AUTOMATED OPERATOR INTERFACE GENERATION IN A CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120054650A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bliss, Ronald, Hogan, Keith M., Daily, Gordon, Killian, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23008 Computer aided software engineering, program generation, case tools, CASE
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

System(s), device(s), and method(s) provide automated configuration of operator interface(s) in an industrial control system, the automated configuration is based at least on control logic that regulates a process and associated equipment in an industrial environment. A terminal that renders control data can acquire the control logic and associate a set of control data structures therein to one or more display objects, which can be retained in a set of libraries stored in the terminal. Based at least on the association, the terminal automatically generates a rendering project that can render an operator interface that conveys control data according to the control logic. A mapping enables association amongst a control data structure and a display object; the mapping can include relationships amongst display objects for numerous domains of industrial control. The operator interface can be refined autonomously or through external data received at the terminal and associated with predetermined event(s).

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute one or more sets of code instructions retained in at least one memory, the one or more sets of code instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, implement a group of components comprising;

an acquisition component that extracts at least one data structure;

an association component that links the at least one data structure to at least one display object;

a rendering constructor component that automatically modifies a rendering project based at least on the linkage amongst the at least one data structure and the at least one display object, wherein the rendering project defines an operator interface that conveys control data; and

a display that renders the operator interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the association component links the at least one data structure to the at least one display object based on a predetermined mapping, wherein the at least one data structure is one of a control data structure that includes at least one of a control instruction, a data type, and a metadata tag;

or a data structure that defines an input/output (I/O) module in a controller.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined mapping includes at least one relationship amongst a set of control data structures and set of display objects based on at least one of a control domain, a security clearance of an intended operator, a location of the device, or state information of equipment regulated in part via automation control logic that includes the at least one control data structure.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one relationship is a one-to-one relationship, a one-to-many relationship, or a many-to-many relationship.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the acquisition component extracts the at least one data structure at control runtime from an industrial controller in response to a predetermined event.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the acquisition component extracts the at least one data structure from a control project in a design environment.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one data structure is a control data structure and the acquisition component extracts the control data structure from a disparate device in response to a predetermined event.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the rendering constructor component retains the rendering project in response to input data that conveys acceptance of the operator interface or modifies the rendering project in response to input data that conveys rejection of the operator interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the rendering constructor component delivers the operator interface to an external display that operates in an apparatus communicatively coupled to the device, a peer device, or a legacy terminal that conveys control data, wherein the apparatus is communicatively coupled to the device via at least an external network that includes a wireless wide area network, and wherein the device is communicatively coupled to the peer device or the legacy terminal via at least an access network.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the group of components further comprises:

an intelligent component that infers an operator interface in response to one or more changes to automation control logic.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the intelligent component infers placement of a display object in the operator interface based at least on learning from historical data on accepted operator interfaces and modified operator interfaces that include the display object.

12. A method, comprising:

employing at least one processor to execute code instructions retained in a memory, the code instructions when executed by the at least one processor perform at least the following group of acts;

acquiring automation control logic;

associating a control data structure in the automation control logic with a display object; and

configuring an operator interface based at least on the association amongst the control data structure in the automation control logic and the display object.

13. The method of claim 12, the group of acts further comprising:

rendering the operator interface, wherein the operator interface conveys control data dictated at least by the control data structure, and wherein the control data structure includes at least one of a control instruction, a data type, or a metadata tag.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the acquiring includes:

scanning an automation control layer if a predetermined event occurs;

detecting at least one change in the automation control layer based at least on information collected on the scanning; and

extracting automation control logic related to the at least one change.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event includes a change in the automation control logic, a control system startup event, a request for scanning the automation control layer, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the acquiring includes:

subscribing to a notification service provided by at least one apparatus that retains the automation control logic; and

as part of the notification service, receiving an indication from the at least one apparatus in response to a change in automation control logic, wherein the at least one apparatus retains the automation control logic.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the associating includes:

extracting the control data structure in the automation control logic; and

for the control data structure, acquiring the display object based at least on a mapping that links a set of display objects to a set of control data structures.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

binding the display object to a rendering project that defines the operator interface to convey control data dictated at least by the control data structure.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuring includes:

merging a portion of a first rendering project with a second rendering project, the rendering project that results from the merging defines the operator interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the merging includes:

inserting a first set of rendering instructions associated with the first rendering project into a second set of rendering instructions associated with the second rendering project.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuring includes:

customizing the operator interface based at least on one or more of the automation control logic and a set of rendering resources.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuring includes:

analyzing a first operator interface that conveys control data according in part to the automation control logic;

generating a set of operator interfaces, at least one operator interface in the set is alternative to the first operator interface and conveys the control data according in part to the automation control logic; and

if the at least one operator interface in the set fulfills at least one suitability criterion, selecting the at least one operator interface as the operator interface.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that retains computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least one processor to:

acquire automation control logic;

link a control data structure in the automation control logic with a display object, wherein the control data structure includes at least one of a control instruction, a data type, or a metadata tag; and

automatically configure an operator interface based at least on the linkage amongst the control data structure in the automation control logic and the display object.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further retains computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

render the operator interface, wherein the operator interface conveys control data dictated at least by the control data structure, and wherein the control data structure includes at least one of a control instruction, a data type, or a metadata tag.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further retains computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

acquire the automation control logic at control runtime from an industrial controller in response to a predetermined event or from a control project in a design environment.