Methods and apparatus to filter process control system alarms based on alarm source type and/or alarm purpose

1. A method comprising:

receiving process control alarm network communications from network connected devices in a process control system, the process control alarm network communications including process control alarms;

assigning, with a processor, a first subset of the process control alarms in the process control system to a first source type of the process control alarms, the first source type associated with a first subset of user roles;

assigning, with the processor, a second subset of the process control alarms to a second source type of the process control alarms, the second source type associated with a second subset of the user roles, the first subset of the process control alarms different than the second subset of the process control alarms, the first subset of the user roles different than the second subset of the user roles;

assigning, with the processor, a third subset of the process control alarms to a first alarm purpose, the first alarm purpose associated with a third subset of the user roles and exclusive to the third subset of the process control alarms; and

sending an alarm information network communication associated with the process control alarms to a network connected device associated with the user roles, the alarm information network communication including alarm information to be displayed identifying the first source type of the first subset of the process control alarms and the second source type of the second subset of the process control alarms.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second source types correspond to a different one of at least one of a category of assets or a circumstance from which the corresponding first or second subset of the process control alarms arise.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and the second source types corresponds to a different one of instrumentation equipment, control system equipment, rotating equipment, electrical equipment, process hardware, or process conditions in the process control system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a fourth subset of the process control alarms to a second alarm purpose different than the first alarm purpose, the second alarm purpose associated with a fourth subset of the user roles, the alarm information identifying the first alarm purpose of the third subset of the process control alarms and the second alarm purpose of the fourth subset of the process control alarms.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and the second alarm purposes correspond to a type of benefit to be achieved by a user responding to the corresponding first or second subset of the process control alarms.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the first and the second alarm purposes corresponds to a different one of equipment protection, environment protection, product quality, process efficiency, or safety.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

filtering the process control alarms according to the first alarm purpose; and

updating the alarm information to be displayed to exclude the fourth subset of the process control alarms in response to the filtering.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying a role of a user accessing the alarm information; and

filtering the process control alarms based on the role of the user, the role of the user corresponding to the third subset of the user roles.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

filtering the process control alarms according to the first source type; and

updating the alarm information to be displayed to display the first subset of the process control alarm while excluding the second subset of the process control alarms in response to the filtering.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying a role of a user accessing the alarm information; and

filtering the process control alarms according to the first source type based on the role of the user, the role of the user corresponding to the first subset of the user roles.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an alarm categorizer to:

receive process control alarm network communications from network connected devices in a process control system, the process control alarm network communications including process control alarms;

assign a first subset of the process control alarms in the process control system to a first source type of the process control alarms, the first source type associated with a first subset of user roles,

assign a second subset of the process control alarms to a second source type of the process control alarms, the second source type associated with a second subset of the user roles, the first subset of the process control alarms different than the second subset of the process control alarms, the first subset of the user roles different than the second subset of the user roles,

assign a third subset of the process control alarms to a first alarm purpose, the first alarm purpose associated with a third subset of the user roles and exclusive to the third subset of the process control alarms, and

send an alarm information network communication associated with the process control alarms to a network connected device associated with the user roles, the alarm information network communication including alarm information to be displayed identifying the first source type of the first subset of the process control alarms and the second source type of the second subset of the process control alarms.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and the second source types corresponds to a different one of instrumentation equipment, control system equipment, rotating equipment, electrical equipment, process hardware, or process conditions in the process control system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the alarm categorizer is to:

assign a fourth subset of the process control alarms to a second alarm purpose different than the first alarm purpose, the second alarm purpose associated with a fourth subset of the user roles, the alarm information identifying the first alarm purpose of the third subset of the process control alarms and the second alarm purpose of the fourth subset of the process control alarms.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

an alarm filter to filter the process control alarms according to the first alarm purpose; and

an alarm presentation application to update the alarm information to be displayed, the alarm information to exclude the fourth subset of the process control alarms in response to the filtering.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a role identifier to identify a role of a user accessing the alarm information, the alarm filter to filter the process control alarms based on the role of the user, the role of the user corresponding to the third subset of the user roles.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

an alarm filter to filter the process control alarms according to the first source type; and

an alarm presentation application to update the alarm information to be displayed to the first subset of the process control alarm while excluding the second subset of the process control alarms in response to the filtering.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a role identifier to identify a role of a user accessing the alarm information, the alarm filter to filter the process control alarms according to the first source type based on the role of the user, the role of the user corresponding to the first subset of the user roles.

18. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive process control alarm network communications from network connected devices in a process control system, the process control alarm network communications including process control alarms;

assign a first subset of the process control alarms in the process control system to a first source type of the process control alarms, the first source type associated with a first subset of user roles;

assign a second subset of the process control alarms to a second source type of the process control alarms, the second source type associated with a second subset of the user roles, the first subset of the process control alarms different than the second subset of the process control alarms, the first subset of the user roles different than the second subset of the user roles;

assign a third subset of the process control alarms to a first alarm purpose, the first alarm purpose associated with a third subset of the user roles and exclusive to the third subset of the process control alarms; and

send an alarm information network communication associated with the process control alarms to a network connected device associated with the user roles, the alarm information network communication including alarm information to be displayed identifying the first source type of the first subset of the process control alarms and the second source type of the second subset of the process control alarms.

19. The storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

assign a fourth subset of the process control alarms to a second alarm purpose different than the first alarm purpose, the second alarm purpose associated with a fourth subset of the user roles, the alarm information identifying the first alarm purpose of the third subset of the process control alarms and the second alarm purpose of the fourth subset of the process control alarms.

20. The storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

filter the process control alarms according to the first source type; and

update the alarm information to be displayed to the first subset of the process control alarm while excluding the second subset of the process control alarms in response to the filtering.