System for operator messages with contextual data and navigation
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsRahul Chandra Nath, David Ross Nixon, Graeme Laycock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An industrial automation system that allows for communication between an operator and a processing unit, which includes contextual information, such as data, and retrieval of historical messages, for a processing unit when abnormal operational conditions are encountered, resulting in faster responses and more complete information to address the abnormal condition.
Claims20
An apparatus for an automation system that allows for communication between an operator station of the automation system and a communication interface located in a remote location, comprising:
- a sensor that generates signals responsive to an operation process of the automation system;
- a processor connected to a memory, the memory storing the signals received from the sensor and creating a signal record;
- a control program including operational limits for the signals received from the sensor stored in the memory and used by the processor, to access the signal record generated by the sensor, to generate a process message based on a condition of the signal, wherein the process message includes a list of options based upon a type of the sensor and on past operating conditions of the automation system generated when the automation system has registered as deviating from the operational limits set in the operation process;
- an operator station interface connected to the processor and memory, the operator station interface retrieving the process message, arranged to add contextual information to the process message;
- a communication network connected to the processor arranged to send the process message and contextual information to the communication interface and to receive response messages from the communication interface;
- and
- the processor configured to:
- capture the response message;
- verify the operation process of the automation system based on the response message and the process message and to further provide the list of options to the communication interface;
- whereby, the processor is arranged to capture the response messages from the communication interface and store it in the memory.
A method for recording messages in a processing unit of an automation system, comprising:
- receiving a signal related to an operation process from a sensor on the processing unit with an processor, wherein the processor includes memory for storing the signal and for creating a signal record;
- recording the signal in the memory of the processor, wherein the processor includes memory for storing a control recipe to access the signal record, and wherein the control recipe includes operational limits for the signal;
- generating a process message based on a condition of the signal indicating that the signal received from the sensor is outside the operational limits for the control recipe, wherein the process message includes a list of options based upon a type of the sensor and on past operating conditions of the automation system generated when the automation system has registered as deviating from the operational limits set in the operation process;
- retrieving, via an operator station interface connected to the processor and the memory, the process message, and adding contextual information to the process message;
- receiving the generated process message and the contextual information, via a communication network connected to the processor and recording a response message;
- and
- capturing the response message from the communication network and storing the response message in the memory;
- and
- verifying the operation process of the automation system based on the response message and the process message and to further provide the list of options to a communication interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.