FLEXIBLE GRAPHICAL EXTENSION ENGINE

• US 20100100583A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pouchak, Michael Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40247 LON
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A flexible graphical extension engine having a function block engine combined with extensions in communications with a wall module bus to make it possible to provide fixed function, configurable function and programmable function devices which implement additional function block behavior, and provide an automated configuration approach for generating configuration files for a programmable wall module. In other words, the engine not only depends on fixed inputs and outputs (I/O'"'"'s) and fixed features in a control solution, but also may allow for flexible blocks and the ability to change an interface on the fly (i.e., during operation).

Claims

1. A graphical extension engine comprising:

a configuration tool;

a download tool connected to the configuration tool;

a host connected to the download tool; and

a client connected to the host; and

wherein;

the host is a function block engine platform; and

the client is a configurable wall module.

2. The engine of claim 1, wherein the configuration tool comprises:

a bus tool;

a project file mechanism connected to the bus tool; and

a graphical compiler connected to the project file mechanism and the bus tool.

3. The engine of claim 2, wherein the download tool is for conveying a configuration from the configuration tool to the host for the client.

4. The engine of claim 3, wherein the configuration can be conveyed by the download tool on-the-fly.

5. The engine of claim 1, wherein:

the host can convey the configuration to the client; and

the host comprises a function block engine which can affect the configuration on-the-fly.

6. A parallel flexible graphical extension engine comprising:

a function block engine;

a configurator for providing files to the function block engine; and

at least one wall module connected to the function block engine.

7. The engine of claim 6, wherein the function block engine is for sending group and send tables to the wall module.

8. The engine of claim 7, wherein the tables are sent via a two-wire polarity insensitive or wireless bus.

9. The engine of claim 7, wherein the send table comprises:

a group number,

function block destination PVID'"'"'s;

wall module PVID'"'"'s; and

/or

own PVID'"'"'s.

10. The engine of claim 7, wherein each wall module often has a PVID different from the PVID of the function block engine for a given parameter.

11. The engine of claim 7 wherein the wall module has fixed function block I/O'"'"'s and flexible function block I/O'"'"'s.

12. The engine of claim 11, wherein the flexible function block I/O'"'"'s may be changed on the fly.

13. The engine of claim 11, wherein the fixed function block I/O'"'"'s are selectable.

14. The engine of claim 7, further comprising an approach for tracking connections between node PVID'"'"'s including PVID source addresses, PVID destination addresses, node source/destination addresses and optional update rates.

15. The engine of claim 6, wherein one or more function blocks of the function block engine are connected the at least one wall module.

16. The engine of claim 6, wherein the wall module comprises:

a display;

inputs connected to the wall module bus; and

outputs connected to the wall module bus; and

wherein signals on the inputs and outputs have PVID'"'"'s.

17. A method for configuring a wall module comprising:

providing a configuration for a configurable wall module;

downloading the configuration to a host comprising a first function block engine; and

downloading configuration from the host to the wall module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first function block engine has fixed and/or flexible I/O'"'"'s; and

the wall module comprises a second function block engine having flexible and/or fixed I/O'"'"'s.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the wall module can have fixed algorithms and/or configured or programmable flexible function block engine algorithms.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the first function block engine has a first PVID system;

the second function block engine has a second PVID system;

PVID'"'"'s of signals from the first function block engine to the second function block engine, are converted to PVID'"'"'s of the second function block engine; and

PVID'"'"'s of signals from the second function block engine to the first function block engine, are converted to PVID'"'"'s of the first function block engine.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

defining customized I/O'"'"'s for the wall module;

selecting fixed I/O'"'"'s as desired for the wall module; and

defining virtually any number of I/O'"'"'s for the wall module.