Method and apparatus for seamless state transfer between user interface devices in a mobile control room

A method of operating a process plant, the method comprising:

• storing in a common format, in a unitary, logical data storage area, process data corresponding to the process plant, the process data including multiple types of process data selected from configuration data, measurement data, batch data, continuous data, and event data;
• executing on a first user interface device a routine operable to dynamically generate a first user interface display using data retrieved by the first user interface device from a server coupled to the first user interface device and to the unitary, logical data storage area;
• transferring from the first user interface device to a second user interface device data indicative of a state of the first user interface device;
• and
• executing on the second user interface device a routine operable to dynamically generate, according to the received data indicative of the state of the first user interface device, a second user interface display using data retrieved by the second user interface device from the server.

A first mobile control apparatus for use in a process plant, the mobile control apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a display coupled to the processor;
• a first communication interface operable to communicate via a communication channel with a server storing process control data;
• a memory device coupled to the processor and storing:
• a dynamically generated user interface object;
• and
• a set of machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• dynamically generate or update the user interface object to retrieve and display a specific set of process control data from the server via the communication interface;
• retrieve the specific set of process control data from the server;
• display the dynamically generated user interface including the specific set of process control data;
• receive from a second mobile control apparatus an incoming request for state information of the first mobile control apparatus;
• send to the second mobile control apparatus, in response to the incoming request for the state information of the first mobile control apparatus, information about the current state of the user interface displayed on the first mobile control apparatus;
• send to a second mobile control apparatus a request for state information of the second mobile control apparatus;
• and
• receive from the second mobile control apparatus, in response to the request for the state information of the second mobile control apparatus, information about the current state of the user interface displayed on the second mobile control apparatus.