Method and apparatus for seamless state transfer between user interface devices in a mobile control room

• US 9,678,484 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark J., Beoughter, Ken J., Christensen, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuhui R
• Application Number:
  US14/028,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 700 83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for operating a process plant include a server providing display information to a first user interface (UI) device, storing state information, and providing display information to a second user interface device according to the stored state data. A processor is coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area and to a memory device that stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. The instructions cause the processor to retrieve process data for display on a first UI device, transmit to the first UI device the retrieved process data, store state information associated with the display of the process data on the first UI device, retrieve process data for display on a second UI device according to the stored state information, and transmit to the second UI device the process data retrieved according to the stored state information.

Claims

1. A server for facilitating mobile control of a process plant, the server comprising:

a processor communicatively coupled via a network to a unitary, logical data storage area including one or more data storage devices configured to store, using a common format, process data corresponding to the process plant, the process data including multiple types of process data selected from configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and event data; and

a memory device communicatively coupled to the processor and storing machine-readable instructions, executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

receive a first set of process data corresponding to process parameters in the process plant for display on a first user interface device having a processor and a memory device, the first set of process data including configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and/or event data, wherein the first user interface device is configured to perform a function in the process plant;

transmit to the first user interface device the received first set of process data;

obtain a session identifier for a session created on the display of the first user interface device;

store the session identifier with state information generated during the session, wherein the state information is associated with the display on the first user interface device and includes a state of a graphic representation related to at least one of the process parameters corresponding to the first set of process data;

receive, from a second user interface device, a request for state information for the session created on the display of the first user interface device;

receive a second set of process data corresponding to the process parameters for display on the second user interface device according to the stored session identifier and state information, wherein the second user interface device includes another processor and another memory device; and

transmit to the second user interface device the second set of process data received according to the stored session identifier and state information, wherein the second user interface device is configured to perform a function in the process plant.

2. A server according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the received first set of process data to the first user interface device comprises transmitting to the first user interface device the first set of process data viewable in a web browser executing on the first user interface device.

3. A server according to claim 1, further comprising formatting the first set of process data for display on a first user interface device according to a device type of the first user interface device.

4. A server according to claim 1, further comprising formatting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device according to the stored state information and according to a device type of the second user interface device.

5. A server according to claim 4, wherein formatting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device according to the stored state information further comprises formatting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device such that an operational state of the first user interface device is duplicated on the second user interface device.

6. A server according to claim 5, wherein transmitting the first set of process data to the first user interface device comprises transmitting to the first user interface device the first set of process data viewable in a multi-purpose process control application executing on the first user interface device.

7. A server according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is of a different type than the second user interface device.

8. A server according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

9. A server according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface device is a first mobile device and the second user interface device is a second mobile device.

10. A server according to claim 1, the machine-readable instructions further comprising instructions executable by the processor to receive a request from the first user interface device to provide to the second user interface device a user interface according to the stored state information.

11. A server according to claim 1, the machine readable instructions further comprising instructions executable by the processor to establish with the second user interface device, in response to the request to provide a user interface according to the stored state information, a secure communication channel between the server and the second user interface device.

12. A server according to claim 1, the machine-readable instructions further comprising instructions executable by the processor to receive a request from the second user interface device to provide to the second user interface device a user interface according to the stored state information.

13. A server according to claim 1, wherein the stored state information further includes one or more of:

(a) a display configuration of the first user interface device;

(b) a portion of the process plant displayed by the first user interface device;

(c) data of a process control device displayed by the first user interface device;

(d) a function being performed on the first user interface device, the function including one or more of a control function, an operation function, a configuration function, a maintenance function, a data analysis function, a management function, a quality control function, or a security function; and

(e) a user profile active on the first user interface device.

14. A server according to claim 1, wherein the first set of process data and the second set of process data are different.

15. A method performed by a server facilitating mobile control of a process plant, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of process data corresponding to process parameters in the process plant for display on a first user interface device having a processor and a memory device, the first set of process data including configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and/or event data, wherein the first user interface device is configured to perform a function in the process plant;

transmitting to the first user interface device the received first set of process data;

obtaining a session identifier for a session created on the display of the first user interface device;

storing the session identifier with state information generated during the session, wherein the state information is associated with the display on the first user interface device and includes a state of a graphic representation related to at least one of the process parameters corresponding to the first set of process data;

receiving, from a second user interface device, a request for state information for the session created on the display of the first user interface device;

receiving a second set of process data for display on the second user interface device according to the stored session identifier and state information, wherein the second user interface device includes another processor and another memory device; and

transmitting to the second user interface device the second set of process data received according to the stored session identifier and state information, wherein the second user interface device is configured to perform a function in the process plant.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein transmitting the received first set of process data to the first user interface device comprises transmitting to the first user interface device the first set of process data viewable in a web browser executing on the first user interface device.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising formatting the first set of process data for display on a first user interface device according to a device type of the first user interface device.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein transmitting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device according to the stored state information further comprises formatting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device such that an operational state of the first user interface device is duplicated on the second user interface device.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein transmitting the first set of process data to the first user interface device comprises transmitting to the first user interface device the first set of process data viewable in a multi-purpose process control application executing on the first user interface device.

20. A method according to claim 15, further comprising formatting the second set of process data for display on a second user interface device according to the stored state information and according to a device type of the second user interface device.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first user interface device is of a different type than the second user interface device.

22. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first user interface device is a workstation and the second user interface device is a mobile device.

23. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first user interface device is a first mobile device and the second user interface device is a second mobile device.

24. A method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving a request from the first user interface device to provide to the second user interface device a user interface according to the stored state information.

25. A method according to claim 15, further comprising establishing with the second user interface device, in response to the request to provide a user interface according to the stored state information, a secure communication channel between the server and the second user interface device.

26. A method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving a request from the second user interface device to provide to the second user interface device a user interface according to the stored state information.

27. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first set of process data and the second set of process data are different.