Apparatus for control systems with objects that are associated with live data
First Claim
1. A digital data processing device that executes programming that configures that device as an apparatus for use with a control system or a system controlled thereby, the apparatus comprising:
- an object instantiated in a program that executes on the digital data processing device, the object representing one or more entities in any of the control system or the system controlled thereby,the object having an appearance parameter identifying one or more aspects of an appearance of the object in a view (i) in which that object may be depicted and (ii) which includes one or more live data values for one or more other parameters associated with the object, andat least one of those other parameters including any of a formula, mathematical operation, mathematical statement, and function (collectively, “
formula”
) that executes on the digital data processing device as part of the object, wherein the object inherits its appearance parameter from an ancestor object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A digital data processing device that executes programming that configures that device as an apparatus for use with a control system or a system controlled thereby, the apparatus comprising:
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an object instantiated in a program that executes on the digital data processing device, the object representing one or more entities in any of the control system or the system controlled thereby, the object having an appearance parameter identifying one or more aspects of an appearance of the object in a view (i) in which that object may be depicted and (ii) which includes one or more live data values for one or more other parameters associated with the object, and at least one of those other parameters including any of a formula, mathematical operation, mathematical statement, and function (collectively, “
formula”
) that executes on the digital data processing device as part of the object, wherein the object inherits its appearance parameter from an ancestor object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A digital data processing device that executes programming that configures that device as an apparatus for configuring any of a control system or system controlled thereby, the apparatus comprising:
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an editor executing on the digital data processing device that displays at least a portion of a configuration of said control system or said system controlled thereby and that includes, in such display, one or more objects representing one or more entities in such control system or system controlled thereby, at least one of the one or more objects being a composite object made up of one or more other objects; one or more of the other objects being associated with; an appearance parameter identifying one or more aspects of an appearance of the object in a view (i) in which that object may be depicted and (ii) which includes one or more live data values for other parameters associated with the object, wherein the object inherits its appearance parameter from an ancestor object, and at least one of those other parameters including any of a formula, mathematical operation, mathematical statement, and function (collectively, “
formula”
) that executes as part of the one or more other objects. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A digital data processing device that executes programming that configures that device as an apparatus for use with any of a control system or a system controlled thereby, the apparatus comprising:
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a connection object instantiated in a program that executes on the digital data processing device, the connection object being representative of relationships between one or more other objects, each representing one or more entities in any of the control system or the system controlled thereby, and an apparatus for configuring the control system; each of the one or more objects having an appearance parameter identifying one or more aspects of an appearance of the object in a view (i) in which that object may be depicted and (ii) which includes one or more live data values for other parameters associated with the object, wherein the object inherits its appearance parameter from an ancestor object; at least one of those other parameters including any of a formula, mathematical operation, mathematical statement, and function (collectively, “
formula”
) that executes on the digital data processing device as part of the object; andwherein at least one of the aforesaid other parameters serves in a source/sink relationship with a parameter of another object. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification