METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ACCESS PROCESS DATA STORED ON A SERVER

• US 20110238780A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark, Neitzel, Lee Allen, Zhou, Ling
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to access process data stored on a server are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request to access process data via a web browser, identifying a server that stores at least a portion of the process data, wherein the server is associated with an interoperability data packing format, accessing the server to receive the process data, converting the process data from a format associated with the interoperability data packing format to a web browsing format, and embedding at least a first portion of the converted process data into at least one data field for display via the web browser.

Claims

1. A method to access process data stored on a server, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access process data via a web browser;

identifying a server that stores at least a portion of the process data, wherein the server is associated with an interoperability data packing format;

accessing the server to receive the process data;

converting the process data from a format associated with the interoperability data packing format to a web browsing format; and

embedding at least a first portion of the converted process data into at least one data field for display via the web browser.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising authenticating the request prior to identifying the server that stores the process data.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the server includes accessing a list that cross-references an identifier associated with the request.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the interoperability data packing format complies with an open packaging convention.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein embedding at least the first portion of the converted process data into the at least one data field includes:

partitioning the converted process data by at least one data type;

determining which data type is associated with each data field;

creating a data field for each data type; and

embedding the process data associated with each data type into a corresponding data field.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein determining which data type is associated with each data field includes:

determining metadata associated with each portion of the data; and

cross-referencing the metadata to the corresponding data field.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request is from a client using the web browser.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

embedding the at least one data field including at least the first portion of the converted process data into a webpage; and

returning the webpage including the data within the at least one data field to the client using the web browser to display at least the first portion of the converted process data in the webpage.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request is from a client using a client display application that is executed within the web browser.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising sending an instruction to the web browser that causes the client display application to access and display the at least one data field including at least the first portion of the converted process data.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the server stores a first portion of the process data.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a second server that stores a second portion of the process data, wherein the second server is associated with the interoperability data packing format;

accessing the second server to receive the second portion of the process data;

converting the second portion of the process data from the format associated with the interoperability data packing format to the web browsing format; and

embedding the second portion of the converted process data into the at least one data field for display along with the first portion of the converted process data via the web browser.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving target display information; and

determining a template that includes the at least one data field that corresponds to the target display information and the process data.

14. An apparatus to access process data stored on a server, the apparatus comprising:

an adaptor to;

identify a server that stores at least a portion of process data associated with a request to access the process data via a web browser, wherein the server is associated with an interoperability data packing format; and

access the server to receive the process data;

a converter to convert the process data from a format associated with the interoperability data packing format to a web browsing format; and

a web-based interface to embed at least a portion of the converted process data into at least one data field for display via the web browser.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the web-based interface is to receive the request to access process data via the web browser.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the request is from a client using the web browser.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the web-based interface is to:

embed the at least one data field including at least the portion of the converted process data into a webpage; and

return the webpage including the data within the at least one data field to the client using the web browser to display at least the portion of the converted process data in the webpage.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the request is from a client using a client display application that is executed within the web browser.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the web-based interface is to send an instruction to the web browser that causes the client display application to access and display the at least one data field including at least the portion of the converted process data.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a security processor to authenticate the request.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the adaptor identifies the server by accessing a list that cross-references an identifier associated with the request to the server.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the web-based interface is to embed at least the portion of the converted process data into the at least one data field by:

partitioning the converted process data by at least one data type;

determining which data type is associated with each data field;

creating a data field for each data type; and

embedding the process data associated with each data type into a corresponding data field.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein determining which data type is associated with each data field includes a data processor to:

determine metadata associated with each portion of the data; and

cross-reference the metadata to the corresponding data field.

20. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A machine-accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a request to access process data via a web browser;

identify a server that stores at least a portion of the process data, wherein the server is associated with an interoperability data packing format;

access the server to receive the process data;

convert the process data from a format associated with the interoperability data packing format to a web browsing format; and

embed at least a first portion of the converted process data into at least one data field for display via the web browser.

28-35. -35. (canceled)