# US 11,112,925 B2 · Supervisor engine for process control

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- Number: US 11,112,925 B2
- Document ID: US11112925B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/028,972
- Filed: 2013-09-17
- Published: 2014-09-18
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark J. Nixon; Ken J. Beoughter; Daniel D. Christensen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112925B2

## CPC

- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- G05B 11/01: electric
- G05B 13/02: electric
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G06F 3/048: Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34)
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A supervisor engine cooperates with an expert system in a process control environment to automatically generate, assign, track, and manage work items. The supervisor engine creates work items according to data received from the expert system, selects available personnel to execute work items, sends work items to the selected personnel, schedules the execution of the work items, and creates and stores permissions that allow the assigned personnel to complete a target function of the work item at an assigned time. The supervisor engine determines required skill sets, roles, certifications, and/or credentials associated with a work item, and selects personnel to perform the work item according to a personnel profile specifying a skill set, a role, certifications, and/or credentials associated with the personnel. Alternatively or additionally, the supervisor engine assigns a work item according to the presence of personnel at or near the target equipment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented, automated method of assigning tasks to personnel in a process plant, the method executed by a supervisor module and comprising:
receiving, from an expert system coupled to a big data historian, data indicating a process parameter related to operation of the process plant, the expert system operable to analyze sensor and parameter data stored by the big data historian;
creating a work item specifying a target equipment within the process plant and a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task to be performed on the target equipment according to the data indicating the process parameter;
selecting a person to execute the maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task specified in the work item according to a personnel profile accessible by the supervisor module that specifies a skill set, a role, a certification, or a credential;
sending the work item to a mobile control device associated with the selected person, the mobile control device operable to communicate with a controller controlling the process plant to perform control actions in the process plant; and
receiving an indication that the selected person has accepted the work item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving data from an expert system comprises receiving data indicating a trend associated with the process parameter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving data from an expert system comprises receiving data indicating the process parameter correlated with a predicted problem in the process plant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving data from an expert system comprises receiving a request to provide the expert system with a parameter value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method according to claim 4, wherein creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task according to the data received from the expert system comprises creating a work item in which the specified maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task is to observe and record a parameter value that is not transmitted automatically from a device that senses the parameter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving data from an expert system comprises receiving an instruction to perform a particular action with respect to a process control device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task according to the data received from the expert system comprises creating a work item in which the specified maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task is to perform a calibration task, a replacement task, or an inspection task.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises selecting a person according to location data received from a device associated with the selected person.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising creating and storing a permission token associated with the specified task, associated with a process control device associated with the specified task, or both, wherein the permission token is required in order for the selected person to perform the specified task on the process control device associated with the specified task.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises selecting a person according to (1) (i) the task specified in the work item, (ii) a process control device associated with the specified task, or (iii) both, and (2) a plurality of personnel profiles accessible by the supervisor module.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving data from an expert system comprises receiving an instruction to perform at least one of the following actions:
(ii) inspect a process control device;
(iii) calibrate a process control device;
(iv) record an audio sample;
(v) capture an image or a video;
(vi) perform maintenance on a process control device;
(vii) repair a process control device;
(viii) replace a process control device; or
(ix) adjust a process control parameter.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein creating a work item comprises creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task and an equipment target related to the specified task, and further specifying at least one of the following:
tools or equipment necessary to perform the specified task;
(ii) a priority level for the work item;
(iii) a required skill set necessary to perform the specified task;
(iv) a required start time and/or date; or
(v) a required completion time and/or date.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising scheduling the execution of the work item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method according to claim 13, wherein scheduling the execution of the work item comprises scheduling the execution of the work item according to at least one of the following:
(i) a scheduled route through the process plant associated with the selected person;
(ii) a scheduled delivery of input materials for a process executed by the process plant;
(iii) a scheduled delivery of a product produced by the process plant;
(iv) predicted weather conditions;
(v) a scheduled shipping time of a product produced by the process plant;
(vi) a predicted or scheduled completion time of a process of the process plant; or
(vii) a predicted or scheduled arrival of tools, equipment, or parts necessary to complete the specified task.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises storing the work item in a database from which personnel select a work item to execute.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A method according to claim 15, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item further comprises:
receiving from the mobile control device associated with a person a request to execute the work item; and
comparing a profile associated with the person to information stored in the work item to determine whether the person is qualified to execute the work item.

