Abstract: Graphical user interface (GUI) based systems and methods are disclosed for regionizing full-size process plant displays for rendering on mobile user interface devices. A regionizer application receives a full-size process plant display that graphically represents at least a portion of a process plant that includes graphic representations of a plurality of process plant entities. The regionizer app determines display region(s) of the full-size process plant display that define corresponding view portions of the full-size process plant display. The display regions are transmitted to a mobile user interface device for rendering by a mobile display navigation app. The GUI based systems and methods can also automatically detect graphical process control loop display portions within full-size process plant displays for rendering on mobile user interface devices.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices. A configuration system operates within the compute fabric to enable a user to easily make configuration changes to the software executing in the compute fabric by accessing and downloading new components for execution in the compute fabric from a centralized registry. The configuration system may provide feedback regarding the operation of the new component to a component developer to enable the developer to test and alter the component.

Abstract: An enterprise engineering and configuration system includes a common configuration database and support services stored in and executed in a compute fabric of an enterprise. The configuration database and support services use and implement a common configuration data schema to support the configuration of hardware and software in the compute fabric and at multiple different sites or physical locations of the enterprise even when different control and automation systems are used at these different sites or physical locations. The configuration system enables implementing hardware or software configuration changes to various different sites or locations of an enterprise either centrally from a configuration device connected directly to the compute fabric of the enterprise or locally from any physical location or site of the enterprise, while maintaining a single integrated enterprise configuration database that stores configuration data for each of the multiple sites of the enterprise.

Abstract: To provide enhanced search capabilities in a process control system, a knowledge repository is generated that includes both contextual data and time series data. The contextual data organizes process plant-related data according to semantic relations between the process plant-related data and the process plant entities. When a user submits a process plant search query related to process plant entities within a process plant, search results are obtained by identifying a data set from the knowledge repository. The contextual data categorizes process parameters so that users can search for a particular process parameter category. Users can tag previous searches to execute them once again at a later time.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices. The compute fabric is implemented in a spoke and hub configuration in which the compute fabric includes computing infrastructure organized into one or more hubs, with each hub disposed in a particular geographical region or area. Each hub of the compute fabric may include communication connections in the form of spokes to each of a plurality of geographical locations or areas, such as plants, and may store and process the data from each of the associated spokes in the hub.

Abstract: A digital safety lock of a field device or other process plant equipment activates in response to receiving a request from a locking party, thereby placing the device into a locked mode. While the device is in the locked mode, only the locking party may perform maintenance activities on, or otherwise functionally control, the device. While locked, the device may provide an indication of the locking party to any other device or application attempting to access or control the locked device. Other devices, applications, and users may communicate with the locking party or locking party device to request that the device be unlocked and/or to request the corresponding digital safety lock key. Upon the device receiving the correct digital safety lock key, the digital safety lock may be deactivated, and the device may enter into an unlocked state if no other digital safety locks remain activated for the device.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices. The compute fabric performs various control, monitoring, diagnostics, simulation, and configuration activities with respect to a plurality of devices at the one or more specific sites.

Abstract: To provide a trusted, secure, and immutable record of transactions within a process plant, techniques are described for utilizing a distributed ledger in process control systems. The distributed ledger may be maintained by nodes which receive transactions broadcasted from field devices, controllers, operator workstations, or other devices operating within the process plant. The transactions may include process plant data, such as process parameter data, product parameter data, configuration data, user interaction data, maintenance data, commissioning data, plant network data, and product tracking data. The distributed ledgers may also be utilized to execute smart contracts to allow machines such as field devices to transact by themselves without human intervention. In this manner, recorded process parameter values and product parameter values may be retrieved to verify the quality of products.

Abstract: A software defined (SD) process control system (SDCS) includes a control container having contents which are executable during run-time of the process plant to control at least a portion of an industrial process. The SDCS also includes a security service associated with the control container and including contents which define one or more security conditions. The security service executes via a container on a compute node of the SDCS to control access to and/or data flow from the control container based on the contents of the security container.

Abstract: A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.).

Abstract: A method includes receiving a metric-reward mapping; and using reinforcement machine learning to train a state-action mapping. A method includes receiving a set of metrics corresponding to an ongoing industrial control process; determining anomaly/fault and normal action values by reference to a reinforcement learning-determined state-action mapping; and causing a remedial action to occur. A process control system includes an anomaly/fault detection device, that receives metrics, determines anomaly/fault and normal action values; and causes a remedial action to occur.

Abstract: A distributed control system (DCS) of an industrial process plant includes a data center storing a plant information model that includes a description of physical components, the control framework, and the control network of the plant using a modeling language. A set of exposed APIs provides DCS applications access to the model, and to an optional generic framework of the data center which stores basic structures and functions from which the DCS may automatically generate other structures and functions to populate the model and to automatically create various applications and routines utilized during run-time operations of the DCS and plant. Upon initialization, the DCS may automatically sense the I/O types of its interface ports, detect communicatively connected physical components within the plant, and automatically populate the plant information model accordingly. The DCS may optionally automatically generate related control routines and/or I/O data delivery mechanisms, HMI routines, and the like.

Abstract: A method includes receiving at a field device, from a first client device or application, a message indicating a selection of a first one of a plurality of publish categories corresponding to a type of information desired by the first client device or application. The method further includes transmitting, from the field device to the first client device or application, an identification of each of a plurality of publish lists corresponding to the first one of the selected publish category. The publish lists are stored on the field device and each includes a set of parameters associated with the field device. The method includes receiving at the field device, from the first client device or application, a selection of a publish list identified by the field device, and transmitting, from the field device to the first client device or application, the set of parameters associated with the selected publish list.

Abstract: A distributed control system (DCS) of an industrial process plant includes a data center storing a plant information model that includes a description of physical components, the control framework, and the control network of the plant using a modeling language. A set of exposed APIs provides DCS applications access to the model, and to an optional generic framework of the data center which stores basic structures and functions from which the DCS may automatically generate other structures and functions to populate the model and to automatically create various applications and routines utilized during run-time operations of the DCS and plant. Upon initialization, the DCS may automatically sense the I/O types of its interface ports, detect communicatively connected physical components within the plant, and automatically populate the plant information model accordingly. The DCS may optionally automatically generate related control routines and/or I/O data delivery mechanisms, HMI routines, and the like.

Abstract: A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.).

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific plant sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices using a communications gateway device at each plant site that provides secured communications between the compute fabric and the one or more physical control or field devices at each plant site. The communications gateway at each plant site implements one or more secured point-to-point or peer-to-peer communication networks between the compute fabric and the plant site using one or more virtual private networks.

Abstract: An I/O server service interacts with multiple containerized controller services each implementing the same control routine to control the same portion of the same plant. The I/O server service may provide the same controller inputs to each of the containerized controller services (e.g., representing measurements obtained by field devices and transmitted by the field devices to the I/O server service). Each containerized controller service executes the same control routine to generate a set of controller outputs. The I/O server service receives each set of controller outputs and forwards an “active” set to the appropriate field devices. The I/O server service and other services, such as an orchestrator service, may continuously evaluate performance and resource utilization in the control system, and may dynamically activate and deactivate controller services as appropriate.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices.

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices.