Extensible asset classes in a monitoring system having a common platform

A method of performing communications in an electronic communication system supporting an asset environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the communication method comprising:

• storing an object model in an electronic memory, the object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment having the plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more features of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, and feature fields for data to be stored for each of the features;
• executing, via a processor, a communication interface to communicate with one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, a multiplicity of platform services to receive and process messages from the one or more external applications, further including causing one or more of the multiplicity of platform services to use the object model to perform actions with respect to messages from the one or more external applications;
• and
• executing, via a processor, at least one of the platform services to operate as an extender application to manage the object model during use by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the asset environment,
• wherein the asset environment defines an asset environment of a process plant, and wherein the extender application modifies the object model to classify at least one physical or logical entity as a logical structure that models a real-world asset of the process plant.

An electronic communication system, for use in an asset environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the electronic communication system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a communication interface;
• an object model stored in the memory, the object model including,
• a plurality of asset objects, each of the plurality of asset objects being indicative of a physical asset within the asset environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, and including one or more features defining one or more features of an asset within the asset environment, and
• one or more relationship definitions, each of the one or more relationship definitions indicating a relationship between two or more asset objects;
• and
• a multiplicity of platform services coupled to the communication interface that execute on the processor to receive and process messages from one or more applications received via the communication interface,
• wherein one or more of the multiplicity of platform services uses the object model to perform actions with respect to messages from the one or more applications, and
• wherein at least one of the platform services operates as an extender application to manage the object model during use by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional relationship definitions,
• wherein the asset environment defines an asset environment of a process plant, and wherein the extender application modifies the object model to classify at least one physical or logical entity as a logical structure that models a real-world asset of the process plant.

An electronic communication system, for use in an environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the electronic communication system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a communication interface;
• an object model stored in the memory, the object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more aspects of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, and feature fields indicating data to be stored for each of the features;
• and
• a multiplicity of platform services coupled to the communication interface that execute on the processor to receive and process messages from one or more applications, wherein one or more of the multiplicity of platform services uses the object model to perform actions with respect to the messages from the one or more applications,
• wherein at least one of the platform services manages the object model by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the asset environment,
• wherein the object model includes one or more add-on objects, wherein each of the one or more add-on objects includes a set of features defining asset information, and wherein one or more of the add-on objects is associated with one or more of the asset class objects or instances of the one or more asset class objects to further define the asset associated with the one or more asset class objects or instances of the one or more asset class objects,
• wherein at least one of the asset class objects includes a list of add-on objects defining the add-on objects that may be associated with asset class object instances of the at least one of the asset class objects, and
• wherein the one of the platform services that manages the object model prevents the association of an add-on object with an asset class object instance of an asset class object when the add-on object is not within the list of add-on objects of the asset class object.

An electronic communication system, for use in an environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the electronic communication system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a communication interface;
• an object model stored in the memory, the object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more aspects of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, and feature fields indicating data to be stored for each of the features;
• a multiplicity of platform services coupled to the communication interface that execute on the processor to receive and process messages from one or more applications, wherein one or more of the multiplicity of platform services uses the object model to perform actions with respect to the messages from the one or more applications,
• wherein at least one of the platform services manages the object model by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the asset environment;
• and
• a first asset environment and a second asset environment, wherein the processor, the memory, the object model, and the multiplicity of platform services are located at the first asset environment, and wherein the second asset environment includes a second processor;
• a second memory;
• a second communication interface;
• a second object model stored in the second memory, the second object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the second asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more aspects of a physical or logical entity within the second asset environment, and feature fields indicating data to be stored for each of the features;
• and a second multiplicity of platform services coupled to the second communication interface that execute on the second processor to receive and process messages from one or more applications, wherein one or more of the second multiplicity of platform services uses the second object model to perform actions with respect to the messages from the one or more applications, and wherein at least one of the second platform services manages the second object model by enabling the second object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the second asset environment, and wherein the object model is the same as the second object model.

A method of performing communications in an electronic communication system supporting an environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the communication method comprising:

• storing an object model in an electronic memory, the object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more features of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, and feature fields for data to be stored for each of the features;
• executing, via a processor, a communication interface to communicate with one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, a multiplicity of platform services to receive and process messages from the one or more external applications, further including causing one or more of the multiplicity of platform services to use the object model to perform actions with respect to messages from the one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, at least one of the platform services to manage the object model by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the asset environment;
• storing, in a memory, one or more add-on objects, wherein each of the one or more add-on objects includes a set of features defining asset information, and further including associating one of the one or more add-on objects with one or more of the asset class objects or instances of the one or more asset class objects to further define the assets associated with the one or more asset class objects or instances of the one or more asset class objects;
• and
• storing, for at least one of the asset class objects, a list of add-on objects defining the add-on objects that may be associated with class object instances of the at least one of the asset class objects,
• wherein executing the at least one of the platform services to manage the object model includes preventing the association of an add-on object with an asset class object instance of an asset class object when the add-on object is not within the list of add-on objects of the asset class object.

A method of performing communications in an electronic communication system supporting an environment having a plurality of physical assets of different types and uses, the communication method comprising:

• storing an object model in an electronic memory, the object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more features of a physical or logical entity within the asset environment, and feature fields for data to be stored for each of the features;
• executing, via a processor, a communication interface to communicate with one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, a multiplicity of platform services to receive and process messages from the one or more external applications, further including causing one or more of the multiplicity of platform services to use the object model to perform actions with respect to messages from the one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, at least one of the platform services to manage the object model by enabling the object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the asset environment;
• storing the object model in a first asset environment, executing the communication interface in the first asset environment, and executing the platform services in the first asset environment, and further including;
• storing a second object model in an electronic memory in a second asset environment, the second object model including one or more class objects, each of the one or more class objects being indicative of a physical or logical entity within the second asset environment, each of the class objects including one or more features defining one or more features of a physical or logical entity within the second asset environment, and feature fields for data to be stored for each of the features;
• executing, via a processor, a second communication interface in the second asset environment to communicate with one or more external applications;
• executing, via a processor, a second multiplicity of platform services in the second asset environment to receive and process messages from the one or more external applications, further including causing one or more of the second multiplicity of platform services to use the second object model to perform actions with respect to messages from the one or more external applications;
• and
• executing, via a processor, at least one of the second platform services in the second asset environment to manage the second object model by enabling the second object model to be extended to include additional object information defining additional information about physical or logical entities in the second asset environment,
• wherein the object model is the same as the second object model.