Keyboards having multiple groups of keys in the management of a process control plant

A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing a system to enable an operator to control the operation of a process control plant, a control process in said process control plant being defined according to a plurality of control loops, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said system causes said one or more processors to perform the actions of:

• enabling operators to select a first key and a second key simultaneously, wherein said first key and said second key are respectively associated with a first control loop and a second control loop in said process control system, and are contained in a keyboard communicatively coupled to said system;
• and
• sending data to change a state of said first control loop in response to said simultaneous selection of said first key and a state of said second control loop in response to said simultaneous selection of said second key,
• wherein said first control loop and said second control loop are comprised in said plurality of control loops, and
• wherein ability to select said first key and said second key simultaneously enhances the speed with which operators can provide inputs in the management of said process control plant.

A keyboard for enabling a user to provide inputs to an external system, said keyboard comprising:

• a plurality of keys including a first key and a second key;
• a sensor detecting that said first key and said second key are selected simultaneously by said user;
• a host interface sending data to said external system indicating that both said first key and said second key are selected simultaneously;
• and
• a lock which in one position prevents said data being sent and does not prevent said data being sent in another position, whereby said data is not sent to said external system when both of said first key and said second key are selected simultaneously if said lock is in said one position,
• wherein said lock is provided in the form of a single unit within said keyboard to only provide said user the choice of preventing or not preventing said data to said external system, said lock not being used to provide inputs by said user to said external system.

A system enabling an operator to control the operation of a process control plant, said process control plant containing a plurality of control loops, said system comprising:

• a first keyboard interface designed to receive data indicating that a first key and a second key are selected simultaneously by an operator, wherein said first key and said second key are contained in a first keyboard communicatively coupled to said system;
• a second keyboard interface designed to receive data indicating that a third key and a fourth key are selected by said operator in sequence only, wherein said third key and said fourth key are contained in a second keyboard communicatively coupled to said system;
• and
• a network interface designed to send data to change a state of a first control loop in response to selection of said first key, a state of said second control loop in response to selection of said second key, a state of a third control loop in response to selection of said third key, a state of said fourth control loop in response to selection of said fourth key,
• wherein said first control loop, said second control loop, said third control loop and said fourth control loop are comprised in said plurality of control loops, and
• wherein ability to select said first key and said second key simultaneously enhances the speed with which operators can provide inputs in the management of said process control plant,
• wherein said second keyboard interface enables management of said process control plant when said first key board is not available.