Graphical symbol animation with evaluations for building automation graphics

• US 9,542,059 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Han, James K., Stirnemann, Patrick, Hersche, Andreas, Ramanathan, Ganesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guo, Xilin
• Application Number:
  US13/537,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Automation systems, methods, and mediums. A method includes identifying a value for a data point associated with a device in a building. The value is received from a management system operably connected to the device. The method includes mapping the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point. The method includes generating a display comprising a graphic for the building and a symbol representing the device. The method includes displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device. Additionally, the method includes modifying the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for displaying graphics, the method comprising:

identifying a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identifying a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types;

mapping the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type, wherein when the selected evaluation type is a linear evaluation type, mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises;

identifying a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

mapping the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values, wherein each of the expression values in the range of values for the result of the expression is mapped to a different one of the evaluation values in the range of values for the result of the evaluation;

identifying an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identifying a color corresponding to the evaluation value as a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generating a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type; and

modifying the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device, the method further comprising:

identifying a second instance of the symbol;

substituting the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identifying a second value for the second data point for the second instance of the symbol;

mapping the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

displaying the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a discrete evaluation type, mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises:

identifying a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identifying a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identifying a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a multi-evaluation type:

identifying the value for the data point associated with the device further comprises identifying a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

mapping the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprises mapping the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

5. A method in a data processing system for displaying graphics, the method comprising:

identifying a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identifying a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types;

mapping the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type;

generating a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is an animated evaluation type, displaying the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device comprises;

determining whether the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

animating a display of the graphical representation of the value for the data point based on an animation interval in response to determining that the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

modifying the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

6. A data processing system configured to generate graphics for display, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device comprising a system manager application;

an accessible memory comprising instructions of the system manager application; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identify a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types;

map the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a linear evaluation type, to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value, processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

identify a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

map the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values, wherein each of the expression values in the range of values for the result of the expression is mapped to a different one of the evaluation values in the range of values for the result of the evaluation;

identify an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generate a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a second instance of the symbol;

substitute the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identify a second value for the second data point for the second instance of the symbol;

map the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

generate for display the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

8. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a discrete evaluation type, to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to:

identify a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identify a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

9. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a multi-evaluation type:

to identify the value for the data point associated with the device the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to identify a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to map the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.

19. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

10. A data processing system configured to generate graphics for display, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device comprising a system manager application;

an accessible memory comprising instructions of the system manager application; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identify a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types;

map the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type;

generate a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is an animated evaluation type, to generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the system manager application to;

determine whether the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

cause animation of a display of the graphical representation of the value for the data point based on an animation interval in response to determining that the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

20. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identify a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for a graphical representation for the value of the data point;

map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a linear evaluation type, the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to;

identify a range of values for the result of the expression and a range of values for an evaluation;

map the range of expression values to the range of evaluation values, wherein each of the expression values in the range of values for the result of the expression is mapped to a different one of the evaluation values in the range of values for the result of the evaluation;

identify an evaluation value corresponding to the result based on the mapping; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as a graphical representation of the value for the data point;

generate a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the symbol is a first instance of a first object associated with the device and wherein the computer-readable medium is further encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:

identify a second instance of the symbol;

substitute the data point for the symbol with a second data point in the second instance of the symbol;

identify a second value for the second data point for the second instance of the symbol;

map the second value for the second data point to a second graphical representation; and

generate for display the second graphical representation in association with the second instance of symbol in the display.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a discrete evaluation type, the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to:

identify a plurality of ranges of values for the result of the expression and one or more evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of ranges of expression values;

identify a range in the plurality of ranges that the result is in and an evaluation value in the one or more evaluation values corresponding to the identified range; and

identify a color corresponding to the evaluation value as the graphical representation of the value for the data point.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is a multi-evaluation type:

the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to identify the value for the data point associated with the device comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to identify a results set from a plurality of expressions based on a plurality of data points associated with one or more devices, and

wherein the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the value for the data point to the graphical representation of the value comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to map the results set to one of a plurality of graphical representations illustrating different outcomes of the plurality of expressions to identify the graphical representation displayed.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:

identify a result of an expression comprising a variable dependent on a state of a device in a building as a value for a data point associated with the device in the building, the value received from a management system operably connected to the device;

identify a selection of an evaluation type from among a plurality of evaluation types;

map the value for the data point to a graphical representation of the value for the data point according to the selected evaluation type;

generate a display comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the building and a symbol representing the device, the symbol displayed in a location relative to the graphical representation of at least the portion of the building based on a location of the device in the building;

generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device according to the selected evaluation type, wherein, when the selected evaluation type is an animated evaluation type, the instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to generate for display the graphical representation of the value for the data point in association with the symbol representing the device comprise instructions that cause the one or more data processing systems to;

determine whether the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

cause animation of a display of the graphical representation of the value for the data point based on an animation interval in response to determining that the result of the expression is one of true and non-zero; and

modify the graphical representation of the value based on a change in the value in response to identifying the change in the value from the management system.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the evaluation type defines a type of illustration for the graphical representation of the value for the data point.