Three-dimensional immersive system for representing an automation control environment

• US 8,009,165 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Reichard, Douglas R., Dorgelo, Eric G., Gordon, Kevin G., Virji, Shafin A., Bromley, Clifton H., Semkow, Marc D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phu
• Application Number:
  US12/862,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 700/83, 703/1, 703/21, 715/700, 715/705, 715/762
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for representing a production environment comprises a modeling module that creates a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a production environment. The system also includes a view module that renders a graphical depiction of at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from a reference point that is based at least in part upon a location. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing three-dimensional representations of a plurality of objects within an industrial automation environment in memory of at least one computing device;

receiving a reference point related to a location in the industrial automation environment;

employing a processor to calculate a field of view based at least in part on the reference point and to render the three-dimensional representations filtered based at least in part on the field of view and context information based on a role of a user in the industrial automation environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving instructions grouping the three-dimensional representations into at least two cells;

and storing the at least two cells in the memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving instructions further comprises marking the at least two cells with meta-data specific to at least one attribute.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the marking further comprises marking the at least two cells with meta-data specific to at least one of a role or a time.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the employing further comprises employing the processor to render at least one cell based at least in part on field of view.

6. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store at least two cells comprising three-dimensional representations of a plurality of objects within an industrial automation environment;

an interface component configured to receive a reference point related to a location in the industrial automation environment; and

a processor configured to calculate a field of view based at least in part on the reference point, to render at least one cell filtered based at least in part on the field of view and to highlight at least a portion of the rendered at least one cell based on context information related to a role of a user in the industrial automation environment and at least one task in the industrial automation environment.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects comprises at least one machine.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects comprises at least one industrial automation device.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least two cells are associated with meta-data.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the meta-data relates to at least one of a role or a time.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the meta-data relates to at least one of an operational requirement of at least one of the plurality of objects or a configuration of at least one of the plurality of objects.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to render the at least one cell based at least in part upon the field of view and the meta-data.

13. The device of claim 6, wherein the interface component is further configured to transmit the rendering of the at least one cell to at least one remote device.

14. A computer, comprising:

a memory configured to store three-dimensional representations of a plurality of objects within an industrial automation environment;

an interface component configured to receive a reference point related to a location in the industrial automation environment; and

a processor configured to calculate a field of view based at least in part on the reference point and to render the three-dimensional representations filtered based at least in part on the field of view and context information related to a role of a user in the industrial automation environment.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects comprises at least one machine.

16. The computer of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects comprises at least one industrial automation device.

17. The computer of claim 14, wherein the interface component is further configured to receive instructions grouping the three-dimensional representations into at least two cells;

and the memory is further configured to store the at least two cells.

18. The computer of claim 17, wherein the interface component is further configured to receive meta-data specific to the at least two cells and the memory component is further configured to store the meta-data specific to the at least two cells.

19. The computer of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to render at least one of the at least two cells based at least in part upon the field of view.

20. The computer of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to render the at least one of the at least two cells based at least in part upon the meta-data.