Patent ID: 8165700
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An integrated process control interface for displaying batch control and non-batch control process data and receiving user input for controlling batch and non-batch processes within a process control plant, the integrated process control interface comprising: a display device; an input device for receiving user input; a processor adapted to execute program instructions; a computer memory; program instructions comprising a continuous process control interface application stored in the computer memory which, when executed by the processor, cause a plurality of continuous process control interface views to be displayed on the display device and allow user input to be received from the input device for controlling operation of continuous processes in the process plant, the program instructions further including a plurality of self-contained software objects embedded therein, when executed by the processor the self-contained software objects causing a different batch process interface views to be displayed on the display device and allowing user input to be received from the input device for controlling batch processes within the process plant; and program instructions comprising a blackboard service stored in the computer memory which when executed by the processor allow data written from the self-contained software objects to be stored in the computer memory and allow data stored in the computer memory to be written to the self-contained software objects; wherein a first self-contained software object of said plurality of self-contained software objects, when executed by the processor, is configured to cause a first batch process control interface view to be displayed on the display device and to write contextual data to the blackboard service when execution of the first self-contained software object is terminated, the contextual data written to the blackboard service relating to a displayed state of the first batch process control interface view when execution of the first self contained software object was terminated; and wherein a second self-contained software object of said plurality of self-contained software objects, when executed by the processor, is configured to read the contextual data written to the blackboard service by the first self-contained software object such that the second self-contained software object displays a second batch process control interface view in a displayed state based at least in part on the displayed state of the first batch process control interface view when execution of the first self-contained software object was terminated.