Historical Menu Display for Process Control Field Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process control systems lack the ability to effectively display historical information related to field devices, making it difficult for users to navigate and retrieve status information from previous time points, which is crucial for troubleshooting and problem isolation.
Innovation Solution
A client system and server collaboration that stores and displays historical menus by saving tree structures and values at specific time points, allowing users to view menus as they appeared in the past, with the server facilitating this by storing data in non-volatile storage and the client system retrieving and displaying it upon user request.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If historical data is stored and displayed, then information completeness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing the complete tree structure and all information element values at each time point in historical data storage during real-time operation. This pre-storation enables complete historical reconstruction without requiring complex calculations or data retrieval during historical display operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of the entire tree structure and information element values at each time point. These copies are stored in historical data storage and can be retrieved and displayed without affecting the real-time monitoring system, thereby adding historical capability without increasing real-time system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If complete tree structure is stored for historical display, then historical accuracy is improved, but data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing and storing the complete tree structure and all information element values at each time point before any historical retrieval is needed. This ensures historical accuracy is maintained while the storage is performed in advance during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically stores data at each time point, capturing the complete state of the tree structure and information elements. The storage is performed dynamically as data changes during real-time operation, ensuring accuracy without requiring static pre-definition of storage requirements.
3Ease of operation
If historical menus are displayed, then user ability to troubleshoot is improved, but interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing the complete tree structure and information element values at each time point. When historical display is requested, the system retrieves these pre-stored data and presents them through the same familiar menu interface used in real-time monitoring, eliminating the need for complex historical interface design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies universality by using the same menu interface structure for both real-time monitoring and historical display. The client system can switch between real-time and historical views without changing the interface paradigm, making the system multi-functional without increasing interface complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A management system (managing field devices of a process control plan) provided according to an aspect of the present invention enables a user to view historical menus (i.e., the menus as displayed at desired prior time points). Such a feature is enabled in an embodiment by storing displayed tree structure as well as associated item values.