Overlay navigation in user interface

• US 8,943,430 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Olausson, Martin, Timsjo, Susanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xia, Xuyang
• Application Number:
  US14/084,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23136 Display all subsystems, select one and display screen corresponding to subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23163 Display enlarged, zoomed detail and small overall schematic, plan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A user interface (UI) for a process control system is disclosed. The UI is configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system. The UI includes a plurality of sub-UIs, each sub-UI being adapted to visually indicate at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system. A selection sub-UI is provided that can be selectively activated and deactivated by the user or operator, which selection sub-UI enables the user to at least temporarily select one or more of a plurality of visual representations corresponding to corresponding ones of the plurality of sub-UIs. When the selection sub-UI is deactivated, sub-UI corresponding to the selected one or more of the plurality of visual representations is displayed on the display unit.

Claims

1. A central processing unit having a user interface, UI, for a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI comprising:

a plurality of sub-UIs, each sub-UI being adapted to visually indicate at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system; and

a selection sub-UI, different from each of said plurality of sub-UIs, configured to enable a user to selectively display at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs on the display unit, the selection sub-UI comprising a plurality of visual representations, each of the plurality of visual representations corresponding to one of the plurality of sub-UIs;

the UI being configured to enable a user to selectively activate and deactivate the selection sub-UI by providing user input to the UI, wherein the selection sub-UI, when activated, is adapted to be at least momentarily displayed on the display unit at least partly superimposed on at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs;

the selection sub-UI being adapted to;

enable the user to at least temporarily select at least one of the plurality of visual representations by providing user input to the selection sub-UI;

in response to the user at least temporarily selecting at least one of the plurality of visual representations, re-display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations is positioned within a predetermined region on the selection sub-UI while maintaining the arrangement of the plurality of visual representations relatively to each other as displayed on the display unit; and

in response to the selection sub-UI having been deactivated, display the sub-UI corresponding to the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations on the display unit;

wherein the process control system is adapted to determine a hierarchy of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in each of the plurality of sub-UIs, relatively to the respective at least a part of a process visually indicated in the other sub-UIs of the plurality of sub-UIs, in the process controlled by the process control system, the selection sub-UI being adapted to;

on basis of the determination by the process control system, display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit relatively to each other so as to indicate the hierarchy associated with the at least a part of a process of the respective sub-UIs; and

wherein the selection sub-UI is adapted to, in response to being at least momentarily displayed on the display unit, display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the plurality of visual representations are arranged in a tree structure when displayed on the display unit.

2. The UI according to claim 1, wherein the selection sub-UI is adapted to display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit relatively to each other such that the hierarchies of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in the respective sub-UIs associated with visual representations along a first direction are the same and the hierarchies of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in the respective sub-UIs associated with visual representations along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, are varying, wherein the predetermined region extends along the first direction and an extension of the predetermined region is constant in the second direction.

3. The UI according to claim 1, wherein the selection sub-UI, when activated, is adapted to be at least momentarily displayed on the display unit superimposed on the UI such that the UI is discernible to a user through the selection sub-UI.

4. The UI according to claim 3, wherein the selection sub-UI comprises a semitransparent layer including the plurality of visual representations.

5. The UI according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of visual representations corresponds to one of the plurality of sub-UIs different from any sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs corresponding to other visual representations.

6. The UI according to claim 1, wherein the selection sub-UI is adapted to, in response to the selection sub-UI having been deactivated, stop displaying of the selection sub-UI on the display unit.

7. The UI according to claim 1, the selection sub-UI being further adapted to, in response to the process control system having changed at least one visual representation responsive to corresponding sub-UI changes caused by change in aspect of the corresponding at least a part of a process, re-display the at least one visual representation that has been changed on the display unit.

8. The UI according to claim 1, the selection sub-UI being further adapted to, in response to the at least temporarily selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations having been at least temporarily selected for a predetermined period of time, display the sub-UI corresponding to the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the selection sub-UI is superimposed on the displayed sub-UI.

9. The UI according to claim 1, wherein each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs is adapted to visually indicate relationship between a plurality of components included in the at least a part of a process indicated by the sub-UI, each component of the plurality of components being associated with at least one signal indicating an operational state of the component, the UI being adapted to, for each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs:

for each of the plurality of components of the at least a part of a process indicated by the sub-UI;

retrieve the at least one signal associated with the respective component; and

on basis of the at least one signal associated with the respective component, generate a visual indication representing the operational state of the component, wherein at least one characteristic of the visual indication depends on the at least one signal associated with the respective component; and

generate the visual representation of the sub-UI on basis of the corresponding visual indications.

10. The UI according to claim 9, the UI being further adapted to, for each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs:

generate the visual representation of the sub-UI on basis of the corresponding visual indications such that, when the selection sub-UI is displayed on the display unit, the relationship between the visual indications in the visual representation of the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit corresponds to the relationship between the plurality of components included in the at least a part of a process visually indicated by the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit.

11. A process control system comprising a user interface, UI, according to claim 1.

12. A method in a user interface, UI, for a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI comprising a plurality of sub-UIs, each sub-UI being adapted to visually indicate at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, the method for selectively displaying at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs on the display unit, the method comprising:

at least momentarily displaying a selection sub-UI, different from each of said plurality of sub-UIs, comprising a plurality of visual representations, each of the plurality of visual representations corresponding to one of the plurality of sub-UIs, on the display unit at least partly superimposed on at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs;

at least temporarily selecting at least one of the plurality of visual representations;

in response to at least one of the plurality of visual representations having been at least temporarily selected, re-displaying the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations is positioned within a predetermined region on the selection sub-UI while maintaining the arrangement of the plurality of visual representations relatively to each other as displayed on the display unit; and

in response to the selection sub-UI having been deactivated, displaying the sub-UI corresponding to the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations on the display unit;

wherein the process control system is adapted to determine a hierarchy of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in each sub-UI, relatively to the respective at least a part of a process visually indicated in the other sub-UIs, in the process controlled by the process control system, the method further comprising;

on basis of the determination by the process control system, displaying the selection sub-UI on the display unit superimposed on the UI such that the plurality of visual representations are displayed relatively to each other so as to indicate the hierarchy associated with the at least a part of a process of the respective sub-UIs; and

wherein the selection sub-UI is adapted to, in response to being at least momentarily displayed on the display unit, display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the plurality of visual representations are arranged in a tree structure when displayed on the display unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

displaying the selection sub-UI on the display unit superimposed on the UI such that the plurality of visual representations are displayed on the display unit relatively to each other such that the hierarchies of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in the respective sub-UIs associated with visual representations along a first direction are the same and the hierarchies of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in the respective sub-UIs associated with visual representations along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, are varying, wherein the predetermined region extends along the first direction and an extension of the predetermined region is constant in the second direction.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs is adapted to visually indicate relationship between a plurality of components included in the at least a part of a process indicated by the sub-UI, each component of the plurality of components being associated with at least one signal indicating an operational state of the component, the method further comprising, for each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs:

for each of the plurality of components of the at least a part of a process indicated by the sub-UI;

retrieving the at least one signal associated with the respective component; and

on basis of the at least one signal associated with the respective component, generating a visual indication representing the operational state of the component, wherein at least one characteristic of the visual indication depends on the at least one signal associated with the respective component; and

generating the visual representation of the sub-UI on basis of the corresponding visual indications.

15. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising, for each sub-UI of the plurality of sub-UIs:

generating the visual representation of the sub-UI on basis of the corresponding visual indications such that, when the selection sub-UI is displayed on the display unit, the relationship between the visual indications in the visual representation of the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit corresponds to the relationship between the plurality of components included in the at least a part of a process visually indicated by the sub-UI as displayed on the display unit.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises size, shape, pattern, brightness and/or color of the respective visual indication.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

sensing a change in at least one signal of the at least one signal associated with each of the plurality of components indicated by the plurality of sub-UIs; and

for each component being associated with a signal in which a change has been detected, re-generating the visual indication representing the operational state of the component on basis of said signal which has been changed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sensing and/or re-generation is performed in an automated manner by means of monitoring the at least one signal associated with each of the plurality of components indicated by the plurality of sub-Us.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one signal indicates an emergency, alarm and/or warning state of the respective component, the method further comprising:

assessing a severity level of the emergency, alarm and/or warning state on basis of the at least one signal indicating the emergency, alarm and/or warning state; and

on basis of the assessing, setting a characteristic of the visual indication corresponding to the component being associated with the at least one signal indicating the emergency, alarm and/or warning state.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein setting the characteristic of the visual indication corresponding to the component being associated with the at least one signal indicating an emergency, alarm and/or warning state comprises setting a size of the visual indication on basis of the assessed severity level.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which there is stored a computer program product adapted to, when executed in a processor unit, perform a method in a user interface, UI, for a process control system, the UI being configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system, the UI comprising a plurality of sub-UIs, each sub-UI being adapted to visually indicate at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, the method for selectively displaying at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs on the display unit, the method comprising:

at least momentarily displaying a selection sub-UI, different from each of said plurality of sub-UIs, comprising a plurality of visual representations, each of the plurality of visual representations corresponding to one of the plurality of sub-UIs, on the display unit at least partly superimposed on at least one of the plurality of sub-UIs;

at least temporarily selecting at least one of the plurality of visual representations;

in response to at least one of the plurality of visual representations having been at least temporarily selected, re-displaying the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations is positioned within a predetermined region on the selection sub-UI while maintaining the arrangement of the plurality of visual representations relatively to each other as displayed on the display unit; and

in response to the selection sub-UI having been deactivated, displaying the sub-UI corresponding to the selected at least one of the plurality of visual representations on the display unit;

wherein the process control system is adapted to determine a hierarchy of the at least a part of a process visually indicated in each sub-UI, relatively to the respective at least a part of a process visually indicated in the other sub-UIs, in the process controlled by the process control system, the method further comprising;

on basis of the determination by the process control system, displaying the selection sub-UI on the display unit superimposed on the UI such that the plurality of visual representations are displayed relatively to each other so as to indicate the hierarchy associated with the at least a part of a process of the respective sub-UIs; and

wherein the selection sub-UI is adapted to, in response to being at least momentarily displayed on the display unit, display the plurality of visual representations on the display unit such that the plurality of visual representations are arranged in a tree structure when displayed on the display unit.