Management of User Interfaces Within a Network

• US 20150261398A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensia, LLC (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Madden, Thomas M., Diederichs, Robert, Yee, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 11,245,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method to manage user interfaces within a network, such as a wireless network at least partially included within a hazardous area. The method includes creating an application user interface based upon data content included within a single application binary file, serving the application user interface, creating a device user interface based upon data content included within a single device binary file, and serving the device user interface, in which the data content of the single application binary file and the data content of the single device binary file are identical. Additionally or alternatively, the method includes sending the single device binary file to an application computer through a serial connection to create an application user interface, in which the device user interface and the application user interface are configured to be identical.

Claims

1. A method to manage user interfaces within a network, the method comprising:

creating an application user interface based upon data content included within a single application binary file;

serving the application user interface;

creating a device user interface based upon data content included within a single device binary file; and

serving the device user interface;

wherein the data content of the single application binary file and the data content of the single device binary file are identical.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the application user interface is served to an application client through an application web server from an application computer;

the device user interface is served to a user client through a device web server from an embedded device; and

the application computer and the embedded device are connected through a serial connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded device comprises a flow computer in communication with a flow meter.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a data content request through the application user interface; and

determining if the single application binary file comprises data content corresponding to the data content request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving the data content from the single application binary file if the single application binary file comprises the data content corresponding to the data content request;

retrieving the data content through the serial connection from a device application module of the embedded device if the single application binary file does not comprise the data content corresponding to the data content request; and

serving the data content through the application user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the retrieving the data content through the serial connection comprises:

compiling a data content packet comprising the data content;

stripping the data content packet with a device serial formatter;

sending the data content packet across the serial connection; and

de-stripping the data content packet with an application serial formatter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the stripping the data content packet comprises at least one of;

removing a header portion from the data content packet; and

removing a footer portion from the data content packet; and

the de-stripping the data content packet comprises at least one of;

adding the header portion to the data content packet; and

adding the footer portion to the data content packet.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the data content comprises at least one of configuration data, real-time data, and archive data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the real-time data and the archive data comprise data of a flow rate and a property measured by the embedded device, and wherein the configuration data comprises data of an internal pipe diameter and mole fraction of material associated with the embedded device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded device is positioned within a hazardous area, and wherein the hazardous area comprises a wellsite.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving a single binary file as the single application binary file; and

saving the single binary file as the single device binary file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the single binary file comprises a plurality of content files indexed within the single binary file, and wherein the single binary file comprises a web-based programming language.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the single device binary file from an embedded device to an application computer through a serial connection; and

saving the single device binary file as the single application binary file.

14. A method to manage user interfaces within a network, the method comprising:

creating a device user interface based upon data content included within a single device binary file;

serving the device user interface;

sending the single device binary file to an application computer through a serial connection to create an application user interface;

wherein the device user interface and the application user interface are configured to be identical.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

saving the sent single device binary file as a single application binary file;

creating an application user interface based upon data content included within the single application binary file;

serving the application user interface;

wherein the data content of the single application binary file and the data content of the single device binary file are identical.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the device user interface is served to a user client through a device web server from an embedded device; and

the application user interface is served to an application client through an application web server from the application computer.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a data content request through the application user interface;

determining if the single application binary file comprises data content corresponding to the data content request;

retrieving the data content from the single application binary file if the single application binary file comprises the data content corresponding to the data content request;

retrieving the data content through the serial connection from a device application module of the embedded device if the single application binary file does not comprise the data content corresponding to the data content request; and

serving the data content through the application user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the retrieving the data content through the serial connection comprises:

compiling a data content packet comprising the data content;

stripping the data content packet with a device serial formatter;

sending the data content packet across the serial connection; and

de-stripping the data content packet with an application serial formatter.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising code, the code for managing user interfaces within a network, wherein the code is executable to perform:

creating a device user interface based upon data content included within a single device binary file;

serving the device user interface;

sending the single device binary file to an application computer through a serial connection to create an application user interface;

wherein the device user interface and the application user interface are configured to be identical.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the device user interface is served to a user client through a device web server from an embedded device, and wherein the application user interface is served to an application client through an application web server from the application computer.