EXPERT ADVICE DISPLAY PROCESSING SYSTEM

The present invention provides expert advice produced by an expert system 16 as a graphic display that indicates to the user a range 64 in which an actual value 62 of a parameter should be kept for safe or efficient operation of the process being monitored. The operator adjusts control points to keep the actual value indicator 62 within the range 64. As the process being monitored moves toward an out-of-normal state, an alarm management system 18 reinforces the graphic advice with general and then more detailed alarm messages that are displayed in priority order in goal and process message slots 114-122. Recommendations, in the form of an action script, for particular actions, based on expert system action indications, are also presented as the system state becomes more unacceptable. The invention also displays an historical perspective of the process parameters being monitored and, through a prediction module 20, provides a prediction of the future state of the process and process parameters. The alarm management system 18 compares the prediction with fixed position threshold as well as the range to produce event prediction messages. The expert advice displays are arranged in a functional hierarchy that can be traversed by the operator for advice at various levels of detail where lower levels provide a natural explanation of higher levels.