Method for plant process interface using digital twin

Abstract

A plant process interface method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: loading a process design drawing; assigning attribute data to an entity shown in the process design drawing; loading a widget for displaying digital twin data via the attribute data; and displaying the process design drawing, the entity, and the widget on one canvas. The digital twin data may include sensor data, soft sensor data calculated from the sensors, or external environment data, and the widget may be a modal window expressing the digital twin data as text, an image, a table, a graph, or a 3D model.

Description

Plant Process Interface Method Using Digital Twin

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant process interface method utilizing a digital twin.

[0002] A digital twin refers to a technology that visualizes a physical system in a digital form, much like a twin, using measurable data. With a digital twin, not only measured data but also values ​​calculated through simulations can be directly viewed in real time via digital 2D screens or 3D models. By digitizing and representing key variables of a physical system, it is possible to analyze the current state of the system, predict future behavior, and even prevent potential risks such as explosions in chemical processes. As such, digital twins primarily serve to effectively monitor, manage, and control systems, and are also utilized in plant design, construction, and optimization.

[0003] Digital visualization, a key advantage of digital twins, offers several benefits, particularly in terms of monitoring, measurement, and control. One such advantage is the ability to observe values ​​that are difficult to measure in physical systems (e.g., temperature changes within food over time) alongside results obtained through simulation. This is especially useful when these unmeasurable values ​​are critical factors determining performance, such as system efficiency. Beyond monitoring systems, digital twins aid in managing and controlling work processes by observing changes.

[0004] Furthermore, chemical or bio plants, which serve as the source for the digital twin, define their equipment and connection relationships based on design drawings. Typically, design drawings are managed in CAD formats such as AutoCAD, as well as in PDF or hard copy formats; however, digitizing this data is essential for the construction of a digital twin. P&ID stands for "Piping & Instrument Drawing," referring to a process flow diagram that clearly illustrates process equipment, piping, and electrical instrumentation in a diagrammatic format. Examples of design programs used to create P&IDs include Intergraph's SP P&ID (SmartPlant P&ID), Aveva's Aveva P&ID, and Autodesk's AutoCAD Plant P&ID. A PFD (Process Flow Diagram) is a drawing that displays the operational system of a manufacturing process, illustrating the configuration and flow of the unit operating equipment constituting each process.

[0005] The conventional digitization process of design drawings had limitations, as it was utilized only to the extent of checking for errors by visually comparing digitized design drawings with imaged drawings. Furthermore, there was a limitation in that it required manual verification to check for any materials listed on the imaged P&ID drawings that were omitted without being created in a new drawing, or for any items that were not calculated.

[0006] Accordingly, the development of interface methods and systems for efficiently monitoring digital twin-based plant processes is required.

[0007] The problem that the technical concept of the present invention aims to solve is to provide a plant process interface method utilizing a digital twin and a system for performing the same.

[0008] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: loading a process design drawing; assigning attribute data to an entity shown in the process design drawing; loading a widget that displays digital twin data through the attribute data; and displaying the process design drawing, the entity, and the widget on a single canvas. The digital twin data includes sensor data, soft sensor data calculated from the sensor, or external environment data, and the widget may be a modal window that displays the digital twin data as text, an image, a table, a graph, or a 3D model.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the step of assigning attribute data to the object may include the step of recognizing shape information near the point where a user's click event occurs on the process design drawing, and the step of classifying the object as a pipe if the shape information is classified as an open curve, and classifying the object as a device or area if the shape information is classified as a closed curve.

[0010] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment may further include, after the display step, a step of detecting a selection event for the object and, upon detection of the selection event, a step of changing the display of the widget connected to the object to an active state.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the display step may further include the step of displaying a minimap representing the process design drawing and the contour of the widget on a canvas.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the widget may be a modal window that displays a graph showing the difference between the sensor data and the soft sensor data.

[0013] According to one embodiment, if the difference is greater than a specific value (threshold), the size of the widget on the canvas may increase.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the size increase rate of the widget may be proportional to the difference.

[0015] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment may further include, after the step of displaying on the canvas, the step of requesting analysis data from a data analysis module based on the digital twin data, and widgetizing the response of the data analysis module and displaying it on the canvas.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the widget may be classified into a personal widget displayed only on a specific terminal and a shared widget displayed on multiple terminals.

