Systems and methods for configuring and presenting a display navigation hierarchy in a process plant

A computing device for configuring an operator display navigation hierarchy in a process plant, the computing device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a user interface;
• a communication unit;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors, the user interface, and the communication unit, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a graphical display configuration application thereon executing in a configuration environment of a process plant that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing device to:
• present, via the user interface, indications of a plurality of display views, each display view including indications of control elements included in an operating environment of the process plant;
• receive selections of levels of detail for the plurality of display views;
• assign a level of detail to each of the plurality of display views in accordance with the received selections to generate a display view hierarchy for the plurality of display views, such that in the operating environment of the process plant, an operator application navigates from a first display view at a lower level of detail to a second display view at a higher level of detail;
• and
• download, via the communication unit, the display view hierarchy including the plurality of display views and respective levels of detail for the plurality of display views from the configuration environment into a user interface device for execution in the operating environment of the process plant to thereby cause a presentation, at the user interface device, of the plurality of display views organized according to the display view hierarchy.

A system for configuring an operator display navigation hierarchy in a process plant, the system comprising:

• one or more devices disposed in the process plant each performing a physical function to control an industrial process;
• and
• a computing device executing in a configuration environment of a process plant including:
• one or more processors;
• a user interface;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors and the user interface, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a graphical display configuration application thereon, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing device to:
• present, via the user interface, indications of a plurality of display views, each display view including indications of process control elements corresponding to the one or more devices disposed in the process plant;
• receive selections of levels of detail for the plurality of display views;
• assign a level of detail to each of the plurality of display views in accordance with the received selections to generate a display view hierarchy for the plurality of display views, such that in an operating environment of the process plant, an operator application navigates from a first display view at a lower level of detail to a second display view at a higher level of detail;
• and
• download the display view hierarchy including the plurality of display views and respective levels of detail for the plurality of display views from the configuration environment into a user interface device for execution in the operating environment of the process plant to thereby cause a presentation, at the user interface device, of the plurality of display views organized according to the display view hierarchy.