Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100188410 | GRAPHIC ELEMENT WITH MULTIPLE VISUALIZATIONS IN A PROCESS ENVIRONMENT - Smart graphic elements are provided for use as portions or components of one or more graphic displays, which may be executed in a process plant to display information to users about the process plant environment, such as the current state of devices within the process plant. Each of the graphic elements is an executable object that includes a property or a variable that may be bound to an associated process entity, like a field device, and that includes multiple visualizations, each of which may be used to graphically depict the associated process entity on a user interface when the graphic element is executed as part of the graphic display. Any of the graphic element visualizations may be used in any particular graphic display and the same graphic display may use different ones of the visualizations at different times. The different visualizations associated with a graphic element make the graphic element more versatile, at they allow the same graphic element to be used in different displays using different graphical styles or norms. These visualizations also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens, such as PDA and telephone display screens. | 07-29-2010 |
20110087977 | Method for Selecting Shapes in a Graphical Display - A selector shape may serve as the background to a configurable composite shape and may include one or more expressions that are evaluated to select between several composite shape definitions via links to the definition. Each selector shape includes an animation expression and a lookup table converter to select an identifier of the composite definition to be loaded and displayed. When the value of the animation expression changes, the value may be matched to the name of a new composite definition using the lookup table, and the new definition may be displayed. The previously-used composite definition may then be marked for removal by a caching system, and removed. These selector shapes also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens. | 04-14-2011 |
20130131844 | Method for Selecting Shapes in a Graphical Display - A selector shape may serve as the background to a configurable composite shape and may include one or more expressions that are evaluated to select between several composite shape definitions via links to the definition. Each selector shape includes an animation expression and a lookup table converter to select an identifier of the composite definition to be loaded and displayed. When the value of the animation expression changes, the value may be matched to the name of a new composite definition using the lookup table, and the new definition may be displayed. The previously-used composite definition may then be marked for removal by a caching system, and removed. These selector shapes also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens. | 05-23-2013 |
20140273847 | CONTEXT SENSITIVE MOBILE CONTROL IN A PROCESS PLANT - A mobile device for context-sensitive operation in a process control environment, and a system including such a device, includes a first circuit for acquiring information associated with a process entity in the process control environment. The mobile device also includes a processor, communicatively coupled to the first circuit, for identifying the process entity based on the acquired information. Further, the mobile device includes a network interface, communicatively connected to the processor, for receiving work item data associated with a process entity. The work item data indicates a target function associated with the process entity. The processor triggers an event to facilitate implementing the target function associated with the process entity in response to the proximity of the mobile device to the process entity and the work item data. | 09-18-2014 |
20140274123 | MOBILE CONTROL ROOM WITH REAL-TIME ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS - A method and apparatus track the location of a mobile device within a process plant and display present information about the location of the mobile device in the process plant relative to equipment of the process plant. A location awareness component generates information pertaining to the location of the mobile control room device. A first routine interprets information generated by the location awareness component according to information stored in a database to determine a relationship between the location of the device and a layout of the process plant. A second routine generates a graphic for depiction on the display according to the determined relationship between the location of the device and the layout of the plant. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277593 | SUPERVISOR ENGINE FOR PROCESS CONTROL - A supervisor engine cooperates with an expert system in a process control environment to automatically generate, assign, track, and manage work items. The supervisor engine creates work items according to data received from the expert system, selects available personnel to execute work items, sends work items to the selected personnel, schedules the execution of the work items, and creates and stores permissions that allow the assigned personnel to complete a target function of the work item at an assigned time. The supervisor engine determines required skill sets, roles, certifications, and/or credentials associated with a work item, and selects personnel to perform the work item according to a personnel profile specifying a skill set, a role, certifications, and/or credentials associated with the personnel. Alternatively or additionally, the supervisor engine assigns a work item according to the presence of personnel at or near the target equipment. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277594 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS STATE TRANSFER BETWEEN USER INTERFACE DEVICES IN A MOBILE CONTROL ROOM - Methods, apparatus, and systems for operating a process plant include multiple user interface devices, each accessing process control data for display in dynamically generated user interfaces, and each operable to transfer device state directly to another device. A first user interface device stores instructions operable to cause a processor of the first user interface device to dynamically generate a user interface for displaying process data. Process data are provided to the first user interface device by a server coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area. When a second user interface device receives from a first user interface device data indicative of the state of the first user interface device, the second user interface device dynamically generates a user interface for displaying data on the second user interface device according to the received data indicative of the state of the first user interface device. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277595 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS STATE TRANSFER BETWEEN USER INTERFACE DEVICES IN A MOBILE CONTROL ROOM - Methods and systems for operating a process plant include multiple user interface devices, each operating a plurality of applications, and operable to pass device state from device to device. A first user interface device is communicatively coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area, and executes one or more first routines for performing a function. A second user interface device is communicatively coupled via a network to the unitary, logical data storage area and executes one or more stored routines each corresponding to one of the first routines. The first user interface device passes to the second user interface device state information indicative of one or more first routines operating on the first user interface device such that the second user interface device, upon receiving the state information, executes one or more of the second routines corresponding to one or more of the first routines. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277596 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING A WORK FLOW IN A PROCESS PLANT - An automated method for managing a work flow in a process plant includes determining the steps of performing a work item and generating associated displays for an operator or other personnel to perform the steps of the work item. A work item is created specifying a task to be performed in the process plant and determining from the specified task a set of procedures for execution of the work item. For each procedure, an associated display is generated and the associated displays are displayed on a mobile user interface device sequentially in an order in which the set of procedures are to be performed. