JP7433756B2 - Operator screen switching preview - Google Patents

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. This specification is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to process control systems, and more particularly to user interface devices that allow an operator to preview a portion of a process plant while simultaneously viewing another portion of the process plant.

Distributed process control systems, such as those used in chemical, petroleum, industrial, or other processes, generally operate via analog buses, digital buses, or mixed analog/digital buses, or via wireless communication links or networks. , at least one host or operator interface, and one or more process controllers and input/output (I/O) devices communicatively coupled to one or more field devices. Field devices, which can be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, transmitters (e.g., temperature sensors, pressure sensors, water level sensors, and flow rate sensors), are located within a process environment and typically control the opening and closing of valves, process Performing physical or process control functions, such as measuring process parameters that control the execution of one or more processes within a plant or system. Smart field devices, such as field devices that comply with the well-known Fieldbus protocol, may also perform control calculations, alarm functions, and other control functions commonly implemented within controllers. A process controller, also generally located within the plant environment, receives signals directing process measurements made by sensors or field devices and/or other information about the field devices, and, for example, makes process control decisions; generating control signals based on the received information and cooperating with a control module or block executed in a field device, such as a HART®, Wireless HART®, and FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field device; Run a controller application that runs different control modules. A control module within the controller transmits control signals to the field devices via communication lines or links, thereby controlling operation of at least a portion of the process plant or system.

Information from field devices and controllers is stored in operator interfaces, personal computers or computing devices, data history, report generators, centralized databases, or It is typically made available via a data highway to one or more other hardware devices, such as other centralized computing devices. Each of these hardware devices is generally, but not always, centralized across the process plant or across portions of the process plant. These hardware devices allow, for example, operators to change the settings of process control routines, modify the operation of control modules within the controller or field devices, view the current state of the process, and monitor alarms generated by field devices and controllers. perform functions related to process control and/or process plant operation, such as viewing process information, simulating process operation for the purpose of training personnel or testing process control software, maintaining and updating configuration databases; Run applications that can be Utilizing the data highway with hardware devices, controllers and field devices can include wired communication paths, wireless communication paths, or a combination of wired or wireless communication paths.

As an example, the DeltaV™ control system sold by Emerson Process Management includes multiple applications stored in and executed by different devices located at various locations within a process plant. . Each of these applications provides a user interface (UI) that allows users (e.g., configuration engineers, operators, maintenance technicians, etc.) to view and/or modify aspects of the process plant's operation and configuration. . Throughout this specification, the term "user interface" or "UI" is used to refer to an application or screen that allows a user to view or modify the configuration, operation, or status of a process plant. Similarly, the term "user interface device" or "UI device" refers to whether the device is fixed (e.g., a workstation, wall-mounted display, process control device display, etc.) or portable (e.g., a laptop computer, used to refer to the device on which the user interface is running, whether it is a tablet computer, smartphone, etc. A configuration application, residing within one or more operator workstations or computing devices, allows users to create or modify process control modules and connect those process control modules to a dedicated distributed controller via a data highway. Enable download. Generally, these control modules consist of communicatively interconnected functional blocks that perform functions within a control scheme based on inputs to them and that send outputs to other functions within the control scheme. Serve the block. The configuration application also allows the configuration engineer to create or create an operator interface that the viewing application uses to display data to the operator and to allow the operator to change settings such as set points within the process control routines. may be allowed to change. Each dedicated controller, and in some cases one or more field devices, stores a respective controller application that executes downloaded control modules assigned to them to implement the actual process control functions. and execute. A viewing application may be executed on one or more operator workstations (or one or more remote computing devices communicatively connected to the operator workstation and the data highway), and the viewing application receives data from the controller application. Receive data via the highway and use the UI to display this data to a process control system engineer, operator, or user in several different views such as operator's view, engineer's view, technician's view, etc. may provide any of the views. While data history applications are generally stored in and executed by data history devices that collect and store some or all of the data provided across the data highway, configuration database applications are used to analyze current process control routine configurations. and may be executed on a further remote computer attached to the data highway to store data associated therewith. Alternatively, the configuration database may be located on the same workstation as the configuration application.

As mentioned above, operator display applications are generally implemented on systems based broadly on one or more workstations and provide displays to operators or maintenance personnel based on the operating status of devices within a control system or plant. provide. Generally, these displays include alarm displays that receive alarms generated by the controller or devices within the process plant, control displays that indicate the operating status of the controller and other devices within the process plant, and control displays that indicate the operating status of devices within the process plant. This will take the form of a maintenance sign indicating the These displays are generally configured to display information or data received from a process control module or device within a process plant in a known manner. In some known systems, a display has a graphic associated with a physical or logical element communicatively coupled to the physical or logical element to receive data regarding the physical or logical element. . The graphics may be changed on the display screen based on the received data, for example to illustrate a half-full tank or to illustrate the flow rate measured by a flow sensor.

In some known systems, the UI depicts a process section that represents a portion of a process plant. To view other parts of the process plant, the UI may include off-sheet connectors that indicate connections to other process sections that are not included in the currently displayed UI. When an operator selects an off-sheet connector, the current UI may be replaced with a new UI that draws other process sections. For example, a UI depicts a process section of a crude oil heater that includes an off-sheet connector. When the off-sheet connector is selected, another UI is presented that depicts the process section of the crude tower.

In this way, the UI changes completely without including overlap between process sections in the display. As a result, the operator must readjust himself each time a new UI is presented. While viewing the new UI, the operator needs to remember the previous UI, including the position of the process section drawn in the previous UI relative to the position of the current process section drawn in the new UI. obtain. Therefore, an operator may need to go back and forth between UIs several times to remember the configuration of one process section and/or the data of a process entity while viewing other process sections.

The user interface device allows the user to view a process section that depicts a portion of the process plant (a "previewed process section"), and/or the status of a portion of the process plant, the current state of a process section that depicts another portion of the process plant, etc. A display screen is presented with user controls such as search tools, navigation bars or off-sheet connectors that allow viewed process sections to be simultaneously viewed and previewed. In some embodiments, the previewed process section is connected to a viewed process section within the process plant. For example, the output of a viewed process section may be fed as an input to a previewed process section. In other embodiments, the previewed process section is adjacent to the viewed process section, but the process sections are not connected. In yet other embodiments, the previewed process sections are unconnected and non-contiguous process sections.

In some embodiments, the search tool may provide search results for other process sections, and each search result item includes a preview of the corresponding process section. In other embodiments, the navigation bar provides a navigation "breadcrumb" that depicts a hierarchical navigation trail within the process plant, and the previewed process sections are located within the navigation trail and/or within the navigation trail. corresponds to the process section of the hierarchy level. In yet other embodiments, selecting an off-sheet connection results in previewing one or more status indicators of a previewed process section corresponding to the off-sheet connector.

A user interface device is connected to online process measurements and online process plant entities such that the status of the previewed process section (eg, alerts, alarms, number of alerts/alarms, etc.) may be displayed to the operator. In some embodiments, the previewed process section and/or the previewed process section status is displayed in a window that overlays the view of the viewed process section on the display screen and/or adjacent to or in a user control. May be presented in close proximity.

The user interface device may also include user controls for switching from preview mode to full view mode and selecting process sections for viewing in full view mode. Full view mode may include a complete display of only one of the process sections. For example, an operator can tap, double tap, tap and hold, drag, click, double click, click and hold, click and drag, etc. on a previewed process section to bring the previewed process section into full view mode. Can be viewed. In response to receiving input from the operator, the previewed process section may be displayed filling the entire display screen without including the viewed process section. In another example, the operator taps, double-tap, tap-and-hold, click, double-click, click-and-hold, etc. on the viewed process section and returns to full view mode for the viewed process section. You can.

1 is a block diagram of a distributed process control network including a user interface device located within a process plant and displaying a preview of a process section within the process plant to an operator. FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary user interface device schematically illustrated in FIG. 1A; FIG. Figure 3 is a screen display in full view mode depicting process sections within the process plant and off-sheet connectors. 2 is a screen display in preview mode that depicts a portion of a process section and a portion of another process section; 2B is the screen display illustrated in FIG. 2B including user controls for switching from preview mode to full view mode. 2B is a screen display of a full view mode in response to receiving an input from an operator to switch from preview mode to full view mode depicting another process section from the preview mode illustrated in FIG. 2B; FIG. A screen display in preview mode that draws a process section and a window that overlays the process section and includes other process sections. 2 is a screen display in full view mode depicting a process section and user controls for viewing and/or previewing adjacent process sections within a process plant; A partial screen display that may be presented in a window overlaying a process section that depicts the search results, including the search display and other process sections in the search results. 2 is a screen display in preview mode that draws a process section and a window that overlays the process section and includes other process sections in the navigation trail of the process section's hierarchy with respect to the hierarchical structure of the process control plant; A screen display in preview mode that draws a process section and a window that overlays the process section and includes a status summary of other process sections. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram representing an example method for previewing a process section within a process plant.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an example process control network 100 operating in a process control system or process plant 10. Process control network 100 may include a network backbone 105 that provides connectivity, directly or indirectly, among various other devices. Devices coupled to network backbone 105 include, in various embodiments, access points 72, gateways 75 to other process plants (e.g., via an intranet or corporate wide area network), gateways 78 to external systems (e.g. , to the Internet), a UI device 112 that can be fixed (e.g., a traditional operator workstation) or a mobile computing device (e.g., a mobile device smartphone), a server 150, a controller 11, an input/output (I/O) card 26 and 28, wired field devices 15-22, wireless gateway 35, and wireless communication network 70. Communication network 70 may include wireless devices 40-58, including wireless field devices 40-46, wireless adapters 52a and 52b, access points 55a and 55b, and router 58. Wireless adapters 52a and 52b may be connected to non-wireless field devices 48 and 50, respectively. Controller 11 may include a processor 30, memory 32, and one or more control routines 38. Although FIG. 1A depicts only one of several devices connected to the network backbone 105, each of the devices may have multiple instances on the network backbone 105 and, in fact, the process plant 10. It will be appreciated that a network may include multiple network backbones 105.

UI device 112 may be communicatively connected to controller 11 and wireless gateway 35 via network backbone 105. Controller 11 may be communicatively connected to wired field devices 15 - 22 via input/output (I/O) cards 26 and 28 and to wireless field devices 40 via network backbone 105 and wireless gateway 35 . ~46 may be communicatively connected. Controller 11 may operate to implement batch or continuous processes using at least some of field devices 15-22 and 40-46. Controller 11, which may be, by way of example, a DeltaV ^™ controller sold by Emerson Process Management, is communicatively connected to process control network backbone 105. The controller 11 may also include, for example, standard 4-20 mA devices, I/O cards 26, 28, and/or FOUNDATION® Fieldbus protocols, HART® protocols, Wireless HART® protocols, etc. It may be communicatively connected to field devices 15-22 and 40-46 using any desired hardware and software associated with any smart communication protocol. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, controller 11, field devices 15-22 and I/O cards 26, 28 are wired devices, and field devices 40-46 are wireless field devices.

In operation of the UI device 112, the UI device 112 may, in some embodiments, execute a user interface (“UI”) such that the UI device 112 accepts input via an input interface and provides output on a display. . UI device 112 may receive data from server 150 (eg, data related to a process such as process parameters, log data, sensor data, and/or any other data that may be captured and stored). In other embodiments, the UI may be executed, in whole or in part, on server 150 and server 150 may send display data to UI device 112. UI device 112 receives UI data (which may include display data and process parameter data) from other nodes in process control network 100, such as controller 11, wireless gateway 35, or server 150, via backbone 105. obtain. Based on the UI data received at the UI device 112, the UI device 112 provides output (i.e., visualizations or graphics) representing aspects of the process associated with the process control network 100 to enable a user to monitor the process. enable. The user may also affect control of the process by providing input at the UI device 112. To illustrate, the UI device 112 may provide a graphic representing a tank filling process, for example. In such a scenario, a user may read a water level measurement in the tank and determine that the tank needs to be filled. A user may interact with the inlet valve graphic displayed on the UI device 112 and enter a command for the inlet valve to open.

In some embodiments, UI device 112 may implement any type of client, such as a thin client, a web client, or a thick client. For example, if the UI device's memory or battery power is limited (e.g., within a wearable device), the UI device 112 may require access to other nodes, computers, etc. for most of the processes necessary for the operation of the UI device 112. , UI device, or server. In such examples, UI device 112 may communicate with server 150 or another UI device, where server 150 or other UI device communicates with one or more other UI devices on process control network 100. A node (eg, a server) may communicate with the node (eg, a server) to determine display data and/or process data to send to the UI device 112. Additionally, UI device 112 may pass any data related to the received user input to server 150 so that server 150 can process the data related to the user input and act accordingly. In other words, the UI device 112 only needs to render graphics and may act as a portal to one or more nodes or servers that store data and execute routines necessary for the operation of the UI device 112. Thin client UI devices offer the advantage of minimal hardware requirements for UI devices 112.

In other embodiments, UI device 112 may be a web client. In such embodiments, a user of UI device 112 may interact with the process control system via a browser on UI device 112. A browser allows a user to access data and resources of another node or server 150 (such as server 150) over backbone 105. For example, the browser receives UI data, such as display data or process parameter data, from the server 150 that allows the browser to draw graphics to control and/or monitor some or all of the process. The browser may also receive user input (such as mouse clicks on shapes). User input may cause the browser to search for or access information resources stored on server 150. For example, a mouse click may cause a browser to retrieve (from server 150) and display information about the clicked shape.

In yet other embodiments, most of the processing of UI device 112 may occur at UI device 112. For example, UI device 112 may execute the UI described above. UI device 112 may also store, access, and analyze data locally.

During operation, a user may interact with UI device 112 and monitor or control one or more devices within process control network 100, such as any of field devices 15-22 or devices 40-48. A user may interact with UI device 112, for example, to modify or change parameters associated with a control routine stored in controller 11. Processor 30 of controller 11 implements or oversees one or more process control routines (stored in memory 32) that may include control loops. Processor 30 may communicate with field devices 15 - 22 and 40 - 46 and other nodes communicatively connected to backbone 105 . Any control routines or modules described herein (including quality prediction and fault detection modules or functional blocks) may have portions implemented or executed by different controllers or other devices, if desired. Note that it is possible. Similarly, the control routines or modules described herein implemented within a process control system may take any form including software, firmware, hardware, and the like. The control routines may be implemented in any desired software format, such as using object-oriented programming, ladder logic, sequential function charts, function lock diagrams, or any other software programming language or design paradigm. In particular, the control routines may be implemented by the user via the UI device 112. The control routines may be stored in any desired type of memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or read only memory (ROM). Similarly, the control routines may be hard-coded into, for example, one or more EPROMs, EEPROMs, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other hardware or firmware elements. Accordingly, controller 11 may be configured (in some embodiments by a user using UI device 112) to implement control strategies or control routines in any desired manner.

In some embodiments of the UI device 112, a user interacts with the UI device 112 to implement a control strategy at the controller 11 using what are commonly referred to as functional blocks, each functional block having an overall An object or other part (e.g., a subroutine) of a control routine that operates together with other function blocks (through communications called links) to implement a process control loop within a process control system. Control-based function blocks generally include input functions associated with transmitters, sensors or other process parameter measurement devices, control functions associated with control routines that control PIDs, fuzzy logic, etc., or some control function such as a valve. perform one of the output functions to control the operation of the device to perform some physical function within the process control system. Of course, hybrid and other types of functional blocks exist. The functional blocks may have a graphical representation provided on the UI device 112 that allows the user to identify the type of functional block, the connections between the functional blocks, and the input/output associated with each of the functional blocks implemented in the process control system. It may allow the output to be easily modified. The functional blocks may be stored within and executed by the controller 11, as these functional blocks are generally used for several types of smart field devices, such as standard 4-20 mA devices and HART devices. Alternatively, the functional block may be stored within and implemented by the field device itself, which may be the case for Fieldbus devices. Controller 11 may include one or more control routines 38 that may implement one or more control loops. Each control loop is generally referred to as a control module and may be implemented by executing one or more functional blocks.

Still referring to FIG. 1A, wireless field devices 40-46 communicate within wireless network 70 using a wireless protocol, such as the Wireless HART protocol. In certain embodiments, UI device 112 may be able to communicate with wireless field devices 40-46 using wireless network 70. Such wireless field devices 40-46 may communicate directly with one or more other nodes of process control network 100 that are also configured to communicate wirelessly (e.g., using a wireless protocol). . To communicate with one or more other nodes that are not configured to communicate wirelessly, wireless field devices 40 - 46 may utilize a wireless gateway 35 connected to backbone 105 . It will be appreciated that field devices 15-22 and 40-46 are compatible with any wired or wireless protocol, including any other desired standard(s) or protocols, such as any standards or protocols developed in the future. can do.

