Enhanced speed interface method and system

• US 20060277499A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, Joseph Francis, Britt, Clinton Duane
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/828
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A technique is provided for enhancing the performance of an interface device. A collection of device elements having properties including a visual representation and a functionality are instantiated in a global container. The global container includes the device elements that are required for various screen views. Device elements that are not required in a currently displayed screen view are torn off in the global container so that memory and processing requirements are reduced, while increasing the speed and performance of the interface, particularly in switching between screen views.

Claims

1. 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 first screen container in which are instantiated first selected device elements having visual representations in a first interface screen;

a second screen container in which are instantiated second selected device elements having visual representations in a second interface screen; and

a global container in which the first and second selected device elements are instantiated but in which either the first or second device elements, respectively, are torn off based on whether the second or first interface screen is currently being displayed.

2. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein the global container includes instantiated device elements required by either the first or the second device elements but that do not have visual representations.

3. The configurable interface device of claim 2, wherein instantiated device elements without visual representations not required by device elements represented in a currently displayed screen are torn off in the global container.

4. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second device elements is configured to read from or write to a register of a device remote to the interface device.

5. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein at lease one of the first device elements and at least one of the second device elements is configured to execute an action input by a user via the visual representation of the respective device element.

6. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein the first and second device elements are instantiated in the global container upon placing the interface device in an operative state.

8. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein the global container includes instantiated device elements required by any one of the plurality of screens but that do not have visual representations.

9. The configurable interface device of claim 1, wherein instantiated device elements without visual representations not required by device elements represented in a currently displayed screen are torn off in the global container.

7. 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; and

a global container in which the device elements are instantiated but in which device elements are torn off that do not have a visual representation in one of a plurality of interface screens currently displayed by the interface device.

10. A configurable interface device comprising:

a plurality of screens configurable to display a plurality representations of device elements in a development environment, the device elements including a first code portion having a first memory requrement and a second code portion having a second memory requirement;

a container adapted to contain instatiated device elements to facilitate configuration of the device elements; and

an unloading module that unloads the first code portion of selected device elements when not required for a currently displayed screen.

11. The configurable interface device of claim 10, wherein the device elements are instantiated in the container and remain instantiated when the first code portion is unloaded.

12. A method for providing an interface screen comprising:

instantiating first device elements having visual representations in a first interface screen in a first container;

instantiating second device elements having visual representations in a second interface screen in a second container; and

instantiating the first and second device elements in a global container and tearing off either the first or second device elements, respectively, in the global container based on whether the second or first interface screen is currently being displayed.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising instantiating in the global container device elements required by either the first or second device elements but not having a visual representation.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising tearing off instantiated device elements in the global container without visual representations not required by device elements represented in a currently displayed screen.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first or second device elements is configured to read from or write to a register of a device remote to the interface device.

16. A method for providing an interface screen comprising:

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

tearing off device elements that do not have a visual representation in one of a plurality of interface screens currently displayed by the interface device.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising instantiating in the global container device elements required by device elements represented in any one of the interface screens but not having a visual representation.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising tearing off instantiated device elements in the global container without visual representations not required by device elements represented in a currently displayed screen.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the instantiated device elements is configured to read from or write to a register of a device remote to the interface device.

20. An interface system comprising:

a machine readable medium, and

programming code stored on the machine readable medium defining instructions for instantiating first device elements having visual representations in a first interface screen in a first container, instantiating second device elements having visual representations in a second interface screen in a second container, and instantiating the first and second device elements in a global container and tearing off either the first or second device elements, respectively, in the global container based on whether the second or first interface screen is currently being displayed

21. An interface system comprising:

a machine readable medium, and

programming code stored on the machine readable medium defining instructions for instantiating a plurality of device elements in a global container, each device element having properties including a visual representation and a functionality of the respective device element, and tearing off device elements that do not have a visual representation in one of a plurality of interface screens currently displayed by the interface device.