DE102013214710A1 - Device for starting up a field device and / or implementing a field device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for starting up a field device and / or implementation of a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system, wherein at least one arithmetic unit, input unit, memory unit and output unit is shown. The arithmetic unit is designed and set up such that it automatically generates a search query on the basis of an input of at least one keyword by a user and, based on this search, searches for a search index generated with at least one information from a commissioning dialog stored in the memory unit and wherein a result, in particular graphically, is output to the user by the output unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and a method for starting up a field device and / or implementation of a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system.

In conventional methods and associated devices or device elements for the commissioning of field devices, there is hitherto no possibility of a search for functions or commissioning dialogues. These are offered or listed in the prior art as menu items, nodes in a tree view or in a list. The user or user must search there himself for the field device which he wants to put into operation and / or implement, which is usually associated with an increased expenditure of time.

An object to be solved of the present invention is to remedy this disadvantage of the prior art and to provide a simpler and time-saving possibility of searching for field devices or their commissioning dialogues during the commissioning and / or implementation of these in an automation system. Likewise, the possibility is to be created that a user can only use keywords to locate the required commissioning dialogues.

In order to specify a device for starting up a field device, the present invention makes use, inter alia, of the idea of using a computing unit which is designed and set up such that it automatically searches for an input by at least one keyword by a user through an input unit generated and based on this search a search index, with at least one information from a commissioning dialog, which is stored in a storage unit, searched and wherein a result, in particular graphically, is output to the user by an output unit.

A device according to the invention for starting up a field device and / or implementing a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system has at least one computing unit, input unit, memory unit and output unit. The arithmetic unit is designed and set up such that it automatically generates a search query on the basis of an input of at least one keyword by a user and, based on this search, searches for a search index generated with at least one information from a commissioning dialog stored in the memory unit and wherein a result, in particular graphically, is output to the user by the output unit.

This makes it possible to very quickly and easily get to the commissioning dialog of the desired field device or to obtain this, especially without the user know exactly the exact classification of the field device in menu items, nodes of a tree view or in a list or these there time consuming search.

A field device is a technical device in the field of automation technology that is directly related to an associated process. A field device can therefore be both an actuator and a sensor in a factory or process automation. The field device is preferably an industrial plant component or an automation component and particularly preferably a drive. The field device or the drive is connected to a control and / or control system via, for example, a fieldbus or via (real-time) Ethernet. In the control and / or control system, data is evaluated and then used for control, control and further processing. Among other things, this includes the visualization and display of the result (eg valve open / closed, pressure, flow, temperature, etc.) for the user.

By inputting a keyword by a user through an input unit, wherein the input unit may inter alia be a keyboard, a touch screen or the like, it is preferable to understand that the user has a term, a word sequence or else a character combination known to him , which he brings in connection with the sought field device, via the input unit enters, in order to obtain as a result information, in particular with regard to a commissioning dialogue to the sought field device. Thus, the term keyword is not directly a specific word to understand, but a special string or any (search) string, which is preferably composed of letters, numbers and / or special characters. Keyword may furthermore not be a single word to understand, the keyword may also include a variety of words or strings and / or character / payment sequences.

Due to the entry of the keyword, the arithmetic unit automatically generates a search query which searches a created search index. In this case, automatically means that the arithmetic unit automatically processes and / or processes the entered keyword independently, so that it is possible to search through a search index. This can especially be done by Utilities, auxiliary applications, according to known software and / or compiler done.

A search index is preferably viewable as a register, which contains in particular tabular lists of all important units or information of a collective with reference to their position in the collective. The search index preferably contains an indexing of the information to be searched, which enables a simpler search of the associated information. The information is contained at least in a commissioning dialog. Information can also be a single word and / or a string. The information is and preferably also the search index are stored or stored in the memory unit. The memory unit may preferably be a hard disk which can be accessed by the arithmetic unit. How exactly this access is done is irrelevant (network, local, internet, etc.). Furthermore, the information does not have to come directly from a commissioning dialog or the search index can also contain further information regarding the commissioning dialog, which, however, can not be directly accessed from the commissioning dialog or can be accessed.

A result, in particular graphically, is output by the output unit to the user. This is understood to mean that the output unit is a monitor, screen or any other known to the expert visualization device or any human-machine interface (Human Machine Interface HMI). Preferably, it is a screen over which the user is graphically output a result that has preferably been processed. Preferably, the result shows a title which corresponds to a name of the commissioning dialog, which is designed as a "link", so that the actual commissioning dialog can be accessed or actuated by actuating, confirming, activating or selecting this "link" is called up and displayed by the display device.