[0017] According to the technical concept of the present disclosure, objects shown in such process design drawings and widgets representing data related thereto are displayed on a single canvas. Accordingly, a user can monitor various data at a glance on a terminal without any separate action. Furthermore, the user can easily identify which widget is connected to which object and which data needs to be referenced to monitor that object.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a plant process interface system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a plant process interface method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 is a figure showing an example of a screen displaying a process design drawing on a user terminal.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a figure showing a plant process interface according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the graph widget of Figure 4.

[0023] Figure 6 is a figure showing an example of a plant process interface in the event of an abnormal situation.

[0024] Figure 7 is a figure showing an example of an interface in which a data analysis widget is represented.

[0025] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: loading a process design drawing; assigning attribute data to an entity shown in the process design drawing; loading a widget that displays digital twin data through the attribute data; and displaying the process design drawing, the entity, and the widget on a single canvas. The digital twin data includes sensor data, soft sensor data calculated from the sensor, or external environment data, and the widget may be a modal window that displays the digital twin data as text, an image, a table, a graph, or a 3D model.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the step of assigning attribute data to the object may include the step of recognizing shape information near the point where a user's click event occurs on the process design drawing, and the step of classifying the object as a pipe if the shape information is classified as an open curve, and classifying the object as a device or area if the shape information is classified as a closed curve.

[0027] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment may further include, after the display step, a step of detecting a selection event for the object and, upon detection of the selection event, a step of changing the display of the widget connected to the object to an active state.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the display step may further include the step of displaying a minimap representing the process design drawing and the contour of the widget on a canvas.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the widget may be a modal window that displays a graph showing the difference between the sensor data and the soft sensor data.

[0030] According to one embodiment, if the difference is greater than a specific value (threshold), the size of the widget on the canvas may increase.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the size increase rate of the widget may be proportional to the difference.

[0032] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment may further include, after the step of displaying on the canvas, the step of requesting analysis data from a data analysis module based on the digital twin data, and widgetizing the response of the data analysis module and displaying it on the canvas.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the widget may be classified into a personal widget displayed only on a specific terminal and a shared widget displayed on multiple terminals.

[0034] According to one embodiment, a computer implementation method for plant process visualization executed by a human-machine interface (HMI) computing device comprising a processor, a memory for storing instructions, an industrial network interface, and a display may include the following steps.

[0035] A step of loading a process design drawing encoded in a vector graphic format from memory;

[0036] A step in which the processor analyzes the drawing to detect a geometric shape corresponding to a plant object;

[0037] A step of storing attribute data including equipment tag, equipment class, and geometric boundary for each detected plant object in memory;

[0038] A step of receiving real-time sensor data from a field sensor installed in a plant through the above industrial network interface;

[0039] A step in which the processor calculates soft sensor data based on the sensor data;

[0040] A step of creating a digital twin data structure in memory by fusing the sensor data, the soft sensor data, the external environment data, and the attribute data;

[0041] A step of generating a graphic widget configured to display the digital twin data as at least one of text, an image, a table, a graph, or a three-dimensional model; and

[0042] On a single canvas

[0043] The above process design drawing,

[0044] Graphic representation of the above plant object, and

[0045] The graphic widget above

[0046] A step of simultaneously displaying and updating the graphic widget at least 1 frame per second according to changes in sensor data.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the step of detecting the geometric figure is,

[0048] A step of detecting a pointer click event on the display;

[0049] A step of identifying a geometric figure within a predetermined pixel radius of a click location; and

[0050] It may include a step of classifying the object as a pipe if the identified shape is an open curve, and as a device or area if the identified shape is a closed curve.

[0051] According to one embodiment, after the step of updating at least 1 frame per second, the following steps may be included.

[0052] A step of detecting a selection event for a plant object displayed on a canvas; and

[0053] A step of switching the display state of a graphic widget connected to the corresponding plant object from an inactive state to an active state upon the above selection event.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the step of updating at least one frame per second may include the step of displaying a minimap on a canvas that represents the outline of a process design drawing and the boundary of a graphic widget.

[0055] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the attached drawings. However, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments but can be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided merely to complete the technical concept of the present disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical concept of the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0056] It should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numeral whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions could obscure the essence of the present disclosure, such detailed description is omitted.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) may be used in a meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise. The terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit this disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise in the text.

[0058] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used to describe the components of the present disclosure. These terms are intended only to distinguish the components from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. Where it is stated that a component is "connected," "coupled," or "joined" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or joined to the other component, but that another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "joined" between each component.

[0059] As used in this disclosure, “comprises” and / or “comprising” do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, actions, and / or elements to the mentioned components, steps, actions, and / or elements.