Wireless gateway 35 is an example of a provider device that may provide access to various wireless devices 40-58 of wireless communication network 70. In particular, wireless gateway 35 provides a communicable link between wireless devices 40-58 and other nodes of process control network 100 (including controller 11 of FIG. 1A). The wireless gateway 35 may in some cases provide routing, buffering, and timing services to lower layers of the wired and wireless protocol stack (e.g., address translation, routing, packet segmentation, prioritization, etc.). A communicable connection is provided while tunneling through one or more shared layers of a wireless protocol stack. In other cases, wireless gateway 35 may convert commands between wired and wireless protocols that do not share protocol layers.

Similar to wired field devices 15 - 22 , wireless field devices 40 - 46 of wireless network 70 may perform physical control functions within process plant 10 , such as opening and closing valves or measuring process parameters. You can also get the value. However, wireless field devices 40-46 are configured to communicate using the wireless protocols of network 70. As such, wireless field devices 40-46, wireless gateways, and other wireless nodes 52-58 of wireless network 70 are producers and consumers of wireless communication packets.

In some scenarios, wireless network 70 may include non-wireless devices. For example, field device 48 of FIG. 1A may be a legacy 4-20 mA device, and field device 50 may be a conventional wired HART device. To communicate within network 70, field devices 48 and 50 may be connected to wireless communication network 70 via a wireless adapter (WA) 52a or 52b. Additionally, wireless adapters 52a, 52b may support other communication protocols such as Foundation Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, etc. Additionally, wireless network 70 may include one or more network access points 55a, 55b, which may be separate physical devices in wired communication with wireless gateway 35, or may be provided within wireless gateway 35 as an integrated device. . Wireless network 70 may also include one or more routers 58 that forward packets from one wireless device to another wireless device within wireless communication network 70. Wireless devices 32 - 46 and 52 - 58 may communicate with each other and with wireless gateway 35 via wireless links 60 of wireless communication network 70 .

In some embodiments, process control network 100 may include other nodes connected to network backbone 105 that communicate using other wireless protocols. For example, the process control network 100 may include other wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi or other IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless local area network protocols, mobile communication protocols such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc. n ) or other ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union Radio Communication Sector) compatible protocols, shortwave wireless communications, such as Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth, or other wireless communication protocols. may include one or more other wireless access points 72 for use. Generally, such wireless access points 72 enable handheld or other portable computing devices to communicate via a respective wireless network that is different from wireless network 70 and that supports a different wireless protocol than wireless network 70. make it possible. In some embodiments, UI device 112 uses wireless access point 72 to communicate via process control network 100. In some scenarios, in addition to the portable computing device, one or more process control devices (e.g., controller 11, field devices 15-22, or wireless devices 35, 40-58) are also May communicate using supported wireless networks.

Additionally or alternatively, the provider device may include one or more gateways 75, 78 to systems external to the real-time process control system. In such embodiments, UI device 112 may be used to control, monitor, or otherwise communicate with the external system. Generally, such systems are customers or providers of information generated or manipulated by process control systems. For example, a plant gateway node 75 may communicatively connect an immediate process plant 10 (having its own respective process control data network backbone 105) to another process plant having its own respective network backbone. In embodiments, a single network backbone 105 may serve multiple process plants or process control environments.

In another example, plant gateway node 75 may communicatively connect an immediate process plant to a legacy or conventional process plant that does not include process control network 100 or backbone 105. In this example, plant gateway node 75 communicates between protocols utilized by process control big data backbone 105 of plant 10 and different protocols utilized by legacy systems (e.g., Ethernet, Profibus, Fieldbus, DeviceNet, etc.). , may transform or translate the message. In such examples, UI device 112 may be used to control, monitor, or otherwise communicate with systems or networks within a legacy or prior art process plant.

The provider device connects the process control network 100 to external public or laboratory systems (e.g., laboratory information management systems, or LIMS), personnel round databases, material handling systems, maintenance management systems, product inventory control systems, production management systems. one or more external system gateways to communicatively connect to private systems such as a weather data system, a shipping and handling system, a packaging system, the Internet, another provider's process control system, or other external systems; Node 78 may be included. External system gateway node 78 may, for example, facilitate communication between the process control system and personnel external to the process plant (eg, home personnel).

Although FIG. 1A depicts a single controller 11 with a finite number of field devices 15-22 and 40-46, this is merely an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment. Any number of controllers 11 may be included in a provider device of process control network 100, and any number of controllers 11 may be included in any number of wired or wired field devices 15-22 for controlling processes of plant 10. , 40-46. Additionally, process plant 10 may also include any number of wireless gateways 35, routers 58, access points 55, wireless process control communication networks 70, access points 72, and/or gateways 75, 78.

FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of an example UI device 112. UI device 112 may be a desktop computer, such as a traditional operator workstation, a control room display, or a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable computing device, or any other suitable It can be a desktop computer, such as a client computing device. UI device 112 may include display 84. Additionally, UI device 112 includes one or more processors or CPUs 88, memory 52, random access memory, etc., for transmitting and receiving data via a local area network, wide area network, or any other suitable network. (RAM) 90, input/output (I/O) circuitry 92, and communication unit 58. UI device 112 may communicate with controller 11, server 150, and/or any other suitable computing device.

Memory 52 may include an operating system 78 and control unit 44 that controls display 84 and communicates with controller 11 to control on-line operation of the process plant. In some embodiments, server 150 may send a graphical representation of a portion of the process plant to UI device 112, and control unit 44 then sends a graphical representation of the portion of the process plant to display 84. You may also present it. In addition, the control unit 44 obtains user input, such as user input from an operator (also referred to herein as a user), from the I/O circuit 92 and uses the user input to preview a process section that is not currently displayed. a request to display a full view of a process section that is not currently displayed; a request to switch from preview mode to full view mode; a request to display one of the process sections in full view mode; a request to display one of the process sections in full view mode; Translates the process parameter adjustments included in the request into a display request, etc.

In some embodiments, control unit 44 may communicate the translated user input to server 150, which may generate the requested UI and transmit it to UI device 112 for display. In other embodiments, control unit 44 may generate a new UI based on the translated user input and present the new UI on display 84 of UI device 112. If the translated user input is a request to display an adjustment to a process parameter included in one of the process sections, control unit 44 may determine whether the process parameter is locked. If the process parameter is locked, the control unit 44 does not have to adjust the process parameter and presents a message indicating that the process parameter is locked and cannot be adjusted on the display 84 of the UI device 112. obtain. If the process parameters are not locked, the control unit 44 may adjust the process parameter values on the display 84 according to user input from the operator and instructs the controller 11 to adjust the process parameters within the process plant. may be provided. In other embodiments, control unit 44 communicates the translated user inputs to server 150, which may generate and transmit adjusted process parameter values to UI device 112 for display, and controller 11 to process plant may provide instructions for adjusting process parameters within.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example screen display 200 in full view mode depicting a crude oil heater process section 202 and an off-sheet connector 204 within process plant 10. FIG. In some embodiments, screen display 200 may be presented on display 84 of UI device 112. The crude oil heater process section 202 may include graphical representations of process plant entities, connections between process plant entities, process parameter values, and alarms.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the crude oil heater process section 202 includes two tanks 210, 214, four pumps 212, 216, 226, 230, and nine valves 218.
, 222, 228, 232, 236, 240, 242, 244, 248; four heat exchangers 220, 224, 234, 238; and a heated crude oil output 250. including. Additionally, the screen display 200 may be associated with different process plant entities, such as a tank level value 210a associated with a tank 210, a pump speed 212a associated with a pump 212, a valve open percentage 218a associated with a valve 218, etc. process parameter values and alarms. Setting values may also be displayed along with process parameter values on screen display 200. In some embodiments, an operator may adjust process parameter values, and more specifically, settings, via touch gestures if display 84 is a touch screen, or via mouse clicks.

For example, an operator may tap or click on a graphical representation of a process plant entity, and as a result, the screen display 200 may show the operator using a slider bar, a graphical representation of a dial, etc., a process parameter value for the process plant entity. A face plate may be presented to allow adjustment of the face. In another example, an operator may perform various touch gestures or mouse clicks on a graphical representation of a process plant entity to adjust process parameter values for the process plant entity. More specifically, the operator may perform a drag gesture or a click-and-drag to adjust the tank water level value of a tank or the temperature setting of a heat exchanger, and a rotation gesture to adjust the speed of a pump. A pinch-and-spread gesture may be performed to adjust the valve opening percentage of the valve. Although these are just examples of gestures and/or mouse clicks that may be used to adjust process parameter values, any suitable gesture or mouse click may be used to adjust process parameter values for any suitable process plant entity within a process plant. can be used to adjust. In yet another example, an operator may type in new process parameter values via a hardware or software keyboard. The operator may click or tap on the graphical representation of the process plant entity to pull up a dialog box that allows the operator to enter new process parameter values.

In any case, if the process parameter value reflects the actual value (“raw data”) in the online process plant 10, the control module 44 instructs the controller 11 to set the process parameter of the online process plant to the set value. may provide instructions for adjusting. On the other hand, if the process parameter value is a simulated value, control module 44 may present the adjusted process parameter value on screen display 200.

Off-sheet connector 204 is connected to heated crude output 250 and includes instructions for connection to the overhead process section. In some embodiments, the off-sheet connector 204 receives user input from an operator and, based on the user input, the UI device 112 displays the overhead process section along with the crude heater process section in full view mode or in preview mode. It can be displayed in mode. For example, if a user input such as a double tap, mouse double click, tap and hold, click and hold, etc. is received at the off-sheet connector 204, the UI device 112 may Process sections can be displayed in full view mode. When alternative user input is received at off-sheet connector 204, such as a tap, single click, slide, click and drag, mouse hover, etc., the UI device 112 performs the operations described in more detail in FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 3. The overhead process section may be displayed in preview mode, as shown. These are just examples of inputs that may be used to view a process section in preview or full view mode, but any suitable gesture or mouse movement may be provided as user input.

If the operator provides alternative user input indicating a request to view the overhead process section in preview mode, the UI device 112 displays the crude oil heater process section 202 or a portion thereof, the overhead process section or a portion thereof, and the crude oil. The intersection of the heater and the overhead process section may be displayed. In some embodiments, process sections may be displayed side by side, on top of each other, or in any other suitable manner. Additionally, in some embodiments, the position of the process section on the display may be based on the direction in which the previewed process section disappears from the page. For example, if the previewed process section is positioned to the right or left of the currently viewed process section on screen display 200 (or a larger screen display that includes both process sections), the process section is , may be displayed side by side. If the previewed process section is positioned above or below the currently viewed process section on screen display 200 (or a larger screen display that includes both process sections), the process sections are in preview mode and are positioned above and below each other. may be displayed.

FIG. 2B shows an exemplary screen display 260 in preview mode that depicts a portion 202 of the viewed process section (the crude oil heater process section of FIG. 2A) and a portion 262 of the previewed process section (the overhead process section). draw. In some embodiments, the previewed process section may be a process section upstream or downstream of the currently viewed process section (the "viewed process section"). A downstream process section may be a process section that is connected to another process section that has the output of the other process section as an input. An upstream process section may be a process section that is connected to another process section that has an input of the other process section as an output. For example, overhead process section 262 may be a downstream process section of crude oil heater process section 202 because the heated crude output of crude oil heater process section 202 is an input to overhead process section 262. Off-sheet connector 204 may represent a connection between heated crude output 250 of crude heater process section 202 and overhead process section 262. In other embodiments, the previewed process section is adjacent to the viewed process section within process plant 10, but the process sections may not share connections with each other.

Screen display 260 further includes an intersection 264 of viewed process section 202 and previewed process section 262. The intersection 264 may be a dividing line between the process sections 202, 262, or any other suitable boundary separating the process sections 202, 262. As shown in FIG. 2B, a portion of each of the process sections 202, 262 may be included in order to fit both of the process sections 202, 262 within the screen display 260. For example, the graphical representations of process plant entities that are closest to the intersection of both the viewed and previewed process sections 202, 262 may be included, while the graphical representations of the remaining process plant entities are deleted. may be done. More specifically, to fit both process sections 202, 262 within screen display 260, the screen size of each process section 202, 262 may be reduced by half. Accordingly, the half of each of the process sections 202, 262 distal to the intersection 262 (e.g., the left half of the viewed process section 202) may be deleted, and the half of each of the process sections 202, 262 distal to the intersection 262 may be deleted. The half on the side closer to the part may not be lost. Additionally or alternatively, the screen size of each process section 202, 262 may be reduced by two-thirds, three-quarters, four-fifths, or any suitable amount.

In some embodiments, to request preview mode, the operator uses a slide gesture if the display 84 is a touch screen, or a mouse click and drag to position the off-sheet connector 204 as shown in FIG. 2A. , or from any other suitable location on display 84. Once the screen display 260 is presented on the UI device 112, the operator may continue to slide or click and drag to adjust the size, amount of screen space for each of the process sections 202, 262. For example, as the operator slides or clicks and drags to the left, the portion of the previewed process section 262 may increase while the portion of the viewed process section 202 may decrease.

For example, referring to FIG. 2C, another screen display 280 is illustrated such that the previewed process section 262 occupies a larger amount of the screen display 280 than the viewed process section 202, while FIG. 2B , the viewed process section 202 occupies a larger amount of the screen display 260 than the previewed process section 262. The difference between the two screen displays 260, 280 may be the result of an operator sliding or clicking and dragging to the left. In another example, as the operator slides or clicks and drags to the right, the portion of the viewed process section 202 may increase, while the portion of the previewed process section 262 may decrease. . In other scenarios, previewed process section 262 may be positioned to the left of viewed process section 202, and process sections 202, 262 may be above and below each other in screen display 260, such that The amount of screen space in the process sections 202, 262 may be increased/decreased as the operator slides up and down or clicks and drags, or may be organized in any other suitable manner. Therefore, these examples are merely for ease of illustration, and the amount of screen space in each of the process sections 202, 262 may be scaled in an appropriate manner in proportion to the amount the operator slides or clicks and drags. May be adjusted.

As discussed above, each of the process sections 202, 262 may include process parameter values that may be adjusted by an operator, such as tank level values, pump speeds, valve opening percentages, temperatures, and the like. Accordingly, screen display 260 may include raw data reflecting actual measurements of viewed process section 202 and previewed process section 262 within on-line process plant 10 .

When user interface device 112 presents a UI in preview mode, such as screen display 260, screen display 260 is locked so that the operator cannot view process parameter values for viewed or previewed process section 202. No need to adjust. In other embodiments, the process parameters in the previewed process section 262 may be locked, while the process parameters in the viewed process section 202 are not locked. In this manner, an operator may adjust the process parameters of the viewed process section 202 while viewing the process parameters of the configured and/or previewed process section 262. In yet other embodiments, the process parameters of any of the process sections 202, 262 may not be locked, and the process parameters of the viewed process section 202 may be locked, while the process parameters of the previewed process section 262 may be locked. Cannot be locked. In this manner, an operator may adjust process parameters within the previewed process section 262 without having to proceed completely to a new display. Then, after the process parameters within the previewed process section 262 have been adjusted, the operator can move the viewed process section 202 into full view mode, as described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2C and 2D. May provide user input to return.

Although preview mode screen display 260 depicts a portion of viewed process section 202 and previewed process section 262 encompassing both process sections 202, 262, this is merely one embodiment. be. In another embodiment, both viewed process section 202 and previewed process section 262 may be scaled down to fit on screen display 260. For example, a graphical representation of a process section viewed and previewed in preview mode of a process plant entity may be half the size of a graphical representation of the process plant entity in full view mode. In some embodiments, a process plant entity may be scaled down to fit on a screen display, such that process parameters, alarms, etc. are visible to an operator, while process parameters, alarms, etc. may not be scaled down.

Also, in some embodiments, process parameters, alarms, etc. may be prioritized. For example, the server 150 may rank each of the process parameters, alarms, etc. on the screen display 260 by importance to the operator, risk in a hazardous situation, or any other suitable criteria. Priority levels may be assigned. In another example, an operator may rank and/or assign a priority level to each of the process parameters, alarms, etc. on screen display 260. In yet another example, the server 150 obtains priority levels input from several operators and uses the obtained priority levels to rank and/or assign priority levels to each of the process parameters, alarms, etc. on the screen display 260. Can be used. Additionally, each process parameter, alarm, etc. on screen display 260 may be assigned a defined ranking and/or priority level. In any event, process parameters, alarms, etc. that are ranked above a ranking threshold and/or priority level (e.g., 3) may not be reduced, while the remaining Process parameters, alarms, etc. may be reduced. In another embodiment, the preview mode screen display 260 may depict a portion of the viewed process section 202 and a reduced version of the previewed process section 262, or vice versa.

