Invensys Systems, Inc.

Paul Meskonis

Keith E Eldridge

Mark Allen Johnson

Robert Hall

Scott Volk

Steven Dardinski

Brian Mackay

Kenneth A Burke

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fishbeyn

James William Hemenway

John Patrick King

Brian McKay

Christopher Neil Baldwin

A multi-editing mode LOGIC BLOCK object editor is disclosed for creating and modifying LOGIC BLOCK objects that are incorporated into control strategies for process control systems (both distributed and discrete). The editor includes an RPN text editing mode wherein logic incorporated into a LOGIC BLOCK is represented by a list of text instructions. The editor also includes a graphical function block diagram editing mode wherein LOGIC BLOCK logic is defined via instruction shapes dragged/dropped from a pallet and connected via GUI line connection actions by a user. The editor supports automated transitioning between the text and graphics modes wherein conversion of text-to-graphics and graphics-to-text is performed without user intervention. Furthermore, synchronization procedures are performed when LOGIC BLOCK objects are opened in the editor and when transitioning between editing modes to track and/or maintain synchronous status between graphical and text representations of LOGIC BLOCK logic.

Multi-mode editor for configuring process control blocks including both logical functions and arithmetic computations

Connection objects or other such data structures facilitate establishing and configuring connections between objects that model components in a process control system. A first set of data structures (e.g., the object connection type structures) identify valid types for component-to-component pairings and the respective roles of each component in the pairing (e.g., parent or child, source or sink). A second set of data structures (e.g., the parameter connection type structures) supply similar information for parameter-to-parameter connections. Together, these data structures can be used, for example, to validate component-to-component connections suggested by the user and to automatically configure parameter-to-parameter connections. Actual connections, both at the component or parameter level, are reflected using parameter overrides within the parameterized object model&#x2014;with which the connection objects are constructed.

Process control configuration system with connection validation and configuration

Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.

Control systems and methods with versioning

Apparatus for control systems with objects that are associated with live data

Apparatus and method for configuring a process control system having one or more digital data processors

Control system configurator and methods with object characteristic swapping

Methods and apparatus for configuring a process control system with a configuration editor executing on a digital data processing device

Control system configurator and methods with edit selection

Control systems and methods with smart blocks

Control systems and methods with composite blocks

Apparatus and method for configuring and editing a control system with live data

Enhancements to a strategy object editor for creating and modifying control strategies for process control systems (both distributed and discrete) is described. The improvements include: supporting a set of graphical depictions for individual control object (modified by an appearance object editor), drag and drop connections for declarations that connect control strategies to other control strategies, GUI-based designation of object execution order, automatically applied line styles based upon connection data type, and automatic modification of elements within an appearance object to accommodate a moved attribute.

Automatic resizing of moved attribute elements on a graphical representation of a control object

Methods and apparatus for control configuration with versioning, security, composite blocks, edit selection, object swapping, formulaic values and other aspects

A process control system is configured via manipulation of objects that model system components, e.g., sensors, blocks, control processors, historians, workstations, etc. Individual objects include parameters that characterize the underlying components and/or the behavior of the objects themselves. These parameters are derived from the 'parents,' from which the objects are created. Derived characteristics need not be defined explicitly but, rather, are defined implicitly or by reference. These derived characteristics may be overridden for an individual object and, thereby, its progeny. Although objects have class-like characteristics (i.e., insofar as they are definitional in nature), they can be created at configuration time, without the need for recompilation.

Process control configuration system with parameterized objects

Growing community of inventors

Norwood, MA, United States of America

Paul Meskonis