[0060] Components included in any one embodiment and components having common functions may be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions in any one embodiment may also apply to other embodiments, and specific descriptions may be omitted within the scope of overlap or within the scope that is obvious to a person skilled in the art.

[0061] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

[0062] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a plant process interface system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, a plant process interface system (1) can build a digital twin (DT) based on plant data (PD) sensed from a target facility (FA) and provide it to a user terminal (20). The plant process interface system (1) may include a plant process interface server (10) and a user terminal (20). The server (10) and the user terminal (20) can exchange data and integrally perform each step of the interface method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Each component of the plant process interface system (1) can be connected to communicate with each other via wired or wireless means. When connected via wired means, each component included in the plant process interface system (1) can communicate using a serial method. When connected via wireless means, each component included in the plant process interface system (1) can communicate with each other using a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network includes a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), the Internet (WWW: World Wide Web), a wired or wireless data communication network, a telephone network, a wired or wireless television communication network, 3G, 4G, 5G, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), 5GPP (5th Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), WIMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), Wi-Fi, the Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network), RF (Radio Frequency). Bluetooth networks, NFC (Near-Field Communication) networks, satellite broadcasting networks, analog broadcasting networks, DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) networks, etc. are included, but are not limited to.

[0065] The target facility (FA) is a facility that is the subject of the digital twin (DT) and may include, for example, a factory, machine, equipment, or object performing a chemical process. Sensors capable of sensing various characteristics of the target facility (FA) (e.g., temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow sensors, etc.) may be installed on the target facility (FA), and the sensors can generate plant data (PD) by measuring various characteristics of the target facility (FA) (e.g., temperature of a specific part of the facility, internal pressure of the facility, internal flow rate of the facility). Furthermore, according to an embodiment, the plant data (PD) may include not only data measured by the sensors but also data input by the manager / operator of the target facility (FA) (e.g., concentration of input material, mole, etc.).

[0066] The server (10) may include various configurations used to build a digital twin (DT). The server (10) may be implemented by a server (including a cloud server operated online) or various terminal devices including a PC (Personal Computer), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a laptop, a navigation system, a PCS (Personal Communication System), a GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), a PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), an IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, a W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), a Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet) terminal, a smartpad, and a tablet PC.

[0067] A plant process interface server (10) may include a processor (100) and memory (200). The processor (100) may perform various operations to build a digital twin (DT) by utilizing a database stored in memory (200), and memory (200) may store various data required for building a digital twin (DT) (e.g., plant data (PD), prediction data, parameters, etc.). In one example, the processor (100) may include at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), RAM (RAM), ROM (ROM), system bus, and application processor, and the memory (200) may include non-volatile memory, volatile memory, flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD).

[0068] In the present specification, the operation of the plant process interface server (10) or the configuration included therein may mean an operation performed by a processor (100) based on a computer program including at least one instruction stored in memory (200).

[0069] The processor (100) receives plant data (PD) from a target facility (FA) and can store the received plant data (PD) in a database of memory (200). Additionally, the processor (100) can generate various prediction data regarding the process by inputting the plant data (PD) into a prediction model to which parameters are applied. The processor (100) can store the prediction data and parameters in a database.

[0070] The processor (100) can update parameters based on plant data (PD). Accordingly, changes in parameters resulting from changes in plant data (PD) can be reflected in the prediction model in real time, and changes in the target equipment (FA) can also be reflected in the digital twin (DT) in real time. Such plant data (PD) can be used as basic data for the plant process interface.

[0071] The user terminal (20) may include various configurations used to check or control various data of the target equipment (FA) by utilizing a digital twin (DT), and may be implemented by various terminal devices including a PC (Personal Computer), Cellular Phone, Smart Phone, Laptop, Navigation, PCS (Personal Communication System), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), PHS (Personal Handyphone System), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet) terminal, Smartpad, and Tablet PC.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a plant process interface method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the steps of: loading a process design drawing (S100); assigning attribute data to an entity shown in the process design drawing (S200); loading a widget that displays digital twin data using the attribute data (S300); and displaying the process design drawing, the entity, and the widget on a single canvas (S400).

[0074] First, a step (S100) of loading a process design drawing is performed. The above step (S100) may be performed by a user's command on a user terminal (20). Alternatively, a process design drawing predetermined by an administrator of the system (1) may be automatically loaded and displayed on the user terminal (20). Alternatively, a process design drawing predetermined by the server (10) may be transmitted to the user terminal (20) and automatically loaded and displayed on the terminal (20).

