JP2012038146A - Field equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a field equipment having improved operability of an item display.SOLUTION: A field equipment that invokes an item name of an internal parameter and displays settings or details of a value belonging to the item name on a display part includes: an item name database that holds all the item names hierarchically in a tree structure; character input processing means that inputs a character string of a keyword created by abbreviating the item name through switching means; item name lookup table means that converts an input keyword into an item name; display item name extraction means that accesses the item name database and extracts a display item name based on the item name converted by the item name lookup table means; and screen display processing means that displays the item name extracted by the display item name extraction means on the display part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a field device that calls an item name of an internal parameter and displays a setting or details of a value belonging to the item name on a display unit.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system to which a conventional field device is connected. Field devices 10 </ b> A, 10 </ b> B,... 10 </ b> N that are arranged in a plant in an explosion-hazardous atmosphere and housed in an intrinsically safe explosion-proof (hereinafter referred to as “safe”) housing are connected to a field bus 20.

  These field devices communicate with the control station 30 via the field bus 20 to control the process. Further, the control station 30 communicates with a host device 50 such as an operation / monitoring device via the control bus 40 to form a distributed control system.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the field device 10A will be described as a representative. Since the field device is designed with the safety structure, the power consumption in the device is made as small as possible. For this reason, the display unit 11 is configured by a small LCD display means 12 and an infrared switch means 13.

  The LCD display means 13 calls up the item name of the internal parameter and displays the setting or details of the value belonging to the item name. In order to display a large amount of information in a limited space, the display item menu M is tree-structured to classify information, and similar items are hierarchically grouped.

  In the display procedure based on this menu, first, the upper major items are displayed. When the desired major item is selected by the operation of “▲” or “▼” by the infrared switch means 13 and the infrared switch of “SET” is pressed, Next, middle items belonging to the selected major item are represented.

  Similarly, it is possible to select a desired middle item by the repeated operation of “▲ or ▼” by the infrared switch means 13, finally reach the desired item, and set a value or display details for the item.

JP 2006-140431 A

The conventional menu display method for field devices has the following problems.
(1) When the information amount of the item name or the hierarchy of the tree structure increases, it takes time to reach the desired item.
(2) Despite frequent use or recent work items, it must be operated in the same procedure each time.

  An object of the present invention is to realize a field device with improved operability of item display.

In order to achieve such a subject, the present invention has the following configuration.
(1) In a field device that calls an item name of an internal parameter and displays the setting or details of a value belonging to the item name on the display unit
An item name database that holds all the item names in a hierarchical tree structure;
Character input processing means for inputting a character string of a keyword obtained by shortening the item name via a switch means;
An item name search table means for converting an input keyword into an item name;
Display item name extraction means for accessing the item name database and extracting a display item name based on the item name converted by the item name search table means;
Screen display processing means for displaying the item name extracted by the display item name extracting means on the display unit;
Field device characterized by comprising.

(2) The field device according to (1), wherein the display device includes a character string display unit that displays a character string that supports selection input of a keyword character string.

(3) The field device according to (1) or (2), further comprising history list means for holding an input history of the keyword and passing it to the item name database.

(4) The field device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the switch unit is housed in an explosion-proof housing and is operated by infrared rays from the outside.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.
(1) Time required to reach a desired display item can be shortened, and operability can be improved.
(2) The number of operations of the infrared switch means can be made almost constant for all items without depending on the hierarchy of the tree structure.

It is a functional block diagram which shows one Example of the field apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a transition diagram explaining the change of the display content of a display part. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of the control system to which the conventional field device was connected.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a field device to which the present invention is applied. The same elements as those of the conventional configuration described with reference to FIG.

  In the menu display processing unit 100 for displaying a desired item name on the display unit 10, the item name database 101 holds a menu M having a tree structure. The character input processing means 102 inputs a keyword character selected by the infrared switch means 13 and generates character string (eg, MF) information.

  The character string display means 103 causes the LCD display means 12 to display a character list for supporting the input of the keyword character string by the infrared switch means 13. The user can input a desired keyword character string by repeating the “▲ or ▼” operation by the infrared switch means 13.

  The keyword (MF) generated by the character input processing means 102 is transferred to the item name search table means 104 and converted into an item name (for example, Mass Flow) corresponding to this keyword. In the item name search table means 104, keywords (for example, MF) determined from the initials of the item names corresponding to all the item names (for example, Mass Flow) are created in advance and registered in the table. deep.

  The display item extraction unit 105 accesses the item name database 101 based on the keyword (eg, Mass) converted by the item name search table unit 104, and extracts the display item name (eg, Mass Flow).

  When one or more candidates exist, a candidate item list (eg, Mass Flow, Mass Flow%, Mass Flow URV) is extracted in alphabetical order. The extracted item name or candidate item name is transferred to the display processing unit 106 and displayed on the LCD display unit 12.

  FIG. 2 is a transition diagram for explaining changes in the display content of the display unit 11. FIG. 2A shows a keyword input standby state in which an input line for search is displayed and the keyword input by the user is awaited.

  FIG. 2B is a list of alphabetic and numeric characters displayed on the LCD display unit 12 by the character string display unit 103. The user selects a character from the character list by repeating the “▲ or ▼” operation by the infrared switch means 13 and inputs a desired keyword character string.

  FIG. 2C shows a candidate item list (Mass Flow, Mass Flow%, Mass Flow URV) extracted and displayed in response to the input of the keyword keyword (MF). The user selects one of the candidates (for example, Mass Flow) by the operation of “▲ or ▼” by the infrared switch means 13.

  Subsequent screen display processing on the display unit 11 is the same as the conventional one. In FIG. 2D, the current process value (eg, 0006.00 t / h) belonging to the selected item (Mass Flow) is displayed on the LCD display means 13.

  The history list holding unit 107 holds a history of keyword input by the user and registers it in the item name database 101. The display item name extraction unit 105 performs a keyword search by the item name search table unit 105 after preferentially searching for an item in the history list as a search target so that a recent work item can be immediately extracted. As a result, the operability can be further improved.

  When searching the item name database 101 by the input keyword, the search method is not limited to simple character string comparison, but a relevance ranking rate is created in advance based on usage, etc., and the most relevant item among them. The operability can be further improved by providing a function of finding a candidate item list and displaying a candidate item list.

10A, 10B,... 10N Field device 11 Display unit 12 LCD display unit 13 Infrared switch unit 100 Menu display processing unit 101 Item name database 102 Character input processing unit 103 Character string display unit 104 Item name search table 105 Display item name extraction unit 106 Display processing means 107 History list holding means

Claims (4)

In a field device that calls an internal parameter item name and displays the setting or details of the value belonging to that item name on the display unit,
An item name database that holds all the item names in a hierarchical tree structure;
Character input processing means for inputting a character string of a keyword obtained by shortening the item name via a switch means;
An item name search table means for converting an input keyword into an item name;
Display item name extraction means for accessing the item name database and extracting a display item name based on the item name converted by the item name search table means;
Display processing means for displaying the item name extracted by the display item name extracting means on the display unit;
Field device characterized by comprising.   The field device according to claim 1, further comprising: a character string display unit configured to display a character string that supports selection input of a keyword character string on the display unit.   3. The field device according to claim 1, further comprising history list means for holding an input history of the keyword and passing it to the item name database.   The field device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switch means is housed in an explosion-proof housing and is operated by infrared rays from the outside.