Method and human-machine-interface (HMI) system for controlling and monitoring a technical installation

• US 7,444,188 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Heymann, Roland, De Meyer, Frederik
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US10/652,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 340/3.1, 715/708, 715/866
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

A method and associated system for controlling and monitoring a technical installation (M1, M2), which is assigned at least one regional control area (OA1, OA2), uses a universal, mobile control and monitoring module (MU) and includes three steps. In a first step, the current position of the mobile control and monitoring module (MU) is determined by means of positioning signals. In a second step, the mobile control and monitoring module (MU) is assigned to a technical installation (M1, M2), if the current position of the mobile control and monitoring module lies within the regional control area (OA1, OA2) of that technical installation (M1, M2). In a third step, HMI data of the technical installation (M1, M2) is loaded into the assigned mobile control and monitoring module (MU). The assignment of the universal, mobile control and monitoring module (MU) to the technical installation (M1, M2) is not fixed or permanent, but only temporary. Thus, only HMI data that are required to carry out the respectively desired control and monitoring tasks on the assigned technical installation (M1, M2), or on a certain part thereof, needs to be selectively loaded into the control and monitoring module (MU). If an operator carries along the control and monitoring module (MU), he or she can leave the regional control area (OA1, OA2) of the technical installation (M1, M2) and enter the regional control area (OA1, OA2) of another technical installation (M1, M2) without restrictions. Then, a temporary assignment to that installation is possible.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a universal mobile control and monitoring module to control and monitor a technical installation, wherein the technical installation is assigned to at least one regional control sub-area located within a control area, the method comprising:

determining a current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module by means of positioning signals;

assigning the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the technical installation, if the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module lies within the regional sub-control area of the technical installation;

transmitting from the technical installation and loading human-machine-interface (HMI) data of the technical installation into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module; and

controlling the technical installation using the HMI data loaded into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module,

wherein said loading of the HMI data for the control of the technical installation into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module is controlled as a function of a distance from the technical installation to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising loading HMI display data into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the HMI display data comprises at least process values of the technical installation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the process values comprise actual values and alarm messages of technical apparatuses of the technical installation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising loading HMI initialization data into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the HMI initialization data at least parameterizes a display of the HMI data of the technical installation on the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

updating the HMI data in the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module; and

uploading the updated HMI data into the technical installation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the updated HMI data comprises HMI input data.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the uploaded HMI data comprises specified values for the technical installation.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the specified values comprise desired values and default values for technical apparatuses of the technical installation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one type of the HMI data is blocked when the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module is in close physical proximity to technical installation.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, farther comprising utilizing a mobile telephone as the universal mobile control and monitoring module.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, farther comprising utilizing a personal digital assistant (PDA) as the universal mobile control and monitoring module.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the universal mobile control and monitoring module is assigned to the technical installation only if the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module is within the regional sub-control area of the technical installation.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, when the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module is outside the regional sub-control area of the technical installation, the universal mobile control and monitoring module is not assigned to the technical installation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assigning comprises establishing a data connection between the universal mobile control and monitoring module and the technical installation.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical installation is located adjacent to the regional control sub-area in which the universal mobile control and monitoring module is located and wherein the HMI data of the technical installation is output to the universal mobile control and monitoring module.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical installation is located adjacent to the regional control sub-area in which the universal mobile control and monitoring module is located and wherein the HMI data of the technical installation is stored in the universal mobile control and monitoring module.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the HMI data of the technical installation is used to initialize and parameterize the display of the universal mobile control and monitoring module.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controlling of the technical installation comprises:

the universal mobile control and monitoring module transmitting to the technical installation values input into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module, and the technical installation using the transmitted values to change operating state of the technical installation.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical installation determines at least one type of the HMI data, from a plurality of types of the HMI data that belong to the technical installation, to transmit to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module based on location of the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the technical installation transmits different types of the HMI data to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module based on whether the technical installation is visible from a location of the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

24. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the technical installation is a machine and wherein the machine transmits different types of the HMI data for controlling and monitoring the machine to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module based on a location of the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module with respect to the assigned machine.

11. The method as claimed in 1, wherein said transmitting the HMI data as the function of the current position of the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module only occurs in the regional control sub-area of the assigned technical installation.

25. A human-machine-interface (HMI) system, comprising:

a technical installation;

at least one universal mobile control and monitoring module configured to control and monitor the technical installation; and

at least one HMI data module assigned to the technical installation, the HMI data module comprising;

a managing device configured to manage HMI data of the technical installation;

a managing-and-assigning device configured to manage a regional control sub-area of the technical installation and configured to assign the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the technical installation, if a current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module lies within the regional sub-control area of the technical installation; and

a loading device configured to load the HMI data of the technical installation provided by the technical installation into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module,

wherein the technical installation is controlled using the HMI data loaded into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module,

wherein said loading of the HMI data for the control of the technical installation into the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module is controlled as a function of a distance from the technical installation to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

26. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the managing device is configured to cyclically manage the HMI data of the technical installation.

27. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the HMI data module is integrated into the technical installation.

28. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a data bus configured to couple the HMI data module to the technical installation.

29. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the loading device is configured to transmit the HMI data in contactless manner to the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module.

30. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the HMI data module further comprises a receiver configured to receive at least transmission messages from the assigned universal mobile control and monitoring module, and wherein the transmission messages comprise at least HMI input data for updating the HMI data of the technical installation.

31. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the universal mobile control and monitoring module comprises a position determination device configured to analyze positioning signals that are provided by a satellite system, and configured to transmit the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the managing-and-assigning device of the HMI data module.

32. The HMI system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the satellite system comprises a GPS satellite system.

33. The HMI system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the universal mobile control and monitoring module comprises a position determination device configured to analyze short -range fields, which are received in the regional control sub-area as positioning signals, and configured to transmit the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the managing-and-assigning device of the HMI data module.

34. The HMI system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the short-range fields are based on at least one of a Bluetooth™

standard and an Infrared standard.

35. The HMI system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the short-range fields are based on a wireless short range communication standard.

36. The HMI system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the short-range wireless communication standard is up to approximately ten meters.

37. The HMI system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the short-range wireless communication standard is up to approximately hundred meters.

38. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the managing-and-assigning device assigns the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the technical installation only if the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module is within the regional sub-control area of the technical installation.

39. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein, when the current position of the universal mobile control and monitoring module is outside the regional sub-control area of the technical installation, the managing-and-assigning device does not assign the universal mobile control and monitoring module to the technical installation.