Keypad annunciator graphical user interface
First Claim
1. A multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system having a display monitor, said graphical user interface comprisingdisplay means for displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window representative of a keypad annunciator having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, said display means displaying said at least one key in a first key display state and being responsive to alarm state data for displaying said at least one key in a second key display state upon occurrence of a selected alarm state,input means operative with said display means for changing a display, on the monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the occurrence of the selected alarm state, andacknowledgment display means for displaying said at least one key in a third key display state, said acknowledgment display means being responsive to said input means for displaying said at least one key in the third display state upon selection of said at least one key with said input means when said at least one key is displayed in the second key display state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Keypad Annunciator Graphical User Interface, (KAGUI), for use by an operator of a process control system for presenting and responding to alarm state data generated by the process control system, is disclosed. The KAGUI provides an interactive display of a keypad annunciator on a monitor display screen. A panel manager display and a dynamic icon enhance operator awareness, in a multi-window display environment, of alarms. The KAGUI synchronizes alarm data presented by the KAGUI with process control system alarm data and informs the operator of the status of interprocess communication.
108 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system having a display monitor, said graphical user interface comprising
display means for displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window representative of a keypad annunciator having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, said display means displaying said at least one key in a first key display state and being responsive to alarm state data for displaying said at least one key in a second key display state upon occurrence of a selected alarm state, input means operative with said display means for changing a display, on the monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the occurrence of the selected alarm state, and acknowledgment display means for displaying said at least one key in a third key display state, said acknowledgment display means being responsive to said input means for displaying said at least one key in the third display state upon selection of said at least one key with said input means when said at least one key is displayed in the second key display state.
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2. A multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system having a display monitor, said graphical user interface comprising
display means for displaying a user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on the display monitor, said keypad annunciator window representative of a keypad annunciator having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, each key display state being responsive to an alarm state of the process control system, input means operative with said display means for changing a display, on the display monitor, which is associated with the keypad annunciator window, and a panel manager window for displaying, in an area normally occupying a portion of the display monitor, a panel manager representative of the keypad annunciator, said panel manager window being moveable relative to the display monitor.
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4. A multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system having a display monitor, said graphical user interface comprising
display means for displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window representative of a keypad annunciator having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, said display means displaying said at least one key in a first key display state and being responsive to alarm state data for displaying said at least one key in a second key display state upon occurrence of a selected alarm state, input means operative with said display means for changing a display, on the monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the occurrence of the selected alarm state, and a panel manager window for displaying, in an area normally occupying a portion of the display monitor, a panel manager, said panel manager visually representing a selected alarm state associated with the keypad annunciator, said panel manager window being moveable relative to the display monitor, icon means for displaying an icon representing a minimized keypad annunciator display, said icon means being responsive to said input means for displaying said keypad annunciator on the display monitor.
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10. A multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system having a display monitor, said graphical user interface comprising
display means for displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window representative of a keypad annunciator having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, said display means displaying said at least one key in a first key display state and being responsive to alarm state data for displaying said at least one key in a second key display state upon occurrence of a selected alarm state, input means operative with said display means for changing a display, on the monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the occurrence of the selected alarm state, and dynamic icon means for displaying, on said display monitor, a dynamic icon representative of said keypad annunciator window and having at least two dynamic icon display states, said dynamic icon display means displaying said dynamic icon normally in a first dynamic icon display state and being responsive to selected alarm states of the process control system, for displaying said dynamic icon in a second dynamic icon display state.
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16. A machine readable data storage medium comprising
first means for displaying at least one user customizeable keypad annunciator window having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, said first means displaying said at least one key in a first key display state and being responsive to alarm state data of a process control system for displaying said at least one key in a second key display state upon occurrence of a selected alarm state, second means operative with said first means for changing a display, on a monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the occurrence of the selected alarm state, and third means for displaying said key in a third key display state, said third means being responsive to said second means for displaying said key in the third display state upon selection of said key with said second means when said is the second key display state.
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18. A machine readable data storage medium comprising
first means for displaying a user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on a display monitor, said keypad annunciator window having at least one key displayable in at least two key display states, each key display state being responsive to an alarm state of a process control system, second means operative with said first means for changing a display, on the display monitor, which is associated with the keypad annunciator window, and fourth means for displaying, in an area normally occupying a portion of the display screen of the display monitor, a panel manager window representative of the keypad annunciator window.
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20. A method of providing a multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system, said method comprising the steps of
displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on a display monitor, displaying at least one key of the keypad annunciator window in a first key display state, displaying the at least one key in a second display state upon occurrence of a change in a selected alarm state, providing means for changing a display, on the display monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the change in the selected alarm state in response to an input device, and displaying the at least one key in a third key display state in response to selection of the key with the input device when the key is in the second key display state.
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21. A method of providing a multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system, said method comprising the steps of
displaying a user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on a display monitor, changing the display state of a key of the keypad annunciator window in response to the occurrence of a change in an alarm state of the process control system, changing a display, associated with the keypad annunciator window, on the display monitor in response to an input device, displaying, in an area normally occupying a portion of the display screen of the display monitor, a panel manager window representative of the keypad annunciator.
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23. A method of providing a multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system, said method comprising the steps of
displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on a display monitor, displaying at least one key of the keypad annunciator window in a first key display state, displaying the at least one key in a second display state upon occurrence of a change in a selected alarm state, providing means for changing a display, on the display monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the change in the selected alarm state in response to an input device, displaying, in an area normally occupying a portion of the display screen of the display monitor, a panel manager window for visually representing a selected alarm state associated with a keypad annunciator, said panel manager window being moveable relative to the display monitor, displaying an icon representing a minimized keypad annunciator display, displaying said keypad annunciator on the display monitor in response to selection of the icon by way of the input device.
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30. A method of providing a multi-window graphical user interface for use with a process control system, said method comprising the steps of
displaying at least one user-customizeable keypad annunciator window on a display monitor, displaying at least one key of the keypad annunciator window in a first key display state, displaying the at least one key in a second display state upon occurrence of a change in a selected alarm state, providing means for changing a display, on the display monitor, associated with the keypad annunciator window, and for responding to the change in the selected alarm state in response to an input device, displaying, on said display monitor, a dynamic icon representative of said keypad annunciator window, displaying said dynamic icon normally in a first dynamic icon display state, and displaying said dynamic icon in a second dynamic icon display state in response to the occurrence of selected alarm states.
Specification