Dynamic representation of component configuration method and system

• US 20060277498A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, Joseph Francis, Britt, Clinton Duane, Cisler, Steven Mark, Mann, Krista, Lloyd, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,984,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A technique is provided for configuring an interface device. Individual device elements are stored on the interface device and each element includes a functionality and a visual representation. A general purpose engine resident on the interface device enumerates properties of the device elements in response to a query in a design-time environment. Design-time environment may be served to a general purpose computer working as a configuration station. The general purpose engine is independent of the device elements enumerated. A user viewable screen is then generated for viewing in the design-time environment, with the potential for altering properties of the enumerated device elements. The viewable screen and design-time environment may be displayed in a general purpose viewer or browser by collecting the visual representations associated with the device elements.

Claims

1. A configurable interface method comprising:

enumerating properties of a plurality of device elements by a general purpose engine resident on an interface device in response to a query in a design-time environment, each device element having a visual representation and a functionality of the respective device element, the general purpose engine being independent of the device elements enumerated; and

generating a user viewable screen for viewing in the design-time environment for a general purpose viewer by collecting the visual representations associated with the device elements.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising enumerating properties of a selected one of the device elements and generating a property screen area including indicia of the enumerated properties for viewing in the design-time environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user viewable screen is generated by instantiating the device elements on the interface device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user viewable screen is generated by storing images associated with the enumerated device elements to a memory display context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user viewable screen includes dynamic content for display by the general purpose viewer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the dynamic content is served as a dynamic HTML page.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic content of the user viewable screen includes a display screen area for displaying and modifying the images associated with the enumerated device elements.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic content of the user viewable screen includes a property screen area for displaying and modifying enumerated properties of a device element.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing an enumerated property of a device element based upon user interaction with the user viewable screen, and rebuilding the user viewable screen based upon the property change.

10. A configurable interface method comprising:

enumerating a plurality of device elements by a general purpose engine resident on an interface device in response to a query in a design-time environment, the general purpose engine being independent of the device elements enumerated;

enumerating properties of a selected device element; and

generating a user viewable screen for viewing in the design-time environment for a general purpose viewer by collecting the visual representations associated with device elements having a visual representation in an interface screen, the user viewable screen including indicia representative of the enumerated properties of the selected device element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user viewable screen includes a display screen area for displaying a representation of device elements having a visual representation in the interface screen.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user viewable screen includes a properties screen area for displaying the enumerated properties of the selected device element.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising changing an enumerated property of the selected device element based upon user interaction with the user viewable screen, and rebuilding the user viewable screen based upon the property change.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user viewable screen includes dynamic content for display by the general purpose viewer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dynamic content is served as a dynamic HTML page.

16. A configurable interface device comprising:

a plurality of device elements, each device element having properties including a visual representation and a functionality of the respective device element;

a design-time environment configured to generate a user viewable screen for viewing in a general purpose viewer by collecting the visual representations associated with the device elements; and

a general purpose engine resident on an interface device and configured to enumerate the device elements in response to a query in a design-time environment, the general purpose engine being independent of the device elements enumerated.

17. The configurable interface device of claim 16, further comprising a server module resident on the interface device for receiving the query and for serving a design-time environment interface screen including data derived from the enumerated device elements.

18. The configurable interface device of claim 16, wherein the query is processed in accordance with scripting executed on the interface device.

19. An interface system comprising:

a machine readable medium, and

programming code stored on the machine readable medium defining instructions for enumerating properties of a plurality of device elements by a general purpose engine resident on an interface device in response to a query in a design-time environment, each device element having a visual representation and a functionality of the respective device element, the general purpose engine being independent of the device elements enumerated, and generating a user viewable screen for viewing in the design-time environment for a general purpose viewer by collecting the visual representations associated with the device elements.

20. An interface system comprising:

a machine readable medium, and

programming code stored on the machine readable medium defining instructions for enumerating a plurality of device elements by a general purpose engine resident on an interface device in response to a query in a design-time environment, the general purpose engine being independent of the device elements enumerated, enumerating properties of a selected device element, and generating a user viewable screen for viewing in the design-time environment for a general purpose viewer by collecting the visual representations associated with device elements having a visual representation in an interface screen, the user viewable screen including indicia representative of the enumerated properties of the selected device element.