APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FAULT-TOLERANT PRESENTATION OF MULTIPLE GRAPHICAL DISPLAYS IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090313569A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gibson, Adam, Noble, Ashley, Duncanson, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0425 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24215 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/143 with loss of software functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1482 by means of middleware or OS functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A method includes executing first processes to generate graphical displays. At least one graphical display includes a user interface associated with a process system. The method also includes executing a separate second process to generate a window for presentation to an operator. The method further includes inserting the graphical displays into the window and presenting the window with the graphical displays to the operator. The method could also include executing a separate third process to control the first and second processes. The third process could represent a watchdog that terminates and restarts processes in response to detecting a fault or that prioritizes the processes. The method could further include executing a separate fourth process to provide a service, which includes a function invoked on behalf of at least one of the first and second processes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a plurality of first processes to generate a plurality of graphical displays, at least one of the graphical displays comprising a user interface associated with a process system;

executing a second process to generate a window for presentation to an operator, the second process separate from the first processes;

inserting the graphical displays into the window; and

presenting the window with the graphical displays to the operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the second process also generates one or more user interface mechanisms in the window, the user interface mechanisms comprising at least one of:

a title bar, a toolbar, and a menu.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the window and the user interface mechanisms remain visible to the operator when a fault occurs in one or more of the graphical displays.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a third process to control the first and second processes, the third process separate from the first processes and the second process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein executing the third process comprises:

monitoring a status of each of the first and second processes; and

terminating and restarting one of the processes in response to detecting a fault with the process.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein executing the third process comprises:

monitoring an availability of system resources; and

prioritizing at least some of the first and second processes in response to detecting an inadequate availability of the system resources.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the first processes comprise view components generating the graphical displays; and

prioritizing the first and second processes comprises prioritizing the view components based on a relative importance of the view components.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

executing a fourth process to provide a service, the service comprising a function invoked on behalf of at least one of the first and second processes, the fourth process separate from the first, second, and third processes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the second, third, and fourth processes form a framework; and

the first processes are developed without any prior knowledge of the framework.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing first data from the second process to one or more of the first processes; and

passing second data from one or more of the first processes to the second process;

wherein the first and second data comprise operator inputs, and wherein the operator inputs are passed between the processes transparently to the operator.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

execute a plurality of first processes to generate a plurality of graphical displays, at least one of the graphical displays comprising a user interface associated with a process system; and

execute a second process to generate a window that includes the graphical displays, the second process separate from the first processes; and

a display interface configured to provide the window with the graphical displays to a display device for presentation to an operator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second process defines one or more user interface mechanisms to be included in the window, the user interface mechanisms comprising at least one of:

a title bar, a toolbar, and a menu.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein presentation of the window and the user interface mechanisms continues after a fault occurs in one or more of the graphical displays.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a third process to control the first and second processes, the third process separate from the first processes and the second process.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third process comprises a watchdog configured to:

monitor a status of each of the first and second processes; and

terminate and restart one of the processes in response to detecting a fault with the process.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third process comprises a watchdog configured to:

monitor an availability of system resources; and

prioritize at least some of the first and second processes in response to detecting an inadequate availability of the system resources.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a fourth process to provide a service, the service comprising a function invoked on behalf of at least one of the first and second processes, the fourth process separate from the first, second, and third processes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the second process comprises a proxy configured to load the graphical displays into the window; and

each of the first processes comprise an extension view configured to generate one of the graphical displays and a view host configured to interface with the proxy.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first processes also comprises a second proxy configured to invoke the service.

20. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

computer readable program code forming a plurality of first processes configured to generate a plurality of graphical displays, at least one of the graphical displays comprising a user interface associated with a process system;

computer readable program code forming a second process configured to generate a window that includes the graphical displays, the second process separate from the first processes; and

computer readable program code configured to output the window with the graphical displays.

21. The computer program of claim 20, further comprising:

computer readable program code forming a third process configured to control the first and second processes; and

computer readable program code forming a fourth process configured to provide a service, the service comprising a function invoked on behalf of at least one of the first and second processes;

wherein the third process is separate from the first processes and the second process; and

wherein the fourth process is separate from the first, second, and third processes.