Method to synchronize control panels of a production system
First Claim
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1. A method for synchronization of multiple control panels of a production system, the method comprising:
- executing a browser on one or more client computers connected via a data connection to a main computer of a control system of the production system, the main computer including a browser buffer for each active browser;
executing a control panel module library installed at the main computer to generate and provide a control panel for the production system, the control panel being transmitted as a markup language file from the main computer to the respective browser and executed in the browser to display the control panel, wherein the markup language file currently stored in the browser buffer is overwritten with a modified markup language file;
transmitting the markup language file from the main computer to one of the one or more client computers using a web user interface installed and executed at said main computer, the markup language file stored in the browser buffer being transmitted in segments to the respective browser associated with the browser buffer, wherein pauses are inserted between transmission of successive file segments to the respective browser, and file segments of markup language files are transmitted in the inserted pauses to at least one other browser as needed;
transmitting, from the main computer and using the web user interface, change information to a control panel of a respective client computer of the one or more client computers if the control panel of the respective client computer has changed, the change information describing a change to the respective client computer'"'"'s control panel of the multiple control panels;
maintaining a reference table at the main computer that includes one or more relationships established between the respective control panels to be synchronized;
upon transmission of the change information, checking, using the web user interface whether an additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized with the control panel of the multiple control panels based on the reference table; and
if the additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized, transmitting, using the web user interface, the respective change information to the additional control panel.
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Abstract
In a method for synchronizing control panels of a production system (e.g., a printing system), a reference/relationship between respective control panels to be synchronized can be established using a reference table maintained at, for example, a main computer. A synchronized control panel can be synchronized with changes to a synchronizing control panel using the reference table.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for synchronization of multiple control panels of a production system, the method comprising:
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executing a browser on one or more client computers connected via a data connection to a main computer of a control system of the production system, the main computer including a browser buffer for each active browser; executing a control panel module library installed at the main computer to generate and provide a control panel for the production system, the control panel being transmitted as a markup language file from the main computer to the respective browser and executed in the browser to display the control panel, wherein the markup language file currently stored in the browser buffer is overwritten with a modified markup language file; transmitting the markup language file from the main computer to one of the one or more client computers using a web user interface installed and executed at said main computer, the markup language file stored in the browser buffer being transmitted in segments to the respective browser associated with the browser buffer, wherein pauses are inserted between transmission of successive file segments to the respective browser, and file segments of markup language files are transmitted in the inserted pauses to at least one other browser as needed; transmitting, from the main computer and using the web user interface, change information to a control panel of a respective client computer of the one or more client computers if the control panel of the respective client computer has changed, the change information describing a change to the respective client computer'"'"'s control panel of the multiple control panels; maintaining a reference table at the main computer that includes one or more relationships established between the respective control panels to be synchronized; upon transmission of the change information, checking, using the web user interface whether an additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized with the control panel of the multiple control panels based on the reference table; and if the additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized, transmitting, using the web user interface, the respective change information to the additional control panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for synchronization of multiple control panels of a production system, the method comprising:
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executing a browser on one or more client computers connected via a data connection to a main computer of a control system of the production system; executing a control panel module library installed at the main computer to generate and provide a control panel for the production system, the control panel being transmitted as a markup language file from the main computer to the respective browser and executed in the browser to display the control panel; transmitting the markup language file from the main computer to one of the one or more client computers using a web user interface installed and executed at said main computer; transmitting, from the main computer and using the web user interface, change information to a control panel of a respective client computer of the one or more client computers if the control panel of the respective client computer has changed, the change information describing a change to the respective client computer'"'"'s control panel of the multiple control panels; maintaining a reference table at the main computer that includes one or more relationships established between the respective control panels to be synchronized; upon transmission of the change information, checking, using the web user interface whether an additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized with the control panel of the multiple control panels based on the reference table; and if the additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized, transmitting, using the web user interface, the respective change information to the additional control panel, wherein; the reference table comprises information identifying, for each control panel; whether the browser displaying the control panel or a window of the browser displaying the control panel is displaying the control panel in a foreground, and/or whether a focus marking the browser or a window of a browser as active is on the browser or the window of the browser, and given a change to control panels, the web user interface transmits the change information only to the control panels that are shown in the foreground, have focus and/or receive focus.
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21. A method for synchronization of multiple control panels of a production system, the method comprising:
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executing a browser on one or more client computers connected via a data connection to a main computer of a control system of the production system; executing a control panel module library installed at the main computer to generate and provide a control panel for the production system, the control panel being transmitted as a markup language file from the main computer to the respective browser and executed in the browser to display the control panel; transmitting the markup language file from the main computer to one of the one or more client computers using a web user interface installed and executed at said main computer; transmitting, from the main computer and using the web user interface, change information to a control panel of a respective client computer of the one or more client computers if the control panel of the respective client computer has changed, the change information describing a change to the respective client computer'"'"'s control panel of the multiple control panels; maintaining a reference table at the main computer that includes one or more relationships established between the respective control panels to be synchronized; upon transmission of the change information, checking, using the web user interface whether an additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized with the control panel of the multiple control panels based on the reference table; and if the additional control panel of the multiple control panels is to be synchronized, transmitting, using the web user interface, the respective change information to the additional control panel, wherein; each control panel comprises one or more display objects that are respectively a self-contained element of the control panel and that form a display the control panel, and given a change to a display object, the changed display object is synchronized only after expiration of a predetermined wait period since a last synchronization of the control panel or of one of the display objects of the control panel, the predetermined wait period being 0.1 seconds to 10 seconds.
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Specification