Method and system for re-invoking displays

• US 9,189,250 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US12/015,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,862 Days
• Field of Search: 715/804
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method (600) for recovering a set of display screen windows (402, 404, 406, 408) in a multi-window display screen (304). The method involves retaining window information as stored window information (SWI). The SWI includes a first arrangement for a first set of display screen windows (DSWs) displayed on the multi-window display screen at a first time. Each of the DSWs has respective content (420, 422, 424, 426). The method also involves using the SWI for redisplaying the first set of display screen windows in the first arrangement on the multi-window display at a second time. The second time is after the first time and follows an event causing the first set of display screen windows to be removed from the multi-window display screen. The redisplayed DSWs contain at least a portion of the respective content.

Claims

1. A method for recovering content and its arrangement in a set of display screen windows (DSWs) displayed in a plurality of display screens, comprising:

receiving real-time content in a plurality of monitor-control graphical user interfaces (MCGUIs) from a first server over a communications network, wherein the real-time content includes data retrieved from an industrial process;

displaying a first arrangement including the plurality of MCGUIs, including the real-time content, rendered within the set of DSWs displayed across the plurality of display screens;

using a processor programmed for communicating with the first server and a second server, without any user input automatically transmitting first identification information, first location information, specification information, behavioral characteristic information, and MCGUI data for each of the set of DSWs displayed across the plurality of display screens;

wherein the first location information indicates a pre-defined region of each of the set of DSWs prior to a system failure;

wherein the behavioral characteristic information includes information whether each of the set of DSWs is closable, minimizable, maximizable, draggable, resizable or whether the DSW remains visible when it overlaps with another DSW;

wherein the MCGUI data comprises second identification information and second location information for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs;

wherein the second location information in the MCGUI data indicates which DSW in the set of DSWs a particular MCGUI is located and displayed in prior to the system failure as represented in the first arrangement;

detecting the system failure of the first server that unintentionally goes offline or is intentionally taken offline;

shutting down the set of DSWs and the plurality of MCGUIs displayed on the plurality of display screens;

receiving DSW data for each of the set of DSWs comprising the first identification information, the first location information, the specification information and the behavioral characteristic information of each of the set of DSWs and the MCGUI data comprising the second identification information and the second location information for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs from the second server over the communications network; and

re-displaying on the plurality of display screens the plurality of MCGUIs in the set of DSWs in the first arrangement before the system failure of the first server using the DSW data for each of the set of DSWs and the MCGUI data for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs received from the second server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said real-time content includes at least one of a still image, a video image, an animated image, text, a graph, and a chart.

3. A control system, comprising:

a plurality of display screens; and

a computing device configured for;

receiving real-time content in a plurality of monitor-control graphical user interfaces (MCGUIs) from a first server over a communications network, wherein the real-time content includes data retrieved from an industrial process;

displaying a first arrangement including the plurality of MCGUIs, including the real-time content, rendered within a set of display screen windows (DSWs) displayed in the plurality of display screens;

automatically transmitting without any user input first identification information, first location information, specification information, behavioral characteristic information, and MCGUI data for each of the set of DSWs displayed across the plurality of display screens;

wherein the first location information indicates a pre-defined region of each of the set of DSWs prior to a system failure;

wherein the behavioral characteristic information includes information whether each of the set of DSWs is closable, minimizable, maximizable, draggable, resizable or whether the DSW remains visible when it overlaps with another DSW;

wherein the MCGUI data comprises second identification information and second location information for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs;

wherein the second location information in the MCGUI data indicates which DSW in the set of DSWs a particular MCGUI is located and displayed in prior to the system failure as represented in the first arrangement;

detecting the system failure of the first server that unintentionally goes offline or is intentionally taken offline;

shutting down the set of DSWs and the plurality of MCGUIs displayed on the plurality of display screens;

receiving DSW data for each of the set of DSWs comprising the first identification information, the first location information, the specification information and the behavioral characteristic information of each of the set of DSWs and the MCGUI data comprising the second identification information and the second location information for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs from a second server over the communications network; and

re-displaying on the plurality of display screens the plurality of MCGUIs in the set of DSWs in the first arrangement before the system failure of the first server using the DSW data for each of the set of DSWs and the MCGUI data for each of the plurality of MCGUIs within each of the set of DSWs received from the second server.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said real-time content includes at least one of a still image, a video image, an animated image, text, a graph, and a chart.