Dynamic Process Control Interface Reducing Navigation Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process control systems face complexity due to numerous graphical display applications that are limited in usefulness across different functions, requiring extensive menu navigation and lacking intuitive control organization, leading to increased time and effort for users to perform tasks.
Innovation Solution
A software system with an intuitive task-based user interface that organizes visual and textual controls conveniently, reduces the number of clicks required, displays relevant controls, and implements visualization techniques to improve usability, including features like a navigation pane, status bar, and command bar to facilitate efficient task completion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate graphical display applications are used to support different process control functions, then each application can be specialized for its specific function, but the overall system complexity increases and users must navigate through multiple applications and menus to perform tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate graphical display applications into a single integrated application that provides unified access to all process control functions. The user interface presents a consolidated workspace where users can perform configuration, monitoring, and control tasks without switching between separate applications, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining functional versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal graphical display application that performs multiple process control functions within a single interface. The application provides multi-functional capabilities including process monitoring, configuration management, alarm handling, and control operations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized applications and simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive menu structures are provided to access all functionality, then complete control over the system is available, but the number of clicks and navigation steps required to access desired functions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user interface into functional zones and task-oriented panels that provide direct access to commonly used functions. Instead of requiring users to navigate through deep menu hierarchies, the interface divides functionality into accessible sections with direct entry points, reducing the number of clicks required to perform tasks while maintaining comprehensive system control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing default displays and pre-configured panels that show relevant information and controls immediately upon application launch or context switching. Frequently accessed functions are presented in readily visible locations without requiring menu navigation, allowing users to begin tasks immediately while comprehensive menus remain available for less frequent operations.
3Loss of information
If all controls and options are displayed simultaneously, then complete information is available to the user, but the interface becomes cluttered and relevant controls become difficult to identify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dynamically customizing the user interface to display different sets of controls and information based on the current task context, selected process elements, and user preferences. The interface presents relevant controls in prominent locations while keeping unrelated controls hidden or collapsed, maintaining information completeness through contextual relevance rather than universal display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic user interface that automatically reconfigures based on the current operational context, selected process elements, and active tasks. Controls and displays are dynamically adjusted to show only relevant options in each situation, reducing visual clutter while ensuring complete information availability through contextual menus and on-demand details.
Data Source
AI summary
A process control management method in a computer system for configuring and supervising a process plant includes providing an interactive user interface to manage a plurality of objects in the process plant, where each of the plurality of objects corresponds to a physical or logical entity in the process plant, including generating a navigation pane to display a set of selectable items, each in the set of selectable items corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of objects, and generating a command pane to display a set of selectable controls, each in the set of selectable controls corresponding to a task to be performed on at least one of the plurality of objects in the process plant; receiving a selection of one of an item in the set of selectable items via the navigation panel and a control in the set of selectable controls via the command panel; determining an operational context based on the received selection, wherein the operational context corresponds to one of a range of actions applicable to the selection if the selection is an item selection, or a range of items to which the selection is applicable if the selection is a control selection; and adjusting one of the navigation pane or the command pane according to the operational context, including displaying a subset of selectable items in the navigational pane, wherein each in the subset of selectable items is within the range applicable to the selection, if the selection is a control selection, and displaying a subset of selectable controls in the command pane, wherein each in the subset of selectable controls is within the range applicable to the selection, if the selection is an item selection.