Display control method, device with a display control unit and program

Abstract

Tax notification procedure, comprehensive: Ads, in an ad area, of text of one or more alarms corresponding to only one selected alarm indicator feature; and an indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm indicator feature as a watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms; and Displaying multiple alarm indicator features outside the display area, wherein the selected alarm indicator feature is displayed among the multiple alarm indicator attributes; wherein the one or more texts of the one or more alarms that are overlaid by the watermark image are legible despite the overlay by the watermark.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control method, an apparatus having a display control unit, and a program.

[0002] Hitherto, in a case where various alarms generated in a plant are to be displayed, a feature and the like of the alarms are displayed using a character string on a title bar provided on a frame that defines a display area (see, for example, Toshiaki Takahashi, “Provision of integration control solution focusing on production control system,” [online], November 2007, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, [accessed April 15, 2019], Internet<URL: https: / / partner.yokogawa.com / japan / dcs / pdf / keiso / dcs-keiso-2007_11ja.pdf> >.

[0003] However, since the title bar has a small display size and is located outside the display area, it is difficult to understand or grasp the feature of the alarms.

[0004] Furthermore, US Pat. No. 7,702,782 B1 discloses methods and systems for using watermarks to display alerts in a management console for a storage area network. An alert provides notification of the occurrence of an event in a storage area network. An event associated with a component of the storage area network is detected. An alarm level corresponding to the detected event is determined. A watermark is placed on the graphical user interface to display an alarm. An initial characteristic of the watermark depends on the determined alarm level, and the watermark is oriented to be visible at a certain distance from the graphical user interface.Multiple warnings can be displayed by changing a property of the watermark or by changing a watermark originally placed on the graphical user interface when the graphical user interface is launched.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of improving the detectability of alarms such as warnings or messages to a user.

[0006] This object is achieved by a display control method, a device, and a program having the features of patent claims 1, 19, and 23, respectively. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the appended subclaims.

[0007] In view of the problem described above, a display control method according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided. The display control method may include selecting an indicator image according to a display characteristic set for a display area. The display control method may include displaying, in the display area, each alarm corresponding to the display characteristic among alarms generated in a facility, and also collectively displaying, in the display area, the selected indicator image.

[0008] Displaying may include: Displaying the selected indicator image as a watermark image.

[0009] The display control method may include: setting a plurality of display characteristics for the display area. The displaying may include: displaying, in the display area, each alarm according to all of the plurality of display characteristics of the display area.

[0010] Selecting may include: selecting, for the display area, each indicator image according to the multiple display characteristics set for the display area. Controlling may include: collectively displaying, in the display area, each of the multiple indicator images selected for the display area.

[0011] Selecting may include selecting an indicator image corresponding to a display characteristic of each of a plurality of display areas including the display area. Controlling includes displaying, in each of the plurality of display areas, each alarm according to the display characteristic of the display area, and also displaying, in each of the plurality of display areas, the indicator image selected for the display area.

[0012] The display control method may include: setting the display characteristic for each of the display areas.

[0013] Setting may include: setting a plurality of the display characteristics for each of at least a portion of the display areas among the plurality of display areas. Controlling may include: displaying, in each of at least the portion of the display areas, each alarm corresponding to all of the plurality of display characteristics of the display area.

[0014] Selecting may include: selecting, for each of at least the portion of the display areas, an indicator image corresponding to each of the plurality of display features set for the display area. Controlling may include: collectively displaying, in each of at least the portion of the display areas, each of a plurality of the selected indicator images for the display area.

[0015] Setting may include setting a common display feature for each of two or more display areas among the plurality of display areas.

[0016] Controlling may include collectively displaying, in each of the two or more display areas, each indicator image corresponding to a unique display feature under each display feature of the display area.

[0017] Controlling may include: displaying the common display feature in an area different from each of the two or more display areas.

[0018] The adjusting may include: collectively adjusting the common display feature for each of the two or more display areas in response to a user operation.

[0019] Setting may include: selecting whether to set the display feature individually or collectively for the two or more of the display areas in response to a user operation.

[0020] The display control method may include: receiving an alarm generated in the facility. The display control method may include: detecting a communication error on an alarm detection route. The display control method may include: displaying an indicator image corresponding to the communication error in the display area when the communication error is detected.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a display controller is provided. The display controller may include a selection unit configured to select an indicator image according to a display feature set for a display area. The display controller may include a display control unit configured to display, in the display area, each alarm corresponding to the display feature among alarms generated in a facility, and also configured to collectively display the selected indicator image in the display area.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program may cause a computer to function as a selection unit configured to select an indicator image according to a display characteristic set for a display area. The program may cause the computer to function as a display control unit configured to display, in the display area, each alarm corresponding to the display characteristic among alarms generated in a facility, and also configured to collectively display the selected indicator image in the display area.

[0023] The "Summary" paragraph does not necessarily describe all necessary features of the embodiments of the present invention. The present invention may also be a sub-combination of the features described above. Fig. 1 shows a facility management system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 shows an operation of a display controller 25. Fig. 3 shows a display screen in a case where a display characteristic of a display area 210 is set. Fig. 4 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 5 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 6 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 7 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 8 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 9 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 10 shows another display screen in a case where a setting item of the display area 210 is set. Fig. 11 shows the display area 210 in a case where a communication error is detected. Fig. 12 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which several aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part.

[0024] The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the following embodiment, which is described within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to achieving the object of the invention. [1. Configuration of asset management system]

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a plant management system 1 of the present embodiment. The plant management system 1 is configured to perform operation management of a plant (or factory, plant) and includes a plurality of field devices 11, an operation controller 13, an alarm management device 14, and an operation monitoring terminal 2. According to the present embodiment, in one example, each of the field devices 11 may be arranged on a field side where processes are performed in the plant. For example, there is a pipe through which a fluid to be measured is made to flow, a flowmeter arranged in the pipe and measuring a flow rate of the fluid, and the like on the field side. The operation controller 13, the alarm management device 14, and the operation monitoring terminal (terminal device) 2 may be arranged in a management room, an instrument room, or the like in the plant.It is noted that the facility includes, for example, a factory facility, a machine facility, a production facility, a power generation facility, a storage facility and a facility at a well site for producing crude oil, natural gas and the like. [1-1. Field device]

[0026] The plurality of field devices 11 comprise a device, a machine, or a device, and may, for example, be a sensor that measures a physical quantity such as pressure, temperature, pH, speed, or flow rate in the process in the plant, or an actuator such as a valve, pump, fan, or motor that controls any physical quantity. Each of the field devices 11 among the plurality of field devices 11 may also be of different types from one another, or two or more of at least some of the field devices 11 may also be of the same type.

[0027] The field devices 11 can be connected to the operation controller 13 via a control network (a field network, a fieldbus network) 100, either wired or wireless. Communication in the control network 100 can be analog communication or digital communication, or even hybrid communication in which a digital signal is superimposed on an analog signal (a 4 to 20 mA signal or the like). Communication in the control network 100 can, for example, be via a wireless communication protocol of the ISA (International Society of Automation). In one example, communication can be via ISA100, HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) (registered trademark), BRAIN (registered trademark), FOUNDATION Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, or the like. The field device 11 can contain unique identification information (also referred to as device-specific information). [1-2. Operations Controller]

[0028] The operation controller 13 communicates with each of the field devices 11 to control processes. For example, the operation controller 13 receives a process value from the field device 11 serving as a sensor and controls the field device 11 serving as an actuator. The operation controller 13 can output the process value to the operation monitoring terminal 2 and receive a setpoint of the process value from the operation monitoring terminal 2. It should be noted that, according to the present embodiment, an example is described in which only one operation controller 13 is included in the operation management system 1 and configured to control all of the field devices 11, but multiple operation controllers 13 may also be included and configured to perform distributed control for each part of the field devices 11. The operation controller 13 can, for example,be a control controller (in one example a Yokogawa Electric Corporation product “FCS” (Field Control Station)).

[0029] The operation controller 13 can output alarms generated in the plant. For example, the operation controller 13 can output a system alarm message when an anomaly is detected in the field device 11 or another device in the operation management system 1. Furthermore, the operation controller 13 can output a process alarm message when a process anomaly is detected due to a fluctuation in the process value measured by the field device 11. [1-3. Alarm management device]

[0030] The alarm management device 14 manages the alarms. For example, the alarm management device 14 may store the alarms issued by the operation controller 13. The alarm management device 14 may also generate alarms generated in the facility instead of the operation controller 13 or in addition to the operation controller 13. The alarm management device 14 may also determine the presence or absence of access authorization to alarm information stored therein by performing authentication or the like of a device (in one example, the operation monitoring terminal 2) connected to the alarm management device 14 or an operator of the device.

[0031] Each alarm stored in the alarm management device 14 may contain or be associated with various detailed information (also referred to as alarm attributes). The detailed information of the alarm may also be generated by the operation controller 13, the operation monitoring terminal 2, or the alarm management device 14. Furthermore, after the detailed information is generated by the operation controller 13, the operation monitoring terminal 2 or the alarm management device 14 may modify the detailed information of the alarm.

[0032] The detailed information of the alarm may be, for example, a type of alarm (according to the present embodiment, in one example, any of the system alarm and the process alarm), a use of the alarm (in one example, operation (control) or maintenance), device-specific information of the device that generated the alarm, a model number of the device, information regarding a generation location (in one example, which may be at least the device-specific information), a generation section (also referred to as a generation area), a generation time, or other states of the device that generated the alarm. Other information may be, for example, at least one of the following: whether or not the generated alarm has already been processed, whether or not the processing orWhether the handling has been postponed (also known as postponement and resetting), or whether the indication is suppressed (also known as alarm suppression). The detailed alarm information may also include information indicating a communication error or device failure.

[0033] According to the present embodiment, as an example, from the detailed information of the alarm, the type of alarm, the device-specific information, the model number of the device, the generation section, and the generation time can be generated by the operation controller 13. From the detailed information of the alarm, the information about whether or not the generated alarm has already been processed, whether or not the processing has been postponed, and whether or not the display has been suppressed can be generated by the operation monitoring terminal 2.

[0034] Note that, in one example, the alarm management device 14 may be a PC (workstation computer). The alarm management device 14 and the operation monitoring terminal 2 may be connected to the operation controller 13 via a network (control bus network) 101. The network 101 may be the Internet or a dedicated line in one example. The alarm management device 14 may be connected to another device via a firewall (not shown in the drawings). [1-4. Operational monitoring terminal]

[0035] The operation monitoring terminal (terminal device) 2 performs operation and monitoring with respect to the facility. The operation monitoring terminal 2 may be an interface device that interfaces between a user and the facility. For example, the operation monitoring terminal 2 may control the process via the operation controller 13 in accordance with a user operation. In one example, the operation monitoring terminal 2 may receive a process value from the operation controller 13 and input a set value of the process value to the operation controller 13. Furthermore, the operation monitoring terminal 2 may change a value of a setting parameter of the field device 11 via the operation controller 13. The operation monitoring terminal 2 may be, for example, an HMI terminal (in one example, a product of Yokogawa Electric Corporation "HIS" (Human Interface Station)) and may be constructed of a PC or the like.The operation monitoring terminal 2 includes an input device 20, a display device 21 and a display controller 25.

[0036] The input device 20 receives various input operations from the user and outputs corresponding operation signals. According to the present embodiment, in one example, the input device 20 can output the operation signals to the display controller 25.

[0037] The display device 21 displays various information in accordance with control signals from the display controller 25. For example, the display device 21 may have a display area 210 (see Fig. 3) for displaying alarms on the display screen. The display area 210 may be an area on an inner side with respect to a frame. In one example, the display area 210 may be an area provided within the frame in which the alarm message or the like is displayed. The display area 210 may also be a window part of a glazed window, i.e., a pane surrounded by the frame. Here, the frame may enclose four sides to indicate a boundary. In a case where multiple frames are present on the display screen, the display area 210 may be an inner area of ​​the innermost frame. Similarly, in a case where multiple frame boundaries are present on the display screen, the display area 210 may be an inner area of ​​a frame formed by the innermost frame boundary.Part of the frame may be displayed in a bolder line than other parts and can also be used as a title bar. [1-4-1. Display Controller]

[0038] The display controller 25 controls display contents of the display device 21. According to the present embodiment, in one example, the display controller 25 can control display modes of alarms. The display controller 25 includes a storage unit 250, a display state setting unit 251, a detection and extraction unit 252, a selection unit 254, a detection unit 255, and a display control unit 256.

[0039] The storage unit 250 stores each display feature that can be set for the display area 210 (corresponding to the feature of the alarms displayed in the display area 210) and an indicator image 211 (see Fig. 3 or the like) that displays the display feature, with mutual association. The display feature of the display area 210 may be the feature of the alarms displayed in the display area 210.

