Integrated alarm display in a process control network

An alarm display system for use in a process control network that includes a user interface having a processor and a display mechanism coupled to the processor and having a multiplicity of communicatively interconnected devices adapted to generate and send alarm messages containing alarms of various categories to the user interface, the alarm display system comprising:

• a computer readable memory;
• and
• a routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be implemented on the processor, wherein the routine;
• receives the alarm messages from the multiplicity of devices to obtain a plurality of alarms of various categories;
• processes the plurality of alarms for display based on at least one user customizable criterion to ascertain a set of alarms for display;
• and
• presents indications of the set of the alarms for display on the display mechanism, wherein the set of alarms for display includes alarms of various categories which are presented in an integrated manner on the display mechanism of the user interface.

A process control system, comprising:

• a user interface with a display mechanism;
• a multiplicity of communicatively interconnected devices adapted to generate and send alarm messages containing alarms of various categories to the user interface;
• an alarm receiver configured to receive the alarm messages from the multiplicity of devices to obtain a plurality of alarms of various categories;
• an alarm filter that filters the plurality of alarms for display based on at least one user customizable criterion to ascertain a set of alarms for display and allows adjustment from at least one predefined priority level respectively associated with the alarms to at least one offset priority respectively associated with the alarms;
• and
• an alarm display unit that presents indications of the set of the alarms for display on the display mechanism, wherein the alarm display unit presents indications of alarms of various categories in an integrated manner on the display mechanism.

A method of generating and displaying alarms in a process control system having a multiplicity of devices communicatively connected to a user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating various categories of alarms in the multiplicity of devices;
• sending messages containing alarms of the various categories to the user interface;
• determining an adjusted priority level for at least one of the alarms based on a preconfigured priority level for the alarm;
• filtering the alarms received at the user interface based on at least one user customizable criterion;
• and
• displaying the alarms of various categories which pass the step of filtering on the user interface in an integrated display.

An alarm display system for use in a process control network having a user interface with a display mechanism and a multiplicity of communicatively interconnected devices adapted to generate and send alarm messages containing alarms of various categories to the user interface, the alarm display system comprising:

• an alarm receiver configured to receive the alarm messages from the multiplicity of devices to obtain a plurality of alarms of various categories;
• an alarm processing unit that processes the plurality of alarms for display based on at least one user customizable criterion to ascertain a set of alarms for display and filters the plurality of alarms for display based on at least one scope respectively associated with at least one of an operator and a workstation;
• and
• an alarm display unit that present indications of the set of the alarms for display on the display mechanism, wherein the alarm display unit presents the indications of alarms of various categories in an integrated manner on the display mechanism.