Systems and methods for immersive interaction with actual and/or simulated facilities for process, environmental and industrial control

A system having a control environment that includes controlled equipment and control devices that monitor and control that controlled equipment, the system including:

• first functionality generating output representing an operational status of a plant or other environment that includes one or more of said controlled equipment,
• second functionality generating output representing an operational status of one or more of said control devices,
• one or more databases coupled to any of the first functionality and the second functionality, the one or more databases including any of configuration and a modeling database (“configuration” database), an application database and a runtime database,
• an engine, coupled to the first functionality and to the second functionality, that generates an operational status of the control environment, wherein said engine includes simulation functionality, the simulation functionality comprising dynamic simulation software,
• a virtual reality environment, coupled to the engine and to one or more representations of one or more physical aspects of the control environment, the virtual reality environment generating a three-dimensional display of the control environment,
• the virtual reality environment being responsive to user interaction with one or more input devices to generate the 3D display of the control environment so as to permit the user to interact with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment at least as represented by the 3D display of the control environment,
• the engine applying to the at least one of the first and second functionality indicia of user interaction with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment to discern changes on the operational status of the control environment, and the control engine applying indicia of those changes to the virtual reality environment to effect variation in the 3D display of the control environment, and;
• wherein the first functionality includes a first simulation functionality that simulates the operation of one or more of the controlled devices and the second functionality includes a second simulation functionality that simulates operation of one or more the control devices, the input for the engine is said indicia.

A system having a control environment that includes controlled equipment and control devices that monitor and control that controlled equipment, the system including:

• first functionality generating output representing an operational status of a plant or other environment that includes one or more of said controlled equipment,
• second functionality generating output representing an operational status of one or more of said control devices,
• one or more databases coupled to any of the first functionality and the second functionality, the one or more databases including any of configuration and a modeling database (“configuration” database), an application database and a runtime database,
• an engine, coupled to the first functionality and to the second functionality, that generates an operational status of the control environment, wherein said engine includes simulation functionality, the simulation functionality comprising dynamic simulation software,
• a virtual reality environment, coupled to the engine and to one or more representations of one or more physical aspects of the control environment, the virtual reality environment generating a three-dimensional display of the control environment,
• the virtual reality environment being responsive to user interaction with one or more input devices to generate the 3D display of the control environment so as to permit the user to interact with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment at least as represented by the 3D display of the control environment,
• the engine applying to the at least one of the first and second functionality indicia of user interaction with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment to discern changes on the operational status of the control environment, and the control engine applying indicia of those changes to the virtual reality environment to effect variation in the 3D display of the control environment,
• a control room digital data processor, coupled to any of the engine and the virtual reality environment, that monitors and/or controls user interaction with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment at least as represented by the 3D display of the control environment, and;
• wherein the first functionality includes a first simulation functionality that simulates the operation of one or more of the controlled devices and the second functionality includes a second simulation functionality that simulates operation of one or more the control devices, the input for the engine is said indicia.

A method of interaction with a control environment that includes controlled equipment and control devices that monitor and control that controlled equipment, the method comprising:

• generating first functionality output representing an operational status of one or more of said controlled equipment, generating second functionality output representing an operational status of one or more of said control devices, an engine, coupled to the first functionality and to the second functionality, that generates an operational status of the control environment, wherein said engine includes simulation functionality, the simulation functionality comprising dynamic simulation software, a virtual reality environment, coupled to the engine and to one or more representations of one or more physical aspects of the control environment, the virtual reality environment generating a three-dimensional (“3D”) display of the control environment, the virtual reality environment being responsive to user interaction with one or more input devices to generate the 3D display of the control environment of the control environment so as to permit the user to interact with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment at least as represented by the 3D display of the control environment, the engine applying to at least one of the first and second functionality indicia of user interaction with at least one of the control devices and the controlled equipment to discern a resulting change in the operational status of the control environment, and the control engine applying indicia of such change to the virtual reality environment to effect corresponding variation in the 3D display of the control environment, and;
• wherein the first functionality includes a first simulation functionality that simulates the operation of one or more of the controlled devices and the second functionality includes a second simulation functionality that simulates operation of one or more the control devices, the input for the engine is said indicia.