Furthermore, a text context is preferably displayed in which the search query or the keyword is displayed in which the search query or the keyword was found or is included. Preferably, a thumbnail of the commissioning dialog can also be displayed. The display of any further information may also be made or carried out by the display device. Accordingly, a graphical output of the result is not just a graphic per se, but also or even only the output or visualization of a text by the output unit to the user.

In a preferred embodiment, the commissioning is a Dialoginbetriebnahme or the implementation of a dialogue implementation. Thus, information is preferably provided for implementation in the manner of a dialogue between the user and the task unit. In this case, the user preferably enters various parameters and / or code numbers, etc., into a predefined user interface in order to carry out an implementation / commissioning or to complete it.

In a further preferred embodiment, the search index can be created on the basis of at least one auxiliary program or auxiliary application and one text from a resource file. Preferably, however, several texts from several resource files are available, from which the search index is formed. An auxiliary program is preferably a software library, for example Lucene.NET, which creates search indexes for text databases or by which they can be created and which can preferably be searched for in a fault-tolerant manner. From this, it is particularly preferred that, for example, in a search for the keyword "Eingangsumdrehgun" also a result is output, in which an information from a commissioning dialog or a resource file, the word "input rotation" has or contains. Thus, a fault-tolerant search is advantageously made possible.

Resource file preferably contain texts from which the commissioning dialogues are compiled. Accordingly, resource files are preferably text files, from which the structure and the structure are formed by further processing of the commissioning dialog by editing with auxiliary programs. Therefore, the resource files preferably contain the essential, particularly preferably any texts from which the commissioning dialogues are formed. Thus, at least the text data stocks from which the software library forms the search index are preferred, the texts from the resource file or the resource files.

In a further preferred embodiment, additional meta information is stored / stored in the search index. The meta-information preferably results from description files. In the description files, an assignment of a field device to a dialog implementation is preferably defined or stored or contained. Likewise, certain relationships of individual words field devices and more could be stored there, so that this information is also available as meta-information. Furthermore, information may be included in the description files which point exactly, in which commissioning dialog or which resource file certain keywords are to be found, and with which other keywords, information or field devices they are in connection, so that this (meta) information can be executed or displayed in the output result in addition. As a result, it is preferably made possible that the metadata can be output to the user by the search unit during the execution of a search query by the arithmetic unit. The meta information is preferably used to open or execute the actual commissioning dialog.

In a further preferred embodiment, a filtering of the output result or search result takes place. In this case, texts which belong to commissioning dialogues or are associated with them, which are not applicable to the field device to be commissioned or implemented due to its firmware version or its current state, ie are not present, are preferred output and thus not output or listed or displayed to the user.

In a further preferred embodiment, the result output by the output unit consists at least of prepared and / or revised information, in particular processed and / or revised by the arithmetic unit, obtained from meta-information. Furthermore, information or texts from the resource files are preferably included in the output result. The result particularly preferably displays start-up dialogues and associated meta information in which a keyword is contained or has been found in information, texts, resource files, description files and / or meta information belonging to this commissioning dialog. Accordingly, the output result preferably shows startup dialogues with associated information in which the keyword is contained.

In a further preferred embodiment, the result output by the output unit contains or corresponds to information relating to the entered keyword and / or at least one additional keyword associated with this keyword. Accordingly, the keyword can preferably be assigned a further keyword by, for example, an auxiliary program, which in turn, for example spelled mistakes in the keyword, by the auxiliary program this another corrected keyword or additional keyword is assigned, which is taken into account in the query and preferably the entered by the user Keyword replaced.

In a further preferred embodiment, the search index can be created once during the first generation or generation of the device. Thus, the search index is preferably to be generated once and is then used unchanged for a certain period of time.

The present invention is further directed to a method for starting up a field device and / or implementation of a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system. In this case, a search request is generated automatically by a user on the basis of an input of at least one keyword and, based on this search query, a search index created, with at least one information on a commissioning dialog, is searched. According to the invention, a result, in particular graphically, is output to the user.

In another preferred method, the search index is created based on at least one utility program and one text from a resource file. The commissioning dialogs are preferably compiled from the texts of the resource files. Furthermore, additional meta information is preferably stored in the search index.

In a further preferred method, the meta-information contains at least information about assignments of a drive function to a commissioning dialog, wherein preferably this information is stored or contained in a description file.

In a further preferred method, further criteria can be taken into account when outputting the result. For example, it would be possible for search queries made and / or a selection of a specific displayed result made by the user to be stored, and for this selection to be taken into account as relevance or criterion for a search query and / or the output result. Thus, an output result is adjusted by a search and / or selection behavior of the user.

