Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Bryan Michael Jones

Keith Richard Bellville

Cindy Alsup Scott

James Randall Balentine

Dawn M Marruchella

Molly Marie Firkins

Hubbard F Fellows

Larry Oscar Jundt

Trevor Duncan Schleiss

John Mark Caldwell

Michael George Ott

Dan Halver Ussing

Alan Richard Pederson

Dawn Marie Marruchella

Methods and apparatus to provide a role-based user interface are disclosed herein. An example system disclosed includes a display device to depict a user interface. The example system also includes a processor. The example processor is to receive object information for an object in a process control system during a session, determine a user role based on the session, determine whether the object information is qualifying information based on the user role, and display the object information via the user interface when the object information is qualifying information.

Methods and apparatus to provide a role-based user interface

Example methods and apparatus to manage process control search results are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a search parameter from a user via an application to view search results associated with the search parameter, determining a display context based on the application, searching a search index for control parameters that match the search parameter to form a set of matched control parameters, wherein the search index includes control parameters that correspond to runtime data generated by a controller within a process control system, and rendering the set of matched control parameters for display via the application as the search results based on the determined display context.

Methods and apparatus to manage process control search results

A process control management method in a computer system for configuring and supervising a process plant includes providing an interactive user interface to manage a plurality of objects in the process plant, where each of the plurality of objects corresponds to a physical or logical entity in the process plant, including generating a navigation pane to display a set of selectable items, each in the set of selectable items corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of objects, and generating a command pane to display a set of selectable controls, each in the set of selectable controls corresponding to a task to be performed on at least one of the plurality of objects in the process plant; receiving a selection of one of an item in the set of selectable items via the navigation panel and a control in the set of selectable controls via the command panel; determining an operational context based on the received selection, wherein the operational context corresponds to one of a range of actions applicable to the selection if the selection is an item selection, or a range of items to which the selection is applicable if the selection is a control selection; and adjusting one of the navigation pane or the command pane according to the operational context, including displaying a subset of selectable items in the navigational pane, wherein each in the subset of selectable items is within the range applicable to the selection, if the selection is a control selection, and displaying a subset of selectable controls in the command pane, wherein each in the subset of selectable controls is within the range applicable to the selection, if the selection is an item selection.

Dynamic user interface for configuring and managing a process control system

Techniques for flexibly configuring an operating process plant or process control system enable a change to a parent object to be selectively propagated to child objects derived from the parent object, so that a first subset of child objects and their respective instantiations are updated with the change, while a second subset and their respective instantiations remain unchanged. The parent object may be a class or instance process object corresponding to a process entity, and the first and/or the second subset of child objects may be selected. In some cases, the change may have been a propagated change, to the parent object, from a child object that is excluded from the first or the second subset of child objects. In some cases, the change may first be propagated to an instance object derived from the parent object, and then propagated from the instance object to a child object.

Distribution policy for propagation of changes to process control objects

A process control configuration method in a user interface of a computer system for developing control strategies of a process plant, where the user interface defines a screen area to display a plurality of independent panes therein, includes generating a first edit pane, including displaying a graphical representation of a first set of logical or physical entities for carrying out respective process control operations in the process plant; generating a second edit pane, including displaying a graphical representation of a second set of logical or physical entities for carrying out respective process control operations in the process plant, wherein each in the first set and the second set of logical or physical entities includes at least one input and at least one output, and wherein each of the first edit pane and the second edit pane defines an independent user interface screen within the screen area; receiving a first selection of an output of a first entity in the first set of logical or physical entities; receiving a second selection of an input to a second entity in the first second of logical or physical entities; and automatically generating respective visual indicators in each of the first edit pane and the second edit pane in response to receiving the first selection and the second selection, wherein the visual indicators depict respective endpoints of a connection between the first entity and the second entity.

Efficient design and configuration of elements in a process control system

Example methods and apparatus to present recipe progress status information are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves displaying a user interface screen associated with a recipe being executed in a process control system. The recipe includes a plurality of process phases. A plurality of process stage progress indicator are displayed in the user interface screen in an arrangement representative of the process flow of the recipe. Each of the process stage progress indicators is representative of at least one of the process phases of the recipe. A first one of the process stage progress indicators is indicative of a progress of at least one of the process phases. The first process stage progress indicator is updated in substantially real-time based on information received from the process control system.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Bryan Michael Jones