[0040] Here, the display feature may indicate the contents of a portion of the features included in the detailed information (feature) of the alarms. In one example, the display feature may also indicate the feature of the alarm type as a system alarm, the feature of whether or not processing is postponed as the processing that is postponed, and the feature of the generation time as a specific time window. The display feature may optionally be defined by the user via the operation monitoring terminal 2 or the other device externally connected to the operation monitoring terminal 2, and stored in the storage unit 250.

[0041] The indicator image 211 can also be a symbol marking representing the alarm feature, or a text that specifies the content of the feature as a graphic. The indicator image 211 can also be stored in the storage unit 250 by default, or it can also be created by the user and stored in the storage unit 250. The correspondence between the display feature and the indicator image 211 in the storage unit 250 can optionally be changed by the user.

[0042] The display state setting unit 251 sets a display state of the alarm. The display state setting unit 251 may set the display state in accordance with the operation signal from the input device 20. The display state setting unit 251 may include a position and size setting unit 2511 and a feature setting unit 2512.

[0043] The position and size setting unit 2511 sets at least one of the number of display areas 210, the display position, and the display size. The position and size setting unit 2511 can provide the setting contents related to the display area 210 to the display control unit 256.

[0044] The feature setting unit 2512 sets the feature of the alarms to be displayed, that is, the display feature for each of the display areas 210. In a case where the position and size setting unit 2511 sets a plurality of display areas 210 on the display screen, the feature setting unit 2512 sets the display feature for each of the display areas 210. The feature setting unit 2512 can set the display feature by selecting the feature in the storage unit 250. The feature setting unit 2512 can output the contents of the display feature to the display control unit 256.

[0045] The acquisition and extraction unit 252 acquires or receives the alarms generated in the facility and extracts each alarm according to the display characteristic of the display area 210. The acquisition and extraction unit 252 may receive alarms from the alarm management device 14 and deliver the extracted alarms to the display control unit 256. In a case where the position and size setting unit 2511 sets the plurality of display areas 210 on the display screen, the acquisition and extraction unit 252 may extract, for each of the display areas 210, each alarm according to the display characteristic of the display area 210, to be delivered to the display control unit 256. Note that, according to the present embodiment, it is described in one example that the acquisition and extraction unit 252 receives the alarms from the alarm management device 14 via the network 101.However, in a case where the alarm management device 14 is directly connected to the operation monitoring terminal 2 without mediation via the network 101, the alarms can be directly received from the alarm management device 14 without mediation via the network 101.

[0046] The selection unit 254 selects the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display characteristic specified for the display area 210 from the plurality of indicator images 211 stored in the storage unit 250. The selection unit 254 may supply the selected indicator image 211 to the display control unit 256. In a case where the plurality of display areas 210 are specified on the display screen by the position and size adjustment unit 2511, the selection unit 254 may select the indicator image 211 for each of the display areas 210 to supply it to the display control unit 256. That is, the selection unit 254 may select the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display characteristic of each of the plurality of display areas 210 to supply it to the display control unit 256.

[0047] The detection unit 255 detects a communication error on an alarm detection route. According to the present embodiment, in one example, since the alarms are output from the operation controller 13 and received by the display controller 25 via the network 101 and the alarm management device 14, the communication error on this detection route can be detected by the detection unit 255. In a case where the detection and extraction unit 252 receives the alarms directly from the alarm management device 14 without mediation via the network 101, the detection unit 255 can also detect the communication error on a route between the alarm management device 14 and the detection and extraction unit 252. In a case where the communication error is detected, the detection unit 255 can output an error detection signal to the display control unit 256.

[0048] The display control unit 256 displays, in the display area 210, each alarm corresponding to the display feature among the alarms generated in the system, and also collectively displays, in the display area 210, the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature. The display of the alarms may be a display of characters and numbers indicating the contents of the alarms. Furthermore, the collective display of the indicator image 211 according to the display feature may be a display of the indicator image 211 as a whole while being linked to an entirety of each alarm, without individually displaying the indicator image 211 with respect to each alarm, and in one example, a display of only one indicator image 211 with respect to the entirety of each alarm.

[0049] The display control unit 256 may display the alarms extracted by the acquisition and extraction unit 252 in the display area 210. Furthermore, the display control unit 256 may display the indicator image 211 selected by the selection unit 254 in the display area 210. In a case where the plurality of display areas 210 are determined by the position and size adjustment unit 2511, the display control unit 256 may display, in each of the plurality of display areas 210, each alarm according to the display characteristic of the display area 210, and also collectively display, in each of the plurality of display areas 210, the indicator image 211 selected for the display area 210.

[0050] According to the display controller 25 described above, each alarm corresponding to the display feature is displayed in the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature is displayed collectively. Consequently, unlike when the contents of the display feature are displayed outside the display areas 210, it is not necessary to move the line of sight outside the display area 210 to check the display feature. Furthermore, compared to when the contents of the display feature are displayed on the frame, it is possible to increase the display size of the feature. Therefore, understanding the feature of the displayed alarms can be facilitated.

[0051] Furthermore, in each of the multiple display areas 210, each alarm is displayed according to the display characteristic of the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display characteristic is displayed collectively. In this way, understanding the displayed characteristic of the alarms with respect to each of the multiple display areas 210 can be facilitated.

[0052] Furthermore, since the display characteristic is set with respect to each of the display areas 210, the displayed characteristic of the alarms can be set to any characteristic. [2. Operation of Display Controller 25]

[0053] Fig. 2 illustrates an operation of the display controller 25. The display controller 25 executes processing in steps S11 to S31 to cause the display device 21 to display the alarms.

[0054] In step S11, the position and size setting unit 2511 of the display state setting unit 251 sets a position and a size with respect to one or more of the display areas 210 on the display screen. The position and size setting unit 2511 may also set the position and size of each of the display areas 210 in accordance with the operation signal from the input device 20, may also set the position and size in accordance with default setting contents, or may also set the position and size in accordance with setting contents stored at the time of the previous operation.In a case where the operation monitoring terminal 2 is used by multiple users, the position and size setting unit 2511 may also set the position and size of each of the display areas 210 in accordance with the setting contents saved at the time of the previous operation by a registered (logged-in) account. Note that in a case where the multiple display areas 210 are set on the display screen, the sizes among the display areas 210 may also vary.

