SE1100606A1 - Node and method for generating and presenting a tree 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 tree map thereof; a display unit configured to display the processed information in the form of the tree 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 tree map. The invention also relates to a method for such a node. (Fig. 1)

Description

10 15 20 25 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 others nodes of the control system, the information comprisíng 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 tree map thereof; displaying the processed information in the form of the tree map to an operator of the process control system; and the operator inputting commands to the node in response to the tree 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 inventíon.

Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical fi eld, unless explicitly defined otherwise 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.

LETTER 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 display window in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig 2 shows a display window in accordance with another 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 10 15 20 25 30 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 will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

A tree map may be used in a process monitoring and / or control system, such as a Distributed Control System (DCS), specifically the ABB 800xA 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 tree 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 ma intuitivel visualize rocess alarms and events for some or all Y Y P process parts or objects over time in one display using tree-maps. ln the meantime, 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 and example of an embodiment of a tree map for visualizing process alarms or other process events over time. In fi gure 1, a display window has a tree map in the upper part of the 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 tree map in the display window. 10 15 20 25 30 As shown in Figure 1, the objects or units (eg. Machines, piping, sensors etc.) of a process may be presented in Squares. An operator may select if he / she 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 activated in a graphic process. There may be two parameters that are associated With the tree-map visualization, i.e., intensity and severity. For instance, if the operator chooses the number of alarms for visualization, depending on the intensity and severity of the alarms that occurred for a process object, the process objects with the highest frequency and severity of alarms may be presented at the top left part of the display, whereas process objects having fewer and / or less severe alarms may be presented below or to the right of that object. The different rectangles representing the different objects may differ in size and / or color or color nuance to additionally convey severity or such to the operator. The tree map visualization may be updated automatically depending on a selected point of time along a time line.

According to another embodiment of a tree map presentation, different process sections may be presented in different colors, as shown in Figure 2, and tree-maps may be used to visualize logged process events of each of these sections. In fi gure 2, one process section tree map is in red in the top left corner of the display window, another process section tree map is in green in the bottom left corner of the display window, another process section tree map is in purple in the top right corner of the display window, and another process section tree map is in white in the bottom right comer of the display window. However, in figure 2, a gray scale copy of the display window is shown.

According to another embodiment of a tree map display, different colors may be assigned to different types of process objects, which may make it easier to identify different types of objects in the three-map. One type of machine of the process may e.g. be assigned a speci fi c color in the tree map.

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 tree-maps, and use the irrational highlight information of process objects / areas for indication of objects and areas that need close observation from operators or control engineers. This 10 15 20 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 tree map by e.g. inputting commands to the node displaying the tree map in response to the tree 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 alternatively act in response to the tree map by adjusting or shutting down a machine or other part / unit of the process associated with an abnormal situation deduced from the tree map presented information, by inputting 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 clairns.

Claims (2)

10 15 20 CLAIMS 1. A node of a process control system, the node comprising: a receiving 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 configured to process the received information for generating a tree map thereof; a display unit con fi gured to display the processed information in the form of the tree 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 tree map displayed information. 2. A method of a process control system node, the method comprisirig: 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 information for generating a tree map thereof; displaying the processed information in the form of the tree map to an operator of the process control system; and the operator inputting commands to the node in response to the tree map displayed information.