Display and edit device, display method and program product

• US 7,757,209 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Fukui, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Marina
• Application Number:
  US10/799,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 717/105, 717/113
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13044 Display as flow chart, SFC, FUP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13101 Function block instance, only one function block exists, several instances
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A display and edit device for a program containing function blocks has a program memory storing such a program to be processed, a block definition analyzer for accessing the program stored in the program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in this program, a block instance analyzer for accessing this program stored in the program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in this program, and a structure display device for causing to display structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of this function block definition and structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of this function block instance.

Claims

1. A display and edit device for a program containing function blocks, said function blocks serving to use a language element referred to as function block definitions to establish input and output parameters, internal variables and operations algorisms of the function block and to create copies referred to as function block instances by instantiating said function block definitions when said function block is incorporated in a user program, said device comprising:

a program memory storing said program;

a block definition analyzer for accessing said program stored in said program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in said program;

a block instance analyzer for accessing said program stored in said program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in said program;

a structure display device for causing to simultaneously display structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block definition and structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block instance;

an instance display device for causing to display a selected function block definition or a selected function block instance together with said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block definition and said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block instance; and

a display judging device for causing said structure display device to display with an emphasis the structure relationship of said selected function block definition or selected function block instance or a corresponding portion of the structure relationship of the function block instance;

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block instance displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block instance; and

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block definition displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block definition.

2. The display and edit device of claim 1 further comprising a display selector that selectively determines, when a command to switch display is received, whether a function block definition or a function block instance should be displayed, based on current display and current conditions of processing by said display and edit device and causes the determined display to be made.

3. The display and edit device of claim 1 wherein said block definition analyzer is for accessing said program stored in said program memory, analyzing algorism of function block definition which is detected in said program, carrying out a process of judging presence or absence of any function block definition that is being called in said algorism and, if a called function block definition is found to be present, connecting said called function block definition found to be present below an original function block definition, repeating said process until a function block definition not being called is reached to thereby analyze a connection relationship among function block definitions, and analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in said program;

and

wherein said block instance analyzer is for accessing said program stored in said program memory, analyzing algorism of function block instance which is detected in said program, carrying out a process of judging presence or absence of any function block instance that is being called in said algorism and, if a called function block instance is found to be present, connecting said called function block instance found to be present below an original function block instance, repeating said process until a function block instance not being called is reached to thereby analyze a connection relationship among function block instances, and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in said program; and

a structure display device for causing to simultaneously display structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block definition and structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block instance.

4. The display and edit device of claim 1 wherein said program containing function blocks are hierarchically structured.

5. A method of displaying a program including function blocks for a display and edit device, said function blocks serving to use a language element referred to as function block definitions to establish input and output parameters, internal variables and operations algorisms of the function block and to create copies referred to as function block instances by instantiating said function block definitions when said function block is incorporated in a user program, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing said program stored in a program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in said program;

accessing said program stored in said program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in said program;

displaying simultaneously the analyzed structure relationship of function block definitions and the analyzed structure relationship of function block instances on the same display screen;

causing an instance display device to display a selected function block definition or a selected function block instance together with said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block definition and said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block instance; and

causing a display judging device to cause said structure display device to display with an emphasis the structure relationship of said selected function block definition or selected function block instance or a corresponding portion of the structure relationship of the function block instance;

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block instance displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block instance; and

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block definition displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block definition.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said program containing function blocks are hierarchically structured.

7. The method of claim 5 comprising the steps of:

accessing said program stored in a program memory, analyzing algorism of function block definition which is detected in said program, carrying out a process of judging presence or absence of any function block definition that is being called in said algorism and, if a called function block definition is found to be present, connecting said called function block definition found to be present below an original function block definition, repeating said process until a function block definition not being called is reached to thereby analyze a connection relationship among function block definitions, and analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in said program; and

accessing said program, analyzing algorism of function block instance which is detected in said program, carrying out a process of judging presence or absence of any function block instance that is being called in said algorism and, if a called function block instance is found to be present, connecting said called function block instance found to be present below an original function block instance, repeating said process until a function block instance not being called is reached to thereby analyze a connection relationship among function block instances, and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in said program.

8. A computer-readable recording medium embodying a program for displaying and editing a user program including function blocks by a display and edit device, said program comprising:

a first program portion for accessing a program containing function blocks and being stored in a program memory, said function blocks serving to use a language element referred to as function block definitions to establish input and output parameters, internal variables and operations algorisms of the function block and to create copies referred to as function block instances by instantiating said function block definitions when said function block is incorporated in a user program, said first program portion analyzing structure relationship of function block definitions contained in said program;

a second program portion for accessing said program stored in said program memory and analyzing structure relationship of function block instances contained in said program; and

a third program portion for displaying the analyzed structure relationship of function block definitions and the analyzed structure relationship of function block instances on the same display screen;

said program serving to cause an instance display device to display a selected function block definition or a selected function block instance together with said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block definition and said structure relationship of the analyzed structure relationship of said function block instance;

said program further serving to cause a display judging device to cause said structure display device to display with an emphasis the structure relationship of said selected function block definition or selected function block instance or a corresponding portion of the structure relationship of the function block instance;

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block instance displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block instance; and

wherein, when a function block included in said selected function block definition displayed by said instance display device is selected, said display judging device causes said structure display device to display with an emphasis said function block in the structure relationship of said selected function block definition.

9. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 8 wherein said program containing function blocks are hierarchically structured.