[0075] FIG. 3 is a figure showing an example of a screen displaying a process design drawing on a user terminal. A process design drawing is a drawing that visually represents each stage of an industrial process. The process design drawing may be a file such as an image, 3D model, or PDF. The process design drawing may be a Process Flow Diagram (PFD) or a Piping & Instrument Drawing (P&ID). For convenience, the process design drawing will be referred to as a "drawing" or PFD below. It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0076] Subsequently, a step (S200) of assigning attribute data to an object (entity) shown in the process design drawing is performed.

[0077] An entity is an element representing details of a process, such as equipment layout, process flow, piping, and electrical equipment, as shown in the process design drawing. Referring to FIG. 3, the entity may take the form of a point (EN_P), a line (EN_L), or a region (EN_R) on the display.

[0078] A dot-shaped object (EN_P) can represent a specific measuring device or equipment performing a plant process. Such devices or equipment may refer to measuring facilities, such as sensors. For visibility on a terminal screen, the dot object (EN_P) may be represented as having a small area rather than an actual dot. In this case, the dot object (EN_P) can be distinguished from the area object (EN_R) described later by differences in color, icon, line type, etc.

[0079] A line-shaped object (EN_L) can represent a pipe or piping that moves a fluid, such as a liquid or gas, in a process. A line-shaped object can represent, for example, a pipe that processes steam, cooling water, wastewater, waste gas, etc.

[0080] An area-shaped object (EN_R) may represent a specific device or equipment in a plant process. The area-shaped object (EN_R) may be in the form of a geometric shape, such as a circle or a rectangle. The area-shaped object may represent mechanical equipment required for the process, such as a mixing device, a reactor, or a filter. The area-shaped object (EN_R) may contain multiple point (EN_P) objects and line (EN_L) objects, or other area-shaped objects (EN_R) within it.

[0081] Assigning attribute data to an object may mean defining the type, characteristics, and form of each sensor / pipe / device to match the features of the target facility (FA), and assigning attribute values. It may also mean assigning a unique number (ID) to the object. For example, a point (EN_P) object representing a 'sensor' may have attribute values ​​such as ID, name, type, measurement variable, unit, tolerance, operating status, location, manufacturer, model name, and installation date. Meanwhile, each object may include attribute data defining the connection relationship with other objects. For example, if device A and device B are connected in the process, 'Object A' and 'Object B' may each include attribute data indicating that they are connected to each other.

[0082] The attribute data of such an object can be directly entered by a user using a user terminal (20). For example, the user can look at a drawing (PFD), recognize that the device represented by the drawing is a 'pressure sensor', create an 'object' for the pressure sensor through the user terminal (20), and then enter various attribute values ​​into the object.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention, all or part of the attribute data is automatically assigned using artificial intelligence (AI).

[0084] According to one embodiment, a step of recognizing shape information near the point where a user's click event occurs on a process design drawing (PFD) may be performed. This recognition step may be performed by an entity detection module.

[0085] An object recognition module (EDM) is a module that creates or modifies objects (entities) by extracting information from a drawing file / image. The object recognition module (EDM) may be included in a server (10) or a user terminal (20). If the object recognition module (EDM) is included in the server (10), the user terminal (20) may extract coordinate information of the part where a click event (CE) occurred and transmit it to the server (10). The server (10) may analyze shape information near the corresponding click coordinates in the drawing and transmit the analysis result to the terminal (20). If the object recognition module (EDM) is included in the terminal (10), there may be no intervention by the server (10) in the process of creating objects and assigning attribute data.

[0086] The object recognition module (EDM) can find edges near the point where a click event (CE) occurs, for example, by using a Canny edge detection algorithm. Subsequently, the object recognition module (EDM) can extract contour information of the shape using the number of edges. The object recognition module (EDM) can classify a specific object as a line (EN_L), a point (EN_P), or an area object (EN_R) using the contour information of the shape. For example, if two edges are recognized, the object recognition module (EDM) can classify the shape as a line object (EN_L) or an open curve. In this case, the object recognition module (EDM) can classify the object as a pipe. Meanwhile, if four edges are recognized and it is recognized as a 'closed curve', the object recognition module (EDM) can classify the shape as a point object (EN_L) or an area object (EN_R). At this time, the object recognition module (EDM) can classify objects as devices or regions.

