Apparatus and method for automated event notification read receipt to support non-repudiated auditing or other functions in industrial process control and automation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016337166-A1
Application number	US-201514868168-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes transmitting a notification to a first end-user device, where the notification is associated with an event in an industrial process control and automation system. The method also includes receiving a first read receipt identifying when a user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read details about the notification at the first end-user device. In addition, the method includes storing the first read receipt or information related to the first read receipt in association with the notification and/or the event. The method could also include transmitting the notification to a second end-user device and transmitting a first indication to the second end-user device, where the first indication indicates that the user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
transmitting a notification to a first end-user device, the notification associated with an event in an industrial process control and automation system; receiving a first read receipt identifying when a user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read details about the notification at the first end-user device; and storing the first read receipt or information related to the first read receipt in association with at least one of: the notification and the event.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the notification to a second end-user device; and transmitting a first indication to the second end-user device, the first indication indicating that the user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a second read receipt identifying when a user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification at the second end-user device; and storing the second read receipt or information related to the second read receipt in association with at least one of: the notification and the event.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
transmitting a second indication to the first end-user device, the second indication indicating that the user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a query for read receipts satisfying one or more parameters; and identifying any read receipts that satisfy the one or more query parameter.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is transmitted to the first end-user device via a secure communication channel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a list identifying multiple notifications to the first end-user device; and transmitting the details about the notification to the first end-user device in response to the user's selection of that notification in the list.

8 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one interface configured to communicate with a first end-user device; and at least one processing device configured to:
initiate transmission of a notification to the first end-user device, the notification associated with an event in an industrial process control and automation system;
receive a first read receipt identifying when a user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read details about the notification at the first end-user device; and
store the first read receipt or information related to the first read receipt in association with at least one of: the notification and the event.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
initiate transmission of the notification to a second end-user device; and initiate transmission of a first indication to the second end-user device, the first indication indicating that the user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
receive a second read receipt identifying when a user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification at the second end-user device; and store the second read receipt or information related to the second read receipt in association with at least one of: the notification and the event.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
initiate transmission of a second indication to the first end-user device, the second indication indicating that the user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
receive a query for read receipts satisfying one or more parameters; and identify any read receipts that satisfy the one or more query parameter.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one interface is configured to transmit the notification to the first end-user device via a secure communication channel.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
initiate transmission of a list identifying multiple notifications to the first end-user device; and initiate transmission of the details about the notification to the first end-user device in response to the user's selection of that notification in the list.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes at least one processing device to:
initiate transmission of a notification to a first end-user device, the notification associated with an event in an industrial process control and automation system; receive a first read receipt identifying when a user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read details about the notification at the first end-user device; and store the first read receipt or information related to the first read receipt in association with at least one of the notification and the event.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes the at least one processing device to:
initiate transmission of the notification to a second end-user device; and initiate transmission of a first indication to the second end-user device, the first indication indicating that the user of the first end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes the at least one processing device to:
receive a second read receipt identifying when a user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification at the second end-user device; and store the second read receipt or information related to the second read receipt in association with at least one of: the notification and the event.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , further containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes the at least one processing device to:
initiate transmission of a second indication to the first end-user device, the second indication indicating that the user of the second end-user device opened the notification or viewed or read the details about the notification.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , further containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes the at least one processing device to:
receive a query for read receipts satisfying one or more parameters; and identify any read receipts that satisfy the one or more query parameter.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer readable program code that, when executed, causes at least one processing device of a mobile device to:
receive a notification associated with an event in an industrial process control and automation system at the mobile de

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Duca Andrew
• Burd Matthew G
• Vardy Tyron

Classifications

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L41/069 Primary

  using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications · CPC title

• H04L43/04

  Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation · CPC title

• G06F17/30528

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L43/065

  related to network devices · CPC title