Methods and apparatus for monitoring operation of a system asset

A system comprising:

• a data acquisition device for determining a status of a plurality of system assets;
• and
• a computing device coupled to said data acquisition device, said computing device comprising:
• a storage device configured to store a model of the plurality of system assets of a system including location data representative of a physical location of each of the plurality of system assets within the system, the location data including a physical location identified by a global positioning satellite;
• and
• a processor coupled to said storage device, said processor configured to:
• receive data representative of the status of the plurality of system assets from said data acquisition device and the location data;
• display, in a first display state, a plurality of asset images on a display using the model, wherein the plurality of asset images are representative of the plurality of system assets;
• display, in a second display state, a first asset image of the plurality of asset images within the display upon a determination that a first system asset represented by the first asset image is in an alarm state, wherein displaying the first asset image in the second display state causes the first asset image to be emphasized with respect to the display of the plurality of asset images in the first display state;
• display, in a third display state, the remaining asset images of the plurality of asset images within the display upon a determination that the system assets represented by the remaining asset images are not in an alarm state, wherein displaying the remaining asset images in the third display state causes the remaining asset images to be de-emphasized with respect to the display of the plurality of asset images in first display state;
• hide, in a fourth display state, a second asset image by obscuring the second asset image with a third asset image;
• and
• display in a fifth display state, the second asset image by de-emphasizing the third asset image upon a determination that a second system asset represented by the second asset image is in the alarm state,
• wherein the plurality of asset images comprise at least one of a machine image;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of asset images is displayed on the display at a location that corresponds to its physical position within the system.

A method of monitoring operation of a plurality of system assets, said method comprising:

• receiving data representative of a status of a plurality of system assets of a system and location data representative of a physical location of each of the plurality of system assets within the system, the physical location identified by a global positioning system satellite (GPS) enabled camera;
• associating the physical location of each system asset with an associated asset image;
• displaying, in a first display state on a display, a plurality of asset images that are representative of the plurality of system assets;
• displaying, in a second display state, a first asset image of the plurality of asset images within the display upon a determination that a first system asset represented by the first asset image is in an alarm state, wherein displaying the first asset image in the second display state causes the first asset image to be emphasized with respect to the display of the plurality of asset images in the first display state;
• displaying, in a third display state, the remaining asset images of the plurality of asset images within the display upon a determination that the system assets represented by the remaining asset images are not in an alarm state, wherein displaying the remaining asset images in the third display state causes the remaining asset images to be de-emphasized with respect to the display of the plurality of asset images in first display state;
• hiding, in a fourth display state, a second asset image by obscuring the second asset image with a third asset image;
• and
• displaying in a fifth display state, the second asset image by de-emphasizing the third asset image upon a determination that a second system asset represented by the second asset image is in the alarm state,
• wherein the plurality of asset images comprise at least one of a machine image;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of asset images is displayed on the display at a location that corresponds to its physical position within the system.