Process control system for monitoring and displaying diagnostic information of multiple distributed devices
US5995916A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 12, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 12, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/321
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A process control system includes a diagnostic monitoring and display functionality for viewing, in a coherent manner, diagnostic information relating to a process that operates over multiple devices and system components. Although the multiple devices and system components typically encompass widely different device types and operational standards, the process control system incorporates diagnostic information relating to all devices and presents this information to a system user in a uniform manner so that an operating control strategy and the diagnostic information are presented as though all control actions and diagnostic information were performed or generated at a single location. A user-defined diagnostic program is assembled as a set of function blocks and control modules and represented as a set of layers of interconnected control objects identified as modules which include informational structures accessed as attributes. Information is accessed using device hierarchy attribute addressing, supporting direct addressing of I/O signals from modules, bypassing the use of I/O function blocks and avoiding I/O function block behavior.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.