Operator-coordinating control system for a technical plant, and operating method

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system (80) for a technical plant (100), in particular a manufacturing or processing plant, said control system comprising a plurality of user interfaces (1, 60) for operating and monitoring the plant (100), wherein the user interfaces (1, 60) are designed to generate plant visualisations (2) for operators of the system (100). The control system (80) is designed, during runtime of the plant (100), to capture information from the operators via the user interfaces (1, 60) about assignments of plant visualisations (2) to one or more other operators, and to make each of the plant visualisations (2) assigned in this way to the operator(s) identifiable to said other operator(s) on the user interface (1, 60). This allows run-time dynamic and cross-operator coordination of priority plant visualisations for the operation and monitoring of plants. Operators can coordinate with each other efficiently, even for distributed plants using mobile devices.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Operator-coordinating control system for a technical facility and operating procedures

[0003] The invention relates to a control system for a technical plant, in particular a manufacturing or processing plant. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a control system of a technical plant.

[0004] Automation systems known as "control systems" are often used to monitor, operate, and manage technical systems, particularly large manufacturing or process plants. Such a system often includes one or more industrial controllers, automation servers, and user interfaces for operators (i.e., people who operate and monitor the system). The user interfaces can be, for example, PC-based operator stations or mobile devices. The control system can also include sensors for determining measured values, as well as various actuators. In addition, the control system can include so-called process- or production-related components that are used to control the actuators or sensors.Furthermore, the control system can optionally also include additional computing units for more complex control systems, systems for data storage and processing as well as systems for engineering.

[0005] To operate and monitor the systems, dynamic system visualizations are generated or presented to the operators on the user interfaces during runtime (i.e. during operation). The system visualizations can include system images, i.e. graphical representations of the system or its components, and different graphic views for displaying trends, alarm sequences or the states of process objects. In the system visualizations, operators can open additional windows for analyses or for entering control values, for example faceplates, history displays of measured values ​​and alarm message displays. Depending on their activity, an operator can have a large number of windows open and also make several entries at the same time.

[0006] EP 3 876 046 A1 discloses a control system for a technical plant that allows an operator to adapt a graphical representation of a plant generated by an operator station client during its runtime. For example, the operator can make adjustments to the graphical representation by selecting trend displays and / or message sequences. Such an adaptation is referred to as a "user selection." The graphical representation can include a plant image.

[0007] EP 3 637 205 A1 discloses a control system for a technical installation in which predefined operating information is stored in a memory by a first operator of a first operator station client, which is connected to an operator station server, during the runtime of the technical installation in such a way that it can be called up and used to configure an image display for a second operator of a second operator station client. The operating information can, for example, be compilations that the first operator has made using the first operator station client. A compilation is understood to be, for example, a collection of trends and installation images that can be opened again and again as a "predefined" selection.

[0008] Furthermore, there can be thousands of alarm sources in a control system. For efficient alarm management, an operator must be able to identify alarms as quickly as possible and navigate to their source. EP 4 083 731 A1 discloses a control system in which, for efficient alarm management, alarms are grouped together and then visually presented to the operators. EP 3508928 A1 discloses a method in which an operator can use an equipment hierarchy to better narrow down alarms to process objects and other objects in the control system.

[0009] EP 3 480 672 A1 discloses a control system in which, during the runtime of a system, markers are used in an equipment hierarchy and an image hierarchy to indicate which process objects operators are currently accessing. This should enable operators to identify, without consulting each other, which alarm-generating process objects still need to be processed.

[0010] A DCS system is known from US 2007 / 165031 A1 in which graphic process displays in engineering can be assigned to different operator functions or operator activities or even to different display devices in a configuration system.

[0011] EP 3 623 891 A1 discloses a control system in which an operator can create an image hierarchy for himself with the most important system images for him during the runtime of a system.

[0012] Typically, an operator takes action when alarms occur during operation, or to carry out routine checks or optimizations. Plant visualization hierarchies are used to navigate between different plant visualizations - i.e. the plant visualizations intended for operation and monitoring are offered via a hierarchical (expandable and collapsible) tree and can be selected from there and opened at runtime. Each node in the hierarchy references a plant visualization and a so-called group alarm status. The group alarm status represents the alarm status of the respective plant visualization, i.e. all alarms of the process objects in a plant visualization are summed up separately according to alarm classes and ORed upwards in the visualization hierarchy - in a so-called group or group display.When viewing the hierarchy, the operator can immediately see in which plant visualization the alarm-generating process objects are located and can navigate directly into them via Loop-In, even if they are not visible in a collapsed hierarchy.

[0013] Since several hundred plant visualizations are often necessary for the operation and monitoring of process engineering plants, several operators are often used to operate a plant.

[0014] Based on this, the object of the present invention is to further improve the operation and monitoring of the system in a control system with several operators.

[0015] This object is achieved by a control system for a technical installation having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, the object is achieved by a method for operating a control system of a technical installation according to claim 9. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the respective subclaims. A computer program is the subject of claim 17.

[0016] A control system according to the invention for a technical plant, in particular a production or process plant, comprises a plurality of user interfaces for operating and monitoring the plant, wherein the user interfaces are designed to generate plant visualizations for operators of the plant. The control system is designed to acquire, during runtime (i.e. during operation), information from the operators via the user interfaces about assignments of plant visualizations to one or more other operators, and to make the plant visualizations assigned to the other operator(s) identifiable to them on the user interfaces.The invention is based on the realization that, depending on the situation in the life cycle of a plant or in the event of an increased alarm frequency, it is necessary for the various operators of a plant to coordinate with one another and to distribute their work sensibly between the plant visualizations that currently have priority. This prevents several operators from operating and monitoring the same plant visualizations at the same time and neglecting other, equally priority plant visualizations. In practice, this is often handled by "shout-out", which, however, can only be a limited solution, especially with regard to large, distributed process plants and operation and monitoring using mobile devices.

[0017] With the invention, operators can now assign system visualizations to one or more other operators via the user interfaces while the system is in operation, based on criteria. The system visualizations assigned to the other operator(s) to whom a system visualization is assigned are identified on the user interfaces, so that they can quickly and intuitively recognize the system visualizations assigned to them and edit them based on criteria. The system visualizations assigned to an operator can be identified, for example, by color or special symbols on the user interface.

[0018] Preferably, the criterion is a priority, and assigning an operator to a system visualization means that they should process it with higher priority, i.e., with priority. However, it is also conceivable that the criterion refers to a lower priority, the operator's technical competence, or other criteria.

[0019] Operators can now efficiently coordinate the processing of plant visualizations – even for distributed systems and using mobile devices. Runtime-dynamic, cross-operator coordination of the processing of plant visualizations is possible for plant operation and monitoring.

[0020] The technical facility can, for example, be a process facility in the process industry, such as a chemical, pharmaceutical, or petrochemical facility; a facility in the food and beverages industry, a paper mill, a steel mill, or a thermal power plant. Furthermore, it also includes any manufacturing facilities from the discrete or hybrid manufacturing industry (e.g., for the manufacture of vehicles, batteries, or semiconductors). Other facilities, such as those for controlling a municipal drinking water supply or wastewater disposal, or facilities for generating energy, such as wind turbines or solar panels, are also encompassed by the term "technical facility."

[0021] Plant visualization can generally include, in a conventional manner, a graphical representation of a plant diagram of the technical plant, graphic windows with history displays of measured values ​​(e.g., trend displays) of the technical plant, message displays, graphic objects representing technical objects of the technical plant, text fields for operator inputs such as for control values ​​of a controller, and the like. In the case of a process plant, the plant diagram can, for example, include graphic representations of pumps, valves, tanks, pipelines, combustion chambers, or the like. The graphic representations can include current process measured values, status values, (alarm) messages, or the like.

[0022] The plant visualization visualizes a plant state that is actually present in the plant dynamically at a specific point in time during operation, i.e. values ​​of process variables, manipulated variables, controlled variables, measured values, alarms, flow rates, fill levels, operator inputs, etc. that are present in the plant at a specific point in time. An intuitively simple assignment of the plant visualizations to operators is possible if the control system is designed to present the plant visualizations to the operators on the user interface in a structured hierarchical tree that reflects in particular a technological (e.g. process engineering) hierarchy of the plant. For example, the control system can provide an editor in engineering via which the plant visualizations can be created and configured.

[0023] It is then advantageous for the control system to be designed to offer the possibility of recording information about the assignments for each of the plant visualizations in the tree.

[0024] The assignment of the plant visualizations to operators can be further simplified by the fact that the control system is designed to automatically determine operators registered in the control system during the runtime of the plant and to offer them to the operators for selection for assignment via the user interfaces.

[0025] If the operators are assigned access rights for plant visualizations, the control system is preferably designed to offer for selection only those operators who have access rights for the respective plant visualizations.

[0026] According to an advantageous embodiment, the system visualizations each comprise a system image with graphical representatives of objects of the system.

[0027] According to an advantageous embodiment, the control system is designed to dynamically generate a group alarm (sometimes also referred to as a "collective alarm") for each operator at a time during the runtime of the system and to present it visually on the user interfaces, wherein the group alarm only summarizes alarms from system objects that are covered at that time by the system visualizations assigned to the respective operator. The group alarm therefore only takes into account the alarms from the system visualizations assigned to an operator. This provides an operator with specific alarm management specifically geared to the operation and observation of the system visualizations assigned to him at a specific time, e.g. the priority system images assigned to him.

[0028] The control system preferably comprises at least one operator station server and a plurality of operator station clients connected to the operator station server, wherein the operator station clients provide the user interfaces and wherein the operator station server is designed to transmit visualization information to the operator station clients, and wherein the operator station clients are designed to generate the plant visualizations for the operators on the user interfaces based on the visualization information.

[0029] An "operator station server" is understood here to be a server that centrally records data from an operating and monitoring system and usually alarm and measured value archives from a control system of a technical plant and makes them available to users. The operator station server usually establishes a communication link to the automation systems of the technical plant and forwards data from the technical plant for visualization to the operator station clients, which are used to operate and monitor the operation of the individual functional elements of the technical plant. The operator station server can have client functions to access the data (archives, messages, tags, variables) of other operator station servers. This means that images of the operation of the technical plant on the operator station server can be combined with variables from other operator station servers (server-server communication).The operator station server can be, but is not limited to, a S IMATIC PCS 7 Industrial Workstation Server from S IEMENS.

[0030] An operator of the technical system can access the Operator Station Server via the Operator Station Client, which can be, for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a personal computer, a computer with a large-screen display in a control room or the like, for the purpose of operating and monitoring the technical system.

[0031] A method according to the invention for operating a control system for a technical plant, in particular a manufacturing or process plant, comprises a plurality of user interfaces for operating and monitoring the plant, wherein the user interfaces are designed to generate plant visualizations for operators of the plant. During runtime of the plant, the operators record information about assignments of plant visualizations to one or more other operators via the user interfaces, and the plant visualizations assigned to the other operator(s) are thereby made known to them on the user interfaces.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, the plant visualizations are presented to the operators in a structured hierarchical tree, which in particular reflects a technological hierarchy of the plant.

[0033] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method, an option for recording information about the assignments is offered for each of the plant visualizations in the tree. Advantageously, operators registered in the control system are automatically identified during plant runtime and offered for selection for assignment.

[0034] If the operators in the control system are assigned access rights for plant visualizations, then only those operators who have access rights for the respective plant visualizations will be offered for selection for assignment.

[0035] The plant visualizations can each include a plant image with graphical representatives of plant objects.

[0036] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, during the runtime of the system, a group alarm is dynamically generated for each operator at a time and visually presented on the user interfaces, which group alarm only summarizes alarms from system objects that are included at that time by the system visualizations that are assigned to the respective operator.

[0037] Preferably, the control system comprises at least one operator station server and a plurality of operator station clients connected to the operator station server, wherein the operator station clients provide the user interfaces, wherein the operator station server transmits visualization information to the operator station clients, and wherein the operator station clients generate the plant visualizations for the operators on the user interfaces based on the visualization information.

[0038] A computer program according to the invention comprises instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method described above. The advantages mentioned for the control system according to the invention apply accordingly to the method according to the invention.

