Location dependent control access in a process control system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator, comprising:
- defining, by one or more processors, one or more control areas within the process control environment, each of the one or more control areas being associated with one or more respective elements within a process control environment, the process control environment including a plurality of elements;
determining, by one or more processors, a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to the one or more of the control areas;
establishing, by one or more processors, an identity of the user and an organizational role of the user based on information entered via the portable communicator; and
selectively allowing, by one or more processors, the user to access an element from among the plurality of elements within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on (i) the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and (ii) the identity and the organizational role of the user,wherein a boundary of at least one of the one or more control areas is adjusted dynamically without user intervention according to conditions in the process control environment that are detected by a computing device, andwherein the dynamic adjustment results in a change in an association of one or more elements with at least one control area while the number of the plurality of elements in the process control environment remains unchanged.
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Abstract
A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator, comprising:
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defining, by one or more processors, one or more control areas within the process control environment, each of the one or more control areas being associated with one or more respective elements within a process control environment, the process control environment including a plurality of elements; determining, by one or more processors, a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to the one or more of the control areas; establishing, by one or more processors, an identity of the user and an organizational role of the user based on information entered via the portable communicator; and selectively allowing, by one or more processors, the user to access an element from among the plurality of elements within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on (i) the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and (ii) the identity and the organizational role of the user, wherein a boundary of at least one of the one or more control areas is adjusted dynamically without user intervention according to conditions in the process control environment that are detected by a computing device, and wherein the dynamic adjustment results in a change in an association of one or more elements with at least one control area while the number of the plurality of elements in the process control environment remains unchanged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An access control system for use in a process control environment, the access control system comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and a first routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, determines the geographic position of an authorized user operating a portable communicator within the process control environment based on data received from one of the portable communicator or electronic location device carried by the authorized user; a second routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, limits access of the authorized user to data within the process control environment based on the determined geographic position of the portable communicator with respect to a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, each of the plurality of control areas being associated with one or more respective elements within the process control environment, the process control environment including a plurality of elements, wherein the boundary of at least one of the plurality of control areas is adjusted dynamically without user intervention according to conditions in the process plant that are detected by a computing device, the dynamic adjustment resulting in a change in an association of one or more elements with at least one control area while the number of the plurality of elements in the process control environment remains unchanged; and a third routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, receives via the portable communicator, data indicative of information an identity of the user and an organizational role of the user and selectively allows the user to access an element from among the plurality of elements within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the identity and the organizational role of the user. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator, comprising:
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defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment; determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas; establishing an identity of the user and an organizational role of the user with information entered by the user via the portable communicator; selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user; identifying whether the user is a target recipient of a notification of an event associated with the element within the process control environment according to the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas, the identity of the user, and the organizational role of the user; and selectively pushing the notification to the portable communicator when the user is a target recipient and otherwise not pushing the notification to the portable communicator. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An access control system for use in a process control environment, the access control system comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and a first routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, determines the geographic position of an authorized user operating a portable communicator within the process control environment based on data received from one of the portable communicator or electronic location device carried by the authorized user; a second routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, limits access of the authorized user to data within the process control environment based on the determined geographic position of the portable communicator with respect to the plurality of control areas; a third routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, receives from a user of a portable communicator data indicative of an identity of the user and an organizational role of the user; and a fourth routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, identifies whether the portable communicator is a target recipient of a notification of an event associated with an element within the process control environment according to the position of the portable communicator with respect to the one or more control areas, the identity of the user and the organizational role of the user; and a fifth routine stored on the computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, selectively pushes the notification to the portable communicator when the portable communicator is a target recipient and otherwise does not push the notification to the portable communicator. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification