Dynamic Faceplates For Multiple Objects

• US 20140075392A1
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Timsjo, Susanne, Olausson, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method in a UI of a process control system is disclosed. The UI is configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system. The UI is adapted to visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system. At least one sub-UI, such as a faceplate, is generated, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components. The at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit. Each of the at least one sub-UI is adapted such that a number of operation information and/or control elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time. Furthermore, such a UI is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method in a user interface, UI, of a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI being adapted to visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, each component of the plurality of components being associated with a set having a plurality of elements, each of which elements is associated with operation of the component, the method comprising:

generating at least one sub-UI, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components and each sub-UI being adapted to controllably visually indicate at least some of the elements of the set associated with the corresponding component with regards to selection of elements of the set to be visually indicated in the sub-UI, and to enable the user to control the operational state of the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI;

displaying the at least one sub-UI on the display unit; and

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the number of elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time, such that, for each of the at least one sub-UI, the number of available operations that can be performed on the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one sub-UIs is controllable with regards to size of the sub-UI when displayed on the display unit, the method further comprising:

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the size of the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each of the at least one sub-UI is adapted such that the size of each of the at least one sub-UI as displayed on the display unit decreases with the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one sub-UIs is controllable with regards to size of the sub-UI when displayed on the display unit and wherein displaying the at least one sub-UI on the display unit comprises displaying the at least one sub-UI on the display unit within a predetermined region of the UI, the method further comprising:

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the size of the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit within the predetermined region of the UI depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein each of the at least one sub-UI is adapted such that the size of each of the at least one sub-UI as displayed on the display unit within the predetermined region of the UI decreases with the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

generating at least two sub-UIs;

displaying the at least two sub-UIs on the display unit within the predetermined region of the UI such that each of the at least two sub-UIs is displayed adjacent to at least one of the other sub-UIs; and

adapting each of the at least two sub-UIs such that the aggregated size of all of the sub-UIs as displayed on the display unit within the predetermined region of the UI is equal to the size of the predetermined region of the UI as displayed on the display unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the number of elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit decreases with the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one component indicated by the UI by providing user input to the UI;

wherein generating at least one sub-UI comprises generating at least one sub-UI corresponding to respective ones of the selected at least one component.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

for each component of the plurality of components, retrieving the set associated therewith;

sensing change in operational state of at least one of the components by comparing the elements of the respective set associated with the at least one of the components with the elements of a previously retrieved set associated with said at least one of the components; and

on a condition that change has been sensed;

re-generating the sub-UI corresponding to the respective at least one of the components for which change in operational state has been sensed; and

re-displaying said sub-UI on the display unit.

10. A computer program product adapted to, when executed in a processor unit, perform a method in a user interface UI, of a process control system the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI being adapted to visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system each component of the plurality of components being associated with a set having a plurality of elements, each of which elements is associated with operation of the component, the method comprising:

generating at least one sub-UI, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components and each sub-UI being adapted to controllably visually indicate at least some of the elements of the set associated with the corresponding component with regards to selection of elements of the set to be visual indicated in the sub-UI, and to enable the user to control the operational state of the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI;

displaying the at least one sub-UI on the display unit; and

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the number of elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time, such that, for each of the at least one sub-UI, the number of available operations that can be performed on the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

11. A computer-readable storage medium on which there is stored a computer program product adapted to, when executed in a processor unit, perform a method in a user interface, UI, of a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI being adapted to visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, each component of the plurality of components being associated with a set having a plurality of elements, each of which elements is associated with operation of the component the method comprising:

generating at least one sub-UI, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components and each sub-UI being adapted to controllably visually indicate at least some of the elements of the set associated with the corresponding component with regards to selection of elements of the set to be visually indicated in the sub-UI, and to enable the user to control the operational state of the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI;

displaying the at least one sub-UI on the display unit; and

adapting each of the at least one sub-UI such that the number of elements visual indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time, such that for each of the at least one sub-UI the number of available operations that can be performed on the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

12. A user interface, UI, of a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI being configured to:

visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, each component of the plurality of components being associated with a set having a plurality of elements, each of which elements is associated with operation of the component;

generate at least one sub-UI, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components, and each sub-UI being adapted to controllably visually indicate at least some of the elements of the set associated with the corresponding component with regards to selection of elements of the set to be visually indicated in the sub-UI, and to enable the user to control the operational state of the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI;

display the at least one sub-UI on the display unit; and

adapt each of the at least one sub-UI such that the number of elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time, such that, for each of the at least one sub-UI, the number of available operations that can be performed on the corresponding component by means of user input provided to the sub-UI depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time.

13. The UI according to claim 12, further comprising:

a communication module adapted to, for each component of the plurality of components, retrieve the set associated therewith; and

an operational state sensor adapted to sense change in operational state of at least one of the components by comparing the elements of the respective set associated with the at least one of the components with the elements of a previously retrieved set associated with said at least one of the components;

the UI being further adapted to, on a condition that change has been sensed by the operational state sensor;

re-generate the sub-UI corresponding to the respective at least one of the components for which change in operational state has been sensed; and

re-display said sub-UI on the display unit.

14. The UI according to claim 12, wherein the elements of the sets associated with the respective components are associated with control and/or monitoring of the respective components.

15. The UI according to claim 12, wherein the elements of the sets associated with the respective components include at least one of operational state of and available operations performable on the respective components.

16. A process control system comprising a user interface, UI, according to claim 12.