the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree and dropping the depiction of the selected particular data item on the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree.

11. The data integration system of claim 10, wherein the depictions of the data items associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications include depictions of categories of data associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications.

12. The data integration system of claim 10, wherein the depictions of the data items associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications include depictions of process entities associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications.

13. The data integration system of claim 1, further including a data collection application stored on a computer readable memory and executable on a processor to receive the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications.

14. The data integration system of claim 13, wherein the data collection application is a web viewing application.

15. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the integrated navigational tree includes a category for linking information that provides a link to information or to an application related to at least one of the entities within the process plant.

42. The data integration system of claim 1, further including a user interface application stored on a computer readable memory and executable on a processor to display the integrated navigational tree to enable a user to view or access the application data stored in the database.

43. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies a control routine.

44. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies field equipment.

45. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies an area of the process plant.

46. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies an equipment module of the process plant.

47. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies a control module of the process plant.

48. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies a unit of the process plant, wherein the unit identifies a particular grouping of plant equipment hardware.

49. The data integration system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the categories or indications of the entities of the integrated navigational tree identifies a type of device used in the process plant.

50. The data integration system of claim 49, wherein the type of device used in the process plant includes one of a pump, a fan, a motor, a dryer, a compressor or a heat exchanger.

16. A web server system for use in conjunction with a process plant, comprising:

a communication network;

a data integration server communicatively connected to the communication network; and

a plurality of application servers communicatively connected to the data integration server via the communication network, each application server adapted to serve data from a data source application which collects or generates application data pertaining to entities within the process plant to the data integration server;

the data integration server including;

a processor,

a computer readable program memory,

a first database adapted to receive and to store the application data pertaining to the entities within the process plant collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications;

an integration application stored on the computer readable program memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to create an integrated navigational tree for use in viewing or accessing the application data from the plurality of data source applications as stored in the first database, the integrated navigational tree including categories for categorizing the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications, the categories displayed in the navigational tree as a hierarchy having a first level with at least one selectable element defining one or more physical plant device categories and a second level associated with the first level having one or more selectable indications defining one or more particular sub-categories of physical entities within the process plant that fall within the first level plant device category, wherein the integrated navigational tree is a single navigational tree and wherein data from different ones of the plurality of data source applications and associated with the first level is assessable by selecting different ones of the selectable indications of the second level; and

a navigational tree database configured to store the integrated navigational tree.

17. The web server system of claim 16, further including a user interface application configured display the integrated navigational tree to enable a user to view or access the application data stored in the first database.

18. The web server system of claim 17, wherein the user interface application is stored on the computer readable program memory and is executable on the processor of the data integration server.

19. The web server system of claim 16, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include categories of a plant defined by an S88 standard.

20. The web server system of claim 16, wherein the integration application includes a default navigational tree structure that specifies the categories for categorizing the application data and uses the default navigational tree structure to create the integrated navigational tree.

21. The web server system of claim 16, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include high-level categories defining each of the plurality of the data source applications and include sub-categories defined according to navigational trees associated with each of the plurality of data source applications.

22. The web server system of claim 16, wherein the categories of the integrated navigational tree include logical function categories defining logical functions of the process plant.

23. The web server system of claim 22, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of a device maintenance function, a device monitoring function, a control function, and a plant efficiency function.

24. The web server system of claim 22, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of power equipment, field instrumentation equipment, rotating equipment and efficiency equipment.

25. The web server system of claim 16, further including a mapping application stored on the computer readable program memory and executable on the processor to display depictions of the categories of the integrated navigational tree, to display depictions of data items associated with a navigational tree of one of the data source applications and to enable a user to specify a connection between the data items associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and the categories of the integrated navigational tree.

26. The web server system of claim 25, wherein the mapping application enables a user to specify a connection between a particular data item associated within the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and a particular category of the integrated navigational tree by selecting the depiction of the particular data item within the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications, dragging the depiction of the selected particular data item to the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree and dropping the depiction of the selected particular data item on the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree.

27. The web server system of claim 26, wherein the depictions of the data items associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications include depictions of categories of data associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications.

28. The web server system of claim 16, wherein the integrated navigational tree includes a category for linking information that provides a link to information or to an application related to at least one of the entities within the process plant.

29. A method of integrating application data pertaining to entities within a process plant collected or generated by a plurality of data source applications associated with the process plant, the method comprising:

storing the application data pertaining to the entities within the process plant in a first database, the application data collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications;

creating an integrated navigational tree for use in viewing or accessing the application data from the plurality of data source applications as stored in the first database, the integrated navigational tree including categories for categorizing the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications, the categories displayed in the navigational tree as a hierarchy having a first level with at least one selectable element defining one or more physical plant device categories and a second level associated with the first level having one or more selectable indications defining one or more particular sub-categories of physical entities within the process plant that fall within the first level plant device category, wherein data from different ones of the plurality of data source applications and associated with the first level is assessable by selecting different ones of the selectable indications of the second level;

storing the integrated navigational tree in a memory; and

displaying the integrated navigational tree to enable a user to view or access the application data stored in the first database, to thereby enable a user to access data generated by each of the different data source applications using a single navigational tree structure.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating the integrated navigational tree includes creating categories of the integrated navigational tree defined by the S88 standard.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein creating the integrated navigational tree includes storing a default navigational tree structure that specifies the categories for categorizing the application data and using the default navigational tree structure to create the integrated navigational tree.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating the integrated navigational tree includes creating high-level categories of the integrated navigational tree for each of the plurality of the data source applications and creating sub-categories associated with the high-level categories defined according to navigational trees associated with each of the plurality of data source applications.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating the integrated navigational tree includes creating categories of the integrated navigational tree to include logical function categories defining logical functions of the process plant.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of a device maintenance function, a device monitoring function, a control function, and a plant efficiency function.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of power equipment, field instrumentation equipment, rotating equipment and efficiency equipment.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the logical function categories include one or more of process areas, units, equipment, and control modules.

37. The method of claim 29, further including displaying depictions of the categories of the integrated navigational tree, displaying depictions of data items associated with a navigational tree of one of the data source applications and enabling a user to specify a connection between a particular data item associated with the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and a particular category of the integrated navigational tree.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of enabling a user to specify a connection between the particular data item associated within the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications and the particular category of the integrated navigational tree includes enabling a user to select the depiction of the particular data item within the navigational tree of the one of the data source applications, enabling the user to drag the depiction of the selected particular data item to the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree and enabling the user to drop the depiction of the selected particular data item on the depiction of the particular category of the integrated navigational tree.

39. The method of claim 29, further including the step of automatically sending the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications to the first database.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein creating the integrated navigational tree includes creating the integrated navigational tree to include a category for linking information that provides a link to information or to an application related to at least one of the entities within the process plant.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the link is a universal resource locator (URL).