Operator support in automated systems

Abstract

In an automation system implementing a process flow that is displayed to an operator through several linked graphical objects (12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 30, 36, 40, 44, 48), a simulation comparison device obtains current status data of a current operation of the automation system having a current automation system parameter setting, receives a first simulation selection involving a selection of a simulation (S2) with an automation system parameter setting different from the current automation system parameter setting, receives a second simulation selection involving a selection of another simulation (S3) with an automation system parameter setting different from the current automation system parameter setting and different from the automation system parameter setting of the first simulation selection, determines at least one difference in the operation for the simulations (S2, S3), and displays the at least one difference through manipulating graphical objects (36, 40) corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the difference in operation.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a simulation comparison device, a computer program and a computer program product for assisting an operator of an automation system, as well as to an automation system equipped with such a simulation comparison device. [Background technology]

[0002] Process control is important to ensure stable production in different automation systems, such as mining, oil, chemical processing, or power generation systems. Process control may need to rely on simulations, and operators may request the automation system to generate different simulations of the process based on different scenarios to support the operators in making decisions in managing the process. However, having several simulations with different configurations and results may lead to information overload for the operators to quickly and thoroughly evaluate them and make appropriate decisions.

[0003] WO2005 / 109122 discloses a system that can be used to display the results of a simulation. According to this document, the same graphical objects can be used in the design of different visualizations, such as process control and simulation. The graphical objects can be used, for example, in a simulation view and an operator view.

[0004] However, the results of changing settings can be difficult to evaluate as they are often not readily apparent from such simulations, nor is there any discussion of how some simulations are handled.

[0005] This calls for improvements in the way simulations are handled in automated systems.

[0006] The present invention is concerned with improving the way in which such simulations are displayed so that the operator can get a better overview of the results of the simulations compared with each other. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention addresses this situation. The present invention therefore aims to solve the problem of simplifying for an operator of an automation system to carry out control activities such as setting automation system parameters.

[0008] This object is achieved according to a first aspect through a method for assisting an operator of an automation system, where the automation system implements a process flow that is displayed to the operator through a number of linked graphical objects representing elements in the process flow, the method being executed by a simulation comparison device, comprising: Obtaining current status data of a current operation of the automation system, where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; receiving a first simulation selection from an operator, where the first simulation selection involves selecting a simulation with an automation system parameter setting different from a current automation system parameter setting; receiving a second simulation selection from the operator, where the second simulation selection involves a selection of another simulation with automation system parameter settings different from the current automation system parameter settings and different from the automation system parameter settings of the simulation selected in the first simulation selection; Determining at least one difference between the performance of the first simulation selection and the performance of the second simulation selection; displaying at least one difference in the operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the difference in operations are manipulated; Equipped with.

[0009] This object is achieved according to a second aspect through a simulation comparison device for assisting an operator of an automation system, the automation system implementing a process flow which is displayed to the operator through a number of linked graphical objects representing elements in the process flow, the simulation comparison device comprising: Obtaining current status data of a current operation of the automation system, where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; receiving a first simulation selection from an operator, where the first simulation selection involves selecting a simulation with an automation system parameter setting different from a current automation system parameter setting; receiving a second simulation selection from the operator, where the second simulation selection involves a selection of another simulation with automation system parameter settings different from the current automation system parameter settings and different from the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection; Determining at least one difference between the performance of the first simulation selection and the performance of the second simulation selection; displaying at least one difference in the operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the difference in operations are manipulated; The present invention is configured to perform the following steps.

[0010] This object is achieved according to a third aspect through an automated system comprising a simulation comparison device according to the second aspect.

[0011] This object is achieved according to a fourth aspect through a computer program for assisting an operator of an automation system implementing a process flow which is displayed to the operator through a number of linked graphical objects representing elements in the process flow, the computer program being configured to execute a simulation comparison device, the computer program being configured, when loaded into the simulation comparison device, to: Obtaining current status data of a current operation of the automation system, where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; receiving a first simulation selection from an operator, where the first simulation selection involves selecting a simulation with an automation system parameter setting different from a current automation system parameter setting; receiving a second simulation selection from the operator, where the second simulation selection involves a selection of another simulation with automation system parameter settings different from the current automation system parameter settings and different from the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection; Determining at least one difference between the performance of the first simulation selection and the performance of the second simulation selection; displaying at least one difference in the operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the difference in operations are manipulated; The present invention comprises computer program code configured to cause the

[0012] This object is achieved according to a fifth aspect through a computer program product for assisting an operator of an automation system, the computer program product being provided on a data carrier comprising a computer program having computer program code according to the fourth aspect.

[0013] The performance difference may be a performance difference caused by the use of different automation system parameter settings.

[0014] The current status data may be obtained when the automation system is run using the current automation system settings.

[0015] The automated system is thus provided with automated system parameters, which can be set by an operator to obtain an automated system parameter setting.

[0016] The manipulation may comprise a change in color, which may additionally or alternatively comprise a highlighting of the object.

[0017] According to a first variant of the first aspect, the method further comprises determining, for each element experiencing a difference in effort, an amount by which the effort differs, where the manipulating comprises manipulating an object representing the element to reflect the amount, where the manipulating may involve changing a brightness of the object.

[0018] According to a corresponding variation of the second aspect, the simulation comparison device is further configured to determine, for each element experiencing a difference in effort, an amount by which the effort differs, and when configured to manipulate a graphical object, is configured to manipulate an object representing the element to reflect the amount, wherein the manipulation may involve changing a brightness of the object.

[0019] An element may comprise a path along which a process flow occurs, which may be represented by a graphical object in the form of a line, where the difference in work associated with the path may be displayed through varying line thickness.

[0020] The simulations of the first simulation selection and the second simulation selection may be displayed as selectable thumbnail images in a thumbnail window.

[0021] Thus, the method may additionally comprise displaying, in a thumbnail window, thumbnail images corresponding to a number of available simulations, and receiving first and second selections as selections of corresponding thumbnail images in the thumbnail window.

[0022] In a corresponding manner, the simulation comparison device may be further configured to display, in the thumbnail window, thumbnail images corresponding to a number of available simulations, and to receive first and second selections as selections of corresponding thumbnail images in the thumbnail window.

[0023] Each thumbnail image may comprise a representation of an automated system element in the process flow, and elements that have automated system parameter settings that differ from the current automated system parameter settings in the corresponding simulation are highlighted in the thumbnail image. The highlighting may be done through the use of different colors. Elements with different settings may be black, for example, and other elements may be white.

[0024] The simulation comparison device may arrange the thumbnail images in a thumbnail window in a priority order. The order may be the order in which the simulations meet key performance indicator criteria. It may be, for example, according to which simulation has the highest or lowest key performance indicator value. It may also be a ranking according to safety.

[0025] A process flow may therefore have several key performance indicators.

[0026] In this case, the method may further comprise determining the impact of each of the selected simulations on each of the key performance indicators and displaying this impact.

[0027] In this case, the simulation comparison device may be further configured to determine the impact of each of the selected simulations on each of the key performance indicators and display this impact.

[0028] The impact of the simulation on the key performance indicators may be displayed in association with the objects representing the key performance indicator values ​​of the current work or in association with the objects representing the key performance indicator values ​​of the simulation. The impact, which may be an increase or decrease, may be displayed in or adjacent to the object representing the key performance indicator.

[0029] The method may further comprise receiving a first display mode selection from an operator, where in the first display mode selection, determining at least one difference in the work comprises determining a difference in the work between a simulation of the first simulation selection and a simulation of the second simulation selection, and displaying the at least one difference comprises displaying a set of linked objects common to the selected simulations, and a display scheme is used in displaying the set of linked objects.

[0030] Accordingly, the simulation comparison device may additionally be configured to receive a first display mode selection from the operator, where in the first display mode selection, the simulation comparison device is configured to determine a difference in work between a simulation of the first simulation selection and a simulation of the second simulation selection when configured to determine at least one difference in work, and is configured to display one set of linked objects common to the selected simulations when configured to display the at least one difference, and a display scheme is used in displaying the set of linked objects.

[0031] Displaying may also comprise, in this case, displaying the linked graphical objects in one process for the simulations of the first and second selections, so that there may be one displayed process flow that is used for both simulations.

[0032] The method may additionally comprise receiving a second display mode selection from the operator, where in the second display mode selection determining at least one difference in work comprises determining a first difference in work for a simulation of the first simulation selection and determining a second difference in work for a simulation of the second simulation selection, where the first difference in work is a difference in work between an automation system run with current automation system parameter settings and an automation system run with automation system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection, and the second difference in work is a difference in work between an automation system run with current automation system parameter settings and an automation system run with automation system parameter settings of the simulation in the second simulation selection, and displaying the at least one difference comprises displaying the first difference in work in a first group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme and displaying the second difference in work in a second group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme, where the graphical objects in the first and second groups that correspond to each other are displayed together.

[0033] The simulation comparison device may be configured to receive a second display mode selection from the operator, whereby in the second display mode selection determining at least one difference in the work comprises determining a first difference in the work for the simulation of the first simulation selection and determining a second difference in the work for the simulation of the second simulation selection, where the first difference in the work is a difference in the work between the automation system run with current automation system parameter settings and the automation system run with automation system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection and the second difference in the work is a difference in the work between the automation system run with the current automation system parameter settings and the automation system run with the automation system parameter settings of the simulation in the second simulation selection, and when configured to display the at least one difference, the simulation comparison device is configured to display the first difference in the work in a first group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme and display the second difference in the work in a second group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme, where the graphical objects in the first and second groups that correspond to each other are displayed together.

[0034] Objects that correspond to each other may be displayed one over the other, or they may alternatively be displayed next to each other.

[0035] The present invention has several advantages. It allows an operator to compare the results of the application of selected simulations in an automation system. The operator can thereby efficiently compare the effects of multiple simulations on a process. The operator may be able to immediately understand the pros and cons of a simulation with respect to being used for control. The operator may also be able to select parameter settings to be used in a process in a more effective manner.

[0036] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic representation of an automation system in the form of a mining system with several operations. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a schematic representation of one implementation of a simulation comparison device for use in an automated system. [Diagram 3] 5 illustrates several steps performed by a simulation comparison device in a method for assisting an operator of an automated system. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating a first screen presented to an operator by a simulation comparison device; [Diagram 5] 13A and 13B show diagrammatically a second screen presented to an operator by the simulation comparison device, which shows the effect of the first and second simulations on different KPIs; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a third screen presented to an operator by a simulation comparison device, where the third screen illustrating the differences between the second and third simulations is displayed in common view. [Figure 7] 13 shows a schematic representation of a fourth screen presented to an operator by the simulation comparison device, in which the second and third simulations are shown with different values ​​of the KPIs; [Figure 8] 13 shows a schematic of a fifth screen presented to an operator by the simulation comparison device, showing the second and third simulations together with a trend comparison window showing the trends of the KPIs in the two simulations. [Figure 9] 1 shows a data carrier having computer program code in the form of a CD-ROM disc for implementing a machine setpoint determination device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In the following, a detailed description is given of preferred embodiments of an automation system, as well as a method, a simulation comparison device, a computer program, and a computer program product for assisting an operator of the automation system.

[0039] 1 illustrates generally an exemplary automation system 10, which in this case is a mining system. However, it should be appreciated that this is merely one example of an automation system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. Examples of other types of automation systems are systems such as paper and pulp production systems, oil and gas production systems, and power generation and transmission systems.

[0040] In such a system, there may be a work process flow in which several operations are performed. As an example for mining, the operations comprise a material production operation MPO, which in the case of mining may be a first ore production operation, for example a blasting operation. In this example, there is a first production point 12, a second production point 14, a third production point 16, and a fourth production point 18, and in this example a material production operation MPO is performed at each of the production points 12, 14, 16, and 18.

[0041] The material production operation MPO is followed by a first material handling operation MHO1 for moving material away from the production points 12, 14, 16, and 18. The first material handling operation MHO1 may be considered to be a first material transport operation, which may additionally be a first ore transport operation involving transporting ore using equipment such as LHD (Load Haul and Dump) vehicles. In the figure there is a first LHD vehicle 20 moving material away from the first production point 12, a second LHD vehicle 22 moving material away from the second production point 14, a third LHD vehicle 24 moving material away from the third production point 16, and a fourth LHD vehicle 26 moving material away from the fourth production point 18. The first material handling operation MHO1 is followed by a first storage operation SO1, which in this case is a first intermediate material storage operation. This first storage operation SO1 may involve storing material in a material store, which in this case may be a so-called ore path. Here, there is a first material store 28 at the first material storage point and a second material store 30 at the second material storage point. The material stores 28, 30 and 32 may be connected to the material production points 12, 14, 16 and 18 via several paths in the form of at least one road network. In the example of FIG. 1, the first material store 28 is connected to the first and second production points 12 and 14 via a first road network, while the second material store 30 is connected to the third and fourth production points 16 and 18 via several paths in the form of a second road network. The first and second LHDs 20 and 22 may therefore transport material to a first material storage location 28 via a first road network, and the third and fourth LHDs 24 and 26 may transport material to a second material storage location 30 via a second road network.

[0042] The first storage operation SO1 is followed by a second material handling operation MHO2 for moving material away from the first and second material stores 28 and 30. The second material handling operation MHO2, which may be a second material transport operation, also involves the transport of material using LHD vehicles. In the figure, there is a fifth LHD vehicle 32 moving material from the first material store 28 and a sixth LHD vehicle 34 moving material from the second material store 14. The second material handling operation MHO2 is followed by a second storage operation SO2, which in this case is a second intermediate material storage operation. This intermediate material storage operation SO2 may also involve storing material in a material store, which may likewise be one or more ore passes if the material is ore. Here, there is a third material store 36 at a third material storage location. The third material storage 36 may be connected to the first and second material storages 28 and 30 via several routes in the form of a third road network. The fifth and sixth LHD vehicles 32 and 34 may thereby transport material from either of the material storages 28 and 30 to the third material storage 36 of the second storage operation SO2.

[0043] The second storage operation SO2 is followed by a third material handling operation MHO3 for moving material away from the third material storage 36. The third material handling operation MHO3, which may be a third material transport operation, also involves transporting material using LHD vehicles. Shown is a seventh LHD vehicle 38 moving material from the third material storage 36.

[0044] The third material handling operation MHO3 is followed by a third storage operation SO3, which in this case is a third intermediate material storage operation. This intermediate material storage operation SO3 may also involve storing material in a material store, which may similarly be one or more ore passes if the material is ore. Here, there is a fourth material store 40 at the fourth material storage location. The fourth material store 40 may be connected to the third material store 36 via a path, such as a road, or a track. A seventh LHD vehicle 38 may thereby transport material from the third material store 36 to the fourth material store 40 of the third storage operation SO3.

[0045] The third storage operation SO3 is followed by a fourth material handling operation MHO4 for moving material away from the fourth material store 40, which may be a fourth material transport operation involving transport using transport equipment such as trucks, trains, wagons, or belt conveyors. In this example, the transport involves the use of an eighth LHD vehicle 42. It is then followed by a fifth material handling operation MHO5, which may be a fifth material transport operation that is, by way of example, a hoisting operation using hoisting equipment 44. The hoisting operation may also be considered to be an ore handling operation. The eighth LHD vehicle 42 may thereby use a path or track, such as a road, between the fourth material store 40 and the hoisting equipment 44.

[0046] The fifth material handling operation MHO5 is followed by a sixth material handling operation MHO6 for moving the material away from the hoisting equipment 44. This is done using a transport device 46, which in this case is a wagon moving along a track in the form of a rail. The sixth material handling operation MHO6 is followed by a fourth storage operation S04, which involves storing the material in a fifth material store 48. The wagon 46 is moved along a path which thereby runs between the hoisting equipment 44 and the fifth material store 48.

[0047] Finally, there is a control device CD 50 that can receive measurements from the different equipment involved in the automation process and also send commands to them. Such an exchange of signals takes place between all the equipment in each of the operations and the control device 50. However, in the first four operations, signals are shown only for the first production point 12 in the material production operation MPO, the first LHD vehicle 20 in the first material handling operation MHO1, the first material store 28 in the first storage operation SO1 and the fifth LHD vehicle 34 in the second material handling operation MHO2. The control device 50 can be implemented through a so-called SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) device.

[0048] It should be appreciated that the automation system 10 of Figure 1 is merely an example and that more or fewer operations may be included, and may involve additional types of operations such as loading, drilling, and shotcreting. As previously mentioned, the automation system may be another type of automation system other than a mining system.

[0049] The automation system 10 provides an automation or process flow that starts at a material production operation MPO and ends at a fourth storage operation SO4. From this, there is a production flow from the material production operation MPO to the fourth storage operation SO4.

[0050] 2 shows a block schematic diagram of a simulation comparison device 52 used in different aspects of the present disclosure. The simulation comparison device 52 comprises a processor PR 54 and a memory M 56 with a display control unit DCU 58 and a simulation processing unit SHU 60, both of which are provided in the form of computer program code, software code or computer instructions. The processor 54 performs display control functions when executing the computer program code of the display control unit 58 and performs simulation processing functions when executing the computer program code of the simulation processing unit 60.

[0051] There is also a communication interface CI 62 that the simulation comparison device 52 uses to communicate with a user interface UI 64 and a control device CD 50. The user interface 64 with a display DI 66 is shown as being external to the simulation comparison device 52. However, it should be appreciated that it may alternatively be part of the simulation comparison device 52.

[0052] In some variations, user interface 64 is a touch screen through which simulation comparison device 52 can present data to an operator and through which the operator can input data. It should be appreciated that in other variations, display 66 may be a display only and input may be provided through a keypad or keyboard, a trackball, a joystick, or some other buttons.

[0053] An exemplary process controlled by an automation system is the flow of materials in a mine, such as the transportation of ores and rocks, as a process using different elements such as belt conveyors, LHDs (Load, Haul and Dump machines), trucks, and mine hoists.

[0054] With recent advances in artificial intelligence, simulators can be used in process control to assist operators in making decisions to maintain a production process. In traditional process control, operators either rely on past experience or use a trial-and-error approach to adjust parameters in a process and monitor the results of the adjustments. This is not only time-consuming but can also be costly if the parameters are adjusted incorrectly, especially in unprecedented scenarios. By using simulators, operators can instruct the system to quickly generate multiple simulations of possible future states of the process based on current data and different configurations of parameters. The operator can evaluate these simulations to determine the most appropriate way to adjust the parameters to achieve the desired results. However, multiple simulations generated simultaneously can cause information overload for the operator. For each simulation, the operator may need to remember which parameters were adjusted and what the results of those adjustments are. Since several parameters can be configured in a simulation and each configuration can affect numerous factors and indicators in the process, it would be mentally taxing and tedious for the operator to keep track of all of these for all simulations himself while making decisions. This high cognitive workload can result in operator decisions that are incorrect in process control. Therefore, it is necessary to have an effective technique for visualizing multiple simulations that allows an operator to quickly see the similarities and differences between them, as well as their relative pros and cons.

[0055] Aspects disclosed herein introduce visualization of process simulations in a manner that helps an operator quickly grasp the particularities of each simulation and identify similarities and differences between multiple simulated processes, based on which an operator can quickly derive pros and cons of different simulated process control scenarios to inform appropriate decisions such as selecting automation system parameter settings to be used in the process.

[0056] According to aspects described herein, a three-step visualization approach may be used to allow an operator to first easily distinguish one simulation from another and then further explore and compare the details of multiple simulations to understand their relative pros and cons. In the first step of visualization, each simulation may be visually represented by a thumbnail image that visually encodes the parameter configuration of the corresponding simulation. This may help the operator to roughly and quickly identify what was configured in the simulation. In the second step of visualization, the operator may select a thumbnail to further explore the details of the corresponding simulation. The visualization layer may be overlaid on the visualization of the current process, highlighting in detail the configured parameters and the changes made to the elements corresponding to the equipment and operations of the process. The visualization layer may additionally show the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the process when the configuration of the selected simulation is applied to the current process. Furthermore, in the third step, an interface may be provided that allows the operator to efficiently visually compare multiple simulations. The interface provides visualizations that highlight the process elements that were differently affected by the simulations and provides comparative visualizations of the process KPIs brought about by the selected simulations.

[0057] The simulation comparison device 52 is based on modular object-oriented simulation models of the different entities involved. A top-level controller, the control device 50, is responsible for dynamically invoking the relevant models and acts as a bridge between the user interface 64 and the connected systems to retrieve the data to be used for the simulation parameters.

[0058] The simulation comparison device 52 uses simulation processing functions provided by a simulation processing unit 60 and associated visualization provided by a display control unit 58 .

[0059] The starting point for the operation of the simulation comparison device 52 is the current system settings of the actual current operation of the automation system 10, along with the current parameters of the different operation. The operator can then see what effect a simulation having at least one parameter different from the currently used parameter settings would have on the automation system, and the display control unit 58 provides the operator with feedback via the user interface 64 regarding the expected impact of these changes.

[0060] The operator can access the current operation screen of the automation system and open an existing simulation. When the operator opens an existing simulation, the display control unit 58 presents the operator with a simulation screen based on the current operation screen. In this simulation screen, the simulation unit 60 can show which parameter settings are different and the effect that these different parameter settings have on the process, which can thus show an effect that is different from the effect of the current parameter settings.

[0061] The display and control unit 58 keeps track of the differences and provides feedback to the operator on the expected impact on the overall process and its results. The display and control unit 58 can cascade the effect of these different parameter settings on connected parts of the process. All of this can be achieved by incorporating individual simulation models for each of the configurable elements in the process within the overall process level simulation.

[0062] The simulated state of a process is visualized by showing which elements in the process are manipulated for the current simulation, and how changes to these elements affect the outcome of the process and any connected KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

[0063] A method of assisting an operator of an automation system will now be described with reference made to Figure 3 which illustrates some steps performed by the simulation comparison device 52, and to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 which illustrate diagrammatically first, second, third, fourth and fifth screens presented to the operator by the simulation comparison device 52. The assistance may in this case be to assist the operator to evaluate the results when the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation are introduced into the automation system.

[0064] The automation system 10 implements a process flow that is displayed to an operator via a user interface 64 by a display control unit 58 through a number of linked graphical objects representing elements (tasks, paths, equipment, and / or locations) in the process flow.

[0065] During operation, the control device 50 may use current automation parameter settings to control the automation system 10. In the context of the mining system of Figure 1, such current automation system parameter settings may comprise settings for automation system parameters such as the amount of blasts to be made, the time interval between blasts, the number of transports to be used, the extent to which the transports should be filled with material, the speed at which the transports should be moved, and minimum and maximum levels of material in the material bin. These parameters are thus parameters that an operator can set to control the process flow.

[0066] The simulation comparison device 52 may obtain current status data of the actual current operation of the automation system from the control device (step 68), the current status data comprising the automation system parameters used for control of the process. The current status data thereby comprises the current automation system parameter settings. Further, the current status data comprises data defining the current status of the operation or process being performed by the automation system 10.

[0067] Aspects of the present disclosure allow an operator to visually preview or compare different simulated scenarios to make more informed decisions in controlling a process. More specifically, the simulation comparison device 52 may use a three-level visualization approach that allows the operator to efficiently identify, explore, and compare different simulations to assist the operator in making decisions.

[0068] The display control unit 58 may display thumbnail images of the simulations that can be selected. The display of the thumbnail images may be done in a thumbnail window, each thumbnail image may comprise a representation of an automation system element in the process flow, with elements that in the corresponding simulation have automation system parameter settings that differ from the current automation system parameter settings being highlighted in the thumbnail image. Elements that have been changed in the simulation relative to the current working settings are therefore highlighted in the corresponding thumbnail image. The highlighting may be done through the use of different colors. Elements with different settings may be, for example, black and other elements may be white.

[0069] Here, the thumbnail images can be arranged in a thumbnail window in a priority order, which can be an order according to key performance indicators of the automation system. The order can be an order in which the simulations meet the criteria of the key performance indicators. It can be, for example, according to which simulations have the highest or lowest key performance indicator values. The order can also be a ranking according to some other criteria, such as safety.

[0070] 4 shows diagrammatically an exemplary first screen SCR1 90 displayed to an operator. Initially, the first screen 90 shows a visualization of the current process (centre of the interface) with the KPIs of the process (at the top) and a list of thumbnail images in a thumbnail window TNW 92 (right side), which thumbnail images represent the different generated simulations.

[0071] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the process is illustrated through elements representing production points 12, 14, 16, and 18, first, second, and fourth LHD vehicles 20, 22, and 26, first and second material stores 28 and 30, third material store 36, seventh LHD vehicle 38, fourth material store 40, eighth LHD vehicle 42, hoisting equipment 44, and fifth material store 48, with the elements representing the stores, production points, and hoisting equipment linked by elements representing the road network and tracks used for transportation.

[0072] Further, the KPIs are shown through a first KPI widget KPI1, a second KPI widget KPI2, a third KPI widget KPI3, a fourth KPI widget KPI4, a fifth KPI widget KPI5, a sixth KPI widget KPI6, and a seventh KPI widget KPI7. In that view, the first KPI may be production at the production site, the second KPI may be cost of production, the third KPI may be energy consumed by the process, the fourth KPI may be emissions from the process, the fifth KPI may be production equipment utilization (FACE), the sixth KPI may be storage utilization, and the seventh KPI may be transportation equipment utilization.

[0073] Each simulation is thereby represented as a thumbnail image in the thumbnail window. The thumbnail images can be selected by the operator. They are therefore also selectable.

[0074] Thus, the display control unit 58 may additionally display thumbnail images corresponding to several available simulations in the thumbnail window, each thumbnail additionally showing a simplified structure of a process.

[0075] As an example shown in FIG. 4, there are a first simulation S1, a second simulation S2, a third simulation S3, and a fourth simulation S4 in a thumbnail window TNW 92, and in the view shown, the first simulation S1 appears at the top of the window 92, followed by the second, third, and fourth simulations S2, S3, and S4. Each thumbnail image visually encodes a certain particularity of its corresponding simulation, so that each thumbnail image can be easily distinguished from another thumbnail image. One way to create such thumbnails is to display a simplified visual structure of a process and use color to highlight process elements that were configured in the simulation. For example, elements configured for the corresponding simulation can be marked, such as highlighted as black, and other elements can have another color, such as white or gray.

[0076] In the given example, the production points 12, 14, 16 and 18, the material stores 28, 30, 36, 40 and 48 and the hoisting equipment 44 are shown in each thumbnail, and the elements that have received different parameter settings compared to the current operation are marked through being black. It can be seen that in the first simulation S1, the first material store 28 has received new parameter settings, in the second simulation S2, the fourth material store 40 and the hoisting equipment 44 have received new parameter settings, in the third simulation S3, the third and fourth material stores 36 and 40 have received new parameter settings and in the fourth simulation S4, the first and third material stores 28 and 36 have received new parameter settings.

[0077] This technique helps the operator quickly identify where in the process and even what in the process was configured for a simulation. It is even possible to use different shades of color to indicate the amount of change in the configuration (e.g., if an element's parameter was changed by 20%, the element shown in the thumbnail may be less dark than a simulation where the element was changed by 50%). This visualization technique should give the operator a rough idea of ​​what was done for each simulation just by skimming through the list of thumbnails.

[0078] When the operator is viewing the first screen 90, the simulation processing unit 60 may receive a first simulation selection from the operator (step 70), the first simulation selection being a selection of an existing simulation with an automated system parameter setting different from a current automated system parameter setting, whereby it is apparent that at least one automated system parameter has a different setting in the selected simulation than the setting of the parameter in the current task. When thumbnails are used, the first simulation selection may also be received as a selection of a corresponding thumbnail image.

[0079] The simulation processing unit 60 further determines at least one difference in performance for the selected simulation, while the display control unit displays the at least one difference through manipulating graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the difference in performance.

[0080] In this case, the simulation processing unit 60 may determine (step 72) a first difference in the performance of the automation system 10 between the actual current performance according to the current system settings and the simulation of the first choice. This is the effect that different parameter settings have on the performance of the automation system, i.e., on the process. It is from this that the effect on the automation system of using different automation system parameter settings in the simulation is determined.

[0081] Information about the first difference is then provided to the display control unit 58, which continues to display at least the difference, in this case the first difference, according to a display scheme (step 74). In this display scheme, a graphical object in the process flow representing an element experiencing at least one difference is manipulated, where the at least one difference in this case is the first difference. The working difference for the graphical object may then be obtained through detecting a change in status data of a piece of equipment that corresponds to or uses the element that the graphical object illustrates. The manipulation may comprise a change in color. It may additionally or alternatively comprise a highlighting of the object. The operator is thereby enabled to determine the result of the parameter settings used in the simulation selected in the first selection.

[0082] As indicated above, the first selection simulation may have at least one automation system parameter setting for an operation and / or location in the process flow that is different from a corresponding parameter in the current operation, and the operation difference may comprise a difference in an operation downstream of the operation and / or location having the at least one parameter setting.

[0083] In this way, when scanning the list of thumbnails, an operator can identify a simulation associated with a particular configuration of interest and select the corresponding thumbnail, and the details of the simulation will be visualized on top of the current visualization of the process.

[0084] More specifically, another layer of visualization highlighting the configured elements and the changes to the elements and KPIs of the process brought about by the simulation can be overlaid on top of the visualization of the current process (see FIG. 4). The operator can thereby compare the simulation options with the current state of the process to roughly determine whether the configuration approach of this simulation may apply to their needs. In the example of FIG. 4, the operator has selected the first simulation S1, and therefore the element that received the new parameter settings, which in this example is the first material store 28, is highlighted or shown in a different color than the other elements in the process view. The effect of this change before and after in the process, i.e. upstream and downstream, is also shown. In this example, this can be done through the use of different colors for the paths used in the first, second, third, fourth and sixth material handling operations. If the amount of material transported increases, the line can be thicker, while a decrease in the amount can be shown with a thinner line representing the path.

[0085] Elements may thus comprise paths such as roads, tracks, and conveyor belts along which process flows occur, and these paths may be represented by graphical objects in the form of lines, where differences in work associated with the paths may be displayed through varying line thickness and the use of color.

[0086] Also, the effect of the simulation on the KPIs can be shown as if they have increased or decreased.

[0087] The simulation processing unit 60 may therefore determine the impact of each of the selected simulations on each of the key performance indicators, and the display control unit 58 may display this impact.

[0088] The impact of the simulations on the key performance indicators may be displayed in association with objects representing the key performance indicator values ​​of the current work, in which case the simulation comparison device may be further configured to determine the impact of each of the selected simulations on each of the key performance indicators and display this impact.

[0089] The impact of the simulation on the key performance indicators may be displayed in association with an object, here a widget, representing the key performance indicator values ​​of the current work, or in association with an object representing the key performance indicator values ​​of the simulation. The impact, which may be an increase or decrease, may be displayed in or adjacent to the object representing the key performance indicator.

[0090] In the example of Figure 5, a visualization overlay (e.g., trend arrows) is used on the KPI widget to show how the simulation affected the KPIs of the current process (e.g., whether they increased, decreased, or stayed the same).

[0091] The operator may then be able to view more details of the element with the new parameter settings in a details window DW94, select options in an options window OW96, and view trends of one or more of the KPIs in a trends window TW98.

[0092] The simulation processing unit 60 may additionally determine whether the activity and / or status differences lead to exceeding a risk threshold, and if so, the operator may be alerted. This may be done through the display control unit 58 which displays such an alert, and the alert may be linked to the element of the automation system that exceeds the threshold. The risk threshold may thereby be linked to an activity or location in the automation system, and the alert may be made in association with a graphical object representing the activity or location.

[0093] Additionally, the display of the difference can be made only if the difference in performance between the automation system run with the current automation system settings and the automation system run with the automation system settings used in the simulation exceeds a difference threshold. The operator may also be enabled to set the difference threshold in this case.

[0094] The operator can thus closely examine the effect of a first selected simulation on the operation of the automated system and may additionally examine other simulations in the same manner.

[0095] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the operator may additionally make a second simulation selection to compare with the simulation of the first selection. When thumbnails are used, the second simulation selection may also be received as a selection of the corresponding thumbnail image.

[0096] Thereby, perhaps after skimming through several simulations, an operator may need to group together several simulation options of interest and compare their impact on the process to find the most appropriate one. The simulation comparison device 52 provides an interface to efficiently support such comparisons. The interface enhances the visualization of the current process with the changes induced by the selected simulations.

[0097] The simulation comparison unit 60 may therefore receive a second simulation selection from the operator, which involves selection of another simulation with automation system parameter settings that are different from the current automation system parameter settings used in the current task and that are different from the automation system parameter settings used in the first selected simulation (step 76).

[0098] For example, if the operator selects the first simulation S1 in the first selection and the second simulation S2 in the second selection to compare the first and second simulations S1 and S2, it is possible to see the effect on the KPIs that each simulation has. The process KPIs can be augmented by visualizations (e.g. additional bars with different lengths indicating different amounts of change) showing the changes that each simulation has to the process. In the example of FIG. 5, the operator has selected to compare the first and second simulations S1 and S2, and more specifically, to see the effect of these simulations on the KPIs. It can be seen that they had different impacts on the first, second, fifth, sixth and seventh KPIs KPI1, KPI2, KPI5, KPI6 and KPI7, while the third and fourth KPIs KPI3 and KPI4 are not affected by both simulations.

[0099] As previously mentioned, simulation processing unit 60 may determine a performance difference between the simulation of the first selection and the simulation of the second selection, and the performance difference may differ based on whether the operator selected the first display mode or the second display mode. Simulation processing unit 60 may therefore receive a display mode selection from the operator.

[0100] If the operator selects the first display mode (step 80), determining at least one difference in the work may comprise determining a difference in work between the simulation selected in the first selection and the simulation selected in the second selection (step 82). The display control unit 58 then controls the user interface to display process control elements of the process in the combined view according to the display scheme (step 84). The display is a display of one set of linked objects common to the selected simulations. The display may thereby be a display of linked graphical objects in one process for the simulations of the first and second selections. From this, there may be one displayed process flow used for both simulations. In the combined view, the differences are displayed using the display scheme, i.e. through manipulating graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience a difference in work. From this, the differences may be displayed through manipulating graphical objects representing elements that are differently affected by the simulations of the first and second selections, for example through highlighting or being highlighted, or through using different colors.

[0101] The changes to be visualized may include changes related to process elements and changes related to process KPIs. In order to avoid cluttered visualizations that may lead to information overload regarding changes in process elements, the approach to consider is only to highlight components that are differentially affected by the selected simulations. When multiple simulations are selected, the visualization of the current process may be augmented with visual enhancements that highlight elements that are differentially affected by the simulations. This is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6, where a difference window DiffW 88 shows the differentially affected elements.

[0102] 6, the operator has selected to compare the second and third simulations S2 and S3, and elements with new parameter settings in both simulations may be highlighted along with any elements that interconnect them. The first selection may then from this point be the selection of the second simulation S2 and the second selection may be the selection of the third simulation S3, or vice versa.

[0103] Differently affected elements may be colored, and the shade can also be used to code the difference in the changes caused by the different simulations. For example, if an element has a 10% difference between the changes caused by the simulations, its highlight shade may be less bright than if the difference was 50%. This would help operators easily focus on how process elements may be affected differently by different control techniques.

[0104] The simulation processing unit may thereby determine, for each element experiencing a difference in effort, the amount by which the effort differs, in which case the manipulating as previously described may comprise manipulating an object representing the element to reflect the amount, which may involve changing the brightness of the object.

[0105] On the other hand, if the operator selects the second display mode (step 80), the simulation processing unit 60 determines a second difference in work for the simulation of the second selection (step 86), where the second difference in work is the difference in work between the automation system run with the current automation system parameter settings and the automation system run with the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation of the second selection.

[0106] Thereafter, the display control unit 58 continues to display the first difference in work according to the display scheme for the simulation of the first selection, and starts displaying a second difference in work associated with the simulation of the second selection (step 88), the display of the second difference also being performed using the display scheme through manipulating graphical objects corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience the second difference in work. More specifically, the at least one difference is displayed through displaying the first difference in work in a first group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow, and through displaying the second difference in work in a second group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow. The objects in the groups that correspond to each other are also displayed together.

[0107] Objects that correspond to each other may be displayed one over the other, or they may alternatively be displayed next to each other.

[0108] The display of the simulations of the first and second selections may hence be performed side-by-side or partially overlapping. The manipulations performed here may also comprise changes in color and / or highlighting, as well as shading or brightness.

[0109] The simulation comparison device 52 therefore also provides a full detailed comparison view that can be switched from the default comparison view, in which the operator can see all of the impacts of the simulation on the process. For each simulation, a copy of the current visualization of the process is created and enhanced with the changes brought about by the simulation. All copies can be stacked on top of each other with a spatial offset to make them distinguishable from each other (see FIG. 7).

[0110] In the example of FIG. 7, the second simulation S2 is again a simulation of the first selection, and the third simulation S3 is a simulation of the second selection. It can be seen that the KPIs of the simulations are also provided side-by-side. From this, it can be seen that there are KPI1S2, which is the first KPI of the second simulation, KPI1S3, which is the first KPI of the third simulation, KPI2S2, which is the second KPI of the second simulation, KPI2S3, which is the second KPI of the third simulation, KPI3S2, which is the third KPI of the second simulation, KPI3S3, which is the third KPI of the third simulation, KPI4S2, which is the fourth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S3, which is the fourth KPI of the third simulation, KPI4S4, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S5, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S6, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S7, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S8, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S9, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S10, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S11, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S12, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S13, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S14, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S15, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S16, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S17, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S18, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S19, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S20, which is the fifth KPI of the second simulation, KPI4S21 There are KPIs KPI5S2, KPI5S3, the fifth KPI of the third simulation, KPI6S2, the sixth KPI of the second simulation, KPI6S3, the sixth KPI of the third simulation, KPI7S2, the seventh KPI of the second simulation, and KPI7S3, the seventh KPI of the third simulation, and the KPIs of the second simulation may be displayed in the first row below the process control elements and the KPIs of the third simulation may be shown in the row below the KPIs of the second simulation.

[0111] This view allows the operator to easily find details regarding how each simulation affects the element and how the element is similarly / differently affected across different control techniques. Furthermore, when the operator selects an element, a visual representation of that element across the selected simulated processes may be highlighted. Additional views may also be provided that provide further comparison of how the selected simulations affect the element, such as the time series of a particular KPI (see FIG. 8), where it can be seen that the trend of the KPI from both simulations S2 and S3 is shown.

[0112] For KPI changes, comparative visualization techniques can be used to highlight side-by-side the changes that different simulations have caused to the KPIs. Different visual properties of objects, such as size or color, can be utilized to visually communicate the changes to the operator, helping the operator quickly grasp which KPIs have remained stable and which have changed in response to the control strategy.

[0113] An operator can then select the simulation that best suits the desired control objectives and apply the settings of this simulation to control the automated system.

[0114] In this way, it can be seen that an operator may select among simulations in an efficient manner that allows the operator to immediately understand the pros and cons of a simulation with respect to being used for control. This allows the operator to quickly and broadly identify and distinguish a simulation approach from other approaches. The operator can also preview the effect of a simulation on a process and efficiently compare the effect of multiple simulations on a process. This allows the operator to select parameter settings to be used in a process in a more effective manner.

[0115] There are several possible variations: Only a view to compare two or more simulations may be provided. Additionally, the KPIs may not be shown and / or the way in which the KPIs are affected may not be shown. Additionally, the simulations may be displayed in other ways than through thumbnails, such as through a list of names or icons.

[0116] The display control unit and the simulation processing unit of the simulation comparison device may be implemented using software. They may therefore be implemented using computer program code, which may be provided on one or more data carriers, which perform the display control and simulation functions when the program code thereon is loaded into one or more computers. One such data carrier 112 with such computer program code 58 and 60 in the form of a CD-ROM disc is shown diagrammatically in Figure 9. Such computer programs may alternatively be provided on a server from which they can be downloaded into one or more computers.

Claims

1. A method for assisting an operator of an automation system (10), said automation system implementing a process flow that is displayed to the operator through a number of linked graphical objects (12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 30, 36, 40, 44, 48) representing elements in the process flow, said method being executed by a simulation comparison device (52), - obtaining (68) current status data of a current operation of the automation system (10), where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; - receiving a first simulation selection from the operator (70), where the first simulation selection involves a selection of a simulation (S1; S2) with an automated system parameter setting different from the current automated system parameter setting; - receiving a second simulation selection from the operator (76), where the second simulation selection involves selection of another simulation (S2; S3) with automated system parameter settings different from the current automated system parameter settings and different from the automated system parameter settings of the simulation selected in the first simulation selection, - determining (72, 82; 86) at least one difference between the performance of the simulations (S1, S2; S2, S3) of the first simulation selection and the second simulation selection; - displaying (74, 84; 88) at least one said difference in operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects (40) corresponding to elements in the process flow that experience said difference in operations are manipulated; How to prepare.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manipulation comprises a change in color.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: for each element experiencing a difference in effort, determining an amount by which the effort differs, and wherein the manipulating comprises manipulating the graphical objects representing the elements to reflect the amount.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the manipulation involves changing brightness.

5. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the elements comprise paths along which the process flow takes place, represented by graphical objects in the form of lines, and the difference in work associated with a path is displayed through varying line thickness.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the simulations of the first simulation selection and the second simulation selection are displayed as selectable thumbnail images in a thumbnail window (92).

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein each thumbnail image comprises a representation of an automated system element in the process flow, and the element having an automated system parameter setting in a corresponding simulation that differs from the current automated system parameter setting is highlighted.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the thumbnail images are arranged in the thumbnail window (92) in a priority order.

9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the process flow has a number of key performance indicators, and further comprising determining an impact of each of the selected simulations on each of the key performance indicators and displaying the impact.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a first display mode selection from the operator (78, 80), wherein in the first display mode selection, determining at least one difference in performance comprises determining a difference in performance between the simulation of the first simulation selection (S2) and the simulation of the second simulation selection (S3) (82), and displaying the at least one difference comprises displaying a set of linked objects common to the selected simulations, and wherein the display scheme is used in the display of the set of linked objects.

11. and receiving a second display mode selection from the operator (78, 80), wherein in the second display mode selection, determining at least one difference in effort comprises determining a first difference in effort for the simulation (S2) of the first simulation selection (72) and determining a second difference in effort for the simulation (S3) of the second simulation selection (86), wherein the first difference in effort is a difference in effort between the automation system operated with the current automation system parameter settings and the automation system operated with the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation (S2) of the first simulation selection (87), and determining a second difference in effort for the simulation (S3) of the second simulation selection (88), wherein the first difference in effort is a difference in effort between the automation system operated with the current automation system parameter settings and the automation system operated with the automation system parameter settings used in the simulation (S2) of the first simulation selection (87).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one difference in work between the automation system operated with system parameter settings and the automation system operated with the automation system parameter settings of the simulation (S3) in the second simulation selection comprises displaying (74) the first difference in work in a first group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme and displaying (88) the second difference in work in a second group of graphical objects illustrating the process flow using the display scheme, wherein the graphical objects in the first and second groups that correspond to each other are displayed together.

12. A simulation comparison device (52) for assisting an operator of an automation system (10), said automation system implementing a process flow that is displayed to said operator through a number of linked graphical objects (12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 30, 36, 40, 44, 48) representing elements in the process flow, said simulation comparison device (52) comprising: obtaining current status data for a current operation of the automation system (10), where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; receiving a first simulation selection from the operator, where the first simulation selection involves a selection of a simulation (S1, S2) at an automated system parameter setting different from the current automated system parameter setting; receiving a second simulation selection from the operator, where the second simulation selection involves a selection of another simulation (S2; S3) with automated system parameter settings different from the current automated system parameter settings and different from the automated system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection; determining at least one difference between the performance of the simulations (S1, S2; S2, S3) of the first simulation selection and the second simulation selection; displaying at least one of said differences in operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects (40) corresponding to elements in said process flow that experience said difference in operations are manipulated; A simulation comparison device (52) configured to:

13. An automated system comprising a simulation comparison device (52) according to claim 12.

14. A computer program for assisting an operator of an automation system (10) implementing a process flow that is displayed to the operator through a number of linked graphical objects (12, 14, 16, 18, 28, 30, 36, 40, 44, 48) representing elements in the process flow, the computer program being configured to, when loaded into a simulation comparison device (52), include: obtaining current status data for a current operation of the automation system (10), where the current status data comprises current automation system parameter settings; receiving a first simulation selection from the operator, where the first simulation selection involves a selection of a simulation (S1, S2) at an automated system parameter setting different from the current automated system parameter setting; receiving a second simulation selection from the operator, where the second simulation selection involves a selection of another simulation (S2; S3) with automated system parameter settings different from the current automated system parameter settings and different from the automated system parameter settings used in the simulation of the first simulation selection; determining at least one difference between the performance of the simulations (S1, S2; S2, S3) of the first simulation selection and the second simulation selection; displaying at least one of said differences in operations according to a display scheme in which graphical objects (40) corresponding to elements in said process flow that experience said difference in operations are manipulated; A computer program comprising computer program code (58, 60) configured to cause a computer to

15. A computer program product for assisting an operator of an automation system (10), the computer program product being provided on a data carrier (112) comprising a computer program having a computer program code (58, 60) according to claim 14.

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