Methods and apparatus to dynamically display data associated with a process control system

• US 9,285,799 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Zhou, Ling, Moore, James Henry Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): DRAGOESCU, CLAUDIA B
• Application Number:
  US12/623,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20110126142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 715771-772
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31467 Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to dynamically display data associated with a process control system are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving in a graphics engine, process control information selected by a user, identifying process data associated with the selected process control information, retrieving the identified process data from a process controller, determining metadata associated with the retrieved process data, generating in the graphics engine a data representation based on the metadata, and displaying the data representation via a user interface.

Claims

1. A method to dynamically display data associated with a process control system, the method comprising:

receiving in a graphics engine, process control information selected by a user;

identifying first process data associated with the selected process control information;

retrieving the first process data from a process controller;

generating first metadata for a data representation of the first process data by cross-referencing the retrieved first process data to a metadata type in a metadata type database;

determining first icon connection information representative of a configuration of the process control system based on the first metadata;

parsing the first metadata by first metadata identifiers in the first metadata, the first metadata identifiers indicating (1) a first icon representative of a first field device associated with the process control information, (2) a second icon representative of a second field device associated with the process control information, and (3) the first icon connection information is associated with the first and the second icons;

generating in the graphics engine the data representation based on the first metadata identifiers by cross-referencing the first metadata identifiers to corresponding data representation types in a metadata rules database;

displaying the data representation of the first process data via a user interface;

identifying second process data associated with a change in the process control system, the change being at least one of adding a field device to the process control system or removing one of the field devices from the process control system; and

in response to the at least one of adding the field device to the process control system or removing one of the field devices from the process control system, automatically modifying the displayed data representation of the first process data by incorporating the second process data into the displayed data representation.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein incorporating the second process data into the displayed data representation includes at least one of adding a second data representation to be displayed via the user interface, adding a parameter to the data representation, removing a parameter from the data representation, modifying a parameter type of the data representation, or altering the data representation type.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to select a data representation type prior to cross-referencing the first metadata identifiers to the corresponding data representation types.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising rendering the data representation prior to displaying the data representation.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein generating the first metadata includes identifying metadata associated with the first process data.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selected process control information is identified by at least one of a batch identifier, a process identifier, a controller identifier, a field device identifier, a file associated with the first process data, a link to the first process data, one or more functional blocks, one or more parameters, one or more process control endpoints, or a process control routine.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein retrieving the first process data includes at least one of subscribing to or reading the first process data.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein parsing the first metadata by metadata identifiers occurs prior to generating the data representation.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving customization information associated with the data representation;

referencing the customization information to the data representation;

modifying the data representation based on the customization information;

displaying the modified data representation via the user interface; and

storing the referencing of the customization information associated with the data representation to a database.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the customization information includes at least one of a modification of a display of the data representation, a change in color of the data representation, a change in layout of one or more data representations, a change in graphics associated with the data representation, a change in display format of the data representation, or a change in identification associated with the data representation.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

generating in the graphics engine status data associated with the data representation based on the first metadata; and

displaying the status data associated with the data representation and the data representation via the user interface.

29. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first metadata identifiers indicate a type, a chart type, a table type, or an icon representative of a field device associated with the first process data.

37. A method as defined in claim 1, further including:

generating second metadata for the second process data by cross-referencing the second process data to a metadata type in the metadata type database;

determining second icon connection information representative of a modified configuration of the process control system based on the second metadata;

parsing the second metadata by second metadata identifiers in the second metadata, the second metadata identifiers indicating (1) the first icon representative of the first field device associated with the process control information, (2) the second icon representative of the second field device associated with the process control information, in response to adding the device, (3) a third icon representative of the added device type associated with the process control information, and (4) the second icon connection information is associated with at least one of the first, second, or third icons;

generating in the graphics engine the data representation based on the second metadata identifiers by cross-referencing the second metadata identifiers to corresponding data representation types in the metadata rules database.

