Method and apparatus for seamless state transfer between user interface devices in a mobile control room

• US 10,649,412 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark J., Beoughter, Ken J., Christensen, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Saad M
• Application Number:
  US14/028,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a process plant include multiple user interface (UI) devices, each accessing a plurality of applications on a server, and operable to store device state on the server and receive device state from the server. The server is coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area and provides functions related to the process data stored in the data storage areas via one or more user interfaces. A first UI device coupled to the server accesses the process data and maintains on the server state information indicative of a state of the user interface executing on the first UI device. A second UI device coupled to the server accesses the process data and the state information to execute a user interface on the second UI device in accordance with the state information indicative of the state of the user interface executing on the first UI device.

Claims

1. A system for operating a process control plant, the system comprising:

a unitary, logical data storage area including one or more data storage devices configured to store, using a common format, process data corresponding to the process control plant, the process plant including at least one field device and the process data including multiple types of process data selected from configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and event data;

a server coupled to the unitary, logical data storage area and operable to provide one or more functions related to the process data stored on the data storage area through one or more user interfaces;

a first user interface device communicatively coupled to the server and operable, via the server, to access the process data, the first user interface device maintaining on the server state information of a first user interface indicative of a state of the first user interface executing and displayed on the first user interface device, wherein the state information indicative of the state of the first user interface executing and displayed on the first user interface device is maintained periodically or in response to a triggering event, wherein the state information represents a configuration of graphics displayed on a first display of the first user interface device as captured for the first user interface device at a first time, and wherein the first user interface device executes code or one or more routines for the configuration of graphics displayed on the first display, and wherein the state information indicates code or one or more routines corresponding to the displayed graphics; and

a second user interface device communicatively coupled to the server and operable, via the server, to access each of (1) the process data corresponding to the process control plant and (2) the first state information of the first user interface, in response to a state information transfer request requesting the state information of the first user interface, and the second user interface device further operable to execute and display a second user interface on the second user interface device in accordance with the state information indicative of the state of the first user interface executing on the first user interface device, wherein the second user interface is executed having a same configuration of graphics as the first user interface based on the state information as captured for the first user interface at the first time, and wherein the second user interface device executes code for display of the same configuration of graphics on a second display of the second user interface device at a second time.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the second user interface device is a mobile device.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a mobile device.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a location awareness component, wherein the second user interface device is operable to receive a signal from the location awareness component and to modify execution of one or more routines on the second user interface device according to the signal received from the location awareness component.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a location awareness component, wherein the location awareness component is operable to receive a signal from the second user interface, and to cause the second user interface device to modify execution of one or more routines on the second user interface device according to a signal received from the location awareness component.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein modifying the execution of the one or more routines comprises one of:

(a) highlighting an area of the process control plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(b) displaying information about a particular device within a predetermined distance of the second user interface device;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to a device in the area of the process control plant in which the second user interface device is located;

or

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to a device in the area of the process control plant in which the second user interface device is located.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an equipment awareness component wherein the second user interface device is operable to receive a signal from the equipment awareness component and to modify execution of one or more routines on the second user interface device according to the signal received from the equipment awareness component.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the equipment awareness component comprises a transmitter transmitting to the second user interface device a wireless signal identifying the equipment with which the transmitter is associated.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein modifying the execution of the one or more routines comprises one of:

(a) highlighting on a display process plant equipment associated with the received signal;

(b) displaying on the second user interface device information about a particular device associated with the received signal;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to a particular device associated with the received signal;

or

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to a particular device associated with the received signal.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein accessing the state information in response to a state information transfer request comprises accessing the state information when the first and second user interface devices mutually detect one another and the same user is logged into both devices.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein accessing the state information in response to a state information transfer request comprises accessing the state information upon an instruction by the first user interface to the server to pass the state information to the second user interface device.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein, by maintaining on the server the state information from the first user interface device and accessing the state information on the second user interface device, the system facilitates one or more of the following activities:

(a) collaboration on the two user interface devices between different users;

(b) mobility of a single user across the two user interface devices;

(c) device awareness of a user location within the process control plant;

or

(d) device awareness of a user proximity to at least one process plant equipment.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein upon accessing the state information, the second user interface device configures a display according to the state information and according to a device type associated with the second user interface device.

15. A method of operating a process plant, the method comprising:

providing a server communicatively coupled to a database storing process data;

accessing the server with a first user interface device associated with a first user profile;

performing, using the first user interface device, a function in the process plant, the process plant including at least one field device;

requesting to access the server with a second user interface device associated with the first user profile;

storing state information associated with the state of a first user interface of the first user interface device, wherein the state information associated with the state of the first user interface of the first user interface device is stored periodically or in response to a triggering event, wherein the state information represents a configuration of graphics displayed on a first display of the first user interface device as captured for the first user interface device at a first time, and wherein the first user interface device executes code or one or more routines for the configuration of graphics displayed on the first display, and wherein the state information indicates code or one or more routines corresponding to the displayed graphics;

providing, to the second user interface device, access to the server according to the stored state information in response to a state information transfer request requesting the state information of the first user interface, wherein a second user interface is displayed on the second user interface device based on the stored state information, wherein the second user interface is executed having a same configuration of graphics as the first user interface based on the state information as captured for the first user interface at the first time, and wherein the second user interface device executes code for display of the same configuration of graphics on a second display of the second user interface device at a second time; and

performing, using the second user interface device, a function in the process plant.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the second user interface device is a mobile device.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first user interface device is a mobile device.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at the second user interface device a signal indicating a proximity of the second user interface device to a device or location; and

modifying execution of one or more routines on the second user interface device according to the received signal.

20. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting from the second user interface device to a location awareness component a signal indicating a proximity of the second user interface device to a device or location; and

receiving, in response to the transmitted signal, from a server coupled via a network to the second user interface device, information specific to the device or location.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising performing one of the following actions on the second user interface device when in proximity to the device or location:

(a) highlighting an area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(b) displaying information about a particular device within a predetermined distance of the second user interface device;

(c) displaying an alarm relevant to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(d) displaying a work item pertaining to a device in the area of the process plant in which the second user interface device is located;

(e) highlighting on a display process plant equipment associated with the received signal;

(f) displaying on the second user interface device information about a particular device associated with the received signal;

(g) displaying an alarm relevant to a particular device associated with the received signal;

or

(h) displaying a work item pertaining to a device associated with the received signal.

22. A method according to claim 15, wherein providing to the second user interface device access to the server according to the stored state information in response to a state information transfer request comprises detecting that the first user interface device and the second user interface device are within a predetermined proximity to one another and providing the second user interface device access to the server according to the stored state information as a result of detecting that the first and second user interface devices are with the proximity to one another.

23. A method according to claim 15, wherein providing to the second user interface device access to the server according to the stored state information in response to a state information transfer request comprises receiving at the server an instruction from the first user interface device to provide to the second user interface device access to the server according to the stored state information.

24. A method according to claim 15, wherein providing to the second user interface device access to the server according to the stored state information in response to a state information transfer request comprises facilitating one of the following activities:

(a) collaboration on the two user interface devices between different users;

(b) mobility of a single user across the two user interface devices;

(c) device awareness of a user location within the process plant;

or

(d) device awareness of a user proximity to at least one process plant equipment.