Intelligent device framework

• US 9,348,564 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Keller, Michael Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US13/661,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate consistent experiences with respect to control or configuration of a feature or function of a device. In particular, a reusable graphical user interface (GUI) component can be employed to interact with a specific feature or function of the device rather than to a specific device or application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising;

a reusable framework embedded in a host application of a plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework is embeddable in the plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework comprises;

an abstract data model that translates a plurality of class data descriptions for a parameter from the plurality of distinct host applications and a plurality of distinct industrial automation components into a single abstract representation of the parameter and translates the single abstract representation of the parameter to the plurality of class data descriptions;

an abstract data interface that converts different data sources into the abstract data model as a data input to the plurality of distinct industrial automation components;

an abstract communication interface that communicates with the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a plurality of distinct communications protocols to allow interactions among the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components in a common and consistent manner;

a reusable graphical user interface component that employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and the abstract communication interface to facilitate a configuration of a first industrial automation function of a first industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a set of input fields and a configuration of a second industrial automation function of a second industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using the same set of input fields for the configuration of the first industrial automation function and the second industrial automation function, wherein the first industrial automation function is different than the second industrial automation function, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component is specifically constructed with a visual representation for the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component, and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component has a different user interface component with a different visual representation in a different host application for configuring the second industrial automation function;

wherein the reusable graphical user interface component persists configuration information associated with the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component; and

respective wrappers that enforces an operation of the reusable graphical user interface component within constraints associated with subsets of the plurality of distinct host applications, and the respective wrappers allow the reusable graphical user interface component to interact with the plurality of distinct host applications in a manner that is consistent with each application context.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and abstract communication interface to facilitate configurations of a plurality of industrial automation functions of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component further provides a common presentation of the industrial automation function of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component further employs the single abstract representation of the parameter to facilitate the configuration of the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first host application having the reusable framework for the configuration of the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component, where the first host application is employable for the configuration of the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component having an associated second host application having the reusable framework for the configuration of the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reusable framework is further extended to at least one additional industrial automation component distinct from the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

7. A method, comprising:

embedding, by a device including a processor, a reusable framework in a host application of a plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework is embeddable in the plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework comprises;

an abstract data model that translates a plurality of data formats from the plurality of distinct host applications and a plurality of distinct industrial automation components into a single abstract representation of the parameter and translates the single abstract representation of the parameter to the plurality of class data descriptions;

an abstract data interface that converts different data sources into the abstract data model as a data input to the plurality of distinct industrial automation components;

an abstract communication interface that communicates with the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a plurality of distinct communications protocols to allow interactions among the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components in a common and consistent manner;

a reusable graphical user interface component that employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and the abstract communication interface to facilitate a configuration of a first industrial automation function of a first industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components and a second industrial automation function of a second industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a same set of input fields for the configuration of the first industrial automation function and the second industrial automation function, wherein the first industrial automation function is different than the second industrial automation function, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component is specifically constructed with a visual representation for the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component, and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component has a different user interface component with a different visual representation in a different host application for configuring the second industrial automation function;

wherein the reusable graphical user interface component persists configuration information associated with the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component; and

respective wrappers that enforces an operation of the reusable graphical user interface component within constraints associated with subsets of the plurality of distinct host applications, and the respective wrappers allow the reusable graphical user interface component to interact with the plurality of distinct host applications in a manner that is consistent with each application context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and the abstract communication interface to facilitate configurations of a plurality of industrial automation functions of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the configuring comprises employing the single abstract representation of the parameter to configure the at least one of the first industrial automation function for the first industrial automation component or the second industrial automation function for the second industrial automation component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring further comprises translating the single abstract representation of the parameter to a format of the at least one of the first industrial automation function for the first industrial automation component or the second industrial automation function for the second industrial automation component.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising extending, by the device, the reusable framework to at least one additional host application distinct from the plurality of distinct host applications.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising extending, by the device, the reusable framework to at least one additional industrial automation component distinct from the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause at least one device including a processor to perform operations comprising:

installing a reusable framework in a host application of a plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework is installable in the plurality of distinct host applications, wherein the reusable framework comprises;

an abstract data model that translates a plurality of class data descriptions for a parameter from the plurality of distinct host applications and a plurality of distinct industrial automation components into a single abstract representation of the parameter and translates the single abstract representation of the parameter to the plurality of class data descriptions;

an abstract data interface that converts different data sources into the abstract data model as the data input to the plurality of distinct industrial automation components;

an abstract communication interface that communicates with the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a plurality of distinct communications protocols to allow interactions among the plurality of distinct host applications and the plurality of distinct industrial automation components in a common and consistent manner;

a reusable graphical user interface component that employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and abstract communication interface to facilitate a configuration of a first industrial automation function of a first industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using a set of input fields and a configuration of a second industrial automation function of a second industrial automation component of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components using the same set of input fields for the configuration of the first industrial automation function and the second industrial automation function, wherein the first industrial automation function is different than the second industrial automation function, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component is specifically constructed with a visual representation for the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component, and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component has a different user interface component with a different visual representation in a different host application for configuring the second industrial automation function;

wherein the reusable graphical user interface component persists configuration information associated with the first industrial automation function of the first industrial automation component and the second industrial automation function of the second industrial automation component; and

respective wrappers that enforces an operation of the reusable graphical user interface component within constraints associated with subsets of the plurality of distinct host applications, and the respective wrappers allow the reusable graphical user interface component to interact with the plurality of distinct host applications in a manner that is consistent with each application context.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the reusable graphical user interface component employs the abstract data interface, the abstract data model and abstract communication interface to facilitate configurations of a plurality of industrial automation functions of the plurality of distinct industrial automation components.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the configuring comprises employing the single abstract representation of the parameter to configure the at least one of the first industrial automation function for the first industrial automation component or the second industrial automation function for the second industrial automation component.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the configuring further comprises translating the single abstract representation of the parameter to a format of the at least one of the first industrial automation function for the first industrial automation component or the second industrial automation function for the second industrial automation component.