Patent Number: 059638869
Section: claims

1. A method of monitoring a system, which includes choosing a part of the system having a number of equipment items; determining the values of a number of parameters of components forming the equipment items included in the chosen part of the system, each parameter being allocated to one of a plurality of categories;  deciding from the values if the said parameters are abnormal;  grouping together those parameters that are abnormal in each category for each equipment item;  selecting, by an operator, certain types of the equipment items and certain of the categories; and  displaying all of the equipment items of the chosen part of the system and all of the categories having abnormal parameters in a graphical manner, with the selected types of equipment items and the selected categories for those selected types of equipment items being displayed in a differentiated manner to those that have not been selected.  a choosing means for choosing a part of the system having a number of equipment items;  a value determining means for determining the values of a number of parameters of components forming part of the equipment items included in the chosen part of the system, each parameter being allocated to one of a plurality of categories;  an abnormal value deciding means, for deciding from the values if the said parameters are abnormal;  a category grouping means for grouping together those parameters that are abnormal in each category for each equipment item;  a selecting means, that is operable by an operator, for selecting certain types of the equipment items and certain of the categories; and  a display means for displaying all of the equipment items of the chosen part of the system and all of the categories having abnormal parameters in a graphical manner, with the selected types of equipment items and the selected categories for those selected types of equipment items being displayed in a differentiated manner to those that have not been selected. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected types of equipment items and categories are displayed in a normal way, with the non-selected equipment item types and categories being "greyed-out". 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, which includes summing the number of abnormal parameters in each category for each equipment item and also displaying this number with each category that has abnormal parameters. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, which includes selecting, by the operator, certain operating characteristics which are associated with the selected types of equipment items. 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, which includes identifying in a display which types of equipment items and which operating characteristics are present in the part of the system that has been chosen. 6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the types of equipment items, the categories and the operating characteristics are selected by means of a pointing device by picking and acting on appropriate symbols from the display. 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are selected and implemented in terms of a desired paradigm. 8. An arrangement for monitoring a system, which includes 9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selected types of equipment items and categories are displayed in a normal way, with the non-selected equipment item types and categories being "greyed-out". 10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the categories are represented by icons. 11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, which includes a summing means for summing the number of abnormal parameters in each category, and displaying this number in the appropriate icon. 12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the various categories are represented by icons of different colours. 13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the system has operating characteristics which are associated with certain types of equipment items, with the selecting means also being operable to select certain operating characteristics. 14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system forms part of an electric utility and the operating characteristics are the different voltage levels of the system. 15. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, which includes an identifying means for identifying which types of equipment items and which operating characteristics are present in the part of the system that has been chosen, with the equipment item types and operating characteristics that are present in the chosen part being indicated in a predetermined manner, thereby assisting the operator to make a selection. 16. The arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the equipment item types and operating characteristics that are present in the part of the system that has been chosen are displayed in a normal way and the other types of equipment items and operating characteristics which are not present in the chosen part of the system being "greyed-out". 17. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, which includes a central processing unit for implementing the choosing means, the abnormal value deciding means, the category grouping means and the selecting means in a software manner. 18. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selecting means includes a pointing device which is used for picking and acting on appropriate symbols representing the equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories. 19. The arrangement as claimed in claim 18, wherein the selecting means includes a selection procedure whereby the equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are selected and implemented in terms of a desired paradigm. 20. The arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein the selection procedure includes a "select to include" paradigm, in terms of which initially, nothing is selected and when an appropriate control button is activated, everything is "greyed-out" and the equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are only displayed after being selected. 21. The arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein the selection procedure includes a "select to exclude" paradigm in terms of which, initially all of the equipment item types, operating characteristics and categories are displayed in a normal way and only when an appropriate control button is activated and the desired equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are selected, are the unwanted portions of the display "greyed-out". 22. The arrangement as claimed in claim 19, which operates in a progressive mode, wherein the selected equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are selected and varied at any time. 23. The arrangement as claimed in claim 21, which is operated in a triggered mode, wherein the equipment item types, the operating characteristics and the categories are selected and varied together by means of the control button. 24. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein data values of the abnormal parameters are also displayed. 25. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the said part of the system is chosen by the operator. 26. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the choosing means is operator operable.