Methods and apparatus to detect root causes of alarm patterns in process control systems

US9720408B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Vidya Ramadoss · Austin, US
• Brandon Hieb · Cedar Park, US
• David R. Denison · Austin, US
• Kim Ordean Van Camp · Georgetown, US
• Paul K. Daly · Cedar Park, US
• Deeann Gates DelGuzzi · Pflugerville, US
• Steven L. Dienstbier · Round Rock, US
• Rajaraman Ramachandran · Austin, US
• Bruce Hubert Campney · Pflugerville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 4, 2015
• Grant date: Aug 1, 2017
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B23/0272
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to detect root causes of alarm patterns in process control systems are disclosed. An example method includes retrieving process control data generated in a process control system during a historical period of time. The process control data includes alarm data associated with alarms activated during the historical period of time. The example method also includes generating an alarm activation timeline for the historical period of time. The alarm activation timeline includes icons representative of the alarms to visually represent a temporal relationship of activation of the alarms, where one of the icons is representative of an alarm that is no longer active. The example method further includes storing the alarm activation timeline in a database.