Plant Image Load Back-Annotation for Stable Operator Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web-oriented control systems for technical plants face challenges in maintaining stability, reliability, and performance due to the heterogeneity of system images, leading to sluggish or frozen displays, and potential crashes in operator station clients, making it difficult to recognize and address load reductions and optimize plant images effectively.
Innovation Solution
A control system with an operator station server, engineering station server, and client that automatically informs the engineering station server of visual representation limitations by the operator station client, allowing for dynamic adjustments and feedback to prevent overloads, and providing a time budget for visual display to manage heterogeneous system images across different hardware platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple containers are embedded in a plant image to enable modular visualization, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but device complexity and reliability deteriorate due to rendering delays and system instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the plant image into multiple independent containers that can be rendered separately. Each container represents a modular component (e.g., process areas, devices, functions) that can be visualized independently, allowing the system to handle complex plant diagrams through divided rendering tasks rather than a single monolithic rendering process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and transmitting rendering time requirements for each container before actual visualization. The operator station server determines the time required to draw each container and transmits this information to the operator station client in advance, allowing the client to plan resource allocation and prevent overload before it occurs.
2Manufacturing precision
If rendering time for plant images is increased to improve visualization quality, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to sluggish and frozen displays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic rendering time management where the system continuously monitors and adjusts rendering parameters based on current system load and container complexity. The operator station client dynamically adapts the time allocated to each container based on its importance, complexity, and current system state, allowing flexible optimization between quality and speed rather than fixed rendering times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial rendering action by selectively reducing the rendering time for less critical containers while maintaining full rendering quality for important ones. The operator station client can choose to render only essential containers in full detail while using simplified representations for secondary elements, achieving acceptable overall visualization quality with reduced total rendering time.
3Reliability
If the operator station client is configured to limit visual display to prevent overloads, then reliability is improved, but loss of information occurs due to reduced detail in trend displays and message sequences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality differentiation where different containers receive different levels of rendering detail based on their importance and current system state. Critical containers such as active alarm displays or primary process control areas maintain high detail and resolution, while less critical containers use reduced detail representations. This allows the system to preserve essential information while reducing overall processing load.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the operator station client monitors rendering performance and system load, then adjusts rendering parameters accordingly. When overload conditions are detected, the client automatically reduces detail levels for non-critical containers and prioritizes rendering of essential elements, then feeds this performance information back to the operator station server for further optimization adjustments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous plant diagrams are visualized across different hardware platforms, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases making it difficult to recognize and address load reductions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal container standards that allow the same container format and rendering approach to work across different hardware platforms and operating systems. The operator station server generates containers using standardized formats that can be rendered consistently on diverse client devices, eliminating the need for platform-specific adaptations while maintaining visual consistency across the distributed system.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is proposed for the visual representation of a plant image (15) of a technical plant, in particular a process or manufacturing plant, which has an Operator Station Server (2), an Engineering Station Server (3) and an Operator Station Client (4), the method comprising: a) transmitting a plant image (15) of the technical plant from the Operator Station Server (2) to the Operator Station Client (4); b) restrictive visual representation of the plant image (15) by the Operator Station Client (4); c) automated notification of the Engineering Station Server (3) about the restriction of the visual representation of the plant image (15) made by the Operator Station Client (4) by means of a message (17).