Portable human-machine interface device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299496-A1
Application number	US-201514680325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software to facilitate management of industrial operations are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, a portable HMI device is connected to a display system via a video interface, wherein the video interface provides interchangeability between a plurality of different display systems. A plurality of applications is stored in the portable HMI device. A remote navigation interface of the portable HMI device receives a selection transmitted from a remote navigation device, wherein the selection is associated with an industrial operation application of the applications displayed on the display system. The portable HMI device processes the selection of the industrial operation application and responsively executes the industrial operation application to communicate with an application server. A communication interface of the portable HMI device receives industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over a communication network for display on the display system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable human-machine interface (HMI) device to facilitate management of industrial operations, the portable HMI device comprising:
a video interface configured to connect to a display system, wherein the video interface provides interchangeability between a plurality of different display systems; a storage system that stores a plurality of applications for display on the display system; a remote navigation interface configured to receive a selection transmitted from a remote navigation device, wherein the selection is associated with an industrial operation application of the applications displayed on the display system; a processing system configured to process the selection of the industrial operation application and responsively execute the industrial operation application to communicate with an application server; and a communication interface configured to receive industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over a communication network for display on the display system.

2 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure having a dongle form factor, wherein the processing system and the storage system are contained within the enclosure.

3 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of applications is associated with a different industrial automation operation.

4 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 wherein the processing system configured to execute the industrial operation application to communicate with the application server comprises the processing system configured to execute the industrial operation application to issue a command that controls an operation of a machine system of an industrial automation environment.

5 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 wherein the communication interface configured to receive the industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over the communication network for display on the display system comprises the communication interface configured to receive key performance indicators associated with an operation of a machine system of an industrial automation environment.

6 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 wherein the video interface comprises a wireless display interface.

7 . The portable HMI device of claim 1 wherein the video interface comprises a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

8 . A method of operating a portable human-machine interface (HMI) device to facilitate management of industrial operations, the method comprising:
connecting to a display system via a video interface of the portable HMI device, wherein the video interface provides interchangeability between a plurality of different display systems; storing a plurality of applications for display on the display system; in a remote navigation interface of the portable HMI device, receiving a selection transmitted from a remote navigation device, wherein the selection is associated with an industrial operation application of the applications displayed on the display system; processing the selection of the industrial operation application and responsively executing the industrial operation application to communicate with an application server; and in a communication interface of the portable HMI device, receiving industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over a communication network for display on the display system.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the portable HMI device is contained within an enclosure having a dongle form factor.

10 . The method of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of applications is associated with a different industrial automation operation.

11 . The method of claim 8 wherein executing the industrial operation application to communicate with the application server comprises executing the industrial operation application to issue a command that controls an operation of a machine system of an industrial automation environment.

12 . The method of claim 8 wherein receiving the industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over the communication network for display on the display system comprises receiving key performance indicators associated with an operation of a machine system of an industrial automation environment.

13 . The method of claim 8 wherein the video interface comprises a wireless display interface.

14 . The method of claim 8 wherein the video interface comprises a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

15 . One or more computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to facilitate management of industrial operations, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a portable human-machine interface (HMI) device, direct the portable HMI device to at least:
connect to a display system via a video interface of the portable HMI device, wherein a plurality of applications for display on the display system are stored on the portable HMI device and the video interface provides interchangeability between a plurality of different display systems; receive a selection in a remote navigation interface of the portable HMI device transmitted from a remote navigation device, wherein the selection is associated with an industrial operation application of the applications displayed on the display system; process the selection of the industrial operation application and responsively execute the industrial operation application to communicate with an application server; and receive industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application in a communication interface of the portable HMI device transmitted from the application server over a communication network for display on the display system.

16 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the portable HMI device is contained within an enclosure having a dongle form factor.

17 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of applications is associated with a different industrial automation operation.

18 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the program instructions configured to direct the portable HMI device to execute the industrial operation application to communicate with the application server comprises the program instructions configured to direct the portable HMI device to execute the industrial operation application to issue a command that controls an operation of a machine system of an industrial automation environment.

19 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the video interface comprises a wireless display interface.

20 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the video interface comprises a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Reichard Douglas
• Govindaraj Subbian

Classifications

• G05B2219/37095

  Digital handheld device with data interface · CPC title

• G05B2219/24012

  Use camera of handheld device, head mounted display · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

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

• G05B2219/32128

  Gui graphical user interface · CPC title

• G05B19/4155 Primary

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title