This may preferably be done in such a way that pairs of search queries and selected results in a memory unit are preferably stored persistently. A frequency of a pairing then weighted into the relevance calculated by the utility, in particular Lucene.NET, for a result.

In a further preferred method, this relevance or a calculated relevance statistic can also be transmitted via the Internet to a general memory unit. To this common storage device, different users can access different locations and with different computing, storage, input and output devices, preferably over the Internet. This relevance statistic can then be integrated into the meta information when creating the search index.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings.

Show:

1 a schematic representation of the device for commissioning a field device and / or implementation of a field device in an automation system

2 a schematic representation of an output result by the output unit

In 1 is with the reference numeral 1 a computing unit marked. This arithmetic unit 1 stands in connection with the other units, the input unit 2 , Storage unit 3 and the output unit 4 , Preferably, the more prominent arrows show the transmission of the respective information or data. The arrowheads are intended to represent an information flow between the units merely by way of example or schematically, but it could also be the case, for example, that the output unit is a touchscreen, so that the output unit can simultaneously serve as input unit and thus the schematic boxes of the individual units, and their arrows would be superimposed or combined.

Thus, a user becomes a keyword through an input unit 2 to a computing unit 1 transmitted. The transmission can be wired or wireless. The arithmetic unit 1 in turn, processes this data or the keyword and can access a storage unit 3 access and obtain from this further information and / or data. Likewise, the arithmetic unit 1 Information and / or data in the storage device 3 save or store.

After revising and / or searching the information and / or data and creating the result to be output, this will be sent to the output unit 4 transmitted and displayed for example by a monitor or a display to a user or displayed this.

2 shows a schematic representation of a graphical output of a result. It is denoted by the reference numeral 10 a first field is marked, which can be replaced by a text at the output. For example, the name of a commissioning dialog box could be displayed here, for example "Mechanical gearbox". This name would preferably be implemented as a kind of "link" by which, upon activation or a click, an opening of the commissioning dialog is carried out and this at the output unit 4 is shown.

Under the first field 10 is a second field 11 available. In this field, the searched keyword can preferably be displayed with further meta-information, such as the text context in which the search keyword is embedded. This could be carried out, for example, in this type: "load transmission input revolution n1". Here, the keyword is preferred over the other text highlighted, for example, "bold" printed. In this case, the keyword you are looking for is "input revolution" and this was arranged between the other words or texts "load transmission" and "n1", which are also displayed.

With the reference number 12 is a thumbnail of the commissioning dialog marked. This allows a user to obtain a brief overview of the actual commissioning dialog even before the actual startup of the commissioning dialog.

As already indicated, it can advantageously be achieved by the present invention that a search for commissioning dialogues can be carried out in a more timely manner. Furthermore, even a user who has little experience with regard to the implementation and / or commissioning of field devices and their commissioning dialogues, a possibility created particularly simple to get the desired him commissioning dialogs or locate.

The Applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 computer unit

2

 input unit

3

 storage unit

4

 output unit

10

 first field

11

 second field

12

 Thumbnail of the commissioning dialog

Claims (9)

Device for preferably dialog-based commissioning of a field device ( 1 ) and / or implementation of a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system, comprising at least one arithmetic unit ( 1 ), Input unit ( 2 ), Storage unit ( 3 ) and output unit ( 4 ), characterized in that the arithmetic unit ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way that it can be read by at least one keyword by a user through the input unit ( 2 ) automatically generates a search request and, based on this search request, generates a search index, with at least one information from a commissioning dialog, which is stored in the memory unit ( 3 ), and wherein a result, in particular graphically, is sent to the user by the output unit ( 4 ) is output. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by the output unit ( 4 ) output at least from prepared and / or revised information, in particular processed and / or revised by the arithmetic unit ( 1 ), obtained from meta-information. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by the output unit ( 4 ) output contains information relating to the entered keyword and / or at least one additional keyword associated with this keyword or corresponds thereto. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the search index can be created once during the first generation or generation of the device. A method for starting up a field device and / or implementation of a field device, in particular a drive, in an automation system, wherein due to an input of at least one keyword by a user automatically generates a query and based on this query a search index created, with at least one information on a commissioning dialog , and wherein a result, in particular graphically, is output to the user. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the search index is created based on at least one utility program and a text from a resource file. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that at least the texts from the resource files from which the commissioning dialogues are assembled, and additionally meta-information in the search index are stored. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the meta information contains at least information about assignments of a drive function to a commissioning dialog. Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that this information about allocations of a drive function to a commissioning dialog is stored in a description file.

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