Graphical user interface

• US 7,925,611 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Software Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Virji, Shafin A., Fevang, Monte Leroy, Bromley, Clifton Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kennedy; Adrian L
• Application Number:
  US10/670,582
• Time in Patent Office: 2,756 Days
• Field of Search: 706/60, 706/45, 706/11, 700/17, 700/83
• US Class Current: 706/60
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35312 Display working state, process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2135 based on approximation criteria, e.g. principal component analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods that facilitates rendering of data in an industrial automation environment. According to an aspect of the invention, a device analyzer can determine properties associated with a plurality of devices intended for delivery of data. An HMI generator can format the data respectively in accordance with the determined properties of the devices and deliver the formatted data to the respective devices.

Claims

1. A system that renders data in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions configured to implement the system including;

a device analyzer that determines at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in associated with a plurality of devices intended for delivery of data received from a physical device within the industrial automation environment;

a Human Machine Interface (HMI) generator that receives the data and generates at least one of code or disparate data for a HMI in accordance with the at least one of property, limitation, or software plug-in of the plurality of devices, the HMI generator delivers the at least one of code or disparate data to the plurality of devices; and

a processing component that renders one or more multi-dimensional software objects, that represent at least one process point associated with the physical device, based at least in part on the at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in of the plurality of devices, wherein manipulation of the one or more multi-dimensional software objects effectuates a change of state in the physical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing component facilitates modifying a data value of the at least one process point by changing data values associated with the one or more multi-dimensional software objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing component receives an input for selection of the at least one process point from a nested data structure.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising, a communications component that maps data path information to the data delivered to one of the plurality of devices to enable communication between the data and the HMI.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the HMI generator automatically modifies the at least one of code or disparate data associated with an existing HMI for display on a new device for which the existing HMI is not configured, the at least one of code or disparate data is modified according to at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in of the new device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices include at least one of a display, a data store, a server, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held computer, a cell phone, or a tablet computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical device includes at least one of a valve, a pump, a relay, or a press.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the HMI generator comprises:

an input component that obtains a common data input for creation of the one or more multi-dimensional software objects.

9. The system of claim 8, the one or more multi-dimensional software objects are assigned specific data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the specific data varies at least one of size, color, translational location, rotation of a software object, text, audio, video, visibility, enable or disable state, object state, object type, object text, trending zoom level, audio volume, specification of audio clips, specification of video clips, starting, or stopping animation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein a change to the common data input affects the one or more multi-dimensional software objects.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the HMI generator includes:

a correlation component that associates the one or more multi-dimensional software objects with one or more physical devices; and

an object generation component that builds the one or more multi-dimensional software objects based on data corresponding to the one or more physical devices, the one or more physical devices affecting changes to the one or more multi-dimensional software objects and the one or more multi-dimensional software objects affecting changes to the one or more physical devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more multi-dimensional software objects are imported from an outside source.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an interface that selects data to associate with the physical devices.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising an interface that selects specific attributes of the one or more multi-dimensional software objects corresponding to data associated with the one or more physical devices.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing component renders data based at least in part on at least one of a user access data level, a data type, or a data state that employs the processing component in an HMI residing in a processing environment.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a user-based association between displayed data and the at least one of the user access level, the data type, or the data state.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing component employs the at least one process point to modify an attribute associated with the one or more multi-dimensional software objects including at least one of color, size, shape or location on a display screen.

19. A method for renders data in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

determining at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in associated with a plurality of devices intended for delivery of data received from a physical device within the industrial automation environment;

receiving the data from the physical device;

generating at least one of code or disparate data for a Human Machine Interface (HMI) in accordance with the at least one of property, limitation, or software plug-in of the plurality of devices;

delivering, by employing the HMI, the at least one of code or disparate data to the plurality of devices;

rendering a multi-dimensional software object, that represents at least one process point associated with the physical device, based at least in part on the at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in; and

,

receiving an input that manipulates of the multi-dimensional software object; and

effectuate a change of state in the physical device based on the input.

20. A system that renders data in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for determining at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in associated with a plurality of devices intended for delivery of data received from a physical device within the industrial automation environment;

means for receiving the data from the physical device and generating at least one of code or disparate data for a Human Machine Interface (HMI) based on the at least one of property, limitation, or software plug-in of the plurality of devices, the means for receiving delivers the at least one of code or disparate data to the plurality of devices; and

,

means for rendering a multi-dimensional software object, that represents at least one process point associated with the physical device, based at least in part on the at least one of a property, limitation, or software plug-in, wherein the means for rendering effectuates a change of state in the physical device based on manipulation of the software object.