While screen display 260 in preview mode includes two process sections, a viewed process section and a previewed process section, preview mode may include any suitable number of process sections. For example, in preview mode, an operator may preview both upstream and downstream process sections, which may be displayed to the left and right sides, or above and below, of the viewed process section. In another example, an operator may preview all of the surrounding process sections adjacent to the viewed process section in preview mode. This may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or any suitable number of process sections.

When an operator is in preview mode, he or she may wish to switch back to full view mode to view a full display of viewed process section 202 or previewed process section 262. FIG. 2C illustrates another preview mode screen display 280 similar to screen display 260 of FIG. 2B, including user controls 282 for switching from preview mode to full view mode. In FIG. 2B, screen display 280 includes a portion of viewed process section 202, a portion of previewed process section 262, and an intersection 264 of viewed process section 202 and previewed process section 262. .

In some embodiments, the operator may use the user controls 282 by controlling a mouse or by making gestures if the display 84 of the UI device 112 is a touch screen. If display 84 of UI device 112 is a touch screen, user controls 282 may be invisible on display screen 280. In any event, the operator selects one of the process sections 202, 262 and taps, clicks, double-tap, double-clicks, etc. on the portion of the display screen 280 corresponding to the desired process section that he wishes to display in full view mode. You can display it in full view mode by doing this. For example, if an operator wishes to view previewed process section 262 in full view mode, the operator may double-tap or double-click the right side of screen display 280.

In some embodiments, the operator may select one of the process sections 202, 262 as an intermediate step before the process section is displayed in full view mode. The selected process section may become the primary process section, resulting in the process parameters of the selected process section being adjustable, while the process parameters of the unselected process sections may be locked.

For example, the operator may click, tap, or hover over a portion of display screen 280 that corresponds to the selected process section. Screen display 280 may present an identifier of the selected process section, for example, by placing a bounded box around the selected process section or by darkening border 284. The operator may then click or tap a second time to confirm that the selected process section is the one to display in full view mode.

Selection of one of process sections 202, 262 may also provide additional adjustments to screen display 280 settings. For example, selected process sections may be assigned a higher priority level than priority levels assigned to unselected process sections. In this way, the selected process section may become the primary process section.

In the exemplary scenario, initially neither process section 202, 262 on screen display 280 is selected. As a result, the process parameters of both process sections 202, 262 are locked and the operator makes no adjustments to the screen display 280, which includes the raw data of both the viewed process section 202 and the previewed process section 262. I can't. When an operator selects a viewed process section 202 by clicking, tapping, or hovering over the viewed process section 202, process parameters of the viewed process section 202 may become adjustable. When the operator then selects the previewed process section 262 by clicking, tapping, or hovering over the previewed process section 262, the process parameters of the previewed process section 262 may become adjustable, while , the process parameters of the viewed process section 202 may be locked. When the operator clicks or taps the previewed process section 262 again, the previewed process section 262 is displayed in full view mode and the viewed process section 202 is removed from the display.

FIG. 2D illustrates an example screen display 290 in full view mode depicting the overhead process section 262. Screen display 290 may be presented on UI device 112 by an operator double-clicking, double-tapping, or selecting and then clicking or tapping previewed process section 262 again, as shown in FIG. 2C. As illustrated, the full view mode of the screen display 290 includes the entire overhead process section 262 rather than a portion or a reduced version of the overhead process section 262, as described above. In some embodiments, screen display 290 includes an off-sheet connector or other user control (not shown) for selecting another process section within process plant 10 for display in preview or full view mode. may be included.

In addition to displaying process sections side by side or one above each other in preview mode, previewed process sections may be displayed in a window that overlays the viewed process section. In some embodiments, the viewed process section may be displayed in a window that encompasses the screen display. The previewed process section may be displayed in another window that overlays the viewed process section, the other window being smaller than the window containing the screen display. For example, the other window may be half the size of the window containing the screen display, one-quarter the size of the window containing the screen display, etc.

FIG. 3 shows an example screen in preview mode that includes a viewed process section 302 and a previewed process section 304 that depicts a window 310 overlaying the viewed process section 302 and presents raw data from the process plant 10. An example of a display 300 is illustrated. The viewed and previewed process section 302, 304 may be the viewed and previewed process section 202, 262 presented in FIGS. 2A-2D, or any other process section. In some embodiments, the UI device 112, and more specifically the control unit 44, selects an empty portion of the screen display 300 to place the window 310, so that the window 310 is placed over the viewed process section 302. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. are not obscured.

For example, control unit 44 may determine the size of the area of window 310. Control unit 44 may then be positioned in an area on screen display 300 that meets the size requirements of window 310 and also does not include process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. If screen display 300 does not include free space to meet the size requirements of window 310, control unit 44 may reduce viewed process section 302 until sufficient space is available to place window 310. In another example, process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. in the viewed process section 302 may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. The window 310 may be placed over process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked below a ranking threshold that obscures these objects. In other embodiments, server 150 may identify a location within screen display 300 to place window 310.

In any event, control unit 44 may present previewed process section 304 in window 310. In some embodiments, a portion of previewed process section 304 may be displayed to fit within window 310. In other embodiments, the previewed process section 304 may be scaled down to fit within the window. For example, previewed process section 304 may be reduced to a ratio between the size of window 310 and the size of screen display 300. More specifically, if window 310 was one-sixth the size of screen display 300, previewed process section 304 may be reduced to five-sixths.

In yet other embodiments, the process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. of the previewed process section 304 may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked above the ranking threshold cannot be reduced, while remaining process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. can be reduced. In another example, only process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked above a ranking threshold and/or priority level may be included in window 310. Ranking thresholds and/or priority levels may be determined depending on the size of window 310. As the size of window 310 increases, more process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. may fit within window 310 and, as a result, ranking thresholds and/or priority levels may become lower.

Although screen display 300 includes one window 310 displaying one previewed process section 304, this is for illustrative convenience only. Number of windows 310 may display any number of previewed process sections. For example, screen display 300 may include two windows that display previews of process sections upstream and downstream of viewed process section 302. In another example, screen display 300 may include four windows that display a preview of each process section within process plant 10 that is adjacent to viewed process section 302 .

As described above, an operator may select an off-sheet connector of a process section in full view mode to view upstream or downstream process sections with the process section viewed in preview mode. In addition to previewing process sections upstream and downstream of the viewed process section, the operator may preview adjacent process sections. FIG. 4 shows process section 402 and user controls 404-410 that, when selected, cause UI device 112 to present adjacent process sections corresponding to adjacent portions of process plant 10 in full view or preview mode. 4 illustrates an example screen display 400 in full view mode for drawing.

For example, if a user input, such as a double tap, double mouse click, tap and hold, click and hold, etc., is received on one of the user controls 404-410, the UI device 112 may cause the UI device 112 to complete the adjacent process section. Can be displayed in view mode. If an alternative user input, such as a tap, single click, slide, click and drag, mouse hover, etc., is received on one of the user controls 404-410, the UI device 112 may As described above, adjacent process sections may be displayed in preview mode.

More specifically, the UI device 112 may select one of the process sections adjacent to the viewed process section 402 for display based on the orientation and/or position of the selected user control 404-410. . If the selected user control points to the left, the UI device 112 may display the process section adjacent to the left of the viewed process section 402. Additionally, if the selected user control is positioned in the left portion of the viewed process section 402, the UI device 112 may display an adjacent process section to the left of the viewed process section 402.

For example, if user input is received at user control 404, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 from above in full view mode. If alternative user input is received at user control 404, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 from above in preview mode.

Additionally, if user input is received at user control 406, UI device 112
may display neighboring process sections of the viewed process section 402 on the right in full view mode. If alternative user input is received at user control 406, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 on the right in preview mode.

Further, if user input is received at user control 408, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 from below in full view mode. If alternative user input is received at user control 408, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 from below in preview mode.

Additionally, if user input is received at user control 410, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 on the left in full view mode. If alternative user input is received at user control 410, UI device 112 may display neighboring process sections of viewed process section 402 on the left in preview mode.