12. An apparatus to dynamically display data associated with a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a data manager to;

identify first process data associated with selected process control information; and

identify second process data associated with a first change to the process control system, the first change being at least one of adding a field device to the process control system or removing a field device from the process control system;

a metadata generator located within a data server to determine first icon connection information representative of a configuration of the process control system based on a source of the first process data and first metadata, comprising first metadata identifiers, associated with the first process data by cross-referencing the first process data to a metadata type in a metadata type database, wherein the data server further includes the metadata type database, and the first metadata identifiers indicating (1) a first icon representative of a first field device associated with the process control information, (2) a second icon representative of a second field device associated with the process control information, and (3) the first icon connection information is associated with the first and the second icons;

a data representation generator to generate a data representation based on the first metadata and cross-referencing the first metadata to a corresponding data representation type in a metadata rules database;

a metadata parser to parse the first metadata by the first metadata identifiers prior to the data representation generator generating the data representation; and

a data representation display manager to;

display the data representation of the first process data via a user interface; and

in response to the at least one of adding the field device to the process control system or removing the field device from the process control system, modify the displayed data representation of the first process data by incorporating the second process data into the displayed data representation;

wherein at least one of the data manager, the metadata generator, the data representation generator, or the data representation display manager comprises a processor.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

a selection receiver to receive the selected process control information; and

a data retriever to retrieve the first process data from a process controller and to forward the first process data to the data manager.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein at least one of the data manager, the selection receiver, the data representation display manager, or the data representation generator is included within a graphics engine.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the data retriever is included within the data server.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the data server is included within a graphics engine.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the data representation display manager is to render the data representation prior to displaying the data representation.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the metadata generator is to determine the first metadata by cross-referencing in a metadata type database the first process data to a type of metadata.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the metadata generator is to determine the first metadata by identifying metadata associated with the first process data.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the data manager is to identify the selected process control information by at least one of a batch identifier, a process identifier, a controller identifier, a field device identifier, a file associated with the first process data, a link to the first process data, one or more functional blocks, one or more parameters, one or more process control endpoints, or a process control routine.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:

the data representation display manager is to receive customization information associated with the data representation; and

the data representation generator is to;

reference the customization information to the data representation;

modify the data representation based on the customization information; and

store the referencing of the customization information to the data representation to a data representation database.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:

a graphics engine is to detect a second change, the second change associated with a change to the at least one of the first process data or the first metadata by polling a data server;

the data representation generator is to modify the data representation based on the second change; and

the data representation display manager is to display the modified data representation based on the second change via the user interface.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the first metadata identifiers indicate a graph type, a chart type, a table type, or an icon representative of a field device associated with the first process data.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:

the metadata generator is to;

generate second metadata for the second process data by cross-referencing the second process data to a metadata type in the metadata type database; and

determine second icon connection information representative of a modified configuration of the process control system based on the second metadata;

in response to adding the device to the process control system, the second metadata identifiers to further indicate a third icon representative of a device type of the added device associated with the process control information and the second icon connection information is associated with at least one of the first, second, or third icons; and

the data representation generator is to generate in the graphics engine the data representation based on the second metadata identifiers by cross-referencing the second metadata identifiers to corresponding data representation types in the metadata rules database.

40. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein:

modifying the displayed data representation of the first process data by incorporating the second process data into the displayed data representation includes at least one of adding a field device to the displayed data representation or removing a field device from the displayed data representation; and

modifying the data representation based on the second change includes adding to the process control information, new process data associated with the first process data that was not previously associated with the process control information.

22. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive process control information selected by a user;

identify first process data associated with the selected process control information, the first process data being associated with a first change in the process control system, the first change associated with at least one of adding a field device to the process control system or removing a field device from the process control system;

retrieve the first process data from a process controller;

determine first icon connection information representative of a configuration of the process control system based on a source of the process control data;

generate first metadata, comprising first metadata identifiers, for a data representation of the first process data by cross-referencing the first process data to a metadata type in a metadata type database, the first metadata identifiers indicating (1) a first icon representative of a first field device associated with the process control information, (2) a second icon representative of a second field device associated with the process control information, and (3) the first icon connection information is associated with the first and the second icons;

generate the data representation based on the first metadata and cross-referencing the first metadata to a corresponding data representation type in a metadata rules database by generating an instance of the data representation type associated with the metadata type and associating the first process data to data representation type;

display the data representation of the first process data via a user interface;

identify second process data associated with a second change in the process control system, the second change associated with a change to at least one of the first process data or the first metadata; and

in response to the second change, modify the displayed data representation of the first process data by incorporating the second process data into the displayed data representation.

30. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to generate the first metadata by identifying metadata associated with the first process data.

31. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

receive customization information associated with the data representation;

reference the customization information to the data representation;

modify the data representation based on the customization information;

display the modified data representation via the user interface; and

store the referenced customization information to the data representation to a database.

32. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

generate a second data representation based on the first metadata; and

display the second data representation via the user interface.

33. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate the first metadata when insufficient metadata is retrieved with the first process data from the process controller.

34. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to parse the first metadata by first metadata identifiers in the first metadata, the first metadata identifiers indicating respective types of data representations for respective parsed portions of the first metadata.

36. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the first metadata identifiers indicate a graph type, a chart type, a table type, or an icon representative of a field device associated with the first process data.

39. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

generate second metadata for the second process data by cross-referencing the second process data to a metadata type in the metadata type database;

determine second icon connection information representative of a modified configuration of the process control system based on the second metadata;

in response to the adding of a device to the process control system, identify by the first metadata identifier a third icon representative of a third field device associated with the process control information, and the second icon connection information is associated with at least one of the first, second, or third icons; and

generate in the graphics engine the data representation based on the second metadata by cross-referencing second metadata identifiers to corresponding data representation types in the metadata rules database.

23. An apparatus to dynamically display data associated with a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors that, when operative, cause the apparatus to;

receive process control information selected by a user;

identify first process data associated with the selected process control information;

retrieve the first process data from a process controller;

determine first icon connection information representative of a configuration of the process control system based on a source of the first process data;

determine, when metadata comprising metadata identifiers for a data representation of the first process data is not retrieved with the first process data, a metadata type associated with the first process data by cross-referencing the first process data to the metadata type in a metadata type database, the first metadata identifiers indicating (1) a first icon representative of a first field device associated with the process control information, (2) a second icon representative of a second field device associated with the process control information, and (3) the first icon connection information is associated with the first and the second icons;

generate first metadata corresponding to the metadata type;

generate the data representation by using the first metadata corresponding to the metadata type and by cross-referencing the first metadata to a corresponding data representation type;

display the data representation of the first process data via a user interface;

identify second process data associated with a first change in the process control system, the first change being at least one of adding a field device to the process control system or removing a field device from the process control system;

identify the data representation associated with a status the first process data and

in response to at least one of adding the field device to the process control system or removing the field device from the process control system, link a status of a second process data to the data representation associated with the status of the first process data.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the one or more processors, when operative, cause the apparatus to:

receive a second change, the second change associated with a change to at least one of the first process data or the first metadata;

in response to receiving the second change, modify the data representation based on the second change; and

display the modified data representation via the user interface.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the one or more processors, when operative, cause the apparatus to:

generate an instance of the corresponding data representation type;

associate the first metadata with a data field in the instance of the data representation type; and

associate the first process data associated with the first metadata with the data field in the instance of the data representation type to generate the data representation.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the one or more processors, when operative, cause the apparatus to:

identify the first process data via a message or data word; and

determine the metadata type when the message or the data word includes insufficient metadata or does not include any metadata.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein, to identify the second process data, the one or more processors further cause the apparatus to:

identify the second process data is associated with a second process that was not previously associated with the process control information;

identify second metadata associated with the second process data; and

retrieve at least one of the second process data or the second metadata associated with the second process.