### Claim 17

A process control system of a process plant, the process control system comprising:
a plurality of process control devices,
a process controller configured to control the plurality of process control devices;
a big data historian storing sensor and parameter data of the process control system;
an expert system coupled to the big data historian and operable to analyze the sensor and parameter data stored by the big data historian; and
a supervisor module coupled to the expert system and operable to assign maintenance, repair, or diagnostic tasks to personnel in the process plant, the supervisor engine configured to:
receive data indicating a process parameter related to operation of the process plant from the expert system;
create a work item, wherein the work item specifies a target equipment and a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task to be performed on the target equipment according to the data indicating the process parameter;
select a person to execute the maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task specified in the work item according to a personnel profile accessible by the supervisor module that specifies a skill set, a role, a certification, or a credential;
send the work item to a mobile control device associated with the selected person, the mobile control device operable to communicate with the controller to perform control actions in the process plant; and
receive an indication that the selected person has accepted the work item.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein receiving data from the expert system comprises receiving data indicating a trend associated with the process parameter.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein receiving data from the expert system comprises receiving data indicating the process parameter correlated with a predicted problem in the process plant.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein receiving data from the expert system comprises receiving a request to provide the expert system with a parameter value.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A system according to claim 20, wherein creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task according to the data received from the expert system comprises creating a work item in which the specified task is to observe and record a parameter value that is not transmitted automatically from a device that senses the parameter.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein receiving data from the expert system comprises receiving an instruction to perform a particular action with respect to a process control device.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task according to the data received from the expert system comprises creating a work item in which the specified task is to perform a calibration task, a replacement task, or an inspection task.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises selecting a person according to location data received from a device associated with the selected person.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, the supervisor module further operable to create and store a permission token associated with the specified task, associated with a process control device associated with the specified task, or both, wherein the permission token is required in order for the selected person to perform the specified task on the process control device associated with the specified task.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises selecting a person according to (1) (i) the task specified in the work item, (ii) a process control device associated with the specified task, or (iii) both, and (2) a plurality of personnel profiles accessible by the supervisor module.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein receiving data from the expert system comprises receiving an instruction to perform at least one of the following actions:
(i) observe and record a parameter;
(ii) inspect a process control device;
(iii) calibrate a process control device;
(iv) record an audio sample;
(v) capture an image or a video;
(vi) perform maintenance on a process control device;
(vii) repair a process control device;
(viii) replace a process control device; or
(ix) adjust a process control parameter.

### Claim 28 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein creating a work item comprises creating a work item specifying a maintenance, repair, or diagnostic task and an equipment target related to the specified task, and further specifying at least one of the following:
(i) tools or equipment necessary to perform the specified task;
(ii) a priority level for the work item;
(iii) a required skill set necessary to perform the specified task;
(iv) a required start time and/or date; or
(v) a required completion time and/or date.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein the supervisor module is further operable to schedule the execution of the work item.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

A system according to claim 29, wherein scheduling the execution of the work item comprises scheduling the execution of the work item according to at least one of the following:
(i) a scheduled route through the process plant associated with the selected person;
(ii) a scheduled delivery of input materials for a process executed by the process plant;
(iii) a scheduled delivery of a product produced by the process plant;
(iv) predicted weather conditions;
(v) a scheduled shipping time of a product produced by the process plant;
(vi) a predicted or scheduled completion time of a process of the process plant; or
(vii) a predicted or scheduled arrival of tools, equipment, or parts necessary to complete the specified task.

### Claim 31 (depends on 17)

A system according to claim 17, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item comprises storing the work item in a database from which personnel select a work item to execute.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

A system according to claim 31, wherein selecting a person to execute the task specified in the work item further comprises:
receiving from the mobile control device associated with a person a request to execute the work item; and
comparing a profile associated with the person to information stored in the work item to determine whether the person is qualified to execute the work item.