DEVICE FOR MANAGING AND CONFIGURING FIELD DEVICES IN AN AUTOMATION INSTALLATION

• US 20160085383A1
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Wagener, Dirk, Welte, Christoph, Heege, Marcus, Mahnke, Wolfgang, Schlueter, Marko
• Application Number:
  US14/857,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A device for managing and configuring field devices in an automation installation with a configuration tool that is designed to physically detect a field device in the automation installation, to logically incorporate it into the automation installation and to configure it in the automation installation, the configuration tool resorting for this purpose to a prescribed first field-device-specific information packet that describes the functions and data of the field device at least in part. In order to alter the size of windows in the relationship context, the windows in a relationship context being arranged in matrix form, directly adjacently, with the window boundaries forming a lattice structure of intersecting window boundary lines, each node of the intersecting window boundary lines has an associated operator control element, the operator control element has a control area, and activation of an operator control element renders the window boundary lines intersecting at this node relocatable.

Claims

1. A device for managing and configuring a field device in an automation installation, the device comprising:

a configuration tool designed to physically detect the field device in the automation installation, to logically incorporate the field device into the automation installation, and to configure the field device in the automation installation,

wherein the configuration tool indicates functions and data of each field device in a plurality of windows and holds the functions and/or data for editing,

wherein the windows in a relationship context are arranged in matrix form, directly adjacently, with window boundaries forming a lattice structure of intersecting window boundary lines,

wherein each node of the intersecting window boundary lines includes an associated operator control element,

wherein the operator control element includes a control area, and

wherein activation of an operator control element renders the window boundary lines intersecting at this node relocatable.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control area of the operator control element is highlighted in form.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the control area of the operator control element is highlighted in color.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the control area of the operator control element is highlighted in color.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all functions, data, graphical representations, and/or operator control elements of the field device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all functions, data, graphical representations, and/or operator control elements of the field device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all functions of the field device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all data of the field device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all graphical representations of the field device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all operator control elements of the field device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the relationship context includes all functions, data, graphical representations, and operator control elements of the field device.