System and methodology providing adaptive interface in an industrial controller environment

• US 8,132,127 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Baier, John Joseph, Wylie, Douglas R., Vasko, David A., Callaghan, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US12/410,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 715/866, 715/765, 715/744, 715/747, 715/762, 715/771, 715/746, 715/810, 345/156, 345/7, 345/8, 700/83, 700/96, 719/328, 719/332, 719/319, 709/201, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing adaptive user interface capabilities in an industrial control environment. A user interface is provided that can operate across various software and/or hardware platforms. The platforms can be adapted with smart devices and/or wearable devices to facilitate access to a control system and can be adapted as a remote web service and/or adapted to interact with the service. The user interface can be tuned or adjusted in accordance with device capabilities operating the interface and can be adjusted or modified according to various operator or administrative preferences.

Claims

1. A system for providing an adaptable interface, comprising:

an input component configured to receive a configuration code from a client display device defining at least one display capability of the client display device; and

an interface component configured to select, from a plurality of stored interfaces associated with respective display capabilities, an interface that conforms to the at least one display capability defined in the configuration code and to provide the interface to the client display device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of stored interfaces includes a display comprising a Human and Machine Interface configured to provide feedback and output data regarding a control system.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a data store configured to serve the plurality of stored interfaces and interface options associated with the plurality of stored interfaces to the interface component.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of stored interfaces is associated with a file number, and the interface component is configured to send the at least one of the plurality of stored interfaces to the client display device in response to receiving the file number from the client display device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component is further configured to provide a section menu that facilitates selection of interface options.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration code further defines at least one resource capability of the client display device, and the interface component is configured to select the interface further based on the at least one resource capability.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a discovery component configured to provide a directory describing Web services offered by a controller system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the directory comprises at least one extensible markup language file that describes the controller system and at least one related service.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the directory further comprises a at least one option to search for the at least one related service to build a remote application.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of stored interfaces includes a messenger service configured to exchange messages with one or more remote platforms.

11. A method for providing an adaptable user interface, comprising:

receiving a configuration code from a remote platform specifying at least one display capability of the remote platform;

determining the at least one display capability based on the configuration code;

generating an interface comprising at least one display object that facilitates interaction with a control system through the remote platform, wherein the generating comprises selecting the at least one display object to be compatible with the at least one display capability; and

transmitting the interface to the remote platform.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving comprises testing or sampling resources of the remote platform to yield the input.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a selection menu for receiving the configuration code via manual selection.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising translating data received from the remote platform to a protocol employed by a controller associated with the control system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating comprises configuring the interface to render data on the remote platform in a format selected based upon the at least one display capability specified by the configuration code.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a user type associated with the remote platform; and

generating the interface to include at least one display selected based on the user type.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the interface comprises configuring at least one of a display size of the interface, an amount of I/O data to be displayed on the interface, or colors to be employed to render the interface based on the at least one display capability specified by the input.

18. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a configuration code from a remote display device reporting at least one display capability of the display device;

means for generating an interface comprising at least one display object that facilitates interaction with a control system through the remote display device, wherein the means for generating includes means for generating the interface to be executable on the remote display device given the at least one display capability reported in the configuration code; and

means for sending the interface to the remote display device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for storing a plurality of interfaces and related interface options, and means for selecting the interface from the plurality of interfaces.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for generating further includes means for configuring at least one of a display size of the interface, an amount of I/O data to be displayed on the interface, or colors to be employed to render the interface based on the at least one display capability specified by the input.