Information display system

• US 20100281419A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epsis AS
• Original Assignee: Epsis AS
• Inventors: Nordtvedt, Jan-Erik, Hosoy, Jorgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An information display system (10) comprises computing hardware (30) coupled to a graphical screen interface. (50) The system (10) further includes one or more interface modules (70) including local data processing thereat for receiving input data streams (S₁ to S_N). Moreover, the computing hardware (30) is operable to execute one or more software products for generating a software environment presented in operation on the graphical screen interface (50). Furthermore, the computing hardware (30) is operable when executing the one or more software products to present a representation of one or more of the input data streams (S₁ to S_N) in one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) within the software environment as provided on the graphical screen interface (50).

Claims

1. An information display system (10) including computing hardware (20) coupled to a graphical screen interface (50),

characterized in that

said system (10) includes one or more interface modules (70) for receiving input data streams (S),

said computing hardware (20) is operable to execute one or more software products (35) for generating a software environment presented in operation on the graphical screen interface (50), and

said computing hardware (20) is operable when executing said one or more software products (35) to present a representation of one or more of the input data streams (S) in one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) within said software environment as provided on said graphical screen interface (50).

2. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more software products (35) when executed on said computing hardware (20) are operable to control one or more temporal processes (200), each process (200) comprising one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C), and said one or more processes (200) being presentable on said graphical screen interface (50) by way of one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) corresponding to one or more of said input data streams (S) pertinent to one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C) of said presented one or more processes (200).

3. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more graphical windows (100, 11, 120A to 120F) are defined a priori in association with their one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C).

4. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more software products (35) are operable when executed upon said computing hardware (20) so that said one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) are susceptible to being created in real time when their corresponding one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C) are being presented on said graphical screen interface (50).

5. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) created in real time are associated with their corresponding one or more input streams (S) by defining one or more signatures present in said one or more input data streams (S).

6. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computing hardware (20) is implemented as at least one personal computer coupled to one or more graphical display screens, said at least one personal computer including a connection arrangement for receiving said one or more interface modules (70).

7. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one personal computer (30) is coupled via at least one video bus (40A) to said one or more graphical display screens (50), and said one or more interface modules (70) are operable to execute data processing locally therein and to provide corresponding graphic window data to said video bus (40A).

8. An information display system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more interface modules (70) are operable to cope with processing at least one of:

(a) video data streams;

(b) audio data streams;

(c) sensor data streams;

(d) database data streams;

(e) external command data streams.

18. A renewable energy facility controlled and managed using a system (10) as claimed in claim 1.

9. A method of controlling one or more processes by employing an information display system (10) including computing hardware (20) coupled to a graphical screen interface (50),

characterized in that

said method involves:

(a) including in said system (10) one or more interface modules (70) for receiving input data streams (S),

(b) executing in said computing hardware (20) one or more software products (35) for generating a software environment presented in operation on the graphical screen interface (50), and

(c) presenting when executing said one or more software products (35) on said computing hardware (20) a representation of one or more of the input data streams (S) in one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) within said software environment as provided on said graphical screen interface (50).

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, including:

controlling, when executing said one or more software products (35) on said computing hardware (20), one or more temporal processes (200), each process (200) comprising one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C), and said one or more processes (200) being presentable on said graphical screen interface (50) together with one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) corresponding to one or more of said input data streams (S) pertinent to one or more steps (210A, 210B, 210C) of said presented one or more processes (200).

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, including defining said one or more graphical windows a priori in association with their one or more steps.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, including implementing said one or more software products (35) to be operable when executed upon said computing hardware (20) so that said one or more graphical windows (100, 110, 120A to 120F) are susceptible to being created in real time when their corresponding one or more steps (200) are being presented on said graphical screen interface (50).

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, including associating said one or more graphical windows created in real time with their corresponding one or more input streams (S) by defining one or more signatures present in said one or more input data streams (S).

14. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said method is implemented by way of said computing hardware (20) being implemented as at least one personal computer (30) coupled to one or more graphical display screens, said at least one personal computer (30) including a connection arrangement for receiving said one or more interface modules (70).

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, including coupling said at least one personal computer via at least one video bus (40A) to said one or more graphical display screens (50), and said one or more interface modules (70) are operable to execute data processing locally therein and to provide corresponding graphic window data to said video bus (40A, 40B).

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said one or more interface modules (70) are operable to cope with processing at least one of:

(a) video data streams;

(b) audio data streams;

(c) sensor data streams;

(d) database data streams;

(e) external command data streams.

17. A software product recorded on a machine-readable data carrier, said software product being executable upon computing hardware (30) for implementing a method as claimed in claim 9.