[0055] In step S13, the feature setting unit 2512 of the display state setting unit 251 sets a display feature for each of the display areas 210. The feature setting unit 2512 may also set the display feature of each of the display areas 210 in accordance with the operation signal from the input device 20, may also set the display feature in accordance with the default setting contents, or may also set the display feature in accordance with the setting contents stored at the time of the previous operation. In a case where the operation monitoring terminal 2 is used by multiple users, the feature setting unit 2512 may also set the display feature in accordance with the setting contents stored at the time of the previous operation through a logged-in account.In a case where the display feature is set by the operation signal, a setting range of a feature associated with each of the display areas 210 may be provided on the display screen of the display device 21, and the display feature may be set by the operation signal with respect to the setting range.

[0056] A plurality of display features may be set by the feature setting unit 2512 for only the one display area 210 displayed on the display screen, or for each of at least a portion of the display areas 210 among the plurality of display areas 210 displayed on the display screen. In one example, the feature setting unit 2512 may set two display features, including a feature indicating that the alarm is a system alarm and a feature indicating that the alarm is generated in a specific section in the facility, as the display features for the one display area 210.

[0057] Furthermore, the feature setting unit 2512 may set a common display feature for each of two or more of the display areas 210. In this case, the feature setting unit 2512 may collectively set the common display feature for these display areas 210 in accordance with a user operation (according to the present embodiment, in one example, in accordance with the operation signal from the input device 20). In one example, the feature setting unit 2512 may select whether to set the display feature individually or collectively for two or more of the display areas 210 in accordance with a user operation. In a case where one of the individual setting and the collective setting of the display feature is applied more frequently than the other setting, the feature setting unit 2512 may also select this one setting method by default unless switching or changing.

[0058] Switching is performed by the user. In a case where the selection is made to collectively set the display feature, the feature setting unit 2512 may select the display area 210 set in accordance with a user operation as the setting target, or select all the display areas 210 on the display screen and collectively set the common display feature for each of the selected display areas 210.

[0059] It should be noted that the display area 210 in which the common display feature is specified may be identical to, or different from, the display area 210 in which multiple display features are specified. In one example, the display feature common to all display areas 210 displayed on the display screen and each unique display feature may be specified.

[0060] In step S15, the detection unit 255 determines whether or not a communication error occurs on an alarm detection route. For example, the detection unit 255 may monitor a communication status on the alarm detection route from the operation controller 13 to the display controller 25 to determine the presence or absence of a communication error. In one example, the detection unit 255 may periodically monitor whether or not communication is occurring between the devices in the facility and determine the communication error in a case where communication is not occurring.

[0061] It should be noted that in a case where a communication error has occurred, a corresponding alarm may be generated by the operation controller 13. For example, the operation controller 13 may sequentially update a list of live signals generated by each of the devices connected to the control network 100 (in one example, the field devices 11), that is, the list indicating a life status of each of the devices. In a case where a device that has not performed communication, a so-called dead device, is present in the list, the operation controller 13 may generate an alarm indicating this effect, to be transmitted to the alarm management device 14.

[0062] In a case where the communication error is detected (step S15: Yes), the display controller 25 may proceed to processing in step S31. In a case where the communication error is not detected (step S15: No), the display controller 25 may proceed to processing in step S17.

[0063] In step S17, the acquisition and extraction unit 252 acquires alarms generated in the facility from the alarm management device 14 and extracts the alarms corresponding to the display feature of each of the display areas 210. In a case where the display area 210 in which the plurality of display features are set exists, the acquisition and extraction unit 252 extracts, with respect to the display area 210 of these display features, each alarm corresponding to all of the plurality of display features of the display area 210.In an example, in a case where two display features including the feature indicating that the alarm is the system alarm and the feature indicating that the alarm is generated in the specific section are set as the display features for the one display area 210, the acquisition and extraction unit 252 extracts each alarm that is the system alarm and is also generated in the specific section with respect to the display area 210.

[0064] In step S19, the selection unit 254 selects the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature from the plurality of indicator images 211 stored in the storage unit 250 for each of the display areas 210. In a case where the display area 210 in which the plurality of display features are set exists, the selection unit 254 selects, for the display area 210, each of the indicator images 211 corresponding to the plurality of display features set for the display area 210.

[0065] In step S21, the display control unit 256 displays, in each of the display areas 210, each of the alarms corresponding to the display characteristics of the display area 210 and collectively also the indicator images 211 corresponding to the display characteristics.

[0066] The display control unit 256 can, in each of the display areas 210, display only the alarm corresponding to the display characteristic of the display area 210 from among the multiple alarms generated in the system. In this case, since the alarms can be narrowed down and displayed by the characteristic, it is possible to easily understand the alarm of the desired characteristic. Instead, the display control unit 256 can display, in each of the display areas 210, the multiple alarms generated in the system, including an alarm corresponding to a display characteristic different from that of the display area 210, and perform an identification display of the alarms according to the display characteristic of the display area 210. In this case, the relationship between the alarms corresponding to the display characteristic and the other alarms is easily understood.It is noted that the identification display may be made by changing at least one of the size of a character, the presence or absence of an underline, the presence or absence of a highlight dot, the presence or absence of a shading, a font color, or the like.

[0067] In a case where the display area 210 in which the plurality of display features are set is present, the display control unit 256, in the display area 210, displays each alarm corresponding to all of the plurality of display features of the display area 210 and also collectively displays each of the indicator images 211 corresponding to the display features. For example, if two display features are set for the display area 210, the display control unit 256, in the display area 210, collectively displays the indicator image 211 corresponding to one of the display features and collectively displays the indicator image 211 corresponding to the other display feature. In one example, the display control unit 256 may display the plurality of indicator images 211 side by side in only one display area 210.In a case where the identification display of the alarms is performed according to all of the two display items, the identification display of the alarms may be performed in separate modes in accordance with the respective setting information, while the display control unit 256 displays the alarm corresponding to one display item in the display area 210, for example, in bold, and the alarm corresponding to the other display item, for example, with an underline.

[0068] In a case where the common display feature is set for two or more of the display areas 210 and unique display features, ie, different display features between the display areas 210, are further set, the display control unit 256 may collectively display, in each of these display areas 210, the indicator image 211 corresponding to at least the unique display feature among the display features of the display area 210. The display control unit 256 may also display the common display feature in each of these display areas 210.

[0069] The display control unit 256 can display the selected indicator image 211 as a watermark image. The watermark image can be a visible watermark and can be displayed by overlaying it with the alarm. Note that if the alarm is scrolled in the display area 210, the indicator image 211 can be displayed at the same position without tracking the alarm.

[0070] It should be noted that in a state where the alarm is displayed in the display area 210, one or more of the detailed information of the alarm may be modified in response to user operations with respect to the operation monitoring terminal 2. For example, the operation monitoring terminal 2 may modify one of the detailed information of the alarm into contents indicating that the alarm is reset, the display is suppressed, or the alarm has already been handled.

[0071] In step S23, the position and size setting unit 2511 of the display state setting unit 251 determines whether or not an operation signal is input to instruct a change in at least one of the number of display areas 210, the position, and the size. If it is determined that the operation signal is input (step S23: Yes), the position and size setting unit 2511 proceeds to the above-described processing in step S11. If it is determined that the operation signal is not input (step S23: No), the position and size setting unit 2511 proceeds to the processing in step S27.

[0072] It is noted that in a case where the operation signal for changing the display area 210 is input to execute the processing in step S11, the position and size setting unit 2511 changes at least one of the number of the display areas 210, the position, and the size in accordance with the operation signal.

[0073] In one example, the position and size adjustment unit 2511 may, in step S11, increase or decrease the number of display areas 210 on the display screen. In this case, if the number of display areas 210 is decreased in the following step S13, the feature adjustment unit 2512 does not need to perform any feature adjustment. In a case where the number of display areas 210 is increased, the feature adjustment unit 2512 may set at least one display feature for the enlarged display area 210.

[0074] Furthermore, in step S11, the position and size adjustment unit 2511 may change a size of the display area 210. In this case, in the subsequent step S21, the display control unit 256 may change at least one of the size and position of the indicator image to match the size of the display area 210. In one example, in a case where the indicator image does not fit within the display area 210 after the display area 210 is reduced, the display control unit 256 may reduce and display the indicator image.

[0075] In step S27, the feature setting unit 2512 of the display state setting unit 251 determines whether or not the operation signal for instructing the change of the display feature is input from one of the display areas 210. For example, the feature setting unit 2512 may determine that the operation signal is input to instruct the change of the display feature in accordance with a specific operation signal related to the display area 210 or the setting area of ​​the display feature. Furthermore, the feature setting unit 2512 may determine that the change of the display feature is instructed in accordance with a selection of an icon relevant to the display feature, or the like, an input of the display feature into an input field (not shown), or the like. In a case where it is determined that the operation signal is not input (step S27: No), the feature setting unit 2512 proceeds to the processing in step S15.In a case where it is determined that the operation signal is input (step S27: Yes), the feature setting unit 2512 proceeds to the processing in step S13.

[0076] Note that, in a case where the operation signal for changing the display feature is input to execute the processing in step S13, the feature setting unit 2512 changes the display feature of one of the display areas 210 in accordance with the operation signal. In one example, the feature setting unit 2512 may also delete or change the display feature already set for one of the display areas 210, and may also add a new display feature.

[0077] Subsequently, after the communication error is detected (step S15: Yes), the display control unit 256 displays the indicator image 211 corresponding to the communication error in the display area 210 in step S31 and proceeds to the above-described processing in step S15 (or step S11). In a case where a plurality of display areas 210 are set on the display screen, the display control unit 256 may display the indicator image 211 of the communication error in each of the display areas 210. The display control unit 256 may also continue to display the alarm obtained and extracted when the processing in step S17 was performed at the previous time in the display area 210. In this case, the display control unit 256 may display the displayed alarm in a lighter color than a color at the time of normal operation in which the communication error does not occur.That is, the display control unit 256 may also display a state in which the communication in the system is interrupted and the change is not reflected even if the operation command is made while the alarm information is displayed, with the characters and the like being displayed in a pale manner (in a lighter color).

[0078] According to the above-described processes, since the indicator image 211 is displayed as the watermark image, the alarm and the indicator image 211 can be displayed overlapping. Therefore, without limiting the area that can be used for the alarm display in the display area 210, the characteristic of the displayed alarm is easily understood.

[0079] Furthermore, in the display area 210 corresponding to at least a portion of one or more display areas 210 on the display screen, each alarm is displayed corresponding to all of the multiple display items, so that the alarms to be displayed can be narrowed down compared to a case where only one display item is specified. Therefore, it is possible to easily grasp the alarm of the desired item.

[0080] Furthermore, in the display area 210 for which the plurality of display features are set, since the plurality of indicator images 211 are displayed according to the display features of the display area 210, even in a case where the displayed alarms are narrowed down, it is possible to easily understand the feature of the displayed alarm without narrowing the range that can be used for the alarm display in the display area 210.

[0081] Furthermore, in a case where the common display feature is set for each of two or more of the display areas 210, after the alarms to be displayed are uniformly narrowed down using the common display feature, it is possible to further narrow down the alarms using the unique display feature.

[0082] Since in each of the display areas 210 for which the common display feature is set, the indicator image 211 is displayed corresponding to the unique display feature among the display features of the display area 210, even in a case where the plurality of display features are set, similarities and differences of the display features between the plurality of display areas 210 can be clarified.

[0083] Furthermore, since the common display characteristic is collectively set for each of two or more of the display areas 210, the setting can be facilitated compared to a case where the common display characteristic is individually set for each of the display areas 210.

[0084] Furthermore, the definition or setting of the feature can be facilitated since a selection is made as to whether the display feature is to be defined individually for two or more of the display areas 210 or collectively for two or more of the display areas 210.

[0085] Moreover, in a case where the communication error is detected, since the indicator image 211 corresponding to the communication error is displayed in the display area 210, unlike a case where the communication error is announced on the display screen outside the display area 210 or a case where the communication error is not announced on the display screen, it is possible to understand the occurrence of the communication error clearly and as intuitively (immediately).

[0086] Note that, in step S21 described above, the display control unit 256 displays the common display feature in each of the display areas 210. However, the display control unit 256 may also display the common display feature in an area other than the display area 210. In this case, the display control unit 256 may also display the common display feature as the indicator image 211 or display the common display feature as text indicating the contents of the display feature. The display control unit 256 may display the display area 210 for which the common display feature is set and the common display feature while linking them together.In one example, the display control unit 256 may display, using the same color, frames defining these display areas 210, as well as frames defining the display area of ​​the indicator image 211 corresponding to the common display feature, the text indicating the contents of the feature, or these (indicator image 211 and text). The display control unit 256 may also display, in an area different from the display area 210, a common feature window W1 (see FIG. Fig. 10) indicating the common display feature for all display areas 210. As described above, in a case where the common display feature is displayed in the area other than the display area 210, visibility can be improved by reducing the number of indicator images displayed in the display area 210. It should be noted that the display control unit 256 may further display a correspondence map between the display position (arrangement) of each of the display areas 210 on the screen and the unique display feature, ie, a unique feature window W2 (see Fig. 10) that displays an image illustrating which display feature corresponds to the display area 210 at which position. [3. Display example]

[0087] Fig. 3 shows a display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, according to an example, a setting area 215 for setting the display feature is provided on the left side of the display screen, and the alarm display area 210 is provided on the right side of the display screen.