Although user controls 404-410 are represented as arrows on screen display 400, this is just one embodiment. User controls 404-410 may be invisible on screen display 400 or may be represented on screen display 400 as circles, dots, or any other suitable manner.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example search window 420 that may be overlaid on a viewed process section (not shown) and includes a search box 422 and search results 424-428, some or all of which Contains previewed process sections 430, 432 corresponding to the sections. The viewed and previewed process section may be the viewed and previewed process section 202, 262 presented in FIGS. 2A-2D, or any other process section. In one embodiment, the previewed process sections 430, 432 are at a reduced or lower resolution than the previewed process sections 202, 262 and/or at a lower resolution than the viewed process sections. could be. For example, the previewed process sections 430, 432 may show only the major components of the other process sections and omit some of the more detailed details that would be shown in a full view of the other process sections. As an example, the full view section of FIG. 2D may be displayed as a preview section in search results as tower top and valve icons, but not as text, trend graphs, connecting lines, etc.

For example, control unit 44 may detect that the user is engaged in a search for another process section based on entering a query in search box 422 (e.g., the user's double tap in search box 422, in response to a mouse double click, tap and hold, click and hold, type, etc.). Control unit 44 may display results from the search results below search box 422 or in any other suitable area of the viewed area display. For each search item 424-428 resulting from the search results, the control unit 44 reduces the previewed process section 430, 432 to fit within the search result 430, 432 in a manner that conveys the content of the previewed process section. It is possible. In other embodiments, server 150 may identify locations for placing search results 424-428 on a screen display.

In any event, control unit 44 may present previewed process sections 430, 432 within search results 424-428. As mentioned above, the previewed process sections 430, 432 may be scaled down to fit within the search results, taking into account the number of search results (e.g., more search results may be less than Show all search results). further shrink the previewed process section to present it on screen).

In yet other embodiments, the process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. of the previewed process sections 430, 432 may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked above the ranking threshold cannot be reduced, while remaining process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. etc. can be reduced. In another example, only process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that rank above ranking thresholds and/or priority levels may be included in search results 424-428. Because fewer search results are displayed, process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. may fit within the preview 430, 432, resulting in lower ranking thresholds and/or priority levels. . In yet another example, a previewed process section with alerts or alarms can stand out from other search results by having a different animation, color, brightness, etc. to draw attention to it. can be compared and highlighted.

Although search window 420 includes one window and three search results 424-428, two of which include previews 430, 432, this is merely for ease of illustration. Number of windows 420 may display any number of search results and/or number of previewed process sections. In another example, search window 420 may include multiple windows that display search results individually or according to groups, such as a common hierarchy or relationship.

FIG. 6 includes previewed process sections 446a-446d presenting raw data from process plant 10, and includes a preview mode that depicts viewed process section 442 and a window 444 overlaying viewed process section 442. 440 illustrates an example screen display 440 of . In this embodiment, previewed process sections 446a-446d are presented as "breadcrumb" previews within navigation bar 448. In particular, navigation bar 448 depicts a hierarchical navigation trail of the process plant. For example, as seen in FIG. 6, the viewed process section 442 is for a "first stage reactor." Navigation bar 448 indicates that the navigation trail "breadcrumbs" include "Stage 1" and "Plant Overview," each of which represents a higher-level process section in the structure of process plant 10 . In response to receiving one type of user input in the breadcrumb 450 of the navigation bar 448, such as a hover, double tap, double mouse click, tap and hold, click and hold, the UI device 112 Process sections may be presented in preview mode. For example, in response to placing the cursor over the "Plant Overview" breadcrumb 450, the UI device 112 displays a "first A preview of the "Steps" process section 446a is included and presented. Accordingly, the user may proceed to another process section that is not necessarily adjacent to the viewed process section 442, but is within the hierarchy of navigation trails that led to the viewed process section 442. In some embodiments, the UI device 112, and more specifically the control unit 44, selects an empty portion of the screen display 440 to place the window 444 so that the window 444 is placed over the viewed process section 442. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. are not obscured. In another embodiment, UI device 112 and control unit 44 may present window 444 below the selected navigational "breadcrumb" and overlay the viewed portion of process section 442.

For example, control unit 44 may determine the size of the area of window 444. Control unit 44 may then position a region on screen display 440 proximate the selected navigational "breadcrumb". If there are too many preview process sections 446a-446d for window 444, control unit 44 reduces the preview process sections 446a-446d until there is enough free space to place them all within window 444. It is possible. In another example, process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. for previewed process sections 446a-446b may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. In yet another example, the previewed process section 446a having alerts or alarms may be compared to other search results, such as by having a different animation, color, brightness, etc., than other search results to draw attention to it. can be highlighted compared to

In any event, control unit 44 may present previewed process sections 446a-446d in window 444. In some embodiments, a portion of previewed process sections 446a-446d may be displayed to fit within window 444. In other embodiments, previewed process sections 446a-446d may be scaled down to fit within window 444.

In yet other embodiments, the process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. of previewed process sections 446a-446d may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked above the ranking threshold cannot be reduced, while other process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. can be reduced. In another example, only process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. that are ranked above a ranking threshold and/or priority level may be included in window 444. Ranking thresholds and/or priority levels may be determined depending on the size of window 444. As the size of window 444 increases, more process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. may fit within window 444 and, as a result, ranking thresholds and/or priority levels may become lower.

Screen display 440 includes one window 444 that displays previewed process sections 446a-446d for one navigational "breadcrumb", but this is for ease of illustration only. Number of windows 444 may display any number of previewed process sections. For example, screen display 440 may include a window that displays a preview of a hierarchical process section upstream of viewed process section 442.

FIG. 7 shows an example screen display 460 in preview mode that depicts a viewed process section 462 presenting raw data from process plant 10 and a window 464 overlaying viewed process section 462. Off-sheet connector 466 includes instructions for connection to another process section H2 PROD. In some embodiments, off-sheet connector 466 receives user input from an operator based on the user input, and UI device 112 may display the H2 PROD process section in full view mode or preview mode. For example, if a user input such as a double tap, mouse double click, tap and hold, click and hold, etc. is received at the off-sheet connector 466, the UI device 112 may send the H2-PROD process section to the H2-PROD process section in FIGS. 2A-2D. may be displayed in full view mode, as described in more detail above with reference to . If an alternative user input such as a tap, single click, slide, click and drag, mouse hover, etc. is received at off-sheet connector 466, UI device 112 may display the status of the H2 PROD process section in preview mode.

In some embodiments, the UI device 112, and more specifically the control unit 44, selects an empty portion of the screen display 460 to place the window 464 so that the window 464 is placed on the viewed process section 462. Process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. are not obscured. In another embodiment, UI device 112 and control unit 44 may present window 464 near selected off-sheet connector 466.

In this example, process section previews 468, alarms 470, alerts 472, etc. of previewed process section status 464 may be prioritized in a manner similar to that described above. In yet another example, a previewed process section status 464 with an alert 472 or alarm 470 may be displayed in other search results, such as by having a different animation, color, brightness, etc., than other search results to draw attention to it. can be highlighted compared to other search results. The number of alerts, alarms, etc. may also be indicated.

In any case, control unit 44 may present the previewed process section status in window 464. In some embodiments, a portion of the previewed process section status, such as process section preview 468, alarm 470, alert 472, etc., may be displayed to fit within window 464. In other embodiments, the previewed process section status may be collapsed to fit within window 464.

Screen display 460 includes one window 464 that displays previewed process section status 468-472 for one off-sheet connector 466, but this is for ease of illustration only. Number of windows 464 may display any number of previewed process section statuses or previewed process sections.

FIG. 8 depicts a flow diagram representing an example method 500 for previewing a process section within a process plant. Method 500 may be performed on UI device 112. In some embodiments, method 500 may be implemented in a set of instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable memory and executable by one or more processors of UI device 112. For example, method 500 may be implemented by control unit 44 shown in FIG. 1B.

At block 502, the UI device 112 may present (ie, display or render) a process section that depicts a number of process plant entities on a process plant display, such as the screen display 200 shown in FIG. 2A. A process section may include graphical representations of process plant entities, connections between process plant entities, process parameter values, and alarms. In some embodiments, the process parameter values may represent raw data of actual measurements and settings within an online process plant.

In addition, the UI device 112 provides user controls for selecting another process section for viewing in preview mode or full view mode (block 504), such as off-sheet connector 204 shown in FIG. 2A. obtain. User controls may include instructions for connecting to another process section, such as the "top". In response to receiving some type of user input, such as a double tap, double mouse click, tap and hold, click and hold, on a user control, the UI device 112 presents another process section in full view mode. It is possible. In response to receiving another type of user input, such as a tap, single click, slide, click and drag, mouse hover, etc. on a user control, UI device 112 may present another process section in preview mode. .

