Configuration and monitoring via design diagram representation

• US 9,244,452 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandes, Russell, Rudder, Michael W., Reed, Dale E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles
• Application Number:
  US13/667,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/18, 700/83, 700/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence

Abstract

A design diagram representation for an industrial operator interface that combines configuration and presentation aspects is provided. The design diagram representation illustrates state transitions, interlocks, and/or permissives for an industrial process or device as a dataflow diagram, a state diagram, or other such diagrams, and renders live state information for the process or device as numeric indicators, string indicators, color-animated state icons, and the like. Flow lines of the diagram are highlighted based on the displayed state information to convey an overall status of the process. In addition, the design diagram representation includes one or more data fields that allow an operator to modify or set a numeric variable for the industrial process (e.g. a timer, a setpoint, etc.), thereby allowing the industrial process to be viewed and configured using a single interface.

Claims

1. A system for displaying state information for an industrial process, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions configured to implement components of the system, the components comprising;

an operator interface component configured to execute an operator interface application that displays control data associated with an industrial process,

wherein

the operator interface component is further configured to, in response to receipt of selection input that selects a graphical representation of a device comprising the industrial process, render a design diagram template that displays a set of possible states for the device and indicates one state, of the set of possible states, representing an active state of the device,

the design diagram template controls highlighting of a connecting line between at least two states of the possible states based on status data read from a data structure of an industrial controller, and

the design diagram comprises at least one numeric entry field configured to receive input data that sets a corresponding at least one parameter that determines a state of the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the components further comprise a mapping component configured to receive configuration data that maps a status display graphic object of the design diagram template to the data structure of the industrial controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data structure is at least one of a data tag, a function block, or an equipment module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the design diagram template displays at least one of a process variable, a control variable, a target process variable, a gate status, a device running status, or a device ready status.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one numeric entry field includes an entry field for at least one of a delay time, a setpoint value, a run time, a clamping limit, a scaling range, an alarm threshold, a data entry range, or a rate of change limit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the components further comprise a graphic object library that stores a plurality of design diagram templates including the design diagram template.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphic object library classifies the plurality of design diagram templates according to at least one of an industry, a type of industrial process, or a type of device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the state diagram displays status data for the device, and wherein the status data is displayed as at least one of a numeric indicator, a string indicator, a color-coded text box, or a highlight.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the design diagram template further displays one or more conditions for transitioning between at least two of the possible states.

10. A method for viewing and configuring an industrial process via an animated state diagram, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising at least one processor, selection input indicating a selection of a graphical representation of an industrial device on an operator interface;

displaying, by the system in response to the receiving the selection input, a state diagram for the industrial device displaying multiple possible states defined for the device;

indicating, by the system on the state diagram, one of the multiple possible states as a current state of the industrial device;

setting, by the system on the state diagram, a highlight graphic of a connecting line between at least two states of the possible states based on status data read from at least one of a data tag, a function block, or an equipment module of an industrial controller;

receiving, by the system in response to interaction with the state diagram, configuration input specifying a numeric value of a process parameter of an industrial process comprising the industrial device; and

writing, by the system in response to the receiving the configuration input, the numeric value to a register of the industrial controller, wherein the register corresponds to the process parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising mapping at least one status display object of the state diagram to at least one of the data tag, the function block, or the equipment module of the industrial controller.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising rendering, on the state diagram, at least one of a process variable, a control variable, a target process variable, a gate status, a device running status, or a device ready status.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the configuration input comprises receiving, as the numeric value, at least one of a delay time, a setpoint value, a run time, a clamping limit, a scaling range, an alarm threshold, a data entry range, or a rate of change limit.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining the state diagram in a library of state diagrams available for display on the operator interface, wherein the library of state diagrams classifies the state diagrams according to at least one of an industry, a type of industrial process, or a type of device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising rendering, on the state diagram, live status data for the industrial device as at least one of a numeric indicator, a string indicator, a color-coded text box, or a connecting line highlight.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying comprises displaying one or more conditions for transitioning between at least two of the multiple possible states.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, the operations including:

receiving, in response to interaction with an operator interface, selection input indicating a graphical representation of an industrial device on the operator interface;

in response to the receiving, displaying, on a design diagram representation, a set of possible states for the industrial device and an indication of which of the possible states is active;

altering a highlight of a connecting line of the design diagram representation based in part on state data read from an industrial controller;

receiving, via the design diagram representation, configuration input that sets or changes a value of a process variable of an industrial process to yield a new value; and

in response to the receiving the configuration input, writing the new value to a data structure of the industrial controller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising classifying a plurality of design diagram representations, including the design diagram representation, in a graphic object library of an operator interface according to at least one of an industry, a type of industrial process, or a device type.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising rendering, on the design diagram representation, at least one of a process variable, a control variable, a target process variable, a gate status, a device running status, or a device ready status.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the receiving the configuration input comprises receiving, as the configuration input, at least one of a delay time, a setpoint value, a run time, a clamping limit, a scaling range, an alarm threshold, a data entry range, or a rate of change limit.