Apparatus and method for viewing relationships in a factory management system

• US 5,295,242 A
• Filed: 11/02/1990
• Issued: 03/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Consilium, Inc. (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Consilium, Inc. (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Verplank, William L., Hess, Richard L., Mashruwala, Rajesh U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Application Number:
  US07/608,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 395/133, 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/159, 395/161
• US Class Current: 715/853
• 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 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying the relationship of objects in a factory on a computer system display. A first icon is displayed, the first icon representing a first class of factory objects. A second icon is displayed, the second icon representing a second class of factory objects. A first connector connecting the first icons and second icons is displayed representing the relationship between the first and the second class of factory objects. The first icon is selected, thus displaying a first list of names of all objects comprising the first class of factory objects. Then, a first name from the first list of names is selected, and a second list of names is displayed. The second list of names comprises the names of all objects in the second class of factory objects associated with the object from the first class having the first name.

Claims

1. A method of displaying relationships of objects on a computer system display in a factory floor management system comprising a first class of objects which is related to a second class of objects in said factory floor management system, comprising the following steps:

a. on a first portion of said computer system display, displaying a first icon, the first icon representing said first class of factory objects, said first icon being displayed in a state available for selection;

b. on said first portion of said computer system display, displaying a second icon, the second icon representing said second class of factory objects, said second icon being displayed in a state available for selection;

c. displaying a first connector connecting the first icon and the second icon, the first connector representing a relationship between the first class and the second class of factory objects;

d. selecting the first icon;

e. on a second portion of said computer system display, displaying a first list of names of all objects comprising the first class of factory objects;

f. selecting a first name from the first list of names;

g. on said second portion of said computer system display, displaying a second list of names of all objects in the second class of factory objects associated with the object from the first class having the first name; and

h. re displaying said first icon and second icons on the first portion of said computer system display in states indicating whether they are available for selection according to said relationship between said first and said second classes of factory objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

a. on said first portion of said computer system display, displaying a third icon in a state available for selection, the third icon representing a third class of objects;

b. displaying a second connector, the second connector connecting the third and second icons and representing a relationship between the second and the third class of objects;

c. selecting a second name from the second list of names;

d. on said second portion of said computer system display, displaying a third list of names of all objects in the third class of factory objects associated with an object from the second class having the second name; and

e. re displaying said first icon, said second icon, and said third icon on the first portion of said computer system display in states indicating whether they are available for selection according to said relationship between said first, said second and said third classes of factory objects.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first, second and third classes of factory objects comprise resources in a factory.

4. An apparatus for displaying relationships of objects on a computer system display in a factory floor management system comprising a first class of objects which is related to a second class of objects in said factory floor management system, comprising:

a. means for displaying a first icon in a state available for selection by a user on a first portion of said computer system display, the first icon representing said first class of factory objects;

b. means for displaying a second icon in a state available for selection by a user on said first portion of said computer system display, the second icon representing a second class of factory objects;

c. means for displaying a first connector connecting the first icon and the second icon, the first connector representing a relationship between the first class and the second class of factory objects;

d. means for selecting the first icon;

e. means for displaying a first list of names of all objects on a second portion of said computer system display comprising the first class of factory objects;

f. means for selecting a first name from the first list of names;

g. means for displaying a second list of names on said second portion of said computer system display of all objects in the second class of factory objects associated with the object from the first class having the first name;

h. means for re displaying said first icon and said second icon on the first portion of said computer system display in states indicating whether they are available for selection according to said relationship between said first and said second classes of factory objects.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a. means for displaying a third icon on said first portion of said computer system display, the third icon representing a third class of objects;

b. means for displaying a second connector, the second connector connecting the third and second icons and representing a relationship between the second and the third class of objects;

c. means for selecting a second name from the second list of names;

d. a means for displaying a third list of names of all objects in the third class of factory objects associated with an object from the second class having the second name on said second portion of said computer system display; and

e. a means for re displaying said first icon, said second icon, and said third icon on the first portion of said computer system display in states indicating whether they are available for selection according to said relationship between said first, said second and said third classes of factory objects.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first, second, and third classes of factory objects each comprise resources in a factory.

7. A computer-controlled method of displaying on a computer system display relationships between classes of objects in a factory floor management system, comprising the following steps:

a. displaying a plurality of icons in an state available for selection on a first portion of said computer system display, said icons representing relationships between classes of said objects in said factory, said plurality of icons displayed with links representing said relationships;

b. selecting one of said plurality of icons representing a first of said classes of said factory objects;

c. displaying a first list of names of objects comprising the first of said classes of said factory objects on a second portion of said computer system display;

d. re displaying said plurality of icons on said first portion of said computer system display, a first set of said plurality of icons being shown in an state available for selection, said first set of said plurality of icons representing all of the classes of said factory objects which are immediately related to said first of said classes of factory objects, a second set of said plurality of icons being shown in a state not available for selection, said second set of said plurality of icons representing said objects not immediately related to said first of said classes of objects;

e. selecting a first name from said first list of names of objects comprising the first of said classes of said factory objects;

f. displaying a second list of names of objects comprising a second of said classes of said factory objects on said second portion of said computer system display, said second of said classes of said factory objects being directly related to said first of said classes of said factory objects; and

g. re displaying said plurality of icons, a third set of said plurality of icons being shown in an state available for selection, said third set of said plurality of icons representing all of the classes of said factory objects which are immediately related to the class of said second object, a fourth set of said plurality of icons being shown in a state not available for selection, said second set of said plurality of icons representing said objects not immediately related to said class of said first object of said plurality of objects.

8. A computer-controlled method of displaying relationships between objects in a computer-controlled factory floor management system having a database with relationships between said objects comprising the following steps:

a. displaying a map on a first portion of a display coupled to said computer-controlled factory management system showing relationships between classes of objects in said factory floor management system, said map including a plurality of icons and connectors representing said relationships between said classes of objects;

b. allowing a user to select a first icon of said plurality of icons using a selection device coupled to said factory floor management system, said first icon representing a first class of objects in said factory floor management system;

c. displaying a first plurality of names representing all objects comprising a first class of objects represented by said first icon on a second portion of said display; and

d. allowing a user to select a first name from said plurality of names, said first name representing a first object in said first class of objects;

e. displaying a second plurality of names on said second portion of said display representing all objects comprising a second class of objects immediately related to said first class of objects represented by a second icon on said second portion of said display; and

f. updating said map on said first position of said display, said map showing a first set of said plurality of icons representing classes of objects immediately related to the first class of objects in a state available for selection, said map further showing a second set of said plurality of icons in a state not available for selection, said second set of said plurality of icons representing classes of objects not immediately related to the first class of objects.