Method and apparatus for analyzing machine control sequences

• US 20040201627A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David P., Weitzel, William G., Maddocks, Peter M., Maddocks, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided that enables machine control sequences and the results of their execution to be easily and expediently analyzed. The invention comprises logic configured to execute GUI generation code and GUI user interaction handling code, and a display device. When the logic executes the GUI generation code, a first window is displayed on the display device. The first window presents at least one option that enables a user to open a file comprising machine control sequence execution results resulting from execution of a machine control sequence. When the file is opened, a second window is displayed on the display device. The second window displays at least a summary of the execution results comprised in the file.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising:

logic configured to execute GUI generation code and GUI user interaction handling code; and

a display device in communication with said logic, wherein when said logic executes the GUI generation code, a first window is displayed on the display device, said first window presenting at least one option that enables a user to open a file comprising execution results resulting from execution of a machine control sequence configured to move data storage media to and from a media interface, wherein when said file is opened, a second window is displayed on said display device, said second window displaying at least a summary of said execution results comprised in said file.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second windows are displayed on the display device as active portions within a third window such that said first and second windows are simultaneously and fully viewable by a user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said summary includes information summarizing an entire run of said machine control sequence, said run corresponding to one or more iterations of said machine control sequence.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said machine control sequence has at least one step associated therewith, said at least one step having at least one device associated therewith, said at least one device having at least one command associated therewith.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said second window displays, in addition to said summary, detailed information describing each command executed during at least one of said iterations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said detailed information includes a start time and an end time associated with execution of each command executed during said at least one of said iterations.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said detailed information includes information defining the iteration associated with the displayed command.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said detailed information includes a step associated with the displayed command.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said detailed information includes a device associated with the displayed command.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said detailed information includes information indicating whether or not the displayed command was successfully executed.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second window displays a unique iteration number identifier for each of said one or more iterations, each of said iteration number identifiers uniquely identifying a particular iteration of said machine control sequence, and wherein when a user selects one of said unique iteration number identifiers, detailed information describing each command executed during the iteration associated with the selected iteration number identifier is displayed on said display device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said detailed information includes:

a start time and an end time associated with execution of each command that was executed during the iteration associated with the selected iteration number identifier;

information identifying the iteration associated with the displayed command;

a step associated with the displayed command;

a device associated with the displayed command; and

information indicating whether or not the displayed command was successfully executed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GUI generation code and the GUI user interaction handling code are written in an object-oriented, platform-independent language.

14. A method for enabling a user to analyze machine control sequence execution results, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI), the displayed GUI having a first window, the first window presenting at least one option that enables a user to open a file comprising machine control sequence execution results resulting from execution of a machine control sequence configured to move data storage media to and from a media interface; and

upon detecting a selection of said at least one option by the user, displaying a second window, said second window displaying at least a summary of said execution results comprised in said file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first and second windows are displayed as active portions within a third window such that said first and second windows are capable of being simultaneously and fully viewable by a user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said summary includes information summarizing an entire run of said machine control sequence, said run corresponding to one or more iterations of said machine control sequence.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said machine control sequence has at least one step associated therewith, said at least one step having at least one device associated therewith, said at least one device having at least one command associated therewith.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said second window displays, in addition to said summary, detailed information describing each command executed during at least one of said iterations.

19. The method of current claim 18, wherein said detailed information includes a start time and an end time associated with execution of each command that was executed during the iteration associated with the selected iteration number identifier.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said detailed information includes information identifying each iteration associated with the displayed command.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said detailed information includes:

information identifying each step associated with the displayed command; and

information identifying each device associated with the displayed command.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said detailed information includes information indicating whether or not the displayed command was successfully executed.

23. A computer program for generating a graphical user interface (GUI), the program being stored on a computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a first code segment, the first code segment generating a graphical user interface (GUI) and causing the GUI to be displayed on a display device, the displayed GUI having a first window, the first window presenting at least one option that enables a user to open a file comprising machine control sequence execution results resulting from execution of a machine control sequence configured to move data storage media to and from a media interface; and

a second code segment, the second code segment configured to determine whether a selection of said at least one option has been made by the user, wherein upon determining that the user has selected said at least one option, displaying on said display device a second window, said second window displaying at least a summary of said execution results comprised in said file on said display device.

24. The computer program of claim 23, wherein said summary includes information summarizing an entire run of said machine control sequence, said run corresponding to one or more iterations of said machine control sequence.

25. The computer program of claim 23, wherein said machine control sequence has at least one step associated therewith, said at least one step having at least one device associated therewith, said at least one device having at least one command associated therewith.

26. The computer program of claim 24, wherein said second window displays, in addition to said summary, detailed information describing each command executed during at least one of said iterations.

27. The computer program of claim 26, wherein said detailed information includes a start time and an end time associated with execution of each command that was executed during the iteration associated with the selected iteration number identifier.

28. The computer program of claim 26, wherein said detailed information includes information identifying each iteration associated with the displayed command.

29. The computer program of claim 26, wherein said detailed information includes information identifying a step associated with the displayed command;

and

information identifying a device associated with the displayed command.

30. The computer program of claim 26, wherein said detailed information includes information indicating whether or not the displayed command was successfully executed.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to execute logic configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI), logic configured to interact with at least one human to machine interface, and logic configured to generate commands applied to control systems within one or more remote devices; and

a display device in communication with said processor, wherein when said processor executes the logic configured to generate the GUI, a first window is displayed on the display device, said first window presenting at least one option that enables a user to open a file comprising a machine control sequence configured to move data storage media to and from a media interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said first window presents an option, the selection of which executes the machine control sequence.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein when said file is opened, a second window is displayed on said display device, said second window displays data resulting from the execution of the machine control sequence.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the data resulting from the execution of the machine control sequence comprises a summary of information from the one or more remote devices.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the one or more remote devices comprise devices configured to house and manipulate data storage media.

36. A method for enabling a user to analyze execution results of commands generated in a control system, comprising:

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) having a first window that presents at least one option that enables a user to controllably execute a file comprising a machine control sequence configured to direct one or more remote devices to move data storage media to and from a media interface; and

upon detecting a selection of said at least one option by the user, executing the machine control sequence.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein upon detecting execution of the machine control sequence, collecting data from said one or more remote devices.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

displaying a second window, said second window presenting at least a summary of data from said one or more remote devices.