Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for configuring a plurality of field devices enables a user to perform both device parameter editing and marking device parameters for bulk transfer in a simple an easy manner. The system and method provide a single application or utility that enables a user to view and make configuration changes as well as to view and change bulk transfer status for individual field device parameters while providing the user contextual information regarding the field device components to which the field device parameters belong or relate. The system and method provide the user with typical or standard configuration screens that enable the user to perform configuration activities in a simple and well-known format, but that include contextual indications of the various field device components to which the displayed field device parameters relate.

Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.

Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.

Abstract: A cybersecurity system for use in a process plant provides whitelisting of device specific and common practice HART read commands in process controllers and safety controllers to perform communications in a process plant that are very secure, but that still enable the implementation of advanced functionality provided in HART devices. A whitelist implementation application applies one or more whitelists in a security gateway device to determine if messages, such as HART messages, should be allowed or processed. A whitelist learning application automatically creates and configures whitelists through the use of a lock/learn mode, and a whitelist configuration application discovers Device Specific and Common Practice HART commands by issuing device description requests to specific devices, parsing the response, and communicating the whitelist configuration information with the parsed command types to the relevant process controllers and safety controllers for use in the whitelists.

Abstract: A work order initiation and tracking system is coupled between various plant asset diagnostic systems and a work or business management system within a process plant. The work order initiation and tracking system includes a user interface that enables a user to review diagnostic data, recommendations, and other information from one or more of the diagnostic systems regarding potential or recommended changes to plant assets, and to initiate the generation of one or more work orders to implement the recommendations or corrections based on information from the diagnostic systems.

Abstract: Techniques for accessing and controlling field devices to collect data and convert protocols include receiving data encoded in a process control protocol, extracting a payload, storing some of the payload, and transmitting some of the payload in a general-purpose computing communication protocol via a wireless network. A method of accessing a field device includes receiving a command of a user from a user communicator, identifying a target field device, generating a command, encoding a protocol-encoded data set, and transmitting the protocol-encoded data set to the target field device. A field communicator device includes instructions for retrieving and interpreting field device data, storing the data, and transmitting the data. A computing system includes a field communicator, wireless user communicator, and a wireless computer network for accessing and controlling field devices in a process plant.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for configuring a plurality of field devices enables a user to perform both device parameter editing and marking device parameters for bulk transfer in a simple an easy manner. The system and method provide a single application or utility that enables a user to view and make configuration changes as well as to view and change bulk transfer status for individual field device parameters while providing the user contextual information regarding the field device components to which the field device parameters belong or relate. The system and method provide the user with typical or standard configuration screens that enable the user to perform configuration activities in a simple and well-known format, but that include contextual indications of the various field device components to which the displayed field device parameters relate.

Abstract: Techniques for assessing and presenting differences between the current commissioning data of a set of process control devices within a process plant and the respective baseline or defined commissioning parameters of the set of process control devices. According to embodiments, systems and methods may obtain the current commissioning data from the set of process control devices and access baseline parameters corresponding to the commissioning data. The systems and methods may compare the current commissioning data to the baseline parameters to determine a set of differences, and present, via a user interface, the set of differences for review by an administrator. In reviewing the set of differences, the administrator may facilitate different functionalities including rebaselining or reconfiguring process control devices.

Abstract: A maintenance system for a process plant collects and uses historical data about maintenance orders. The data identifies the maintenance items for completing an order, such as the labor, materials, and maintenance tasks required. The data is historical data developed from actual completed maintenance orders. The system uses archived historical data and estimates various maintenance information, such as estimated cost for completing the maintenance order, and estimated start and completion times. The estimated data may be based on averaged data as a result. This estimated data along with the other maintenance order information may be sent to a scheduler for identifying a priority to the maintenance order and scheduling it accordingly.

Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.

Abstract: Techniques for assessing and presenting differences between the current commissioning data of a set of process control devices within a process plant and the respective baseline or defined commissioning parameters of the set of process control devices. According to embodiments, systems and methods may obtain the current commissioning data from the set of process control devices and access baseline parameters corresponding to the commissioning data. The systems and methods may compare the current commissioning data to the baseline parameters to determine a set of differences, and present, via a user interface, the set of differences for review by an administrator. In reviewing the set of differences, the administrator may facilitate different functionalities including rebaselining or reconfiguring process control devices.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for configuring a plurality of field devices is provided. The method includes defining a configuration template and mapping the configuration template to a plurality of field devices. The defined configuration template is automatically applied to the plurality of field devices. A method of verifying field device configuration information is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring an entity within a process plant includes collecting entity status data pertaining to the status of an entity within the process plant collecting criticality data pertaining to the importance of the entity within the process plant, and using the entity status data and the criticality data to perform a function within the process plant.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for configuring a plurality of field devices is provided. The method includes defining a configuration template and mapping the configuration template to a plurality of field devices. The defined configuration template is automatically applied to the plurality of field devices. A method of verifying field device configuration information is also provided.

Abstract: A process plant data collection and organization system uses a common or integrated navigational tree structure to organize and enable a user to view and access information obtained from different applications or data sources within a process plant, even when those different applications have different manners of organizing or enabling users thereof to view the collected information. The integrated navigational tree may be developed from and may use the navigational tree categories of the different applications or may map the data within different categories of the navigational trees of the different applications into categories within the integrated navigational tree. The integrated navigational tree enables a user to view and access plant data collected or developed by different applications within the process plant in a single place and in an organized manner so that the user can view data related to the plant from a higher point of view than provided by any of the individual applications.

Abstract: A method and system of monitoring corrective measures within a process plant includes receiving equipment data pertaining to the status of equipment within the process plant, receiving corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with the equipment, and using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the equipment.

Abstract: A process control system uses an asset optimization reporter to collect status information of dissimilar types pertaining to the assets of a process plant from various data sources of the plant including, for example, data tools, data collectors, and data generators. This status information is used to generate reports that may be displayed to various users, including maintenance persons, process control persons and business persons. The status information may be used as the basis for further types of status information and/or be categorized in based on an assessment of relative consequence, where each category has a spectrum of status quality values between a good status quality and a relatively worse status quality.

Abstract: A process control system uses an asset optimization reporter to collect status information pertaining to the assets of a process plant from various data sources of the plant including, for example, data tools, data collectors, and data generators. This status information is used to generate reports that may be displayed to various users, including maintenance persons, process control persons and business persons. The status information may be used as the basis for further types of status information and/or be categorized in ways that are useful to the user. The reports are generally displayed via a user interface routine that enables users to view the status information and manipulate the display of the report to correspond to the user's preferences, as contained in a user profile. The user interface routine further enables the user to view reports of various types of status information for various devices, loops, units, areas, etc.

Abstract: An originating application in a process plant is able to launch multiple desired applications, with one or more of the desired applications having a different application programming interface. In one example, the originating application is able to launch multiple desired applications via an application launcher program. The originating application provides the application launcher program with an indication of the desired application to be launched, and the application launcher program then launches the indicated desired application.

Abstract: Operational status information associated with a process entity in a process plant is received. The operational status information is mapped into one of a plurality of status conditions. Then, an alert message associated with the process entity is generated, where the alert message is indicative of the one status condition of the plurality of status conditions.