Configurable user displays in a process control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444949-B2
Application number	US-201314048844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	Oct 8, 2012
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A display configuration system enables plant operators to create their own process displays called dashboards during run-time of the plant and in the same interface that these operators use to view operation of the process plant. This display configuration system makes the operators more productive because the operators can quickly create and implement their own specialized dashboards, as these operators determine these dashboards are needed. Each dashboard has a defined layout specifying locations or regions at which display elements can be shown in the dashboard, and this layout is operator modifiable. Operators can easily create content on their own dashboards using predefined but configurable display building blocks called gadgets, which can be pre-stored in a library and can be made available for the operator during dashboard creation activities. A gadget can be dragged and dropped onto a dashboard at one of the regions or locations of the dashboard to be installed in that region or location of the dashboard. The display configuration system may automatically size the gadgets based on the selected dashboard layout, and operators can modify an existing dashboard by adding, modifying, moving, minimizing or deleting gadgets on the dashboard.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A user display configuration system for a process plant, comprising:
a tangible non-transitory computer readable medium that stores:
a first library that includes one or more executable graphical elements, each of the one or more executable graphical elements including (i) informational indicia, and (ii) one or more links to data related to the informational indicia within a process control system such that the informational indicia is displayed with respectively linked data in accordance with the one or more links; and
a second library that includes one or more executable user interface display forms, at least one of the executable user interface display forms defining a display region for a user display device, the display region comprising one or more non-modifiable regions and one or more modifiable sub-regions, the one or more modifiable sub-regions operable to receive the one or more executable graphical elements of the first library; and

one or more processors configured to execute a display application that:
receives user input to configure the one or more executable user interface display forms and the one of the executable graphical elements by (i) specifying a location of at least one of the modifiable sub-regions within the display region of the one of the executable user interface display forms, and (ii) specifying the one or more links to data within the process control system used by the one of the executable graphical elements, and
creates a link between the one of the executable graphical elements and the one of the modifiable sub-regions of the one of the executable user interface display forms upon a user specifying the link by dragging and dropping an indication of the one of the executable graphical display elements to a region on a user display associated with the one of the modifiable sub-regions of the one of the executable user interface display forms,

wherein, upon configuring the one of the executable user interface display forms in accordance with an initial configuration, at least one of the one or more modifiable sub-regions is selectively associated with a first executable graphical element that is used to present information within the display region,
wherein each of the one or more executable user interface display forms includes a link between each of the one or more of the modifiable sub-regions of a respective executable user interface form and an executable graphical element, and
wherein, during runtime execution of the one of the executable user interface display forms via the display application and in response to a user selection, the initial configuration of the one of the executable user interface display forms is modified such that the at least one of the one or more modifiable sub-regions is then (i) occupied by a second executable graphical element that is different than the first executable graphical element, or (ii) no longer occupied by an executable graphical element.

2. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, receive a user input from a user specifying a link between (i) one of the modifiable sub-regions of the one of the executable user interface display forms and (ii) one of the executable graphical display elements, to cause the one of the executable graphical display elements to, upon execution thereof, display information in the one of the modifiable sub-regions of the one of the executable user interface display forms.

3. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to receive a user input from a user specifying the number of modifiable sub-regions associated with the display region of the one of the executable user interface display forms.

4. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to receive a user input from a user specifying the size of at least one of the modifiable sub-regions within the display region of the one of the executable user interface display forms.

5. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to receive a user input from a user to configure the one of the executable graphical elements by specifying the informational indicia used by the one of the executable graphical elements.

6. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration system associates one or more of the executable graphical elements with one of the modifiable sub-regions so that a visual display created by the one or more executable graphical elements is automatically sized to fit within the one of the modifiable sub-regions.

7. The user display configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to store an executable user interface display form that has been configured by a user in the second library as a new executable user interface form.

8. The user display configuration system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to store the executable user interface display form that has been configured by a user in the second library associated with the user to present the executable user interface display form that has been configured by the user in one or more user folders associated with the user.

9. The user display configuration system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to store the executable user interface display form that has been configured by the user in the second library associated with multiple different users, to present the executable user interface display form that has been configured by the user to multiple different users in one or more folders accessible by the multiple different users.

10. The user display configuration system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to store the executable user interface display form that has been configured by the user in the second library as an executable user interface display form that is configurable by other users.

11. The user display configuration system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, upon execution of the display application, to store the executable user interface display form that has been configured by the user in the second library as an executable user interface display form as a system display that is not configurable by other users.

12. A user display system for use in a process plant that includes process control devices connected to control a process, comprising:
a user interface device including a processor;
a tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing:
a first library database that includes one or more executable graphical elements, each of the one or more executable graphical elements including (i) informational indicia, and (ii) one or more links to data related to the informational indicia within a process control system such that the informational indicia is displayed with respectively linked data in accordance with the one or more links; and
a second library database that includes one or more executable user interface displays forms, at least one of the one or more executable user interface dis

Assignees

• Fisher Rosemount Systems Inc

Inventors

• Scott Cindy Alsup
• Daly Paul Kenneth
• Lai Hoa Van
• Del Guzzi Deeann Gates
• Hammack Stephen Gerard
• Jundt Larry Oscar
• Firkins Molly Marie

Classifications

• G05B2219/25067

  Graphic configuration control system · CPC title

• G05B19/4188 Primary

  characterised by CIM planning or realisation · CPC title

• G05B2219/32128

  Gui graphical user interface · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title