Search results display in a process control system

A remote user interface device for presenting process plant search results in response to a process plant search query, the remote user interface device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a user interface;
• and
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable media coupled to the one or more processors and to the user interface, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the remote user interface device to:
• receive a process plant search query in a natural language format from a user related to one or more process plant entities within a process plant;
• obtain a set of process plant search results in response to the process plant search query from a knowledge repository at an edge-computing device generated by:
• (i) creating a duplicate of process plant-related data included in a field-facing component of the process plant, wherein the field-facing component interacts directly with data generated within the process plant and (ii) organizing the duplicate process plant-related data that describes attributes of the process plant entities according to semantic relations between the process plant-related data and the process plant entities, wherein the remote user interface device does not have authorized access to directly communicate with the process plant and does not directly interact with the process plant-related data generated within the process plant, and wherein the duplicate process plant-related data includes run-time data;
• and
• present the set of process plant search results within a process plant search results display, wherein each process plant search result includes a selectable link to the duplicate process plant-related data, such that user interactions with the duplicate of the process plant-related data do not effect run-time operation of the process plant, thereby allowing the remote user interface device to perform a search regarding data in the process plant of the duplicate process plant-related data so that the remote user interface device does not directly interact with the process plant-related data in the field-facing component, and allowing the remote user interface device which does not have authorized access to directly communicate with the process plant to receive the duplicate process plant-related data representing activity in the process plant in a highly secure manner without impacting performance of the process plant.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors in a remote user interface device, cause the one or more processors to:

• receive a process plant search query in a natural language format from a user related to one or more process plant entities within a process plant;
• obtain a set of process plant search results in response to the process plant search query from a knowledge repository at an edge-computing device generated by:
• (i) creating a duplicate of process plant-related data included in a field-facing component of the process plant, wherein the field-facing component interacts directly with data generated within the process plant and (ii) organizing the duplicate process plant-related data that describes attributes of the process plant entities according to semantic relations between the process plant-related data and the process plant entities, wherein the remote user interface device does not have authorized access to directly communicate with the process plant and does not directly interact with the process plant-related data generated within the process plant, and wherein the duplicate process plant-related data includes run-time data;
• and
• present the set of process plant search results within a process plant search results display of the remote user interface device, wherein each process plant search result includes a selectable link to the duplicate process plant-related data, such that user interactions with the duplicate of the process plant-related data do not effect run-time operation of the process plant, thereby allowing the remote user interface device to perform a search regarding data in the process plant of the duplicate process plant-related data so that the remote user interface device does not directly interact with the process plant-related data in the field-facing component, and allowing the remote user interface device which does not have authorized access to directly communicate with the process plant to receive the duplicate process plant-related data representing activity in the process plant in a highly secure manner without impacting performance of the process plant.