Streaming graphic method and arrangement data for building control systems

• US 20040049577A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Imhof, Raphael
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data

Abstract

A method for displaying building control system information includes receiving an interpreted program over the Internet using a web-browser. The method further includes executing the interpreted program to display at least a first graphical element, the first graphical element having a fixed element and a variable element, the variable element representative of a first value. The method also includes executing the interpreted program to receive at least a second value over the Internet, the second value comprising non-graphical information, and executing the interpreted program to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the second value.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a) receiving at least one interpreted program over the Internet using a web-browser;

b) executing at least one interpreted software program to display at least a first graphical element, the first graphical element having a fixed element and a variable element, the variable element representative of a first value, the first value representative of first data from a building control system;

c) executing at least one interpreted software program to receive at least a second building control systemvalue over the Internet, the second value comprising non-graphical information representative of second data from a building control system;

d) executing at least one interpreted software program to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the second value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one interpreted software program is written in the Java programming language.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) further comprises executing at least one interpreted software program to receive the second value, the second value transported in a mark-up language document.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) further comprises executing at least one interpreted software program to receive the second value, the second value transported in an extensible mark-up language document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step d) further comprises executing at least one Java programming language software program to:

execute a mark-up language parsing routine to obtain the second value from a received mark-up language document containing the second value; and

generate a graphic using the second value as an operating parameter of a graphics generating routine that causes display of the first graphical element.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step a) further comprises receiving the parsing routine and receiving the graphics generating routine.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first graphical element further includes a plurality of variable elements representative of a plurality of building control system values.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:

step a) further comprises receiving a background graphics file;

step b) further comprises executing at least one interpreted software program to display at least a portion of background graphics file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before step c):

executing at least one interpreted software program to request the second value from a server.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

e) executing at least one interpreted software program to request a subsequent value from the server;

f) repeating step e) after a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

e) executing at least one interpreted software program to request a subsequent value from the server when the subsequent value is different from the second value.

12. A method, comprising:

a) receiving at least one interpreted software program over the Internet using a web-browser;

b) executing at least one interpreted software program to display at least a first graphical element representative of building control system information, the first graphical element having a fixed element and a variable element, the variable element representative of a first building control system value;

c) executing at least one interpreted software program to receive at least a second value over the Internet, the second value comprising non-graphical information based on one or more updated values generated by a remote building control system device;

d) executing at least one interpreted software program to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the second value.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one interpreted software program is written in the Java programming language.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein step c) further comprises executing at least one interpreted software program to receive the second value, the second value transported in a mark-up language document.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein step c) further comprises executing at least one interpreted software program to receive the second value, the second value transported in an extensible mark-up language document.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein step d) further comprises executing at least one Java programming language software program to:

execute a mark-up language parsing routine to obtain the second value from a received mark-up language document containing the second value;

generate a graphic using the second value as an operating parameter of a graphics generating routine that causes display of the first graphical element.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the variable element is representative of a measured temperature of a space.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the variable element includes a bar graph.

19. An arrangement for displaying building automation information, the arrangement comprising:

a) a source of a plurality of values pertaining to a building control system;

b) a database server operable to obtain select values from the plurality of values and provide the values to another process; and

c) a web server operable to

obtain a first value of the plurality of values from the database server,

provide an executable program file to a web client that, when executed by the web client, causes the web client to display at least a first graphical element, the first graphical element having a fixed element and a variable element, the variable element representative of the first value,

obtain a second value from the plurality of values from the database server, and

provide the second value to the web client as non-graphical information; and

wherein the executable program file further causes the web client to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the second value.

20. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the web server is further operable to provide a subsequent value to the web client responsive to a change that causes the subsequent value to differ from the second value;

and

wherein the executable program file further causes the web client to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the subsequent value.

21. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the web server is further operable to provide a subsequent value to the web client after a predetermined time;

and

wherein the executable program file further causes the web client to display the first graphical element such that the variable element is representative of the subsequent value.

22. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein:

the database includes graphical information in a first file format, the first file format compatible with a first client;

the web server is further operable to

convert the graphical information from the first file format to the second file format, the second file format compatible with the executable program file, and

provide the graphical information in the second file format to the web client for display by the web client.