Patent ID: 7020876

Claim:
A method of creating a batch process campaign including a plurality of batches for use in a process control system having a batch executive and a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: sending a first message requesting batch information to the batch executive, the batch executive configured to send instructions to a process controller for directing a set of field devices to carry out process steps associated with a batch being executed by the batch executive, the batch executive having a database containing batch information; receiving from the batch executive a second message containing a set of batch information in response to the first message requesting batch information, the set of batch information including recipe information, the set of batch information retrieved from the database of the batch executive; displaying the set of batch information using the graphical user interface; prompting a user to enter a first input identifying a subset of the set of batch information from the displayed set of batch information to be included within at least one batch from the plurality of batches; prompting the user to enter a second input specifying campaign information to be included within the batch process campaign; using the first and second inputs to create the batch process campaign; and executing the batch process campaign by releasing batch process instructions to the batch executive.