CONTROL SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND METHODS WITH OBJECT CHARACTERISTIC SWAPPING
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.
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Citations
173 Claims
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1-134. -134. (canceled)
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135. Apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising
a graphical user interface that graphically depicts a first object and a second object, both of which represent entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, functionality coupled to the graphical user interface that transfers characteristics of the first object to the second object in response to a user command whereby by the depiction of one of the objects is graphically dragged and dropped onto the depiction of the other object.
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143. Apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising
a database comprising at least a first object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, a digital data processor coupled with the database, the digital data processor including a graphical user interface that graphically depicts the first object, the digital data processor responding to a selected user command by transferring characteristics of the first object to a second object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, the second object being of a type different than the first object.
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151. Apparatus for configuring a control system, comprising
a first object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, a graphical user interface that graphically depicts the first object, functionality that responds to a selected user command by transferring characteristics of the first object to a second object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, the second object being of a type different than the first object, an editor that facilitates specification of at least one of a mapping and a conversion used for the transfers.
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155. Method for configuring a control system, comprising
graphically depicting a first object and a second object, both of which represent entities in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus executing the method for configuring the control system, graphically dragging and dropping the depiction of one of the objects onto the depiction of the other object, responding to the dragging and dropping operation by transferring characteristics of the first object to the second object.
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163. Method for configuring a control system, comprising
maintaining a database comprising at least a first object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus executing the method for configuring the control system, operating a digital data processor to graphically depicting the first object, responding, with the digital data processor, to a selected user command by transferring characteristics of the first object to a second object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus executing the method for configuring the control system, the second object being of a type different than the first object.
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170. Method for configuring a control system, comprising
maintaining a first object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and an apparatus that executes the method for configuring the control system, graphically depicting the first object, responding to a selected user command by transferring characteristics of the first object to a second object representing an entity in any of the control system, a system controlled thereby, a control level hierarchy, and the apparatus for configuring the control system, the second object being of a type different than the first object, facilitating specification with an editor of at least one of a mapping and a conversion used for the transfers.
Specification