Method of rendering a graphical display based on user's selection of display variables

• US 6,603,477 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Tittle, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHEHR
• Application Number:
  US09/636,379
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/140, 345/440.1, 345/440.2, 345/441, 345/442, 345/443
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/08 using a common indicating element for two or more variables

Abstract

A method of plotting traces of data on two or more graphs, wherein each trace is related to the output of a process sensor, includes generating a list of sensors and grouping the sensors according to a unit of measure each sensor is configured to detect. One axis of a first graph is associated with the unit of measure of a first group of sensors and one axis of a second graph is associated with the unit of measure of a second group of sensors. Each sensor of the first group is associated with a trace to be displayed on the first graph and each sensor of the second group is associated with the trace to be displayed on the second graph. The traces are displayed on the first and second graphs, with each trace being related to the output of a sensor over time.

Claims

1. A method of displaying outputs of a plurality of process sensors on a visual display capable of visually displaying two or more graphs, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting in a desired order a plurality of sensors having outputs that are capable of being displayed by traces of two or more graphs of a visual display, where the plurality of sensors selected is greater than the plurality of traces that can be displayed by each graph alone;

(b) associating a unit of measure with each selected sensor;

(c) grouping the sensors according to the units of measure;

(d) associating an axis of one graph with the unit of measure of one group of sensors;

(e) associating outputs of the sensors of the one group of sensors with traces of the one graph;

(f) associating an axis of another graph with the unit of measure of another group of sensors;

(g) associating outputs of the sensors of the other group of sensors with traces of the other graph; and

(h) displaying traces associated with the outputs of the sensors on the graphs with respect to time.

2. A method of displaying outputs of a plurality of process sensors on two or more graphs of a visual display, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting in a desired order a plurality of sensors having outputs that are to be displayed by traces of two or more graphs of a visual display, with the plurality of sensors selected being greater than the plurality of traces that can be displayed by each graph alone;

(b) associating a unit of measure with each selected sensor;

(c) grouping the sensors according to the units of measure;

(d) associating a first axis of a first graph with the unit of measure of a first group of sensors;

(e) associating outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors with traces of the first graph;

(f) associating a first axis of a second graph with the unit of measure of a second group of sensors;

(g) associating outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors with traces of the second graph; and

(h) displaying traces associated with the outputs of the sensors on the first and second graphs with respect to time.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein in step (c), each sensor in a group is ordered therein according to the order it was selected in step (a).

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the steps of:

when the number of sensors of a third group of sensors is less than or equal to the number of traces of the first graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors, associating a second axis of the first graph with the unit of measure associated with the third group of sensors; and

associating outputs of the sensors of the third group of sensors with traces of the first graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the steps of:

when the number of sensors of a fourth group of sensors is less than or equal to the number of traces of the second graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors, associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure associated with the fourth group of sensors; and

associating outputs of the sensors of the fourth group of sensors with traces of the second graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors.

6. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the steps of:

when the number of sensors of a third group of sensors is less than or equal to the number of traces of the second graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors, associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure associated with the third group of sensors; and

associating outputs of the sensors of the third group with traces of the second graph not associated with the outputs of the sensors of the second group.

7. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the steps of:

when the number of sensors of the first group of sensors exceeds the number of traces that can be displayed on the first graph, associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure of the first group of sensors; and

associating outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors with traces of the second graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the number of traces of the second graph associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors is less than or equal to a difference between (i) a total number of traces displayable on the second graph and (ii) the number of traces of the second graph associated with outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors.

9. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein each grouping of sensors includes at least one sensor.

10. A method of ordering and displaying the outputs of a plurality of process sensors on a plurality of time-based graphs displayed on a visual display, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying on a visual display a plurality of graphs with each graph capable of displaying a plurality of traces;

(b) generating a list of sensors, where the number of sensors generated is greater than the plurality of traces displayable by each graph alone;

(c) associating with each sensor in the list a unit of measure each sensor is configured to detect;

(d) grouping the sensors in the list according to units of measure;

(e) associating at least one axis of each graph with the unit of measure of a group of sensors;

(f) associating a number of the plurality of traces of each graph with a like number of sensors of a group of sensors; and

(g) displaying on each of the plurality of graphs with respect to time, the traces corresponding to the outputs of the associated sensors.

11. A method of ordering and displaying the outputs of a plurality of process sensors on a plurality of time-based graphs displayed on a visual display, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying on a visual display a first graph and a second graph, with the first graph and the second graph capable of displaying a first plurality of traces and a second plurality of traces, respectively;

(b) generating a list of sensors, where the number of sensors generated is greater than the plurality of traces displayable by each graph alone;

(c) associating with each sensor in the list a unit of measure each sensor is configured to detect;

(d) grouping the sensors in the list according to units of measure;

(e) associating a first axis of the first graph with the unit of measure of a first group of sensors;

(f) associating a first number of the first plurality of traces with a like number of sensors of the first group of sensors;

(g) associating a first axis of the second graph with the unit of measure of a second group of sensors;

(h) associating a second number of the second plurality of traces with a like number of sensors of the second group of sensors; and

(i) displaying on the first and second graphs with respect to time, traces corresponding to the outputs of the associated sensors.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein in step (d) each sensor in a group of sensors is listed therein according to the order it was listed in the list of sensors.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the steps of:

associating a second axis of the first graph with the unit of measure of a third group of sensors; and

associating a second number of the first plurality of traces with a like number of sensors of the third group of sensors.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the sum of the first number of the first plurality of traces and the second number of the first plurality of traces equals the total of the first plurality of traces.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13, further including the steps of:

associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure of a fourth group of sensors; and

associating a second number of the second plurality of traces with a like number of sensors of the fourth group of sensors.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the sum of the first number of the second plurality of traces and the second number of the second plurality of traces equals the total of the second plurality of traces.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the steps of:

associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure of a third group of sensors; and

associating a second number of the second plurality of traces with a like number of sensors of the third group of sensors.

18. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein each grouping of sensors includes at least one sensor.

19. A method of plotting traces of data on two or more graphs, wherein each trace is related to the output of a process sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a list of sensors, where the number of sensors generated is greater than a number of traces displayable on each graph alone;

(b) grouping the sensors according to a unit of measure each sensor is configured to detect;

(c) associating one axis of a first graph with the unit of measure of a first group of sensors;

(d) associating each sensor of the first group with a trace to be displayed on the first graph;

(e) associating one axis of a second graph with the unit of measure of a second group of sensors;

(f) associating each sensor of the second group with a trace to be displayed on the second graph; and

(g) displaying traces on the first and second graphs, wherein each trace is related to the output of a sensor over time.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including the step of associating a unit of measure with each sensor in the list, with the associated unit of measure for each sensor in the list corresponding to the unit of measure it is configured to detect.

21. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including the steps of:

associating another axis of the first graph or the second graph with the unit of measure of a third group of sensors; and

associating each sensor of the third group with a trace produced on the first graph or a trace produced on the second graph that is not already associated with a sensor of the first group or a sensor of the second group, respectively.

22. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including the steps of:

when the number of sensors of the first group of sensors exceeds the number of traces that can be displayed on the first graph, associating a second axis of the second graph with the unit of measure of the first group of sensors; and

associating outputs of the sensors of the first group of sensors with traces of the second graph not associated with outputs of the sensors of the second group of sensors.