[0087] Meanwhile, the object recognition module (EDM) can recognize text near the area where a click event (CE) occurred in the process design drawing. For example, in FIG. 3, the object recognition module (EDM) can recognize the text (EN_L_TEXT) closest to the object after recognizing the line object (EN_L). Through this, the object recognition module can extract attribute information of the pipe. For example, the detected text may contain values ​​such as the ID / model of the pipe. The object recognition module (EDM) can assign attribute data by retrieving a value matching the ID / model from the database of the memory (200) where 'actual' attribute data is defined for each facility (FA). Through this, the object recognition module (EDM) can obtain information regarding the inner / outer diameter, length, material, thickness, operating pressure and temperature, fluid type, etc. of the pipe and assign attribute data to the line (EN_L) object.

[0088] Similarly, the object recognition module (EDM) can obtain information regarding the type of device or sensor, acquired data, etc., and classify it as a point object (EN_P) or an area object (EN_R).

[0089] Meanwhile, the object recognition module (EDM) can recognize the connection and inclusion relationships of each object and generate / assign attribute data regarding 'connection relationships'.

[0090] In this way, after object recognition is performed primarily by the object recognition module (EDM) and attribute data is assigned, secondary modification work by the user can be performed. Through this, the time of the object recognition process can be shortened.

[0091] The user can create or select objects through events such as clicks on the terminal, and assign attribute data to each object by naming it or classifying its type. For example, the user can specify the type of device / pipe, name, and type of data to be sensed for the object through the terminal.

[0092] When attribute data is assigned to each device or pipe by the object recognition module (EDM), the server (10) links the object and the facility using the attribute data from the plant data (PD) sensed from the target facility (FA).

[0093] For example, let’s assume that the target equipment (FA) transmits data from a sensor with the ID ‘A-001’ to the server (10) by including it in the plant data (PD). If a device object with the ID ‘A-001’ is recognized in the drawing (PFD), the server (10) can link the sensor with the ‘object’. Subsequently, the server (10) can transmit the data to the user terminal in the form of digital twin data.

[0094] Subsequently, a step (S300) of loading a widget that displays digital twin data regarding an object using attribute data as a medium is performed. According to one embodiment, the widget may be a modal window that displays digital twin data as text, an image, a table, a graph, or a 3D model. Loading a widget may mean generating / acquiring data to display on a screen. The above step (S300) may be performed automatically by a command from a user using a user terminal (20) or by a server (10).

[0095] Digital twin data may include sensor data, soft sensor data calculated from sensors, or external environment data.

[0096] Sensor data may be data obtained from sensors that calculate various physical quantities, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flow sensors, current sensors, and voltage sensors.

[0097] Soft sensor data may include data calculated from the aforementioned sensor data through mathematical models or artificial intelligence. Soft sensor data may include simulation data that predicts specific variable values ​​through such mathematical models.

[0098] External environmental data may include data on external variables that affect plant processes, such as chemical or bio processes. For example, external environmental data may include data on weather, temperature, humidity, etc. Additionally, external environmental data may include data regarding economic conditions, such as raw material prices, exchange rates, and industrial electricity rates, which are variables that affect process operations.

[0099] Digital twin data can be linked to an entity in a drawing via attribute data. Let us assume that the digital twin data includes data of a sensor having an ID of 'A-001'. When a device object having attribute data (specifically, an ID) of 'A-001' is recognized in the drawing (PFD), the server (10) can link the sensor and the object. Through this, digital twin data representing the attributes of each object in the drawing can be displayed on a user terminal (20) via a widget (W).

[0100] FIG. 4 is a figure illustrating a plant process interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a canvas (C) is shown on the screen of a user terminal (20). The canvas (C) can serve as a background. Various modal windows may be shown on the canvas (C). The canvas (C) can be zoomed in and zoomed out like a map. At this time, each window may be enlarged or reduced.

[0101] As described above, the widget (W) may be a modal window that displays various data regarding the process in various forms. For example, the widget may display text data containing notes on important matters or announcements regarding the plant process. The widget may display table data that collects and organizes various sensor data. The widget may display a graph illustrating changes in sensor data over time. The widget may display a 3D model corresponding to the process design drawing. The widget may display external environmental data such as weather and exchange rates. The widget may display video (CCTV) monitoring a specific area of ​​the process. The widget may display the results of analyzing the above data through a separate algorithm. The widget (W) may update information in real-time based on data from the target equipment (FA). That is, the data displayed on the canvas (C) may be kept up to date. The user may decide which widget information to load through the user terminal (20).

[0102] Subsequently, a step (S400) of displaying process design drawings, objects, and widgets on a single canvas (C) is performed. The above step (S400) is performed on a user terminal (20).

[0103] Referring to FIG. 4, a process design drawing (PFD) is positioned in the center of the canvas (C), and various widgets (W) are arranged around it. The process design drawing (PFD) and the widgets (W) are displayed on a single canvas (C). The widgets (W) may have different sizes and positions on the canvas (C). The widgets (W) may have different depths, i.e., different z-indexes, on the canvas (C). Each widget (W) may be placed close to each connected object. Meanwhile, the user can adjust the position and size of each widget on the terminal (20). Accordingly, the user can monitor the digital twin data displayed on the drawing (PFD) and widgets on the terminal at a glance without any separate actions, such as navigating menus or clicking tabs.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the terminal (20) can detect a selection event for an object. For example, the terminal (20) can detect an event where a user clicks or mousees over an object. When an event is detected, the display of a widget connected to the object can change to an 'active state'.

[0105] For example, let us assume that the time-series widget (W_TS) on the left side of the process design drawing (PFD) in Fig. 4 is a graph showing the flow rate measured at the line object (EN_L) over time. Also, let us assume that the note widget (W_N) on the top side of the drawing (PFD) is text data containing notes on precautions to be taken when analyzing data regarding the line object (EN_L).

[0106] As such, for a specific object on a drawing (PFD), there may be one or more widgets connected by attribute data. For example, various widgets can be connected to a single object, such as a widget representing sensor data, a widget representing data analyzing the correlation between the sensor data and other data, and a widget representing image data that served as reference material in the data analysis report.

[0107] If a user selects a line object (EN_L) by clicking or the like on a user terminal (20), widgets (W_TS, W_N) associated with the line object (EN_L) may be displayed in an 'activated' state as shown in FIG. 4. Being activated means that the border color of the selected / associated widget is displayed differently from the color of other widgets. Alternatively, it means that the z-index of the selected widget is made larger than the z-index of other widgets so that the selected widget is visible without being obscured by other widgets or drawings (PFD). In addition, the activated widget can be displayed in various ways to distinguish it from the 'inactive' widget.

[0108] When all widgets connected to an object are activated in this way, the user can identify at a glance which widgets are connected to which objects and which data needs to be referenced to monitor those objects.

[0109] A plant process interface method according to one embodiment may further include the step of displaying a process design drawing (PFD) and a minimap (M) representing the contours of the widget (W) on a canvas (C). The step may be performed by a user terminal (20). The step may be performed substantially at the same time as the step (S400) of displaying the process design drawing, objects, and widgets on a single canvas (C).

[0110] Referring to the bottom right of Fig. 4, a minimap (M) is displayed. The minimap (M) may be an image in which a modal window displayed on a canvas (C), such as a process design drawing (PFD) and a widget (W), is reduced to leave only the contours, and the background is expressed in a solid color.

[0111] When a user selects a specific object on the terminal, the boundary color of the widget connected to said object on the minimap (M) may change. For example, let us assume that a specific object (EN_L) is connected to a graph widget (W_TS) and a note widget (W_N) as in the example above. When a user selects the object (EN_L), the areas (M_W_TS, M_W_N) corresponding to the two widgets on the minimap (M) are activated in a different color. When there are areas (M_W_TS, M_W_N) processed in a different color on a minimap (M) displayed in a solid color, those areas become more easily visible to the user. Therefore, the user can quickly identify which part / widget to look at within the entire canvas.

[0112] Below, a method for changing the interface at the user terminal (20) when an abnormal situation occurs in the target equipment (FA) is described.

[0113] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the graph widget (W_TS) of Figure 4. Referring to Figure 4, a table and graph regarding sensor data (physical sensor, PS) and soft sensor (SS) are shown.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the widget may be a modal window that displays a graph comparing the values ​​of sensor data and soft sensor data. Sensor data refers to the actual measured value for a specific variable, and soft sensor data refers to a value simulated or predicted for a specific variable by a mathematical model. That is, the difference between the values ​​of sensor data and soft sensor data represents the difference between the predicted value and the actual value for a specific variable. For example, referring to the AS area of ​​FIG. 5, the predicted value has reached an upper peak at that point in time, whereas the actual value has reached a lower peak. The server (10) can recognize this state as an abnormal situation (AS) through pre-configured logic. In this case, it is necessary to make the user aware of the abnormal situation through a change in the interface at the user terminal (20).

[0115] Figure 6 is a figure showing an example of a plant process interface in the event of an abnormal situation.

[0116] According to one embodiment, if the difference between the values ​​of sensor data and soft sensor data is greater than a specific value (threshold), the size of the widget on the canvas may increase. According to one embodiment, if the difference between the values ​​of sensor data and soft sensor data is greater than a specific value (threshold), the z-index of the widget on the canvas may increase.

