Method and system for efficient dynamic alarm construction

1. A method of dynamically displaying a list of alarms, the method implemented by an alarm server including at least one processor programmed to execute steps comprising:

establishing, by the at least one processor, a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms, said first list of alarms comprising a network of alarms;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a state of each alarm in the first list of alarms over a network, wherein the state of each alarm in the first list of alarms is received from one or more Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) Unified Architecture (UA) clients through a standard interface of an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) Alarms and Events (OPC AE) protocol, communicating with the at least one processor;

dynamically changing, by the at least one processor automatically in response to the received state of each alarm in the first list of alarms, the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms; and

presenting, by the at least one processor on a display in communication with the at least one processor, the second list of alarms to an operator based on the second hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting the first list of alarms to the operator based on the state of the alarms and the first hierarchy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network of alarms comprises a plurality of alarms connected with each other.

4. The method of claim 1 where in the network of alarms comprises series and in parallel connections between the alarms.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the state of the alarms comprises an availability of the alarms in the network of alarms.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second list of alarms comprises less alarms than the first list of alarms.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms in an alarm server, said first list of alarms comprising the network of alarms, comprises identifying each alarm as having a parent, child or orphan relationship.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein dynamically changing the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms comprises changing, by the at least one processor automatically in response to the received state of each alarm in the first list of alarms, one or more of the parent, child or orphan relationships identified in the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting, on the display, a second list of alarms to an operator based on the second hierarchy comprises presenting those alarms that have a parent or orphan relationship in the second hierarchy.

10. An industrial process control system comprising:

a computing device, said computing device having at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, said computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

establish a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms in an alarm server, said first list of alarms comprising the network of alarms;

receive a state of each alarm in the first list of alarms over a network, wherein the state of each alarm in the first list of alarms is received from one or more Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) Unified Architecture (UA) clients through a standard interface of an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) Alarms and Events (OPC AE) protocol, communicating with the computing device;

dynamically change, by the processor automatically in response to the received state of each alarm in the first list of alarms, the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms; and

present, on a display in communication with the computing device, the second list of alarms to an operator based on the second hierarchy.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises an alarm server.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising the processor executing computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the processor to present the first list of alarms to the operator based on the state of the alarms and the first hierarchy.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second list of alarms comprises less alarms than the first list of alarms.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the state of the alarms comprises an availability of the alarms in the network of alarms.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein establishing a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms in an alarm server, said first list of alarms comprising the network of alarms, comprises identifying each alarm as having a parent, child or orphan relationship.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein dynamically changing, by the alarm server, the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms based on the state of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms comprises changing one or more of the parent, child or orphan relationships identified in the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein presenting, on the display in communication with the alarm server, a second list of alarms to an operator based on the second hierarchy comprises presenting those alarms that have a parent or orphan relationship in the second hierarchy.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for dynamically displaying a list of alarms, wherein when executed by at least one processor, said computer-executable instructions comprising instruction for cause the at least one processor to execute steps including:

establishing a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms, said first list of alarms comprising a network of alarms;

receiving a state of each alarm in the first list of alarms over a network, wherein the state of each alarm in the first list of alarms is received from one or more Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) Unified Architecture (UA) clients through a standard interface of an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) Alarms and Events (OPC AE) protocol, communicating with the alarm server;

dynamically changing, by the at least one processor automatically in response to the received state of each alarm in the first list of alarms, the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms based on the state of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms; and

presenting, on a display in communication with the at least one processor, the second list of alarms to an operator based on the second hierarchy.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are executed by an alarm server.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein establishing a first hierarchy of a first list of alarms, said first list of alarms comprising the network of alarms, comprises identifying each alarm as having a parent, child or orphan relationship and wherein dynamically changing the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms based on the state of the first list of alarms to obtain a second hierarchy of a second list of alarms comprises changing one or more of the parent, child or orphan relationships identified in the first hierarchy of the first list of alarms.