Patent ID: 8108790

Claim:
A method comprising: presenting a graphical display to an operator, the graphical display comprising (i) a first image associated with a selected portion of a process, (ii) a second image associated with a selected subsection of the selected portion of the process, and (iii) multiple icons located within or over the second image, each icon identifying a corresponding one of multiple process variables associated with the selected subsection of the process; receiving a selection of one of the icons from the operator; and presenting a faceplate to the operator, the faceplate located within a window presented over the graphical display, the faceplate comprising (i) information associated with the process variable identified by the selected icon and (ii) information related to a controller associated with the process variable identified by the selected icon; wherein the icons represent different types of process variables including a controlled variable type, a manipulated variable type, and a disturbance variable type, a shape of each icon based on the type of process variable identified by the icon, an indicator of each icon based on a status of the process variable identified by the icon; and wherein a type of content presented in the faceplate varies depending on whether the process variable identified by the selected icon is of the controlled variable type, the manipulated variable type, or the disturbance variable type.