GRAPHICAL SYMBOL ANIMATION WITH EVALUATIONS FOR BUILDING AUTOMATION GRAPHICS

• US 20130083035A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Akeiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Han, James K., Hersche, Andreas, Stirnemann, Patrick, Ramanathan, Ganesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Automation systems, methods, and mediums. A method includes identifying a value for a data point associated with a device in a building. The value is received from a management system operably connected to the device. The method includes mapping the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point. The method includes generating a display comprising a graphic for the building and a symbol representing the device. The method includes displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device. Additionally, the method includes modifying the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for displaying graphics, the method comprising:

identifying a value for a data point associated with a device in a building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

mapping the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generating a display comprising a graphic for the building and a symbol representing the device;

displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device; and

modifying the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device, the method further comprising:

identifying a second instance of the symbol;

substituting the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identifying a second value for the second data point for the second instance of symbol;

mapping the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

displaying the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the value for the data point associated with the device comprises:

identifying a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of the device as the value for the data point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises:

identifying a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

mapping the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values;

identifying an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identifying a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises:

identifying a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identifying a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identifying a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

identifying the value for the data point associated with the device further comprises;

identifying a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises;

mapping the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device comprises:

determining whether the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

animating a display of the graphical representation of the value for the data point based on an animation interval in response to determining that the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero.

8. A data processing system configured to display graphics, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device comprising a system manager application;

an accessible memory comprising instructions of the system manager application; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

identify a value for a data point associated with a device in a building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

map the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generate a display comprising a graphic for the building and a symbol representing the device;

display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a second instance of the symbol;

substitute the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identify a second value for the second data point for the second instance of symbol;

map the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

display the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein to identify the value for the data point associated with the device the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of the device as the value for the data point.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

map the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values;

identify an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identify a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

13. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein:

to identify the value for the data point associated with the device the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

identify a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

map the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.

14. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein to display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

determine whether the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

animate a display of the graphical representation of the value for the data point based on an animation interval in response to determining that the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:

identify a value for a data point associated with a device in a building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

map the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generate a display comprising a graphic for the building and a symbol representing the device;

display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device and wherein the computer-readable medium is further encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:

identify a second instance of the symbol;

substitute the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identify a second value for the second data point for the second instance of symbol;

map the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

display the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to identify the value for the data point associated with the device comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to:

comprises;

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of the device as the value for the data point.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to:

identify a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

map the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values;

identify an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to:

identify a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identify a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to identify the value for the data point associated with the device comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to;

identify a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

wherein the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to;

map the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.