[0117] Referring to Fig. 6, the width and height of the graph widget (W_TS) have increased compared to Fig. 4, and the z-index has increased. As a result, the note widget (W_N) is obscured by the graph widget (W_TS). Consequently, the graph widget (W_TS) is more visible to the user compared to Fig. 4.

[0118] In one embodiment, the larger the difference between the actual value and the predicted value of the data, the larger the size of the widget (W). In a process, a large difference between the actual value and the predicted value of the data may indicate that a larger problem has occurred. In this case, the size of the widget (W) displaying the data can be made larger than usual to provide a stronger warning signal to the user viewing the canvas (C). That is, according to one embodiment, the amount or rate of change in the size of the widget may be proportional to the difference between the values ​​of the sensor data and the soft sensor data.

[0119] Such interface adjustments can also be applied when the amount of change in sensor data over time exceeds a specific threshold. For instance, if a specific physical quantity increases or decreases more than expected (e.g., changes in pressure or temperature), this may be an abnormal situation. In this case as well, the interface of the widget (W) displaying the data for the corresponding physical quantity can be adjusted to make it more visible to the user. Additionally, the area of ​​the widget (W) displaying the data indicating the abnormal situation can be represented on the minimap (M) using different colors or boundary information.

[0120] As such, in one embodiment of the present invention, when an 'abnormal situation' occurs, the interface is automatically adjusted so that a widget displaying the relevant information is easily visible to the user.

[0121] The following describes how to adjust the interface when new data analysis results are added to the process.

[0122] Figure 7 is a figure showing an example of an interface in which a data analysis widget is represented.

[0123] According to one embodiment, after the step of displaying on a canvas, a further step of requesting analysis data from a data analysis module (DA) based on the digital twin data, and converting the response of the data analysis module (DA) into a widget (W_DA) and displaying it on a canvas (C) may be performed.

[0124] Referring to Fig. 6, an interface is shown in which a user asks and answers questions to a data analysis module (DA) based on digital twin data.

[0125] The data analysis module (DA) may be, for example, an artificial intelligence module utilizing an LLM model. The data analysis module (DA) may be included in the server (10) or the user terminal (20). Alternatively, the data analysis module (DA) may be an external source connected to the server (10) via an API, etc. The user may request the data analysis module (DA) to process or analyze digital twin data, for example, through a chat interface.

[0126] The response of the data analysis module (DA) may include data such as text and images, and may be displayed on the canvas (C) in the form of a widget (W_DA). The data analysis module (DA) can automatically determine which object the data is analyzing during the question-and-answer process. The data analysis module (DA) can determine which object the response data will be connected to.

[0127] Meanwhile, the data analysis module (DA) may be, for example, a programming language module capable of processing data. For example, the user may retrieve data stored on the server (10) or user terminal (20) through a console interface and directly process the data or generate an analysis report using a programming language for data analysis such as R / Python. At this time, the calculation result of the data analysis module (DA) may include data such as text and images, and may appear on the canvas (C) in the form of a widget (W_DA).

[0128] The results of this data analysis are secondary data obtained by users processing and analyzing digital twin data. Depending on the purpose and importance of the processing and analysis, this secondary data may need to be shared with other users, or it may be sufficient for the user who performed the analysis to view it alone. In other words, there is a need for the widget's interface to be adjusted according to the user.

[0129] According to one embodiment, widgets can be classified into private widgets and shared widgets.

[0130] A personal widget may be a widget that is created, managed, and displayed only on a specific terminal. A personal widget may refer to a widget on which a user can control the position, size, z-index, and visibility of the widget on the canvas (C). That is, the personal widget can be set differently by each user for the convenience of monitoring their own processes. Information such as the size and position of the personal widget may be managed and stored on each user terminal (20). That is, information such as the size and position of the personal widget may be managed on each terminal without being shared with other terminals except for the administrator terminal.

[0131] A shared widget may be a widget that is commonly visible on multiple user terminals (20). Information such as the size and location of the shared widget may be transmitted commonly to multiple or all user terminals (20) by the server (10). For example, an administrator of the system (1) may designate a widget of high importance for information sharing as a shared widget. In this case, the widget may be displayed on all terminals (20) at the same size and location. That is, the shared widget may function as, for example, a 'notice'. Users without administrator privileges may not be able to adjust the size and location of the shared widget. Depending on the user's classification, such as team, department, or role, the terminal to which the shared widget is shared may vary.

