Method and apparatus for displaying mechanical emulation with graphical objects in an object oriented computing environment

• US 6,362,839 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company LLC (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Software Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Jeffrey L., Schlussman, Bret D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/163,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/327, 345/333, 345/335, 345/339, 345/342, 345/121, 345/125, 345/356, 345/349, 345/348, 345/965, 345/970, 345/964, 345/2, 345/433, 345/437, 345/126, 345/761-762, 345/764-770, 358/1.1, 358/1.8, 358/1.9, 707/103.R, 707/104, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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

Abstract

A graphical user interface for monitoring or controlling a process having a plurality of components. Graphical objects are operatively connected to one another such that movement of a representation of one of the graphical objects correspondingly affects the movement of a representation of the other graphical object. The graphical objects are associated with the plurality of components through data linking. Data received from the process relates to position or state changes of the components. Properties of the graphical objects are updated with the received data causing the representations of the graphical objects to move accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of providing mechanical emulation using graphical objects displayed on a computer display device of a computer system which includes the computer display device, a processor, and memory, and two computer-monitored components coupled with the computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a relationship between the two computer-monitored components based on a physical proximity factor and a physical connection factor;

creating first and second graphical objects in an object-oriented environment and storing the graphical objects in the memory of the computer system;

graphically displaying representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display device;

representing the physical proximity factor with the orientation of the representations of the first and second graphical objects relative to one another;

representing the physical connection factor with an anchor point operatively connecting the representations of the first and second graphical objects;

receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components; and

moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of representing the physical proximity factor includes enabling a user to adjust the orientation of the representations of the first and second graphical objects relative to one another by operating a pointer device operatively connected to the computer system so that the orientation of the representations first and second graphical objects graphically represents the physical proximity factor of the two computer-monitored components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of representing the physical connection factor includes enabling a user to selectively position the anchor point of one of the first and second graphical objects on the display device by operating a pointer device so that the anchor point graphically corresponds to the physical connection factor of the two computer-monitored components relative to the representations of the first and second graphical objects.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of representing the physical connection factor includes effectuating a change of value in properties of said one of the first and second graphical objects that represent the position of the anchor point relative to the representations of the first and second graphical objects based on the selected position of the anchor point by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen includes updating movement properties of the first and second graphical objects with values from said data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of changing a value in a property of one of the first and second graphical objects and communicating said change in value to one of the computer-monitored components for controlling same.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of providing first and second graphical objects includes the step of selecting the first and second graphical objects from a library of graphical objects.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the representations of selected graphical objects in said library have a graphical shape corresponding to physical attributes of said computer-monitored components.

9. A method of providing mechanical emulation using graphical objects displayed on a computer display device of a computer system which includes the computer display device, a processor, and memory, and two computer-monitored components coupled with the computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a relationship between the two computer-monitored components based on a physical proximity factor and a physical connection factor;

creating first and second graphical objects in an object-oriented environment and storing the graphical objects in the memory of the computer system;

graphically displaying representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display device;

enabling a user to adjust the orientation of the representations of the first and second graphical objects relative to one another by operating a pointer device operatively connected to the computer system so that the orientation of the representations of the first and second graphical objects graphically represents the physical proximity factor;

enabling a user to selectively position an anchor point of the first and second graphical objects on the display device by operating a pointer device so that the anchor point graphically corresponds to the physical connection factor of the two computer-monitored components relative to the representations of the first and second graphical objects;

effectuating a change of value in properties of one of the first and second graphical objects that represent the position of the anchor point relative to the representations of the first and second graphical objects based on the selected position of the anchor point by the user;

receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components;

updating movement properties of the first and second graphical objects with said data; and

moving said representations of the first and second graphical object on the display screen in response to updating said movement properties with said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components.

10. Method of graphically monitoring and controlling an automated process having a plurality of different types of computer-monitored components, said method comprising the steps of:

providing first and second graphical objects operatively connected to one another such that movement of a representation of one of said first and second graphical objects on a display screen correspondingly affects the movement of a representation of another one of said first and second graphical objects;

associating each of the first and second graphical objects with one of the plurality of different types of computer-monitored components;

receiving data from said automated process, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components;

updating predetermined properties of the first and second graphical objects with said data;

displaying representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen;

moving the representations of the first and second graphical object on the display screen in response to updating the predetermined properties with said data; and

changing a value in one of the predetermined properties of one of the first and second graphical objects and communicating said change in value to one of the computer-monitored components for controlling same.

