Patent ID: 7698242
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
1. A method for determining whether information is associated with a process control system, comprising: registering a process control system with a server at which a plurality of other process control systems are registered, the process control system located at a first plant site geographically separate from other plant sites of the plurality of other process control systems; monitoring, via the server, the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems to facilitate maintaining the process control systems; retrieving first information from a database in communication with the server based on the monitoring of the process control systems, the database configured to store general type information pertaining to general operations of the process control systems and specific type information pertaining to operations of particular process control system components; determining whether the first information is associated with general process control system operations, the first information being associated with the general process control system operations when the first information is identified as pertaining to a plurality of the process control system components of different device types based on matches between at least one criterion in the first information and criteria associated with the plurality of the process control system components; when the first information is not associated with the general process control system operations, determining whether the first information is associated with a particular component of the process control system; if the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system, identifying the particular component of the process control system based on a component identifier located in the first information; and communicating the first information to a user, the first information including an action category selected from a group comprising a required action category and an advisement category, wherein the required action category indicates that action must be taken at some point and the advisement category indicates information associated with improving system performance.