Patent ID: 7600200

Claim:
A method of enabling a user to manage a plurality of field cevices contained in a process control plant, said method comprising: receiving from said user inputs indicating a first time point, a tree portion, and a field device of interest, said field device of interest being contained in said plurality of field devices, wherein said tree portion has a different tree structure depending on a value of a variable in said field device of interest at a corresponding time point according to a device description provided for said field device of interest, wherein said device description specifies a plurality of information elements related to said field device of interest, wherein said device description further specifies that said tree portion has a first tree structure when said variable has a first value and a second tree structure when said variable has a second value, wherein said first tree structure has a first set of information elements and said second tree structure has a second set of information elements such that the value of said variable at a time point determines the structure of said tree portion at that time point, wherein said device description indicates that the value for said variable is to be retrieved from said field device; retrieving from a data storage data representing a third tree structure corresponding to said tree portion at said first time point for said field device, said third tree structure equaling said first tree structure if said variable has said first value at said first time point and equaling said second tree structure if said variable has said second value at said first time point; and displaying said third tree structure as a menu, enabling said user to navigate said menu, which permits said user to select said variable for display, whereby said first tree structure is displayed for said menu if said first value was retrieved for said variable at said first time point and said second tree structure is displayed for said menu if said second value was retrieved for said variable at said first time point.