US 7,043,311 B2 · Module class objects in a process plant configuration system

Abstract

A configuration system for a process plant uses module class objects to assist in configuring, organizing and changing the control and display activities within the process plant. Each module class object generically models or represents a process entity, such as a unit, a piece of equipment, a control activity, etc., and may be used to create instances of the object, called module objects, which represent and are tied to specific equipment within the process plant. The module class objects may represent process entities of any desired scope, which means that a single module class object may be used to configure the control and display activities of process entities of any desired scope within the process plant, instead of just at a control module level. In particular, module class objects of a large scope may be used to configure large sections or portions of the process plant, which makes configuration of the process plant easier and less time consuming. A module class object may be a unit module class object reflecting a physical unit within the process plant, an equipment module class object reflecting a physical piece of equipment within the process plant, a control module class object reflecting a control module or scheme within the process plant, or a display module class object reflecting a display routine that provides information to a user within the process plant.

Claims79

Dependent claims

A module class object entity for use in configuring a process plant, the module class object entity comprising:

a computer readable memory;
a class object stored on the computer readable memory, the class object generically representing a process entity within the process plant and including;
a first memory storage adapted to store indications of one or more process elements making up the process entity;
and
a second memory storage adapted to store a reference to one or more module objects, each module object created from the class object to include indications of one or more specific process elements conforming to the one or more process elements making up the process entity and programming tied to the one or more specific process elements to be executed during operation of the process plant.

2 more elements

A configuration system for execution on a processor to configure a process plant, the configuration system comprising:

a computer readable memory;
a library that stores a module class object, the module class object generically representing a process entity within the process plant and including indications of one or more process elements associated with the process entity;
a configuration routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to;
provide a configuration presentation representing a configuration of the process plant to a user;
create one or more module objects from the module class object, each module object including indications of the one or more process elements associated with the process entity;
enable a user to place the one or more module objects within the configuration presentation and to specify, for each of the module objects, particular process entities within the process plant associated with the one or more process elements;
create a program from at least one of the module objects, the program being adapted to be executed on a processor during operation of the process plant to provide control or display functions pertaining to particular process entities associated with the one or more process elements of the module object;
and
track the module class object from which each of the one or more module objects was created.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Module class objects in a process plant configuration system

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Module class objects in a process plant configuration system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims79