Context-Based Alarm Display on HMI Screens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial machine alarms are inconveniently presented across multiple screens, making it difficult for users to associate alarms with physical devices or system operations, leading to user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A context-based alarm display system that dynamically renders alarm data on a single HMI screen, allowing users to select industrial machines, visualize associated alarms, and receive actionable insights, with alarm priority highlighted and displayed relative to equipment location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If alarms are displayed on separate screens, then alarm data can be organized by type, but users cannot easily associate alarms with physical devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges alarm data display with the visualization of the physical device by overlaying alarm icons directly on the graphical representation of equipment in a single HMI screen. This integration allows users to see both the device visualization and its associated alarms simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate alarm screens while maintaining clear association between alarms and their sources.
2Ease of operation
If multiple screens are used for different alarm types, then comprehensive alarm coverage is achieved, but user satisfaction decreases due to difficulty in association
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a visual dimension by displaying alarm icons as overlays on the graphical device visualization rather than using separate screens. This dimensional approach allows comprehensive alarm information to be presented within the same spatial context as the device representation, maintaining contextual information while improving ease of operation through intuitive visual association.
3Ease of operation
If alarms are displayed in a single view, then user satisfaction increases, but alarm data may become cluttered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments alarm information by displaying different alarm types (e.g., high priority, low priority, different equipment types) as distinct icons with varying visual characteristics such as color, size, or shape. This segmentation allows multiple alarm data points to be presented in a single view without creating visual clutter, as each alarm type is visually differentiated and can be quickly identified by users.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more industrial machines is selected from a navigation screen. The selected one or more industrial machines represents a context. A database is accessed and a visualization related to the one or more industrial machines and associated with the context is retrieved. Alarm data related to one or more alarms associated with the one or more industrial machines is received. The visualization is dynamically rendered to a user on a graphical display unit such that the alarm data is selectively displayed within the visualization and in a single view to the user.