SYSTEM FOR DEFINING A USER INTERFACE OF A REMOTE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100251150A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Walter, Gerald, Majewski, Joseph Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/411,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An approach for defining user interface components within a building control or automation system. The user interface definition may be rendered on a remote display device. The rendering may be accomplished through a making of a set of object types which represent the components of the user interface. The approach or mechanism should have no dependency on either the hardware/software platform of the building control or automation system or the hardware/software platform of the remote display device.

Claims

1. A mechanism for defining a user interface for a display comprising:

a set of object types for a user interface; and

wherein the object types represent components of a user interface for a display of a building automation system.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

an object type comprises a default look and behavior within the display; and

an object type comprises properties for modifying the default look and behavior of the object type.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises:

screens;

screen elements;

navigation elements; and

data elements.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

the object types within the user interface define a navigation hierarchy; and

the object types have a functionality that defines the look and behavior of the user interface.

5. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein screens comprise object types of home, navigation list, data list and alarm list.

6. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the object type of home is a home screen;

the home screen is an entry point for the user interface;

the home screen comprises a data bar and one or more buttons;

the one or more buttons comprise a pre-defined ordering mechanism;

the ordering mechanism can be modified by an implementation of button positioning properties; and

home screen elements are selected from navigation link button, navigation node button and data bar object types.

7. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the object type of the navigation list is a navigation list screen;

the navigation list screen is for defining a hierarchy of information presented;

the navigation list screen comprises a list of one or more buttons;

the one or more buttons comprise a pre-defined ordering mechanism; and

the one or more buttons of the navigation list screen buttons are selected from navigation list link button and navigation list node button object types.

8. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the object type of the data list is a data list screen;

the data list screen is for displaying a list of one or more data values from a computer;

the one or more data values comprise a pre-defined ordering mechanism; and

the one or more data values are selected from available data item object types.

9. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the object type of the alarm list is an alarm list screen; and

the alarm list screen is for displaying real-time alarm events from a computer.

10. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein:

the navigation link button object type comprises a navigation link button;

the navigation link button can provide a navigable link to a screen object in a user interface hierarchy; and

the navigation link button can display a user-assigned name and a user-selected image.

11. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein:

the navigation node button object type comprises a navigation node button;

the navigation node button can provide a navigable link to a screen object that is a child of the navigation node button; and

the navigation node button can display a user-assigned name and a user-elected image.

12. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein:

the screen elements comprise a data bar;

the data bar has a pre-defined appearance when rendered on a display;

a data bar appearance can be modified according to orientation and location;

the data bar comprises a data bar item and data bar clock;

the data bar item comprises a placeholder for a data value;

the data bar item can display a user-assigned name and a user-selected image; and

the data bar clock comprises a placeholder for current time.

13. The mechanism of claim 7, wherein:

the navigation list link button is for defining the hierarchy of information for a display, creating a navigable link to a screen object in a user interface hierarchy, and/or being capable of displaying a user-assigned name and a selection from available data item types; and

the navigation list node button is for defining the hierarchy of information for a display, creating a navigable link to a screen object which exists as a child of the navigation list node button, and/or being capable of displaying a user-assigned name and a selection from available data item types.

14. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein data items comprise objects which represent primitive data types of a computer.

15. The mechanism of claim 14, wherein:

a data item, when added to a user interface definition, is linked with a compatible data source on a computer;

a data item comprises a predefined behavior so as to adopt modifiers of the compatible data source;

a data item may be an interface for transferring real-time data between a computer and a display; and

adding the data item to a data bar item, a navigation list link button and a navigation list node button allows a value displayed on the data bar item, the navigation list link button and the navigation list node button, to be updated in real time.

16. The mechanism of claim 14, wherein:

when a data item is added to a data list screen, each data item may comprise pre-defined behaviors;

the pre-defined behaviors comprise;

the data item rendered as a data item button;

the data item interface allows a value displayed on the button to be updated in real time;

the data item interface allows the data source to be modified in real time if the data source is in a writeable state; and

the data item may be a read only or writeable state of the data source to which the data item has been linked;

if the data source is read only, the button has a grayed-out appearance to indicate that a data list entry is inactive and only viewable; and

if the data source is writeable, the button has a normal appearance indicating that the data list entry is active and editable.

17. The mechanism of claim 16, wherein the pre-defined behaviors further comprise:

the data item has an associated editing screen;

wherein;

the editing screen is rendered on the display if the button is active and pressed;

if no editing screen is rendered for a data item, a button for that data item appears inactive whether the data source has a read only or writeable state.

18. A method for defining a user interface of a remote display device for a building automation system, comprising:

selecting a screen type from a group comprising a home screen, navigation list screen, data list screen and alarm list screen; and

defining the screen type selected.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

selecting the home screen as the screen type; and

defining the home screen; and

wherein defining the home screen comprises;

defining a screen title;

selecting a home screen element from a group comprising a data bar, navigation link button and a navigation node button; and

defining the home screen element selected.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting the data bar as the home screen element; and

defining the data bar; and

wherein;

defining the data bar comprises selecting a data bar element from a group comprising a data bar item and a data bar clock; and

if the data bar item is selected, then an image is selected and a data item is selected;

or

a data bar clock is selected.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting the navigation link button as the home screen element; and

defining the navigation link button; and

wherein defining the navigation link button comprises;

defining a name;

selecting an image; and

creating a link to an existing screen.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting the navigation node button as the home screen element; and

defining the navigation node button; and

wherein defining the navigation node button comprises;

defining a name; and

selecting a screen type from a group comprising a navigation list, a data list and an alarm list.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

selecting a navigation list as the screen type; and

defining the navigation list; and

wherein defining the navigation list comprises;

defining a screen title; and

selecting a navigational list element from a group comprising a navigation list link button and a navigation list node button; and

wherein;

if the navigational list link button is selected, then the navigational list link button is defined; and

if the navigational list node button is selected, then the navigational list node button is defined.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

defining the navigational list link button comprises;

defining a name;

selecting a data item; and

creating a link to an existing screen; and

defining the navigational list node button comprises;

defining a name;

selecting a data item; and

selecting a screen type from a group comprising;

a navigation list;

a data list; and

an alarm list.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

selecting the data list as a screen type;

defining the data list; and

wherein defining the data list comprises;

defining a screen title; and

selecting a data item.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein selecting a data item comprises:

defining a name;

selecting a data item type from a group comprising boolean, integer, long, double, float, enum, string, boolean point, numeric point, enum point, and string point; and

creating a link to a compatible data source.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

selecting an alarm list as a screen type; and

defining the alarm list; and

wherein defining the alarm list comprises defining a screen title.