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277605 | MOBILE ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL PHENOMENA IN A PROCESS PLANT - In a process plant, a mobile device detects a physical phenomenon and converts the detected physical phenomenon to digital data representative of the physical phenomenon. The data are transmitted to an expert system and analyzed by the expert system to determine a state of one or more process elements. Abnormal conditions associated with the process elements may be detected, and a cause of the abnormal condition may be determined from the digital data. Process control parameters may be automatically changed to correct the abnormal condition, work items may be created to cause personnel to take action to correct the abnormal condition, and/or an operator may be prompted to take a corrective action to resolve the abnormal condition. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277607 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF A MOBILE CONTROL DEVICE IN A PROCESS PLANT - Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining with dead reckoning the position, relative to an anchor point, of a mobile device. Data indicating an anchor position within a process plant is acquired and an anchor position is determined according to the acquired data. Data indicative of acceleration and orientation of the mobile device are received from circuitry of the mobile device. A position of the mobile device is determined according to the received data and the anchor position. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277615 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS STATE TRANSFER BETWEEN USER INTERFACE DEVICES IN A MOBILE CONTROL ROOM - Methods and systems for operating a process plant include multiple user interface (UI) devices, each accessing a plurality of applications on a server, and operable to store device state on the server and receive device state from the server. The server is coupled to a unitary, logical data storage area and provides functions related to the process data stored in the data storage areas via one or more user interfaces. A first UI device coupled to the server accesses the process data and maintains on the server state information indicative of a state of the user interface executing on the first UI device. A second UI device coupled to the server accesses the process data and the state information to execute a user interface on the second UI device in accordance with the state information indicative of the state of the user interface executing on the first UI device. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277616 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAMLESS STATE TRANSFER BETWEEN USER INTERFACE DEVICES IN A MOBILE CONTROL ROOM - 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. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277617 | METHOD FOR INITIATING OR RESUMING A MOBILE CONTROL SESSION IN A PROCESS PLANT - User interface sessions in a user interface device are initiated or resumed according to stored state data. A session request is received from a first client device. A user profile associated with the session request is identified and a determination made as to whether a previous session exists. If no previous session exists, a new session is instantiated using a default session configuration. If a previous session exists, a new session is instantiated according to the previous session. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277618 | METHOD FOR INITIATING OR RESUMING A MOBILE CONTROL SESSION IN A PROCESS PLANT - User interface sessions in a user interface device are initiated or resumed according to a device type and a target session. A session request is received from a first client device. A device type associated with the session request is determined, and a graphical user interface configuration is identified according to the device type. A target session associated with the session request is identified and a new session is configured for the first client device according to the identified graphical user interface configuration and the identified target session. Data associated with the new session are transmitted to the first client device. | 09-18-2014 |
20140280497 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESS PLANT WITH LOCATION AWARE MOBILE CONTROL DEVICES - A computer-readable storage medium for controlling a process plant includes instructions operable to determine the location of a device in the process plant and to display data related to proximate devices. The instructions cause a processor to transmit to a server a first request for first data from a data storage area and to receive from the server, in response to the first request, first data from the storage area. The instructions cause the processor to cause the display to display the first data received from the server and to receive an indication that the mobile user interface device is in proximity to an external device. The instructions cause the processor to transmit to the server a second request for second data according to the received indication and to receive second data from the server. | 09-18-2014 |
20140280678 | COLLECTING AND DELIVERING DATA TO A BIG DATA MACHINE IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - A device supporting big data in a process plant includes an interface to a communications network, a cache configured to store data observed by the device, and a multi-processing element processor to cause the data to be cached and transmitted (e.g., streamed) for historization at a unitary, logical centralized data storage area. The data storage area stores multiple types of process control or plant data using a common format. The device time-stamps the cached data, and, in some cases, all data that is generated or created by or received at the device may be cached and/or streamed. The device may be a field device, a controller, an input/output device, a network management device, a user interface device, or a historian device, and the device may be a node of a network supporting big data in the process plant. Multiple devices in the network may support layered or leveled caching of data. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282015 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESS PLANT WITH LOCATION AWARE MOBILE CONTROL DEVICES - Methods and apparatus for operating a process plant include multiple user interface devices operable to determine the location of the device in the process plant and to display data related to proximate devices. A processor in a mobile user interface device transmits a first request for data and receives the requested data in response to the request. The processor causes a display to display the received data. The processor receives an indication that the mobile user interface device is in proximity to an external device the processors transmits a second request for data according to the received indication. The processor then receives data in response to the second request. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282257 | GENERATING CHECKLISTS IN A PROCESS CONTROL ENVIRONMENT - A method executed in a process control environment automatically generates, displays, and tracks check lists according to assigned work items. The work items include information such as required equipment, required safety equipment, required tools, target function, and target equipment. The target function and/or target equipment information can be associated, together or separately, with the required equipment, required safety equipment, and required tools if the required equipment and tools are not specifically included in the work items. The check lists indicate the required equipment, tools, devices, parts, maintenance materials, manuals, and/or documents, that are necessary to perform the target function on the target equipment. A check list is displayed on a user interface device, which tracks, internally or in cooperation with a supervisor engine, whether a user of the user interface device has checked off the items on the check list. | 09-18-2014 |