Graphic display configuration framework for unified control system interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9285795-B2
Application number	US-201113169223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2011
Priority date	May 4, 2004
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A common process control graphical user interface plant operators, plant maintenance personnel, and management is disclosed which provides a real-time interface to both the process and the plant. The common interface is modular in design and is capable of supporting various specializations for each user type. Operator consoles are dedicated to each section of the plant and include additional functions such as maintenance, configuration, simulation and supervisory information. The unified for common graphical interface replaces control room displays filled with single case analog controllers, meters, and digital indicators. The common interface addresses the functions that previously were provided by the panel motor start/stop buttons and status indications, chart recorders, annunciator panels and subsystem interfaces. From a console, operators manage alarms, adjust the process by entering new setpoints or other parameters, “zoom in” on particular portions of the process for details, and utilize other specialized applications to work with their batch, advanced control, or business applications. The interface will run in both dedicated and non-dedicated modes, will run as a rich client or as part of a browser style interface utilizing web services and will run on workstations, laptops, tablet PC's, handhelds, and smart phones.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated graphical user interface for a process control environment, the integrated graphical user interface comprising:
one or more processors programmed to provide the integrated graphical user interface and to operate in the process control environment to facilitate control of a process by implementing:
a resolution table including:
indications of connections between a plurality of element bindings and a plurality of data sources in the process control environment, each element binding defining a manner in which a parameter or property of a graphic element object is bound to an entity in the process control environment, each graphical element object including at least one element binding, at least one visualization, and at least one parameter or property, and
indications of connections between a plurality of display bindings and a plurality of real-time displays in the process control environment, each display binding defining a manner in which a graphical display object is bound to an entity or data element in the process control environment, each graphical display object including at least one graphical element object, at least one connector element, and at least one display binding;

two or more real-time displays provided, in a run-time environment of the process control environment, by a real-time interface to two or more functional areas of a process plant, the functional areas including operations, maintenance, configuration, and simulation,
each of the two or more real-time displays corresponding to a different functional area,
each of the two or more real-time displays having a same look and feel,
each of the two or more real-time displays being bound, using the resolution table and a respective display binding, to a respective graphical display object included in a configuration environment of the process control environment, and
each respective graphical display object including an indication of a common graphical element object from a plurality of graphical element objects included in the configuration environment; and

a common graphical element corresponding to the common graphical element object, the common graphical element presented on each of the two or more real-time displays in the run-time environment, and the common graphical element bound, using the resolution table and a first element binding, from the plurality of element bindings, to a first data source, from the plurality of data sources, in the run-time environment.

2. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein:
the common graphical element is a first common graphical element and the common graphical element object is a first common graphical element object, and
the integrated graphical user interface further comprises a second common graphical element corresponding to a second common graphical element object, the second common graphical element presented on each of i) at least one of the two or more other real-time displays and ii) another real-time display in the run-time environment, and the second common graphical element bound, using the resolution table and a second element binding, from the plurality of element bindings, to a second data source, from the plurality of data sources, in the run-time environment.

3. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the run-time environment further includes an instantiation process that binds, during run-time, the common graphical element object to the first data source in the process control environment.

4. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the common graphical element object is used in performing a system level function of the process control environment, the system level function including at least one of: predictive control, predictive maintenance, or system level error detection in the process control environment.

5. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the integrated graphical user interface runs in a dedicated mode and in a non-dedicated mode, the dedicated mode comprising at least one of: a mode including a fixed display arrangement or a mode corresponding to controlled access, and the non-dedicated mode is for use by configuration personnel.

6. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the common graphical element object is executable on one or more of a workstation, a laptop, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), a display on multiple monitors, a rich client, a web browser, a hand held device, or a smart phone.

7. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the configuration environment further includes a graphical object database to store the plurality of graphical element objects.

8. The integrated graphical user interface of claim 1 , wherein the configuration environment further includes: a graphical display editor including an operator interface configured to enable an operator to create new graphical element objects and to edit existing graphical element objects.

9. An integrated graphical interface providing integrated graphical displays for operation, maintenance, configuration, and simulation of a control system, the integrated graphical interface comprising:
one or more processors programmed to provide the integrated graphical user interface and to operate in the control system to facilitate control of a process by implementing:
a resolution table including (i) indications of a plurality of connections between element bindings and data sources in the control system, each element binding defining a manner in which a parameter or property of a graphic element object is bound to an entity in the control system, each graphical element object including at least one element binding, at least one visualization, and at least one parameter or property, and (ii) indications of a plurality of connections between display bindings and real-time displays in the control system, each display binding defining a manner in which a graphical display object is bound to an entity or data element in the control system, each graphical display object including at least one graphical element object, at least one connector element, and at least one display binding;
a real-time user interface providing two or more real-time displays, each of the two or more real-time displays corresponding to a different functional level of a set of functional levels of the control system, the set of functional levels including an operations functional level, a maintenance functional level, a configuration functional level, and a simulation functional level and each of the two or more real-time displays having a same look and feel; and
a graphic element corresponding to a common graphic element object, the graphic element included on each of the two or more real-time displays, and the graphic element bound, via a respective element binding and the resolution table, to a data source in the control system.

10. The integrated graphical interface of claim 9 , wherein the real-time user interface includes an operator interface that provides one or more of: alarm management, process parameter adjustment by entry of process parameters, zoom in viewing of portions of a process executable in the control system, or utilization of specialized applications related to the process.

11. The integrated graphical interface of claim 9 , wherein the common graphic element object is defined in a configuration environment, and wherein the two or more real-time displays are included in a run-time environment.

12. The integrated graphical interface of claim 11 , wherein the run-time environment further includes an instantiation process that bind

Assignees

• Nixon Mark J
• Hammack Stephen G
• Campney Bruce
• Beoughter Ken
• Lucas J Michael
• Gilbert Stephen
• Fisher Rosemount Systems Inc

Inventors

• Nixon Mark J
• Hammack Stephen G
• Campney Bruce
• Beoughter Ken
• Lucas J Michael
• Gilbert Stephen

Classifications

• H04L67/12

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• G05B2219/23424

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• G05B2219/31469

  Graphical display of process as function of detected alarm signals · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G05B2219/31467

  Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs · CPC title