[0132] For example, let us assume a case where a specific user requests analysis of specific data from the data analysis module (DA), as shown in Fig. 7. This information may be specifically needed only by that user, and may be information of lower priority or low value to other users. In this case, if the data analysis widget (W_DA) is set as a user control widget, the data analysis widget (W_DA) may be displayed only to the user who queried the data analysis module (DA).

[0133] According to one embodiment, a user terminal may send a widget sharing request message to a server (10). For example, a specific analysis result regarding data in a process may be important enough to be seen by other users as well. For example, the specific analysis result may be data predicting that the temperature or pressure of a specific area (EN_R) is rising abnormally. Such analysis results may affect other workers or users in the process. In such cases, if the data of a specific widget (W) is determined to be important, the user may request the administrator to share the personal widget with other users. For example, if the data analysis widget (W_DA) becomes a shared widget through the administrator's approval, the widget information may be exposed to other users. Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, a widget (W) displaying abnormal situation data may be automatically set as a shared widget by the server (10).

[0134] By separating personal and shared widgets in this way, widgets that all users must view in common can be distinguished from those that are specific to each team, department, or individual. Accordingly, the widget interface can be customized differently for each user. As a result, the efficiency of process monitoring tasks and collaboration capabilities can be enhanced.

[0135] According to one embodiment, a computer implementation method for plant process visualization executed by a human-machine interface (HMI) computing device comprising a processor, a memory for storing instructions, an industrial network interface, and a display may include the following steps.

[0136] A step of loading a process design drawing encoded in a vector graphic format from memory;

[0137] A step in which the processor analyzes the drawing to detect a geometric shape corresponding to a plant object;

[0138] A step of storing attribute data including equipment tag, equipment class, and geometric boundary for each detected plant object in memory;

[0139] A step of receiving real-time sensor data from a field sensor installed in a plant through the above industrial network interface;

[0140] A step in which the processor calculates soft sensor data based on the sensor data;

[0141] A step of creating a digital twin data structure in memory by fusing the sensor data, the soft sensor data, the external environment data, and the attribute data;

[0142] A step of generating a graphic widget configured to display the digital twin data as at least one of text, an image, a table, a graph, or a three-dimensional model; and

[0143] On a single canvas

[0144] The above process design drawing,

[0145] Graphic representation of the above plant object, and

[0146] The graphic widget above

[0147] A step of simultaneously displaying and updating the graphic widget at least 1 frame per second according to changes in sensor data.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the step of detecting the geometric figure is,

[0149] A step of detecting a pointer click event on the display;

[0150] A step of identifying a geometric figure within a predetermined pixel radius of a click location; and

[0151] It may include a step of classifying the object as a pipe if the identified shape is an open curve, and as a device or area if the identified shape is a closed curve.

[0152] According to one embodiment, after the step of updating at least 1 frame per second, the following steps may be included.

[0153] A step of detecting a selection event for a plant object displayed on a canvas; and

[0154] A step of switching the display state of a graphic widget connected to the corresponding plant object from an inactive state to an active state upon the above selection event.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the step of updating at least one frame per second may include the step of displaying a minimap on a canvas that represents the outline of a process design drawing and the boundary of a graphic widget.

[0156] As described above, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification. Although specific terms have been used to describe the embodiments in this specification, they are used only for the purpose of explaining the technical concept of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the meaning or the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the technical concept of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Step of loading process design drawings; A step of assigning attribute data to an object (entity) shown in the above process design drawing; A step of loading a widget that displays digital twin data regarding the object using the above attribute data as a medium; and The method includes the step of displaying the above process design drawing, the above object, and the above widget on a single canvas, The above digital twin data includes sensor data, soft sensor data calculated from the sensor, or external environment data, and A plant process interface method in which the above widget is a modal window that displays the digital twin data as text, an image, a table, a graph, or a 3D model.

2. In Paragraph 1, The step of assigning attribute data to the above object is, A step of recognizing shape information near the point where a user's click event occurs on the above process design drawing; A plant process interface method comprising the step of classifying the object as a pipe when the shape information is classified as an open curve, and classifying the object as a device or area when the shape information is classified as a closed curve.

3. In Paragraph 1, After the above display step, A step of detecting a selection event for the above object; A plant process interface method further comprising the step of changing the display of the widget connected to the object to an active state upon detection of the above selection event.

4. In Paragraph 1, The step of displaying the above process design drawing, the above object, and the above widget on a single canvas is, A plant process interface method comprising the step of displaying on a canvas a minimap representing the process design drawing and the contour of the widget.

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