[0088] In the setting area 215, a plurality of tabs (tabs) T are displayed for limiting the display items. According to the present embodiment, in one example, to limit the display items, the "Alarm" tab T is displayed for displaying all the display items, the "Shelving" tab T is displayed for displaying the display item of deferred alarms, and the "Suppression" tab T is displayed for displaying the display item of the alarms whose display is suppressed. Furthermore, in a state where the "Alarm" tab T is selected, all the display items are hierarchically displayed, and, according to the present embodiment, in one example, the display item displaying the process alarm is selected from among alarms related to "SIS" (security system). Then, the alarm corresponding to this display item is displayed in the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display item is displayed.Please note that for the sake of simplicity, the characters and numbers indicating the alarm contents in this drawing are . Fig. 4 to 10, described below, and the like are indicated by "*". After the display feature is selected, the setting range 215 can be reduced and displayed.

[0089] Fig. 4 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, according to an example, the "Shelving" tab is selected in the setting area 215, and the display feature classified as a "Shelving Group 1" is selected from the deferred alarms. In addition, the alarm corresponding to this display feature is displayed in the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature is displayed. In the case of the example in the drawing, the indicator image 211 of a filing (shelving) common to each filing group is displayed. Note that, as the indicator images 211 for "Shelving Group 1" and "Shelving Group 2," instead of displaying the indicator image 211 of the filing common to each filing group, the indicator images 211 unique to "Shelving Group 1" and "Shelving Group 2" may also be displayed.

[0090] Fig. 5 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, as an example, the "Suppression" tab T is selected in the setting area 215, and the display feature classified as a "Suppression Group 1" is selected from among the alarms whose display is suppressed. Furthermore, the alarm corresponding to this display feature is displayed in the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature (as an example, the indicator image 211 common to each suppression group) is displayed.

[0091] Fig. 6 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, as an example, a list of tool buttons is displayed in the setting area 215, and the display feature that displays the previously handled past alarm (history data) is selected. In addition, the alarm corresponding to this display feature is displayed in the display area 210, and the indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature is displayed.

[0092] Fig. 7 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, according to an example, the four display areas 210 are provided on the display screen, and the alarm and indicator image 211 corresponding to the display feature are displayed in each of the display areas 210.

[0093] Fig. 8 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, according to an example, only one display area 210 is provided on the display screen, and two setting areas 216 for setting the display features are provided on the upper side of the display area 210. Among them, in the setting area 216 on the left side in the drawing, when a symbol mark of the system error (a circular mark in this drawing) is selected from among symbol marks of each of the features, the display feature indicating the system error is set. Further, in the setting area 216 on the right side in the drawing, a symbol mark of the generation section (in which the alarm is generated) (a rectangular mark in this drawing) is selected.In addition, selectable features are hierarchically displayed, and the feature indicating that the generation section is "Section 1" is selected. In the display area 210, the alarms corresponding to all of these display features are displayed, and each of the indicator images 211 corresponding to these display features is displayed. Note that in each of the setting areas 216, a clear button B1 for clearing (cancelling) the display feature and a close button B2 for closing (cancelling display) the setting area 216 may be displayed. After the display feature is selected, a configuration in which the setting area 216 is not displayed may also be adopted.

[0094] Fig. 9 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, as an example, the three display areas 210 are provided on the display screen. The feature indicating the system error is set as the common display feature for these display areas 210, and the features indicating that the generation sections (of the alarm related to the system error) are "Section 1" to "Section 3" are set as the unique display features. Subsequently, the alarms corresponding to all these display features are displayed in each of the display areas 210, and each of the indicator images 211 corresponding to these display features is displayed.

[0095] Fig. Fig. 10 shows another display screen in a case where the display feature of the display area 210 is set. In this drawing, unlike Fig. 9, each of the indicator images 211 corresponding to the unique display features indicating "Section 1" to "Section 3" is displayed in each of the display areas 210. Furthermore, the common feature window W1 indicating the common setting feature indicating the system error, and the unique feature window W2 indicating the unique display features indicating that the generation sections are "Section 1" to "Section 3", as well as a correspondence image of the relevant positions in the display area 210 on the screen outside the display area 210 are provided on the display screen.

[0096] Note that, in accordance with the unique feature window W2, since the contents of the unique display features can be verified using the map, the indicator images 211 corresponding to the unique display features can also be simplified. According to one example, the indicator image 211 corresponding to the feature indicating that the generation section is "Section 1" may also display only "1" in the rectangular mark.

[0097] Furthermore, the common feature window W1 and the unique feature window W2 can also be used in a case where the display feature is changed. For example, when the user specifies the display feature for one of the display areas 210 in the common feature window W1 or the unique feature window W2, the display feature of the corresponding display area 210 can be set. According to one example, when the display feature in the common feature window W1 is changed, the common display feature can be changed collectively. Furthermore, by changing the display feature in the unique feature window W2, the unique display feature of the respective display area 210 can be changed individually.

[0098] Here, in a case where the operation for adding the display area 210 is performed from a state where only one display area 210 is displayed, the unique feature window W2 may be displayed outside the display area 210, and the unique display feature of the display area 210 in question may be set when the user designates the display feature in the unique feature window W2. Moreover, in a case where the display area 210 is added, the display feature of the previously existing display area 210 (in one example, the feature indicating the system error) may be set as the common display feature for the added display area 210, and the common feature window W1 may be displayed in the area other than the display area 210.

