SE1100605A1 - Node and method for generating and presenting a heat map - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a node of a process control system, the node comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive information from other nodes of the control system, the information comprising parameters or events of the process and / or machines associated with the process which the control system is configured to verify; a processing unit configured to process the received information to generate a heat map thereof; a display unit configured to display the processed information in the form of a heat map for an operator of the process control system; and an input device configured to allow the operator to enter commands to the node in response to the information displayed in the form of the heat map. The invention also relates to a method for such a node. (Fig. 1)

Description

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of a process control system node, the method comprising: receiving information from other nodes of the control system, the information comprising parameters or events of the process and / or machines associated With the process which the control system is configured to control; processing the received information for generating a heat map thereof; displaying the processed information in the form of the heat map to an operator of the process control system; and the operator inputting commands to the node in response to the heat map displayed information.

Discussions above and below relating to any aspect of the present invention is also in applicable parts relevant to any other aspect of the present invention.

Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined othervvise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 shows a heat-map for visualizing process events according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and 10 15 20 25 30 will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

A heat map may be used in a process monitoring and / or control system, such as a Distributed Control System (DCS), specifically the ABB SOOXA system, for visualizing on a process overview display e.g. where and / or When in an industrial process most and / or most severe alarms, comments or such events have occurred over time. Other parameters of the control system or the process controlled and / or monitored by the control system may additionally or alternatively be presented by means of a heat map, such as temperature, pressure etc. Examples of functions of the process monitoring and / or control system Which may be used by the operator are alarm management, trends, process graphics and faceplates. An important functionality may be navigation, visualizing of system status and to highlight data that has provoked an abnormal condition.

This invention may intuitively visualize process alarms and events for some or all process parts or objects over time in one display using heat-maps. In the mean fi me, the process objects / areas with the most frequency and severity of events (e.g., alarms) are intuitively highlighted.

A process status overview may be presented or visualized based on logged data in the node. The visualization can be used for shift logs and when changing shift, so that the operator at the subsequent shift can get an overview of important happenings during the previous shift. It could also be used by higher management to get an indication on the process ”status over time.

Figure 1 shows a heat-map for visualizing process events, with a heat map in an upper part of a display window and in the lower part of the window there is a menu for an operator to choose which system / process parameters / events to display in the form of a heat map in the display window.

As shown in Figure 1, an operator may select if they would like to see number of added operator notes, number of actions on a specific process object, number of alarms related to that object, or how many times the process object has been acclivated in a graphic process. The heat map may be generated (color coded) based on either the 10 15 20 25 30 frequency or severity of the events. The user may be able to choose from the two criteria to visualize With the heat map. For instance, if the operator chooses the number of alarms for visualization, depending on the frequency of the alarms that happen to a process object, the process objects / areas with the most frequent alarms may be presented with more intense colors like red in the case of figure 1 (along the diagonal from the upper left corner to the lower right corner in the display window of figure 1).

Similarly, the process objects / areas with the least alarrns will be shown as less intense colors like blue or green in this case (towards the upper right corner and the lower left corner, away from the red diagonal, in the display window of figure 1 ). This visualization may update automatically based on the selected point of time along a time line.

Any colors may be used for the heat map, or the heat map may be presented in gray scale, such as the heat rnap of figure 1 as here presented after copying to gray scale.

According to the invention there is a novel way in respect of how to present a high volume of system / process parameters / events over time and / or space in heat-maps, and use the intuitive highlight information of process objects / areas for indication of objects and areas that need close observation from operators or control engineers. This information may be essential for further analysis of important occurrences in the process, especially those process objects / areas with the most frequency and severity of alarms or such, and may be used for prevention of future abnormal situations.

Users of the present invention may thus be able to prevent abnormal situations. The invention provides an intuitive way of visualizing high volume process data. The operator may be able to quickly obtain an overview of important process events and alarms, and identify hot spots in the control process, and thereafter take actions, which may be essential precautions against the happening of abnormal situations.

The operator may act in response to the heat map by e.g. inputting commands to the node displaying the heat map in response to the heat map displayed information. The commands may be inputted by means of an inputting device, such as a keyboard, a mouse, joystick or other pointing device which may choose among commands also displayed by the node, or the like. The operator may also or altematively act in response to the heat map by adjus fi ng or shutting down a machine or other part / unit of the process associated With an abnormal situation deduced from the heat map presented information, by input-ting commands to that effect either via the node or directly to the machine or process unit.

The invention has mainly been described above With reference to a few embodiments.

However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.

Claims (2)

10 15 20 25 CLAIMS 1. A node of a process control system, the node comprising: a receivirig unit con fi gured to receive information from other nodes of the control system, the information comprising parameters or events of the process and / or machines associated With the process Which the control system is configured to control; a processing unit con fi gured to process the received information for generating a heat map thereof; a display unit con fi gured to display the processed information in the form of the heat map to an operator of the process control system; and an input unit con fi gured to allow the operator to input commands to the node in response to the heat map displayed information. 2. A method of a process control system node, the method comprising: receiving information from other nodes of the control system, the information comprising parameters or events of the process and / or machines associated With the process which the control system is con fi gured to control ; processing the received informadon for generating a heat map thereof; displaying the processed information in the form of the heat map to an operator of the process control system; and the operator inputting commands to the node in response to the heat map displayed information.