Security for objects in a process plant configuration system

• US 8,788,071 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lucas, John Michael, Webb, Arthur, Nixon, Mark J., Jundt, Larry Oscar, Li, Jian, Stevenson, Dennis L., Ott, Michael George, Koska, Herschel O., Havekost, Robert Burke
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US13/109,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 709217-222, 710 8- 10, 711/163, 711/164, 711/170, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713164-167, 713182-186, 707781-788, 715741-744, 726 2- 4, 726 16- 21, 726 26- 30, 340/5.2, 340/5.74
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23109 Configuration of display device, operator panel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32154 Object, attribute for geometry, technology, function oop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A configuration system uses process plant items that may represent, or be capable of representing, entities in a process plant to assist in configuring, organizing, and changing the control and display activities within the process plant. Access to the items may be controlled by associating access control data with the items. The configuration system may also use objects that represent, or may be capable of representing, one or more steps to be performed by entities in the process plant. Access to these objects may be controlled by associating access control data with the objects. The access control data may indicate whether users or certain users may be able to, for example, view or modify all or some data associated with the process plant items or the objects. The process plant items may comprise, for example, module class objects which may be capable of generically representing process entities of the process plant, module objects which may be capable of specifically representing process entities of the process plant, composite templates, module templates, etc. The objects that represent, or may be capable of representing, one or more steps to be performed by entities in the process plant may comprise, for example, phase classes or unit phases.

Claims

1. An object entity for use in configuring or viewing the operation of a process plant having multiple field devices connected to a process controller and operable to perform physical control and measurement functions within the process plant, the object entity comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a programming object stored on the computer readable memory, the programming object representing a process entity within the process plant and including;

a first memory storage which, when executed on a processor, stores indications of one or more functions to be performed by the process entity during operation of the process plant; and

a second memory storage which, when executed on a processor;

stores a global security parameter indicating whether access to the programming object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited, and

stores a plurality of sub-element security parameters corresponding to a plurality of sub-element objects included in the programming object, wherein;

each sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the process entity indicates whether access to a respective sub-element object of the programming object is to be limited, and

a first sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the process entity and corresponding to the first sub-element object and a second sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the process entity and corresponding to the second sub-element object are each individually modifiable.

2. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the programming object comprises a class object that generically represents a particular type of process entity within the process plant.

3. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the programming object comprises a specific object that specifically represents a particular process entity within the process plant.

4. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the programming object comprises a composite template.

5. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the global security parameter comprises an indication of a level of security associated with the programming object.

6. An object entity as defined in claim 5, wherein the indication of the level of security comprises at least one of an indication that no access is to be permitted, an indication that no access by particular persons is to be permitted, an indication that no access by particular types of users is to be permitted, an indication of read-only access, an indication of read-only access by particular persons, or an indication of read-only access by particular types of users.

7. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the first memory storage executes to store indications of the plurality of sub-element objects of the programming object, the plurality of sub-element objects corresponding to the one or more functions to be performed by the process entity during operation of the process plant.

8. An object entity as defined in claim 1, wherein the global security parameter indicates whether access to the programming object as a whole is to be limited.

9. An object entity for use in configuring or viewing the operation of a process plant having multiple field devices connected to a process controller and operable to perform physical control and measurement functions within the process plant, the object entity comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a programming object stored on the computer readable memory, the programming object representing one or more steps capable of being performed by one or more process entities within the process plant and including;

a first memory storage which, when executed on a processor, stores indications of the one or more steps; and

a second memory storage which, when executed on a processor;

stores a global security parameter indicating whether access to the programming object by a viewing or configuration application is to be limited, and

stores a plurality of sub-element security parameters corresponding to a plurality of sub-element objects included in the programming object, wherein;

each sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the one or more steps capable of being performed by one or more process entities indicates whether access to a respective sub-element object of the programming object is to be limited, and

a first sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the one or more steps capable of being performed by one or more process entities and corresponding to the first sub-element object and a second sub-element security parameter stored in the programming object representing the one or more steps capable of being performed by one or more process entities and corresponding to the second sub-element object are each individually modifiable.

10. An object entity as defined in claim 9, wherein the programming object represents one or more steps capable of being performed by each process entity in a set of process entities.

11. An object entity as defined in claim 10, wherein the programming object comprises a phase class object.

12. An object entity as defined in claim 9, wherein the programming object represents one or more steps to be performed by a specific process entity.

13. An object entity as defined in claim 12, wherein the programming object comprises a unit phase object.

14. An object entity as defined in claim 9, wherein the global security parameter comprises an indication of a level of security associated with the programming object, and wherein the each sub-element security parameter comprises an indication of a level of security associated with the respective sub-element object.

15. An object entity as defined in claim 14, wherein the indication of the level of security comprises at least one of an indication that no access is to be permitted, an indication that no access by particular persons is to be permitted, an indication that no access by particular types of users is to be permitted, an indication of read-only access, an indication of read-only access by particular persons, or an indication of read-only access by particular types of users.

16. An object entity as defined in claim 9, wherein the first memory storage executes to store indications of the plurality of sub-element objects of the programming object, the plurality of sub-element objects corresponding to the one or more steps to be performed by the one or more process entities during operation of the process plant.