[0099] Fig. Figure 11 shows the display area 210 in a case where a communication error is detected. In this drawing, the alarm is not displayed in the display area 210, but the indicator image 211 corresponding to the communication error is displayed. [4. Modified example]

[0100] Note that while the above description has been made that the display controller 25 includes the storage unit 250, the display state setting unit 251, the acquisition and extraction unit 252, and the acquisition unit 255 according to the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which at least one of them is not included is also applicable. For example, a configuration in which the display controller 25 does not include the storage unit 250 is also applicable, and the storage unit 250 may be provided as an external storage that is separate from the display controller 25 and connected to the display controller 25. Furthermore, a configuration in which the display controller 25 does not include the display state setting unit 251 is also applicable, and display may also be performed based on only the default display state.Furthermore, a configuration in which the display controller 25 does not include the acquisition and extraction unit 252 is also applicable. In this case, the alarm management device 14 may include the acquisition and extraction unit 252, and when the display feature of each of the display areas 210 is given to the alarm management device 14, the display controller 25 may also receive the alarm extracted in accordance with the respective display feature from the alarm management device 14.

[0101] Furthermore, the description above has been made that the alarm is issued from the operation controller 13, but the alarm may also be issued from the field device 11. In a case where the alarm is issued from the field device 11, the acquisition and extraction unit 252 may also receive the alarm from the field device 11. Moreover, the description above has been made that the acquisition and extraction unit 252 receives the alarm generated in the facility from the alarm management device 14, but the alarm may also be received from the operation controller 13. In these cases, the alarm management device 14 may also be built into the operation monitoring terminal 2. The acquisition unit 255 may detect the communication error on the alarm detection route through the acquisition and extraction unit 252.In addition, the detection unit 255 can detect the communication error with the operation controller 13.

[0102] Furthermore, the display controller 25 is described above as a device separate from the input device 20, the display device 21, the operation controller 13, and the alarm management device 14, but may also be a device at least partially integrated therewith. According to one example, the display controller 25 may be incorporated into the alarm management device 14 and cause the display device 21 to display the processing result.

[0103] Furthermore, the above description has been made that the indicator image 211 is displayed as the watermark image overlapped with the alarm. However, a configuration in which the indicator image 211 is not set as the watermark image and the indicator image 211 is not displayed overlapped with the alarm in the display area 210 is also applicable.

[0104] Likewise, various embodiments of the present invention may be described using flowcharts and block diagrams. Blocks may represent (1) steps of processes in which operations occur, or (2) portions of devices responsible for performing operations. Certain steps and portions may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuitry and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuitry.Programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits that include logical AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements, etc., such as field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic array (PLA), etc.

[0105] Computer-readable medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions for execution by a suitable device, such that the computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein comprises a product of manufacture containing executable instructions to provide means for performing operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of a computer-readable medium may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, an electromagnetic storage medium, a semiconductor storage medium, etc.More specific examples of a computer-readable medium can be: a floppy disk (registered trademark), a floppy disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), BLU-RAY (registered trademark) disk, memory stick, smart card, and the like.

[0106] Computer-readable instructions may include: assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, JAVA (registered trademark), C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0107] Computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, or to a programmable circuit, locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, and the like. In this way, the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, or the programmable circuit, may execute the computer-readable instructions to provide means for performing operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of the processor include a computer processor, a processing unit, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a controller, a microcontroller, and the like.

[0108] Fig.12 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which several aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as an apparatus of the embodiments of the present invention or one or more portions thereof, or to perform operations associated therewith, and / or cause the computer 2200 to perform processes of the embodiments of the present invention or steps thereof. Such a program may be executed by a CPU 2212 such that the computer 2200 performs certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0109] The computer 2200 of the present embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are connected to each other via a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 further includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer further includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0110] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214, thus controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 receives image data generated by the CPU 2212 in an image memory or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0111] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 within the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads the programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0112] The ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 2200 at the time of activation, and / or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 can also connect various input / output devices to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, and the like.

[0113] A program is provided through a computer-readable medium such as the DVD-ROM 2201 or the IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, the RAM 2214, or the ROM 2230, which are also examples of a computer-readable medium, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described in these programs is read into the computer 2200, resulting in cooperation between a program and the above-mentioned various types of hardware resources. An apparatus or method can be constituted by realizing the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 2200.

[0114] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2214 to instruct the communication processing to the communication interface 2222 based on the processing described in the communication program. The communication interface 2222, under the control of the CPU 2212, reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or the IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to a network or writes reception data received from a network into a reception buffer area or the like provided in the recording medium.

[0115] Furthermore, the CPU 2212 can cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), the IC card, etc., to be read into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 can then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0116] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, can be stored in or on the recording medium to undergo information processing. The CPU 2212 can perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, condition judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described in this disclosure and denoted by an instruction sequence of programs, and write the result back to the RAM 2214. In addition, the CPU 2212 can search for information in a file, a database, etc., in the recording medium.For example, if a plurality of entries, each having a feature value of a first feature associated with a feature value of a second feature, are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 2212 may search for an entry among the plurality of entries that satisfies the condition whose feature value of the first feature is designated, and read the feature value of the second feature stored in the entry, thereby obtaining the feature value of the second feature associated with the first feature that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0117] The above-explained program or software modules may be stored in the computer 2200 or in the computer-readable medium near the computer 2200. Furthermore, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet may be used as the computer-readable medium, thereby making the program available to the computer 2200 via the network.

[0118] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments. It is further understood from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such modifications or improvements can be included within the technical scope of the invention.

[0119] The operations, procedures, steps, and stages of each process performed by an apparatus, system, program, and method depicted in the claims, embodiments, or drawings may be performed in any order, as long as the order is not indicated by "previous," "before," or the like, and as long as the output of a previous process is not used in a subsequent process. Even if the process flow is described by phrases such as "first" or "next" in the claims, embodiments, or drawings, this does not necessarily mean that the process must be performed in that order. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 asset management system 2 Operational monitoring terminal 11 Field device 13 Operations Controller 14 Alarm management device 20 Input device 21 Display device 25 display controllers 100 tax network 101 Network 210 display area 211 Indicator image 215 setting range 216 setting range 250 storage units 251 Display state setting unit 252 Capture and Extraction Unit 254 selection unit 255 registration unit 256 display control unit 2200 computers 2201 DVD-ROM 2210 host controller 2212 CPU 2214 RAM 2216 graphics controller 2218 Display device 2220 Input / Output Controller 2222 Communication interface 2224 hard disk drive 2226 DVD-ROM drive 2230 ROM 2240 input / output chip 2242 keyboard 2511 Position and size adjustment unit 2512 Feature setting unit