[0039] The invention and further advantageous embodiments of the invention according to the features of the subclaims are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments in the figures, in which:

[0040] FIG 1 shows a system visualization for a first operator of a technical system on a first operator station client;

[0041] FIG 2 shows a detailed view of a hierarchy of plant visualizations and associated alarms from FIG 1;

[0042] FIG 3 shows a procedure for coordinating priority plant visualizations between several operators;

[0043] FIG 4 a visualization of a user selection for assigning plant visualizations to operators;

[0044] FIG 5 shows a detailed view of the user selection for assigning plant visualizations to operators of FIG 4 ;

[0045] FIG 6 a system visualization for a second operator of the technical system on a second operator station client;

[0046] FIG 7 shows a detailed view of a hierarchy of plant visualizations and associated alarms from FIG 6 ;

[0047] FIG 8 shows a control system according to the invention in a schematic representation.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a visualization 1 that presents a first user interface, provided here, for example, by a first operator station client 81 (see FIG. 8), to a first operator 01 of a technical system 100 (see FIG. 8) for operating and monitoring the system. The technical system is, for example, a manufacturing or process system.

[0049] The visualization 1 comprises, as its central component, an area 3 for a plant visualization 2 . Furthermore, it comprises an operator control panel 10 in a lower area, an alarm field 11 in an upper area, and an operator selection field 13 in a left-hand area. In the leftmost area 14, there is a selection menu for three different views in area 13: DSP for the output of plant visualizations, EQH for an equipment hierarchy, and AWS for user selections. The name of the current first operator, here "01," is output in a field 12 at the top right.

[0050] In the case of FIG 1, the view for an output of plant visualizations DSP has been selected and accordingly, in area 13, various plant visualizations are presented in a structured hierarchical (expandable and collapsible) tree 15 and can be selected from there and opened during runtime of the plant. FIG 2 shows this in an enlarged view. The tree reflects a technological hierarchy (e.g. process engineering hierarchy) of the plant. The plant visualization D_OV_PL currently selected by operator 01 and presented in area 3 is identified, e.g. by a background color (symbolized here by a dashed line 20, see FIG 2).

[0051] The plant visualization 2 comprises a plant diagram 5 with graphic representations of pipelines 6 and process objects such as tanks or boilers TI, T2, pumps Pl, P2, valves Vlvl, Vlv2, Vlv3 and flow meters F. Furthermore, the plant visualization 2 comprises graphic representations of associated measuring, control or control modules such as Mo- nAnS-Tl (monitoring module for an analog measured value of the fill level in the tank TI), MonAnS-T2 (monitoring module for an analog measured value of the fill level in the tank T2), MonAnS-F (monitoring module for an analog measured value of the flow in the pipe 6), MotS-Pl (control module for pump motor PI), MotS-P2 (control module for pump motor P2), PidConS-Vlv3 (PID controller module for controllable valve Vlv3), or Vlvs-Vlvl (valve control module for valve Vlvl) with an output of the respective current process measured values, status values, (alarm) messages or the like.

[0052] The system visualization 2 can also include so-called faceplates, trend curves for measured values ​​and an alarm message display, which are not shown here.

[0053] The plant visualization 2 visualizes a plant state that is actually present in the plant during its runtime (i.e. during operation) dynamically at a specific point in time, i.e. values ​​of process variables, control values, controlled variables, measured values, alarms, flow rates, fill levels, operator inputs, etc. that are present in the plant at a specific point in time.

[0054] As shown in more detail in FIG 2, in the area 13 to the left of each of the plant visualizations in the tree 15, alarms from process objects of the respective plant visualizations are output, wherein the alarms are divided into different alarm classes (in the exemplary embodiment, there are four alarm classes), each represented by a square element 16. Each node of the tree 15 or the hierarchy formed thereby references not only a plant visualization but also a so-called group alarm status. The group alarm status represents the alarm status of the respective plant visualization, i.e. all alarms of the process objects in a plant visualization below the node are summed up separately according to alarm classes and ORed upwards in the hierarchy - in a display of a so-called group alarm (collective alarm) 17, 18 or 19.When viewing the hierarchy, the operator can immediately identify which plant visualization contains alarm-generating process objects and navigate directly to them via loop-in, even if they are not visible in a collapsed hierarchy. At the highest level of the hierarchy, an overview group alarm (or collective alarm) 19 is output, which summarizes all alarms or group alarms located below it in the hierarchy. With the aid of FIG. 3, a method sequence 30 according to the invention for coordinating the processing of plant visualizations between multiple operators will now be explained.

[0055] In a first step 31, operator 01 selects the view for the user selection AWS. A window then opens - as shown in FIG 4 - in which operator 01 is offered the user selections "Trend selections" TS, "Group alarm selections" GS and "Prioritized plant visualizations" PAV for selection in the left area 13. The user selection "Prioritized plant visualizations" PAV is used for the inventive assignment of plant visualizations to operators, so that operators can specify which plant visualizations are to be processed for which operators and with which priority (here, for example, primary priority).

[0056] An operator station server 83 (see FIG 8) of the control system is designed to automatically determine, during the runtime of the system, whether operators logged on to the control system are authorized to carry out prioritizations of system visualizations, and the user selection "prioritized system visualizations" PAV is only offered for selection to authorized operators.

[0057] In a second step 32, operator 01 selects the option “prioritized plant visualizations” PAV in the left-hand area, which opens a window 40 designed as a sidebar to the right, in which window 40, in a left-hand area 41 for the hierarchy of plant visualizations PDH, the various plant visualizations are presented to operator 01 in a structured manner in the hierarchical tree 15, which reflects the technological hierarchy of the plant. This is shown in detail in FIG 5. The visualization 1 now offers, in a right-hand area 42 of window 40, for each of the plant visualizations in the tree 15 an option for recording information about their assignments OA to one of the operators.

[0058] The operator station server 83 (see FIG. 8) is designed to automatically determine operators registered in the control system during the runtime of the system and to offer them to the operators for selection via selection fields in the area 42 of the window 40 for assignment.

[0059] If the operators are assigned access rights for the plant visualizations, then the operator station server 83 (see FIG 8) is designed to offer for selection in the selection fields only those operators who have access rights for the respective plant visualizations.

[0060] In a third step 33, the operator 01 now assigns one or more of the system visualizations to himself or to one or more of the other offered operators.

[0061] FIGS 4 and 5 show, by way of example, an assignment of the first operator 01 to the plant visualization SP1, which has already been made by operator 01, and an assignment of a second operator 02 and a third operator 03 to the plant visualization D_0V_SP2, which have already been made. Furthermore, FIGS 4 and 5 show an open operator selection field 45 for the plant visualization D_H1, in which the operators 02, 03, and 04 are offered for selection. A colored background (symbolized here by a dashed line 46) indicates that operator 02 is currently preselected in the selection field 45.

[0062] In a fourth step 34, the assigned plant visualizations are now identified for operator 01 and the other operators, each of whom is assigned one or more of the plant visualizations. In addition, a group alarm is dynamically generated for each operator at a specific time and visually presented on the user interfaces. This group alarm only summarizes alarms from plant objects that are, at that time, included in the plant visualizations assigned to the respective operator.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a visualization 60, which presents a second user interface, provided here, for example, by a second operator station client 82 (cf. FIG. 8), to the second operator 02 of the system for operating and monitoring the system. In terms of structure and content, the visualization 60 is similar to the visualization 1 generated for the operator 01 according to FIG. 1, which is why identical elements are also provided with the same reference symbols.

[0064] The main difference from FIG 1 is that the plant visualizations D_0V_SP2 and D_H1 assigned to operator 02 by operator 01 in the previous step are identified in the tree or hierarchy 15 by a colored background, which is symbolized in FIG 6 and in detail in FIG 7 by dotted lines 70. Also identified in the tree 15 (symbolized by a dashed line 20) is the plant visualization D_OV_PL currently selected by operator 02 and presented in the right-hand area 3.In addition, in the alarm area, in addition to the overview group alarm D_A_0V (see reference numeral 19) across all plant visualizations, a further overview group alarm D_A_0V_P (see reference numeral 71) is inserted, which only summarizes alarms from plant objects that are included at the time in the plant visualizations that are assigned to operator 02 (here the plant visualizations D_OV_SP2 and D_H1).

[0065] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a control system 80 according to the invention for operating and monitoring a process plant 100. The control system 80 comprises the previously mentioned operator station clients 81, 82 and the operator station server 83. The operator station clients 81 and 82 are each designed to provide a user interface in the form of a visualization, i.e., a graphical representation, for operating and monitoring the process plant 100.

[0066] The operator station server 83 and the operator station clients 81, 82 are connected to one another via a terminal bus 84 and optionally to other components of the control system 80 (not shown). The operator station client 81 is, for example, a PC-based individual operator workstation, and the operator station client 82 is a mobile terminal device.

[0067] For the purpose of operating and monitoring, an operator can access the operator station server 83 via one of the operator station clients 81, 82 using the terminal bus 84. For example, operator 01 works on the operator station client 81, and operator 02 works on the operator station client 82. The terminal bus 84 can, for example, be configured as Industrial Ethernet, without being limited thereto.

[0068] The operator station server 83 has a device interface 85 connected to a plant bus 86. Via this device interface 85, the operator station server 83 can communicate with automation devices 87 as well as with optionally present additional components of the process plant 100, such as peripheral devices (not shown). The plant bus 86 can be configured, for example, as Industrial Ethernet, without being limited thereto.

[0069] On the operator station server 83, a visualization service 91, a process image / event manager 92, an alarm manager 93, a user selection manager 94 and a memory 95 are implemented (among others).

[0070] The visualization service 91 initiates a transmission of visualization information to the operator station client 81 or 82. For this purpose, the visualization service 91 comprises a plant visualization hierarchy 98, a process object 99, and a user selection service 97.

[0071] On the operator station client 81, the visualization 1 according to Figures 4 and 5 is presented as an example, and on the operator station client 82, the visualization 60 according to Figures 6 and 7 is presented as an example.

[0072] The user selection service 97 is responsible for the functionalities of the user selections according to FIGS 4 and 5 (symbolized in FIG 8 by an arrow I).

[0073] With the aid of the system visualization hierarchy 98, the hierarchy or tree 15 of the system visualizations and the alarms or group alarms is visualized according to Figures 6 and 7 (symbolized by an arrow II in Figure 8). This applies accordingly to the system visualizations and the alarms or group alarms according to Figures 1 and 2.

[0074] Plant visualizations PD generated in engineering are stored in the memory 95 (here, for example, the plant visualizations D_l, D_2, D_3).

[0075] A snapshot of the (signal) states of devices and / or applications connected to the operator station server 83 is stored in the process image / event manager 92. For this purpose, the process image / event manager 92 can also access the memory 95 with the plant visualizations D_l, D_2, D_3 and generates the alarms and group alarms of the plant visualizations D_l, D_2, D_3 (abbreviated to "DAS" for Display Alarm Status), which in turn are formed from all (active) alarms of the process objects that are present as a block symbol in the respective plant visualization.

[0076] An alarm service 96 can read alarm messages from the process image of the process image / event manager 92 and generates the alarms for the alarm displays and group alarms 16, 17, 18, 19, 71 according to Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7, which are then presented on the operator station clients 81 and 82, respectively, with the aid of the plant visualization hierarchy 98.

[0077] The plant visualization hierarchy 98 can also access the plant visualizations D_1, D_2, D_3 and the process image of the process image / event manager 92 in order to then present them on the operator station clients 81 and 82 (symbolized by an arrow III).

[0078] The user selection manager 94 also has access to the memory 95 of the operator station server 83. User profiles and personal settings of operators of the process plant 100 can be stored there.

[0079] The user selection service 97 and the user selection manager 94 are expanded to include the user selection “prioritized plant visualizations” PAV (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0080] If a user selection is modified on one of the operator station clients 81, 82 with the aid of the user selection service 97, here for example on the operator station client 81, this is recorded by the user selection manager 94 (symbolized in FIG 8 by an arrow VI), persisted and the change is also distributed to any other available operator station servers, so that the change is automatically distributed to all operator station clients.

[0081] The user selection manager 94 also informs the plant visualization hierarchy 98 of this change (symbolized by the arrow V). The plant visualization hierarchy 98 and the visualization 60 generated on this basis thus take into account the user selection "prioritized plant visualizations" PAV used by an operator in order to highlight the respective operator's priority plant visualizations and to implement the described alarm management for the groups or collective displays of the plant visualizations.

[0082] The invention thus enables runtime-dynamic, cross-operator coordination of priority plant visualizations for the operation and monitoring of process plants with prioritized alarm management. Operators can coordinate efficiently—even for distributed plants using mobile devices. At the same time, alarm management for priority plant visualizations is possible.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Control system (80) for a technical plant (100), in particular a production or process plant, comprising a plurality of user interfaces (1, 60) for operating and monitoring the plant (100), wherein the user interfaces (1, 60) are designed to generate plant visualizations (2) for operators of the plant (100), characterized in that the control system (80) is designed to acquire, during the runtime of the plant (100), from the operators via the user interfaces (1, 60), information about assignments of plant visualizations (2) to one or more other operators in each case, and to indicate to the other operator(s) on the user interfaces (1, 60) the plant visualizations (2) assigned to them in each case.

2. Control system (80) according to claim 1, wherein it is designed to present the plant visualizations (2) to the operators on the user interfaces (1, 60) in a structured manner in a hierarchical tree (15) which in particular reflects a technological hierarchy of the plant (100).

3. Control system (80) according to claim 2, wherein it is designed to offer a possibility for recording the information about the assignments for each of the plant visualizations (2) in the tree (15).

4. Control system (80) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein it is designed to automatically determine operators registered in the control system (80) during runtime of the system (100) and to offer them to the operators for selection via the user interfaces (1, 60) for assignment.

5. Control system (80) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the operators are assigned access rights for plant visualizations (2) and wherein the control system (80) is designed to only use the plant visualizations (2) in each case to offer those operators for selection for assignment who have access rights for the respective plant visualizations (2).

6. Control system (80) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant visualizations (2) each comprise a plant image (5) with graphical representatives of objects of the plant (100).

7. Control system (80) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein it is designed to dynamically generate a group alarm (71) for the operators at a time during the runtime of the system (100) and to present it visually on the user interfaces (1, 60), which group alarm exclusively summarizes alarms from system objects that are included at the time by the system visualizations (2) that are assigned to the respective operator.

8. Control system (80) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises at least one operator station server (83) and a plurality of operator station clients (81, 82) connected to the operator station server (83), wherein the operator station clients (81, 82) provide the user interfaces (1, 60), wherein the operator station server (83) is designed to transmit visualization information to the operator station client (81, 82), and wherein the operator station clients (81, 82) are designed to generate the plant visualizations (2) for the operators on the user interfaces (1, 60) based on the visualization information.

9. Method for operating a control system (80) for a technical plant (100), in particular a manufacturing or process plant, comprising a plurality of user interfaces (1, 60) for operating and monitoring the plant (100), wherein the user interfaces (1, 60) are designed to generate plant visualizations (2) for operators of the plant (100), characterized in that, during the runtime of the system (100), the operators collect information about assignments of system visualizations (2) to one or more other operators via the user interfaces (1, 60), and the system visualizations (2) assigned to the other operators are thereby made known to them on the user interfaces (1, 60).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plant visualizations (2) are presented to the operators in a structured manner in a hierarchical tree (15) which in particular reflects a technological hierarchy of the plant (100).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein for each of the system visualizations (2) in the tree (15) an option for recording the information about the assignments is offered.

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, wherein during the runtime of the system (100) in the control system (80) registered operators are automatically determined and offered for selection for assignment.

13. Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the operators are assigned access rights for plant visualizations (2) and for the plant visualizations (2) only those operators are offered for selection for assignment who have access rights for the respective plant visualizations (2).

14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the plant visualizations (2) each comprise a plant image (5) with graphical representatives of objects of the plant (100).

15. Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, wherein during the running time of the system (100) a group alarm (71) is generated dynamically for the operators at a time and is presented visually on the user interfaces (1, 60), which only summarizes alarms from plant objects that are at that time included in the plant visualizations (2) assigned to the respective operator.

16. The method according to one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the control system (80) comprises at least one operator station server (83) and a plurality of operator station clients (81, 82) connected to the operator station server (83), wherein the operator station clients (81, 82) provide the user interfaces (1, 60), wherein the operator station server (83) transmits visualization information to the operator station clients (81, 82), and wherein the operator station clients (81, 82) generate the plant visualizations (2) for the operators on the user interfaces (1, 60) based on the visualization information.

17. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

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