Graphical human-machine interface on a portable device

• US 7,017,116 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iconics, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iconics, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Phelps, James, Elsbree, Christopher N., Apostolakis, Ioannis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US09/478,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20030107588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/733, 345734-743, 345760-763, 345/804, 345/805, 345/853, 379/201.4, 379/90.01, 379/221.15, 707/10, 707/4, 713/169, 713/154, 709/206, 709/248, 700/3, 700/82, 715/740
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A software development toolkit automates and eases the task of generating graphical human-machine interfaces that are interactive control modules or software necessary to control a process. A graphical human-machine interface is created on a computer using a first operating system. The graphical human-machine interface can be operated on a portable computing device that uses an operating system that is less capable than the first operating system. The graphical human-machine interface process control modules allow a user to control a process by using the portable computing device as a user control station. The operation of the graphical human-machine interface process control software on the portable computing device can be simulated on the computer that uses the first, more capable operating system. The portable computing device can be a handheld portable computing device. The second, less capable operating system can be Windows CE.

Claims

1. A method of creating a graphical human-machine interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer using a first operating system;

(b) providing a handheld portable computing device in communication with the computer, the handheld portable computing device using a second operating system that is less capable than the first operating system;

(c) generating on the computer an interactive control software object that provides an interactive graphical human-machine interface when operating on the handheld portable computing device to allow control of at least one parameter of a process external to the handheld portable computing device by use of the handheld portable computing device;

(d) simulating on the computer the operation of the interactive control software object on the handheld portable computing device; and

(e) transferring the interactive control software object from the computer to the handheld portable computing device.

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

(f) operating the interactive control software object to provide the interactive graphical human-machine interface on the handheld portable computing device; and

(g) transmitting process control information between the computer and the handheld portable computing device.

3. A method of creating a graphical human-machine interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer using a first operating system;

(b) providing a handheld portable computing device in communication with the computer, the handheld portable computing device using a second operating system that is less capable than the first operating system;

(c) generating on the computer an interactive control software object that provides an interactive graphical human-machine interface when operating on the handheld portable computing device to allow control of at least one parameter of a process by use of the handheld portable computing device, the interactive control software object being processor-independent and the computer further comprising a run-time engine specific to a selected processor present on the handheld portable computing device;

(d) simulating on the computer the operation of the interactive control software object on the handheld portable computing device; and

(e) transferring the interactive control software object from the computer to the handheld portable computing device.

4. A computer program recorded on a machine-readable medium, comprising:

(a) a module that operates on a computer to allow a user of the computer to generate an interactive control software object that provides an interactive graphical human-machine interface when operating on a handheld portable computing device to allow control of at least one parameter of a process external to the handheld portable computing device by use of the handheld portable computing device, the computer using a first operating system and the handheld portable computing device using a second operating system having less capability than the first operating system;

(b) a module that operates on the computer to simulate the operation of the interactive control software object on the handheld portable computing device; and

(c) a module that operates on the computer to transfer the interactive control software object from the computer to the handheld portable computing device.

5. The computer program of claim 4, further comprising:

(d) a module that operates on the computer to transfer, between the computer and the handheld portable computing device, information related to the operation of the process.

6. The computer program of claim 4 wherein the interactive control software object comprises a processor-independent interactive graphical human-machine interface object and a run-time engine specific to a selected processor.

7. A method of controlling a process, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer using a first operating system;

(b) providing a handheld portable computing device in communication with the computer, the handheld portable computing device using a second operating system that is less capable than the first operating system;

(c) providing an interactive control software object that provides an interactive graphical human-machine interface when operating on the handheld portable computing device, the software object generated on the computer;

(d) operating the interactive control software object on the handheld portable computing device to provide the interactive graphical human-machine interface on the handheld portable computing device; and

(e) exchanging information between the computer and the handheld portable computing device, to control at least one parameter of the process, the process being external to the handheld portable computing device, by use of the interactive human-machine interface provided by operation of the object on the handheld portable computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (d) comprises operating the interactive control software object on the handheld portable computing device to display both graphical information and alphanumeric information.