Claims

[1] Display control method, comprising: Ads, in a display area, of text of one or more alarms corresponding to only one selected alarm display feature; and an indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm indication feature as a watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms; and Displaying, outside the display area, a plurality of alarm display attributes, wherein the selected alarm display attribute is displayed among the plurality of alarm display attributes; wherein the one or more texts of the one or more alarms overlaid by the watermark image are readable despite the overlay by the watermark. [2] The display control method according to claim 1, further comprising: Select the indicator image according to the alarm display feature set for the display area, wherein the one or more alarms are among alarms generated in a facility. [3] The display control method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Setting the several of the alarm display features for the display area, where displaying in the display area a display in the display area, the text of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of several of the selected alarm display features; and each of the indicator images corresponding to the plurality of selected alarm display features as the watermark image such that watermark images overlay the one or more texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of the plurality of selected alarm display attributes; and Displaying outside the display area means displaying outside the display area that includes more than one of the selected alarm display features. [4] The display control method according to claim 3, further comprising: For the display area, select each of the indicator images corresponding to the several of the alarm display features set for the display area. [5] The display control method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Setting the alarm display feature for each of several display areas, including the display area; Selecting the indicator image according to the alarm display feature set for each of the plurality of display areas; wherein displaying in the display area comprises displaying in each of the plurality of display areas, the text of the one or more alarms corresponding to the selected alarm display feature in each of the corresponding display areas; and the indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm display feature as the watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms in each of the corresponding display areas; and Displaying outside the display area means displaying outside the display area that includes more than one of the selected alarm display features. [6] A display control method according to claim 5, wherein selecting includes selecting, for each of at least the portion of the display areas, an indicator image corresponding to each of the plurality of alarm display features set for the display area; and displaying in the display area includes displaying, in each of at least the portion of the display areas, each of a plurality of the selected indicator images for the display area. [7] The display control method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the setting includes setting a common alarm display feature for each of two or more of the display areas among the plurality of display areas. [8] The display control method according to claim 7, wherein displaying in the display area includes displaying, in each of the two or more of the display areas, each indicator image corresponding to a unique alarm display feature among each alarm display feature of the display area. [9] The display control method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein displaying in the display area includes displaying the common alarm display feature in an area different from each of the two or more display areas. [10] The display control method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the setting includes collectively setting the common alarm display feature for each of the two or more of the display areas in response to a user operation. [11] The display control method of claim 10, wherein the setting includes selecting, in response to a user operation, whether the alarm display feature is to be set individually or collectively for the two or more of the display areas. [12] A display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: Detecting an alarm generated in a facility; Detecting a communication error on an alarm detection route; and displaying an indicator image corresponding to the communication error in the display area in a case where the communication error is detected. [13] The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a height of the watermark image is greater than a height of one line of the one or more texts of the one or more alarms. [14] The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising scrolling the texts of the one or more alarms without changing the position of the watermark image. [15] The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising changing the size or position of the indicator image in response to a change in the size of the display area. [16] The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising receiving the one or more alarms from an operation control device or a field device. [17] The display control method of claim 16, wherein receiving includes receiving the one or more alarms over a wide area network. [18] The display control method of claim 17, wherein receiving the one or more alarms via the wide area network includes receiving the one or more alarms from a plurality of field devices. [19] Device comprising: - a display control unit for Displaying, in the display area, texts of one or more alarms corresponding to only one selected alarm display feature; and Displaying, in the display area, an indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm display attribute as a watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms; wherein the one or more texts of the one or more alarms overlaid by the watermark image are readable despite the overlay by the watermark image; and Displaying, outside the display area, a plurality of alarm display features, wherein the selected alarm display feature is displayed among the plurality of alarm display features. [20] The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: a selection unit configured to select the indicator image according to the alarm display feature set for the display area, wherein the one or more alarms are among alarms generated in a facility. [21] Apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising: a feature setting unit configured to set the plurality of alarm display features for the display area, wherein the display control device is further configured to display, in the display area, the texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of the plurality of selected alarm display features; and each of the indicator images corresponding to the plurality of selected alarm display features as the watermark image such that watermark images overlay the one or more texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of the plurality of selected alarm display features; and the display control device is further configured to display, outside the display area, the plurality of the selected alarm display features. [22] Apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising: a feature setting unit configured to set the alarm display feature for each of a plurality of display areas including the display area; a selection unit configured to select the indicator image corresponding to the alarm display feature set for each of the plurality of display areas; wherein the display control device is further configured to display, in each of the plurality of display areas, the texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to the selected alarm display feature, in each of the plurality of display areas; and the indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm display feature as the watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms, in each of the corresponding display areas; and the display controller is further configured to display, outside the plurality of display areas, the selected alarm display attributes corresponding to at least one of the plurality of display areas. [23] Program for causing a computer to act as the following units: a display control unit for Displaying, in a display area, texts of one or more alarms corresponding to only one selected alarm display feature; and Displaying, in the display area, an indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm display feature as a watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms; wherein the one or more texts of the one or more alarms overlaid by the watermark image are readable despite the overlay by the watermark image; and Displaying, outside the display area, a plurality of alarm display features, wherein the selected alarm display feature is displayed among the plurality of alarm display features. [24] The program of claim 23, further comprising causing the computer to act as the following units: a selection unit configured to select the indicator image according to the alarm display feature set for a display area, wherein the one or more alarms are among alarms generated in a facility. [25] A program according to claim 23 or 24, further for causing the computer to act as the following units: a feature setting unit configured to set the plurality of alarm display features for the display area, wherein the display control unit is further configured to display, in the display area, the texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of the plurality of selected alarm display features of the display area; and each of the indicator images corresponding to the plurality of selected alarm display features as the watermark image such that watermark images overlay the one or more texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to all of the plurality of selected alarm display features, and the display control unit is further configured to display, outside the display area, the plurality of the selected alarm display attributes. [26] A program according to claim 23 or 24, further for causing the computer to act as the following units: a feature setting unit configured to set an alarm display feature for each of a plurality of display areas including the display area; a selection unit configured to select the indicator image corresponding to the alarm display feature set for each of the plurality of display areas; wherein the display control unit is further configured to display, in each of the plurality of display areas, the texts of the one or more alarms corresponding to the selected alarm display feature in each of the plurality of display areas, and the indicator image corresponding to the selected alarm display attribute as the watermark image such that the watermark image overlays one or more of the texts of the one or more alarms in each of the corresponding display areas; and the display control unit is further configured to display, outside the plurality of display areas, the selected alarm display features corresponding to at least one of the plurality of display areas.

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