11. A computer system providing graphical mechanical emulation and the control of components comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer, the representations of the graphical objects being operatively connected to one another;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

at least two computer-monitored components coupled to the computer;

means for associating each of the first and second graphical objects with one of the computer-monitored components;

means for receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components;

means for moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components; and

means for changing a value in a property of one of the first and second graphical objects and communicating said change in value to one of the computer-monitored components for controlling same.

12. A computer system providing mechanical emulation comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer, the representations of the graphical objects being operatively connected to one another through an anchor point, one of the first and second graphical objects having an anchor property corresponding to rotation of the respective graphical object representation about the anchor point;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

at least two computer-monitored components coupled to the computer;

means for associating each of the first and second graphical objects with one of the computer-monitored components;

means for receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components;

means for moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components;

a user interface, operatively coupled to the display screen, for dragging, in response to commands issued by the user, the graphically displayed representations of the graphical objects, and for dropping, in response to commands issued by the user, the graphically displayed representations of the graphical objects in a desired orientation relative to one another and for dragging, in response to commands issued by the user, the anchor point, and for dropping, in response to commands issued by the user, the anchor point in a desired position to graphically represent the position of the connection between the representations of the graphical objects; and

means, operatively coupled to the memory, in response to commands issued by the user from said user interface, for altering a value of an anchor position property of one of the graphical objects corresponding to the desired position of the anchor point.

13. A computer system providing mechanical emulation comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer, the representations of the graphical objects being operatively connected to one another through an anchor point, one of the first and second graphical objects having an anchor property corresponding to rotation of the respective graphical object representation about the anchor point;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

at least two computer-monitored components coupled to the computer;

means for associating each of the first and second graphical objects with one of the computer-monitored components;

means for receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components;

means for moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components; and

means for changing a value in a property of one of the first and second graphical objects and communicating said change in value to one of the computer-monitored components for controlling same.

14. A computer system providing mechanical emulation comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer, the representations of the graphical objects being operatively connected to one another through an anchor point, one of the first and second graphical objects having an anchor property corresponding to rotation of the respective graphical object representation about the anchor point;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

at least two computer-monitored components coupled to the computer;

means for associating each of the first and second graphical objects with one of the computer-monitored components;

means for receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components; and

means for moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components, wherein the means for moving said representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen includes means for updating a movement property of a respective first and second graphical object with an updated value from said data.

15. A computer system providing mechanical emulation comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer and being selectable from a library of graphical objects, the representations of the first and second graphical objects being operatively connected to one another through an anchor point, one of the first and second graphical objects having an anchor property corresponding to rotation of the respective graphical object representation about the anchor point;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

at least two computer-monitored components coupled to the computer;

means for associating each of the first and second graphical objects with the computer-monitored components where the representations of the first and second graphical objects have a graphical shape corresponding to physical attributes of the respective computer-monitored components;

means for receiving data from the computer-monitored components, said data representing position changes of the computer-monitored components; and

means for moving the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the computer-monitored components.

16. A computer system providing graphical mechanical emulation and control of components comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the computer;

at least two components associated with a controlled process coupled to the computer;

first and second graphical objects stored within the memory of the computer, the representations of the graphical objects being operatively connected to one another, each of the graphical objects being associated with one of the components;

a display screen, operatively coupled to the memory, for graphically displaying the representations of the graphical objects;

a network operatively connected to the computer and the components to receive and communicate data to and from the components, said data representing position changes of the components, the computer controlling the movements of the representations of the first and second graphical objects on the display screen in response to position changes of said data so that the representations of the first and second graphical objects mechanically emulate the movement of the components; and

the computer having a changed value of a property of one of the first and second graphical objects and said changed value being communicated across the network to at least one of the components to control same.

17. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising a user interface operatively connected with computer for providing the computer with said changed value of a property of one of the first and second graphical objects.