At block 506, the UI device 112 may receive user input (tap, single click, slide, click and drag, mouse hover, etc.) indicating a request to display another process section in preview mode. Accordingly, the UI device 112 displays process sections ("displayed process sections") and other process sections ("previewed process sections") on a process plant display, such as the screen display 260 shown in FIG. 2B. Block 508) may be presented (rendered) in preview mode on block 508). The process sections may be presented side by side, with intersections between process sections, such as intersection 284 shown in FIG. 2B. In other embodiments, process sections or process section status may be displayed in separate windows. For example, the previewed process section or the previewed process section status may be the screen display 300 shown in FIG. 3 or the like, the screen display ### shown in FIG. 6 or the like, or the screen display ### shown in FIG. etc. may be displayed in a window that overlays the viewed process section. In some embodiments, the window containing the previewed process section or previewed process section status may be smaller than the window containing the viewed process section. Additionally, windows containing previewed process sections or previewed process section status may be arranged so as not to obscure process plant entities, process parameters, alarms, off-sheet connectors, etc. on the viewed process sections.

In an additional embodiment, at block 506, user input indicating a request to display another process section in preview mode may be received in the form of a search request. For example, a user may search for another process section, and the resulting list of search results may each include a preview of the process section within the search results. Accordingly, the UI device 112 displays one or more process section(s) (a "viewed process section") and other process section(s) (a "previewed process section") as shown in FIG. may be presented (rendered) in a preview mode on a process plant display (block 508), such as a screen display 420 that is displayed.

Optionally (eg, in some embodiments) each of the process sections may be assigned a priority level (block 510). For example, a previewed process section may be assigned a higher priority level than a viewed process section, as in the screen display shown in FIG. may also be assigned a higher priority level, the operator may select one of the process sections that may be assigned a higher priority level, or the priority level may be assigned by any other suitable method. It's okay to be hit. In yet another example, a summary of alerts, alarms, etc. may be displayed as the status of the previewed process section, such as the screen display shown in FIG. In any case, process parameter values may be adjustable for process sections assigned higher priority levels, while process parameter values may be non-adjustable for other process sections. . In other embodiments, the process parameter value may not be adjustable for either process section in preview mode, or may be adjustable for both process sections in preview mode.

Optionally (e.g., in embodiments where process parameter values are adjustable), at block 512, the UI device 112 receives user input indicating a request to adjust a process parameter value for a process section that is adjustable in preview mode. It is possible. For example, an operator may perform various touch gestures or mouse clicks on a graphical representation of a process plant entity within a process section to adjust process parameter values for the process plant entity. More specifically, the operator may perform drag gestures and click-and-drags to adjust tank water level values for tanks or temperature settings of heat exchangers, and rotate gestures to adjust pump speeds. may be performed, a pinch-and-spread gesture may be performed to adjust the valve opening percentage of the valve, and a new or adjusted process parameter value may be typed (hereinafter omitted).

In response to receiving user input, UI device 112, and more specifically control unit 44, may adjust process parameter values during online operation of the process plant (block 514). For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, control unit 14 may provide instructions to controller 11 to adjust process parameter values within a process plant. In another example, as shown in FIG. 1A, control unit 44 communicates the adjusted process parameter values to server 150, which may provide instructions to controller 11 to adjust process parameter values within the process plant. obtain. Controller 11 may then communicate with field devices 15-22, 40-46 to adjust process parameter values within the process plant, as shown in FIG. 1A.

At block 516, the UI device 112 may receive user input indicating a request to exit preview mode and display the viewed or previewed process section in full view mode. For example, the operator may select one of the process sections by tapping, clicking, double-tapping, double-clicking, etc. on the portion of the process plant display that corresponds to the desired process section that he wishes to view in full view mode. , may be displayed in full view mode. For example, when an operator wishes to view a previewed process section in full view mode, the operator may double-tap or double-click the portion of the process plant display that includes the previewed process section.

Next, at block 518, the selected process section may be displayed on the process plant display in full view mode to exit preview mode, such as screen display 290 as shown in FIG. 2D. The full view mode may include the entire process section on the process plant display, rather than a portion or a reduced version of the process section, as in the preview mode described above.

Embodiments of the technology described in this disclosure may include any number of the following aspects, either alone or in combination.

A method for viewing a process section within a process plant while concurrently viewing another process section, the method comprising: viewing a plurality of processes within a process plant by one or more processors of a process plant display; Presenting a process section depicting a portion of a process plant, including a graphical representation of a plant entity, and providing navigation tools for navigating to another portion of the process plant by one or more processors of the process plant display. and receiving instructions to navigate to another portion of the process plant via the navigation tool at the one or more processors; and navigating at least a portion of the process section by the one or more processors of the process plant display. , simultaneously presenting a preview of one or more other process sections in response to instructions to navigate to another portion of the process plant.

2. The method of aspect 1, wherein the navigation tool includes a navigation bar that draws a navigation trail of a hierarchy of parts of the process plant with respect to the structure of the process control plant.

3. the instructions for navigating to another part of the process plant include instructions for navigating to different hierarchical levels of the navigation trail, and presenting a preview of one or more other process sections in response to the instructions to navigate; 3. A method according to any one of aspects 1 and 2, comprising presenting previews of one or more other process sections at different hierarchical levels by one or more processors of a process plant display.

4. 4. A method according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the instructions to navigate include a graphical intersection of a selection tool with a navigation tool.

5. 5. The method of any one of aspects 1-4, wherein the instruction to navigate includes positioning the selection tool over the graphical drawing of the navigation tool for a threshold amount of time.

6. 6. The method of any one of aspects 1-5, wherein the instructions to navigate include selecting a navigation tool with a selection tool.

7. The navigation tool of aspects 1-6, wherein the navigation tool includes a list of one or more items, each item corresponding to a different part of the process plant, and each item including a preview of the corresponding other part of the process plant. Any one of the methods.

8. The navigation tool includes a search tool that returns result items in response to instructions to navigate, each result item corresponding to a different part of the process plant, and each result item corresponding to another part of the process plant. 8. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, comprising previewing.

9. Presenting at least a portion of the process section includes presenting, by the one or more processors of the process plant display, a preview of the one or more other process sections at a resolution lower than a resolution of the portion of the process section. 9. The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, comprising:

10. Aspects wherein presenting at least a portion of the process section comprises presenting a preview of the alert to at least one of the one or more other process sections by one or more processors of the process plant display. 10. The method according to any one of 1 to 9.

11. Requesting a full view of one of the one or more other process sections via a navigation tool in the one or more processors when presenting a preview of the one or more other process sections on the process plant display and presenting a full view of other requested process sections, including not presenting the process section, by one or more processors of the process plant display. 1. The method according to any one of 1 to 10.

12. A user interface device for viewing a process section in a process plant while simultaneously viewing another process section, the user interface device comprising a display screen and one or more display screens coupled to the display screen. a process plant coupled to the one or more processors and including, when executed by the one or more processors, providing a user interface device with a graphical representation of a plurality of process plant entities within the process plant via a display screen; cause a process section to be rendered, provide a navigation tool to navigate to another part of the process plant, receive instructions via the navigation tool to navigate to another part of the process plant, and display a display screen; storing instructions for causing at least a portion of the process section to be presented while simultaneously presenting a preview of one or more other process sections in response to instructions to navigate to another portion of the process plant via the a user interface device comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium;

13. 13. The user interface device of aspect 12, wherein the navigation tool includes a navigation bar that draws a navigation trail of a hierarchy of parts of the process plant with respect to the structure of the process control plant.

14. The instructions for navigating to another portion of the process plant include instructions for navigating to different hierarchical levels of the navigation trail, the instructions further causing the user interface device, in response to the instructions to navigate, to: Aspect 12 wherein the instructions further cause the user interface device to present previews of the one or more other process sections at different levels of hierarchy via the display screen. or the user interface device according to any one of aspects 13.

15. 15. A user interface device according to any one of aspects 12-14, wherein the instructions to navigate include a graphical intersection of a selection tool with a navigation tool.

16. 16. The user interface device according to any one of aspects 12-15, wherein the instructions to navigate include placement of a selection tool on a graphical drawing of the navigation tool for a threshold amount of time.

17. 17. The user interface device according to any one of aspects 12-16, wherein the instructions to navigate include selecting a navigation tool with a selection tool.

