Transparency augmented industrial automation display

• US 9,910,518 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bliss, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/504,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• 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: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1407 General aspects irrespective of display type, e.g. determination of decimal point position, display with fixed or driving decimal point, suppression of non-significant zeros

Abstract

An industrial automation display is provided. The industrial automation display in one example includes a substantially transparent display panel associated with and in view of an industrial automation process portion, a light-control layer formed as part of the substantially transparent display panel, and a display controller coupled to the light-control layer, with the display controller configured to receive industrial automation data related to the industrial automation process portion, generate industrial automation display data using at least a portion of the industrial automation data, and display the industrial automation display data on the light-control layer of the substantially transparent display panel, wherein the industrial automation display data is viewable in conjunction with the industrial automation process portion.

Claims

1. An industrial automation display, comprising:

a substantially transparent display panel affixable to a rotatable cabinet door, the substantially transparent display panel associated with and in view of an industrial automation process portion;

a touch panel formed as part of the substantially transparent display panel on two sides of the substantially transparent display panel and configured to receive a touch input from an operator;

a light-control layer formed as part of the substantially transparent display panel; and

a display controller coupled to the light-control layer, wherein the display controller is configured to;

receive industrial automation data related to the industrial automation process portion;

generate industrial automation display data using at least a portion of the industrial automation data; and

display the industrial automation display data on the light-control layer of the substantially transparent display panel and in a display orientation based on which of the two sides receives an operator touch interaction;

wherein the industrial automation display data is viewable in conjunction with the industrial automation process portion; and

wherein the display controller is further configured to switch an active side of the substantially transparent display panel based on an input from a door open/close sensor.

2. The industrial automation display of claim 1, wherein the industrial automation display data comprises ones of symbols, text, graphical representations, and other information derived from the industrial automation data.

3. The industrial automation display of claim 1, comprising:

the display controller configured to overlay the industrial automation display data over the industrial automation process portion.

4. The industrial automation display of claim 1, comprising:

the display controller configured to actuate the light-control layer to partially or fully obscure predetermined regions of the substantially transparent display panel.

5. The industrial automation display of claim 1, comprising:

the light-control layer configured to selectively block, filter, or transmit impinging light.

6. The industrial automation display of claim 1, wherein the display controller is further configured to:

display a component display item comprising a representation of the industrial automation process portion; and

display the component display item in one or more positions that follow the industrial automation process portion.

7. An industrial automation display, comprising:

a substantially transparent display panel associated with and in view of an industrial automation process portion, wherein the substantially transparent display panel comprises a first side and a second side;

a touch panel formed as part of the substantially transparent display panel on the first and second sides of the substantially transparent display panel and configured to receive a touch input from an operator;

a light-control layer formed as part of the substantially transparent display panel;

a display panel position sensor configured to generate a display panel position; and

a display controller coupled to the light-control layer and to the display panel position sensor, wherein the display controller is configured to;

receive industrial automation data related to the industrial automation process portion;

receive the display panel position from the display panel position sensor;

generate industrial automation display data using at least a portion of the industrial automation data and using the display panel position;

display at least a portion of the industrial automation display data on the light-control layer of the substantially transparent display panel; and

orient the display of the at least a portion of the industrial automation display data in a first display orientation in response to a touch input interaction with the touch panel on the first side and in a second display orientation in response to a touch input interaction with the touch panel on the second side;

wherein the industrial automation display data is viewable in conjunction with the industrial automation process portion; and

wherein the display controller is further configured to switch an active side of the substantially transparent display panel based on an input from a door open/close sensor.

8. The industrial automation display of claim 7, wherein the industrial automation display data comprises ones of symbols, text, graphical representations, and other information derived from the industrial automation data.

9. The industrial automation display of claim 7, comprising:

the display controller configured to overlay the industrial automation display data over the industrial automation process portion.

10. The industrial automation display of claim 7, comprising:

the display controller configured to actuate the light-control layer to partially or fully obscure predetermined regions of the substantially transparent display panel.

11. The industrial automation display of claim 7, comprising:

the light-control layer configured to selectively block, filter, or transmit impinging light.

12. An industrial automation display method, comprising:

in a display controller coupled to a light-control layer of a substantially transparent display panel associated with and in view of an industrial automation process portion, receiving industrial automation data related to the industrial automation process portion;

in the display controller, generating industrial automation display data using at least a portion of the industrial automation data;

in a transparent touch panel coupled to the substantially transparent display panel on a first side and a second side of the substantially transparent display panel, receiving a touch input from an operator on one of the first side and the second side;

in the display controller, displaying the industrial automation display data on the light-control layer of the substantially transparent display panel in a display orientation based on which of the first side and the second side received the touch input, wherein the industrial automation display data is viewable in conjunction with the industrial automation process portion; and

in the display controller, switching an active side of the substantially transparent display panel based on an input from a door open/close sensor.

13. The industrial automation display method of claim 12, wherein the industrial automation display data comprises ones of symbols, text, graphical representations, and other information derived from the industrial automation data.

14. The industrial automation display method of claim 12, comprising:

the display controller configured to overlay the industrial automation display data over the industrial automation process portion.

15. The industrial automation display method of claim 12, comprising:

the display controller configured to actuate the light-control layer to partially or fully obscure predetermined regions of the substantially transparent display panel.

16. The industrial automation display method of claim 12, comprising:

the light-control layer is configured to selectively block, filter, or transmit impinging light.

17. The industrial automation display method of claim 12, wherein the display orientation causes the industrial automation display data to be readable from the first side or the second side that received the touch input.