AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an automation technology process control system for controlling at least one field device having an electronic measurement and/or operation unit, including a user interface for operating the electronic measurement and/or operation unit of the at least one field device, characterized in that the at least one user interface is designed as a tangible user interface.

Claims

1. An automation technology process control system for controlling at least one field device having an electronic measurement and/or operation unit, comprising a user interface for operating the electronic measurement and/or operation unit of the at least one field device, wherein the user interface is designed as a tangible user interface.

2. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the tangible user interface comprises a sensitive control interface.

3. The process control system of claim 2, comprising a control element arranged so as to be movable on the control interface, which control element is associated with the at least one field device, and wherein the at least one control element is a miniaturization of the at least one field device.

4. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is designed such that the user interface can be varied with characteristics and/or a configuration of the process control system and/or at least one field device.

5. The process control system of claim 4, wherein the characteristics and/or configurations of the process control system are encoded visually, magnetically, or in terms of a surface quality in the user interface, and can be detected automatically by the control interface.

6. The process control system of claim 3, wherein the at least one control element is an article separate from the control interface, wherein the control element can be arranged on the control interface.

7. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the user interface has light sources to display a current status of the at least one field device.

8. The process control system of claim 2, comprising at least two control elements having a respective monitoring unit that monitors an interaction of the two field devices associated therewith, wherein the monitoring unit is designed such that, in the event that the two field devices do not interact, the two field devices cannot be operated by the two control elements.

9. The process control system of claim 2, comprising at least two control elements having a respective monitoring unit that monitors an interaction of the two field devices associated therewith, wherein the monitoring unit is designed such that, in the event that the two field devices cannot be operated together, the two field devices cannot be operated simultaneously by the two control elements.

10. The process control system of claim 1, comprising at least one blocking element for blocking or barring a control element for a user, wherein the at least one blocking element can be imposed via the control element, and the state of the field device can no longer be modified on said control element.

11. The process control system of claim 3, comprising a distance measurement device for measuring the distance between the user interface and the at least one control element, and which determines and deactivates the associated field device and/or the control of the field device beyond a predetermined distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present disclosure is explained in more detail based upon the following drawings. Illustrated are:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a user interface having one control element; and

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a user interface having two control elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a user interface 1 of an automation technology process control system for controlling field devices having an electronic measurement and/or operation unit.

[0028] The user interface 1 serves for operation of the electronic measurement and/or operation unit of the field device, and is designed as a tangible user interface (TUI). The user interface also comprises a sensitive control interface 2 that has a two-dimensional pattern. An upper quadratic field is designated for a cuboid control element 3. A lower field on the control interface 3 serves as a graphical user interface (GUI) element of the observed augmented reality (AR).

[0029] The control element 3 may assume two possible positions in the upper field: arrow to the upper right or to the upper left. Both positions may be detected as a pattern by the AR software.

[0030] If a position of the control element 3 in the upper field is detected, the lower field and the upper surface of the buttons themselves become tappable surfaces with which various functions may be associated, depending upon the position of the control element 3. Both the control element 3 and the control interface 2 are folded together from paper.

[0031] The control element 3 is associated with a field device and designed as a miniaturization of the field device. There are colored markings on the user interface 1 and the control element 3, by means of which colored markings the position of the control element 3 relative to the control interface 2 is clarified.

[0032] The characteristics and the configuration of the process control system and of the field device are stored in the user interface 1 and are visually represented in encoded form on a control interface 2 of the user interface 1. The user interface 1 also has light sources to display a current status of the at least one field device. The current status is likewise presented on the control interface 2.

[0033] Each side of the cuboid control element 3 stands for a measurement area; alternatively, each side may symbolize a selectable measurement interval.

[0034] The selection of the measurement area or of the measurement interval would in this way be a great deal simpler, faster, and more intuitive than via conventional user interfaces.

[0035] In addition to the control elements mentioned, additional control elements may be inserted around the control element 3, for example, geometric shapes on a circle or a rectangle.

[0036] An illumination of the control element 3 in a specific color may encode additional information. In a particular embodiment, the control elements 3 are transparent or partially transparent and illuminated in the respective color.

[0037] The user interface 1 may be combined on the display with a graphical scheme of the process system. The graphical system scheme, with tanks, buildings, and tubes, may include provided positions for control elements 3 of individual measurement positions. This means that the tank is drawn as fixed. All process instruments, such as fill-level detectors, transmitters for pH and conductivity and online analyzers, are configured and visualized via control elements 3.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a user interface 1 having first and second control elements 3, 4. The first control element 3 is arranged over the second control element 4, wherein the second control element 4 is arranged on the upper field of the control interface 2. In this way, the first and second control elements 3, 4 may be operated independently of one another.

[0039] The first control element 3 has a mathematical form similar to that of the second control element 4. However, the second control element 4 is larger than the first control element 3. An area of the second control element 4 is quadratic and flush with the upper field of the control interface 2.

[0040] The second control element 4 may assume two positions, left and right, both of which are detected by AR software. In the second control element 4, a change in the switch position is also detected if the field provided with the triangle is also simultaneously covered, which is different than in the first control element 3.

[0041] A user interaction is therefore also possible by contacting the (physical) surface. A contact with a physical surface can be detected if a triggered pattern is thereby covered to the extent that the remaining characteristics are not sufficient for pattern recognition. The principle of this expansion-supported TUI lies in this concept. The large (middle) button thus also serves to cover a portion of the triggered pattern. However, the pattern is designed so that this alone is not sufficient; rather, the yellow area still needs to be covered. This design can be extended modularly, and towers with more complex behavior are also conceivable.