User interface and system for creating function block diagrams

• US 6,931,288 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jason M., Zuponcic, Steven A., Skippers, Kim L., Reichard, Douglas J., Stanek, Christopher E., Jarrett, James H., Christensen, Bruce A., Hogan, Keith M., Johnson, Holly E., Heineking, Unni M., Ritchie, Diane N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US09/835,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/86, 700/17, 345/781, 345/782, 345/762, 345/763, 345/788, 717/109, 715/835, 715/836, 715781-782, 715762-763
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23167 Display of selected sequence, permissable sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23278 Program by data flow

Abstract

A controller configuration system and user interface therefor are disclosed for creating and editing controller function block diagrams for use in control systems. The interface provides feedback loop identification features, wire connection cross-referencing and hyperlinks, wire connector name matching, pin datatype visualization, correct wiring indication and wiring error indications, and intelligent deletion and restoration features. In addition, the interface provides block morphing, free-form text boxes, error navigation, error indication, and block execution status information.

Claims

1. A user interface for creation and editing of a function block diagram in a controller configuration system, comprising:

a function block diagram representation; and

one of a wire connector cross-reference indicia, a pin datatype indicia, and a block execution status information indicia;

wherein the interface allows a user to modify the function block diagram representation in the controller configuration system;

wherein the wire cross-reference indicia provides an indication proximate a wire connector in the function block diagram representation of a conviction associated with the wire connector and a hyperlink to the connection.

2. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a feedback loop indicia wherein the feedback loop indicia comprises a localized feedback wire indicating the presence of a feedback loop in the function block diagram representation.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the connector cross-reference indicia provides an indication proximate a wire connector in the function block diagram representation of a plurality of connections associated with the wire connector.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the pin datatype indicia provides an indication of whether a datatype associated with a function block pin is one of boolean, non-boolean, or unknown in the function block diagram representation.

5. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a wiring error indicia wherein the wiring error indicia provides an indication that a user is attempting to make an improper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

6. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a correct wiring indicia that provides an indication that a user is attempting to make a proper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a freeform text box wherein the free-form text box comprises one of text, an OLE object, a control, a faceplate, HTML tagged text, and a link in the function block diagram representation.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a configuration error indicia wherein the configuration error indicia comprises an indication proximate a function block diagram element in the fiction block diagram representation indicating that the function block diagram element cannot be verified as currently configured.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the block execution status information indicia comprises an indication of a status condition associated with a function block in the function block diagram representation.

10. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a wired block parameter indicia wherein the wired block parameter indicia comprises an indication in a properties page associated with a function block that a parameter associated with the block is wired to a value source in the function block diagram representation.

11. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the wire connector cross-reference indicia provides a plurality of hyperlinks to the plurality of connections associated with the wire connector in the function block diagram representation.

12. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the improper wiring connection comprises connection of a wire of a first data type to a pin of a second datatype, wherein the first and second datatypes are incompatible.

13. The user interface of claim 5, further comprising a correct wiring indicia wherein the correct wiring indicia provides an indication that a user is attempting to make a proper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

14. The user interface of claim 9, wherein the block execution status information indicia comprises an indication in a properties page associated with the function block.

15. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the indication in the properties page provides an indication to a user that a value for the parameter may not be set manually in the user interface.

16. A controller configuration system for creating and editing a function block diagram, comprising:

a user interface allowing a user to create and edit a function block diagram, the user interface comprising;

a function block diagram representation;

one of a wire connector cross-reference indicia, a pin datatype indicia, and a block execution status information indicia; and

a wired block parameter indicia that comprises an indication in a properties page associated with a function block that a parameter associated with the block is wired to a value source in the function block diagram representation, the indication provides that a value for the parameter may not be set manually in the user interface.

17. The controller configuration system of claim 16, further comprising a feedback loop indicia wherein the feedback loop indicia comprises a localized feedback wire indicating the presence of a feedback loop in the function block diagram representation.

18. The controller configuration system of claim 16, wherein the wire connector cross-reference indicia provides an indication proximate a wire connector in the function block diagram representation of a connection associated with the wire connector.

19. The controller configuration system of claim 16, wherein the pin datatype indicia provides an indication of whether a datatype associated with a function block pin is one of boolean, non-boolean, or unknown in the function block diagram representation.

20. The controller configuration system of claim 16, further comprising a wiring error indicia wherein the wiring error indicia provides an indication that a user is attempting to make an improper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

21. The controller configuration system of claim 16, wherein the correct wiring indicia provides an indication that a user is attempting to make a proper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

22. The controller configuration system of claim 16, further comprising a freeform text box wherein the free-form text box comprises one of text, an OLE object, a control, a faceplate, HTML tagged text, and a link in the function block diagram representation.

23. The controller configuration system of claim 16, further comprising a configuration error indicia wherein the configuration error indicia comprises an indication proximate a function block in the function block diagram representation indicating that the function block cannot be verified as currently configured.

24. The controller configuration system of claim 16, wherein the block execution status information indicia comprises an indication of a status condition associated with a function block in the function block diagram representation.

25. The controller configuration system of claim 18, wherein the wire connector cross-reference indicia provides a hyperlink to the connection associated with the wire connector in the function block diagram representation.

26. The controller configuration system of claim 18, wherein the connector cross-reference indicia provides an indication proximate a wire connector in the function block diagram representation of a plurality of connections associated with the wire connector.

27. The controller configuration system of claim 20, wherein the improper wiring connection comprises connection of a wire of a first data type to a pin of a second datatype, wherein the first and second datatypes are incompatible.

28. The controller configuration system of claim 20, further comprising a correct wiring indicia wherein the correct wiring indicia provides an indication that a user is attempting to make a proper wiring connection to a function block in the function block diagram representation.

29. The controller configuration system of claim 24, wherein the block execution status information indicia comprises an indication in a properties page associated with the function block.

30. The controller configuration system of claim 26, wherein the wire connector cross-reference indicia provides a plurality of hyperlinks to the plurality of connections associated with the wire connector in the function block diagram representation.

31. A user interface for creation and editing of a function block diagram in a controller configuration system, comprising:

an input wire connector having an input wire name associated therewith;

an output wire connector having an output wire name associated therewith; and

a wire connector cross-reference indicia that provides an indication proximate at least one of the input wire connector and the output wire connector, and a hyperlink to a connection associated with the at least one of the input wire connector and the output wire connector;

wherein the user interface is adapted to establish an association between a first function block diagram element connected to the input wire connector and a second function block diagram element connected to the output wire connector if the input wire name and the output wire name are the same.

32. The user interface of claim 31:

wherein a user may create the input wire name associated with the input wire connector; and

wherein the user interface is adapted to indicate to the user output wire names associated with output wire connectors available for association with the input wire connector;

whereby the user may select an output wire name for use as the input wire name in order to associate the input wire connector with a desired output wire connector.

33. The user interface of claim 31:

wherein a user may create the output wire name associated with the output wire connector; and

wherein the user interface is adapted to indicate to the user input wire names associated with input wire connectors available for association with the output wire connector;

whereby the user may select an input wire name for use as the output wire name in order to associate the output wire connector with a desired input wire connector.

34. The user interface of claim 33, wherein input wire names associated with input wire connectors already associated with another output wire connector are not indicated to the user, whereby the user is prevented from inadvertently associating an input with more than one output.