Automatic user interface generation

• US 8,799,800 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Hood, Gavan W., Kappelhoff, Ralph, Hall, Kenwood H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLAND, SARA M
• Application Number:
  US11/238,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20060288301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,232 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 715/700, 715/772, 715/771
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user interface generation system comprises a reception component that facilitates receipt of instantiated objects from within a programmable logic controller, wherein the objects conform to a hierarchically structured data model. A view generation component communicatively coupled to the reception component utilizes a subset of the objects to dynamically generate a user interface. For example, the hierarchically structured data model can be based at least in part upon one or more of ISA S95, ISA S88 and/or OMAC.

Claims

1. An industrial controller, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, in response to execution by the industrial controller as facilitated by the one or more processors, cause the industrial controller to implement the following components;

a reception component that receives at least one object, wherein the at least one object conforms to a hierarchically structured data model and comprises data indicating at least one of a state associated with an industrial process associated with the industrial controller or a state associated with a device associated with the industrial process; and

a view generation component communicatively coupled to the reception component that receives the at least one object, analyzes the data to determine at least one of the state associated with the industrial process or the state associated with the industrial device, accesses an interface library and selects a template based at least in part upon at least one of the state associated with the industrial process or the state associated with the industrial device, wherein the template comprises a graphical representation of at least one of the industrial process or the industrial device, and generates a display comprising at least the template and an indication of at least one of the state of industrial process or the state of the industrial device.

2. The industrial controller of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISA S95, ISA S88, or OMAC.

3. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a data aggregation component that aggregates at least two objects, the view generation component generates the display based upon the aggregated data.

4. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a proxy component that converts first data formatted in accordance with a first network protocol to correspond to the hierarchically structured data model.

5. The industrial controller of claim 4, the proxy component comprises a bridging component that receives the first data formatted in accordance with the first network protocol and converts it to a format that accords to a second network protocol.

6. The industrial controller of claim 5, the first network protocol is one of Hart, FieldBus, Foundation FieldBus, or Profibus, and the second network protocol is Control and Information Protocol (CIP).

7. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a security component that receives a request for the display from an initiator, requests identification information from the initiator, and determines whether the initiator is authorized to review data displayed on the display based at least in part upon the identification information.

8. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component that filters the data based at least in part upon identity of an entity.

9. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a feedback component that alters at least one of content or perspective of the display based upon user feedback, wherein the display is a graphical user interface.

10. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising a recognition component that recognizes the at least one of the state associated with the industrial process or the state associated with the industrial device and relays the at least one of the state associated with the industrial process or the state associated with the industrial device to the view generation component.

11. A method for automatically generating a user interface based upon data within industrial controller, the method comprising the following computer-executable acts:

receiving an object from the industrial controller, wherein the object comprises data that is structured in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model, the data comprises at least data indicating a status of an industrial process associated with the industrial controller and data identifying at least one machine associated with the industrial process;

analyzing the data and determining the status of the industrial process and the at least one machine;

accessing a library and retrieving a template for a graphical representation of at least one of the industrial process or the at least one machine; and

generating a graphical user interface in real-time, wherein the graphical user interface comprises the graphical representation of the at least one of the industrial process or the at least one machine according to the template and a graphical representation of the state of the industrial process.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving first data formatted in accordance with a first network protocol; and

packaging the first data into the object that conforms to a second network protocol and conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering objects based at least in part upon user identity.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining that an initiator of a data request is authorized to review the graphical user interface based at least in part upon identification information of the initiator.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored there on, that in response to execution, cause a system including a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of objects from plurality of industrial controllers, the plurality of objects comprise data structured in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model, the data comprises data indicative of a state of an industrial process and data identifying at least one device associated with the industrial process;

aggregating the plurality of objects into an aggregate;

analyzing the aggregate and determining the status of the industrial process and the at least one device;

accessing a library and selecting a template for a graphical representation of at least one of the industrial process or the device; and

generating a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises the graphical representation of at least one of the industrial process or device according to the template and a graphical representation of the state of the industrial process.