US 6,571,273 B1Granted

Process control system

AssigneeYokogawa Electric Corporation

InventorsToshiaki Shirai, Naoki Ura, Hiroshi Kumagai, Umihiko Hoshino, Takeshi Inoue, Shuji Yamamoto

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Abstract

An improved process control sytem wherein objects having functions for configuring a process control system are distributed and arranged in a plurality of computers connected to a network and each distributed and arranged object shares the functions of the process control system; information component cassettes are provided having individual information related to monitoring and operation and methods to display the information in an optimum display form, and the cassettes are provided according to the types of information; an information component deck is provided which arranges the information component cassettes and offers a unified interface for accessing the information component cassettes; and control objects are provided for controlling a plant and display objects for monitoring and operation of the plants, the control objects and display objects being related to each other and operated in association with each other.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process control system comprising:

a network;
a plant which has a process to be controlled;
a plurality of computers connected to said network for communication therebetween, each of said plurality of computers comprising a memory unit with an object storage therein, said object containing a function which is independently changeable with use of software, said plurality of computers comprising a first computer having a first memory unit having an object therein with a process input-output function, a second comptuer having a second memory unit having an operation function, a third computer having a third memory unit having a control function, and a fourth computer having a fourth memory unit having a data processing function,
said object of each computer memory unit having a different selected function with a combination of said functions of said memory units constructing a distributive process control in said plurality of computers with each object of each different memory unit sharing a function of the process control with at least another-object;
means for providing process control signals between said plant and said first computer;
means for providing an input signal to said second computer so that said operating function stored in said second memory unit causes said control function of said third computer memory unit to cause said input-output functions of said first computer memory unit to control the plant process utilizing said data processing function of said fourth computer memory unit and based on information previously stored in a separate memory unit and causing display of the resulting processed information related to said processing control, control whereby control is effected independently of hardware of the system and change of a particular function is attained without disturbing other functions.

3 more elements

A process control system for controlling and operating a plant by controlling process variables existing in said plant, said system comprising:

a network;
a plurality of computers connected to said network for communication therebetween, said plurality of computers having a plurality of objects comprising data and operating functions which are changeable by software and are configured to provide a process control system;
a first memory unit in said plurality of computers offering residing areas for a plurality of autonomously operable information component cassettes which are objects having a plurality of information related to monitoring and operating said plant, an access method for accessing said plurality of information, and a viewing method for displaying said plurality of information in an optimum form, each of said information component cassettes being provided with different types of information;
input means for providing input signals to said first memory unit;
a second memory unit in said plurality of computers offering residing areas for objects having a control function, object information, and input-output functions, so that responsive to input signals from said input means said plurality of computers cause said control function utilizing said input-output functions to cause control signals to be transmitted between said plurality of computers and said plant and based on said object information to monitor and operate said plant;
and
display control unit for displaying on a display screen information relating to monitoring and operating said plant based on autonomous operation of a component cassette having that information being displayed.

4 more elements

A process control system for controlling and operating a plant by controlling process variables that exist in said plant, said system comprising:

a network;
a plurality of computers connected to said network for communications therebetween, said plurality of computers having objects with data and operating functions which are configured to provide a process control system;
a memory unit provided in said plurality of computers and offering residing areas for a plurality of control objects performing functions for controlling said plant, and a plurality of display objects for displaying objects that function as human interfaces required for monitoring and operating said plant, wherein said plurality of control objects and said plurality of display objects are operated autonomously in association with each other;
control means provided in said plurality of computers for controlling said plant based on autonomous operation of said plurality of control objects in association with said plurality of display objects, and utilizing control signals transmitted between said plurality of computers and said plant;
and
a display control unit provided in said plurality of computers for displaying a screen that functions as a human interface based on autonomous operation of said plurality of display objects operated in association with said plurality of control objects;
wherein each of said plurality of computers has a distributed and arranged object which shares operating functions of the process control system and wherein said operating functions are represented by function blocks which are independent and autonomous.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.