US 9,927,788 B2 · Software lockout coordination between a process control system and an asset management system

Abstract

A process control system coordinates with an associated asset management system to implement a plant safety mechanism and, in particular, to prevent unintended changes to, or otherwise undesired operation of, one or more process control equipment resources in a process plant. A maintenance technician uses the asset management system to request access to one or more of the process control equipment resources. A process operator receives the request via the process control system and grants or denies the request. Process control equipment resources for which a process operator grants a request are inoperable, in part or in whole, by the process control system. Upon completion of the maintenance task, the maintenance technician requests to return control of the process control equipment resource to the process operator. The return is complete when the process operator acknowledges the return of the resource to the process control system.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A process control system operating to control a process within a process plant, the system comprising:

a process control equipment resource;
a process controller;
a plurality of user interface devices including an operator user interface device and a maintenance user interface device, each of the plurality of user interface devices including a processor and a display;
a data structure storing an assignment record for identifying an assigned user interface device for the process control equipment resource, the assigned user interface device for the process control equipment resource being one of the operator user interface device or the maintenance user interface device;
and
a message handling routine that, when executed, causes the process controller to to selectively forward or block messages to the process control equipment resource based on (i) which of the plurality of user interface devices is sending the messages and (ii) which of the plurality of user interface devices the assignment record indicates is the assigned user device for the process control equipment resource, such that a message sent to the process control equipment resource is blocked:
(a) when the message is sent from the operator user interface device while the assigned user interface device is the maintenance user interface device;
and
(b) when the message is sent from the maintenance user interface device while the assigned user interface device is the operator user interface device.

6 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more sets of computer readable instructions for execution by one or more processors, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to:

display at a first user interface device an operator user interface operable to control a process control equipment resource operating as part of a process that operates in a process plant, the first user interface device including a processor and a display;
display at a second user interface device a maintenance user interface operable to perform tasks related to maintaining the process control equipment resource, the second user interface device including a processor and a display;
maintain an assignment record for the process control equipment resource;
display a third user interface configured to facilitate selection by a user of the first user interface device or the second user interface device to be an assigned user interface device for the process control equipment resource and which causes the assignment record to be changed to indicate that the selection from the first user interface device and the second user interface device is the assigned user interface device for the process control equipment resource;
and selectively facilitate communication, by a process controller, between the process control equipment resource and one of the first and second user interface devices based on (i) which of the first and second user interface devices is sending the message and (ii) which of the first and second user interface devices the assignment record indicates is the assigned user interface device for the process control equipment resource, such that a message sent to the process control equipment resource is blocked:
(a) when the message is sent from the first user interface device while the assigned user interface device is the second user interface device;
and (b) when the message is sent from the second user interface device while the assigned user interface device is the first user interface device.

4 more elements

A method for selectively facilitating control access by first and second users to a process control equipment resource operating in a process of a process plant, the method comprising:

facilitating selection of the process control equipment resource, by a first user, to be assigned to the first user and, in response to the selection, notifying a second user that the process control equipment resource is assigned to the first user;
storing user access information indicative of which of the first and second users may control the process control equipment resource, the first user associated with a maintenance function and the second user associated with an operator function;
retrieving the stored user access information for the process control equipment resource;
evaluating the retrieved user access information to determine a one of the first and second users to whom the process control equipment resource is accessible;
and
selectively facilitating control access, via a process controller, to the process control equipment resource by either the first or the second user according to the evaluation of the retrieved user access information, wherein (i) control access by the first user precludes control access by the second user, and (ii) control access by the second user precludes control access by the first user, such that a message to the process control equipment resource is blocked:
(a) when the message is sent from a user interface device used by the first user while the user access information does not indicate that the first user may control the process control equipment resource;
and
(b) when the message is sent from a user interface device used by the second user while the user access information does not indicate that the second user may control the process control equipment resource.

6 more elements

A method for selectively facilitating control access by first and second users to a process control equipment resource operating in a process of a process plant, the method comprising:

facilitating selection of the process control equipment resource, by a first user, to be assigned to the first user and, in response to the selection, notifying a second user that the process control equipment resource is assigned to the first user;
storing user access information indicative of which of the first and second users may control the process control equipment resource, the first user associated with a maintenance function and the second user associated with a operator function;
retrieving the stored user access information for the process control equipment resource;
evaluating the retrieved user access information to determine a one of the first and second users to whom the process control equipment resource is accessible;
and
selectively facilitating control access to the process control equipment resource by either the first or the second user according to the evaluation of the retrieved user access information, wherein (i) control access by the first user precludes control access by the second user, and (ii) control access by the second user precludes control access by the first user;
the method further comprising:
(i) receiving from the first user a request to access the process control equipment resource;
(ii) displaying to the second user the request to access the process control equipment resource;
(iii) receiving from the second user a selection granting or denying the request;
and
(iv) selectively modifying the stored user access information according the selection received from the second user;
the method further comprising:
(i) receiving from the first user a request to transfer control access to the process control equipment resource back to the second user;
(ii) displaying to the second user the request to transfer control access back to the second user;
(iii) receiving from the second user an acknowledgement;
and
(iv) selectively modifying the stored user access information according to the request and acknowledgement.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Software lockout coordination between a process control system and an asset management system

Life of this patent

Software lockout coordination between a process control system and an asset management system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19