18. Aspects 12-17, wherein the navigation tool includes a list of one or more items, each item corresponding to a different part of the process plant, and each item including a preview of the corresponding other part of the process plant. User interface device according to any one of the above.

19. The navigation tool includes a search tool that returns result items in response to instructions to navigate, each result item corresponding to a different part of the process plant, and each result item corresponding to another part of the process plant. 19. The method according to any one of aspects 12 to 18, comprising previewing.

20. Any one of aspects 12-19, wherein the instructions further cause the user interface device to present a preview of the one or more other process sections via the display screen at a lower resolution than the resolution of the portion of the process section. User interface devices as described in .

21. as in any one of aspects 12-20, wherein the instructions further cause the user interface device to present a preview of the alert to at least one of the one or more other process sections via a display screen. user interface device.

22. input requesting a full view of one of the one or more other process sections when the instructions further present a preview of the one or more other process sections to the user interface device via the display screen; 22. The user interface device according to any one of aspects 12-21, wherein the user interface device receives, from a user, a full view of other requested process sections, including not presenting the process section, via the display screen.

Additionally, the previous aspects of the disclosure are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

The following additional considerations apply to the above considerations. Throughout this specification, acts described as being performed by any device or routine generally refer to the acts or processes of a processor that manipulate or transform data in accordance with machine-readable instructions. Machine readable instructions may be stored on and retrieved from a memory device communicatively coupled to a processor. In other words, the methods described herein may be embodied by a series of machine-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium (i.e., on a memory device), as illustrated in FIG. 1B. . The instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a corresponding device (eg, server, user interface device, etc.), cause the processors to perform the method. When instructions, routines, modules, processes, services, programs, and/or applications are referred to herein as stored or stored on computer-readable memory or on a computer-readable medium, "stored" and The word "saved" is intended to exclude temporary signals.

Additionally, the terms "operator," "personnel," "person," "user," "technician," and other similar terms are used herein. Although used to describe persons within a process plant environment who may use or interact with the systems, devices, and methods described herein, these terms are not intended to be limiting. When specific terms are used in the description, the terms are used in part because of the traditional activities that plant employees engage in, but are intended to limit the employees who may engage in the specific activities. Unintentional.

Additionally, throughout this specification, multiple instances may implement components, acts, or structures described in a single instance. Although individual acts of one or more methods have been illustrated and described as separate acts, one or more of the individual acts may be performed simultaneously, and the acts need not be performed in the illustrated order. do not have. Structures and functionality presented as separate components within the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may also be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are within the scope of the subject matter herein.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, terms such as "processing", "computing", "calculating", "determining", "identifying", etc.
Use words such as ``ntifying,''``presenting,'' ``causing to be presented,'' ``causing to be displayed,'' and ``displaying.'' The discussion herein refers to the use of a computer in one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that receive, store, transmit, or display information. can refer to the operation or process of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transforms data represented as a physical (e.g., electrical, magnetic, biological, or optical) quantity.

When implemented in software, any of the applications, services, and engines described herein may be implemented on magnetic disks, laser disks, solid state memory devices, molecular memory storage devices, or other memory devices such as RAM or ROM of a computer or processor. may be stored in any tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, such as a storage medium. Although example systems disclosed herein are disclosed to include software and/or firmware running on hardware, among other components, such systems are merely exemplary. It should be noted that there are only a few, and should not be considered exclusive. For example, it is contemplated that any or all of these hardware, software, and firmware components may be embedded solely in hardware, solely in software, or in any combination of hardware and software. . Accordingly, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the example provided is not the only way to implement such a system.

Therefore, although the invention has been described with respect to specific examples, these examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be limitations of the invention, and modifications, additions, or deletions may be made to the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Certain terms are defined in this patent as "As used herein, the term '＿＿＿＿＿＿' is hereby."
defined to mean. ．． ．． ), or similar text, is not intended to limit the meaning of the term beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, either expressly or by implication. It should be understood that no such term shall be construed as limiting in scope (other than the claim language) based on any statement made in any section of this patent. It shouldn't be done. In that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to within this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, it is merely a matter of clarity to avoid confusing the reader. It is not intended that the terms in such claims be limited, by implication or otherwise, to a single meaning thereof. Finally, the scope of any claim element is not defined unless the claim element is defined by the word "means" and a listing of functions without any structural recitation. , is not intended to be construed under the application of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) and/or former 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6.

Additionally, while the above text provides detailed descriptions of many different embodiments, it is understood that the scope of this patent is defined by the claims language at the end of this patent. Should. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not include all possible embodiments as it would be impractical, if not impossible, to describe all possible embodiments. It's not something to explain. Many alternative embodiments may be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent and still fall within the scope of the claims. Dew.

Claims (15)

A method for viewing a process section in a process plant while simultaneously viewing a preview of another process section, the method comprising:
presenting, by one or more processors of a process plant display, a first process section that depicts a first portion of a process plant that includes a graphical representation of a plurality of process plant entities within the process plant;
providing a navigation tool including at least one off-sheet connector for navigating to a second portion of the process plant by the one or more processors of the process plant display;
receiving user input via the navigation tool at the one or more processors representing instructions to navigate to the second portion of the process plant;
in response to the instruction by the one or more processors of the process plant display to navigate at least the first portion of the first process section to the second portion of the process plant ; simultaneously presenting a preview of a second process section depicting one or more portions including the second portion , the preview of the one or more portions of the second process section; at least one process parameter of the second process section while simultaneously presenting a preview of the one or more portions of the second process section with at least the first portion of the first process section. the one or more portions of the screen being adjustable via a preview . 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation tool includes a navigation bar that draws a navigation trail of a hierarchy of the portions of the process plant with respect to the structure of the process plant. the instructions to navigate to the second portion of the process plant include instructions to navigate to different hierarchical levels of the navigation trail; Presenting a preview of the one or more portions includes, by the one or more processors of the process plant display, presenting a preview of the one or more portions of the second process section at the different hierarchical levels. 3. The method of claim 2, comprising presenting. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction to navigate includes a graphical intersection of the off-sheet connector of the navigation tool and a selection tool, the selection tool being a graphical representation of a mouse hover. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction to navigate includes positioning the selection tool over a graphical drawing of the navigation tool for a threshold amount of time. 6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the instructions to navigate include selecting the off-sheet connector. The navigation tool includes a list of one or more items, each item corresponding to the second portion of the process plant, and each item including a preview of the corresponding other portion of the process plant. , a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The navigation tool includes a search tool that returns result items in response to the instructions to navigate, each result item corresponding to the second portion of the process plant, and each result item corresponding to the second portion of the process plant. 8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising previewing the corresponding other portion of the image. Presenting at least the first portion of the first process section includes previewing the one or more portions of the second process section by the one or more processors of the process plant display. , at a lower resolution than the resolution of the first part of the first process section. Presenting at least the first portion of the first process section comprises: presenting at least the first portion of the second process section by the one or more processors of the process plant display; 10. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising presenting at least one preview of the alert. A user interface device for viewing a process section in a process plant while simultaneously viewing a preview of another process section, the user interface device comprising:
a display screen;
one or more processors coupled to the display screen;
When coupled to and executed by the one or more processors, the user interface device includes:
causing a first process section depicting a first portion of a process plant including a graphical representation of a plurality of process plant entities within the process plant to be presented via the display screen;
providing a navigation tool including at least one off-sheet connector for navigating to a second portion of the process plant;
receiving user input representing instructions to navigate to the second portion of the process plant via the navigation tool;
in response to said instructions for navigating at least said first portion of said first process section to said second portion of said process plant via said display screen ; rendering the one or more parts of the second process section while simultaneously presenting a preview of the second process section that includes the one or more parts of the second process section;
at least one process parameter in a preview of the second process section while simultaneously presenting a preview of the one or more portions of the second process section with at least the first portion of the first process section. adjustable via a preview of the one or more parts of the process section of ;
and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions. 12. The user interface device of claim 11, wherein the navigation tool includes a navigation bar that draws a navigation trail of a hierarchy of the portion of the process plant with respect to the structure of the process plant. 13. The user interface device of claim 12, wherein the instruction to navigate includes a graphical intersection of the off-sheet connector of the navigation tool and a selection tool, the selection tool being a graphical representation of a mouse hover. 14. The user interface device of claim 13, wherein the instructions to navigate include positioning the selection tool over a graphical drawing of the navigation tool for a threshold amount of time. 15. A user interface device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the instructions to navigate include selecting the off-sheet connector.

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