Creation device and programmable display

Abstract

To reduce a storage region and increase a processing speed of a programmable unit.SOLUTION: A PC (1) includes: a master generation unit (11) for creating a project used for display of a programmable display unit (2), and generating master data including first display information to display a first object; a specification unit (12) for specifying second display information for displaying a second object; and a slave generation unit (13) for generating slave data including the second display information and reference information for referring to the first display information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a creation device and a programmable display. [Background technology]

[0002] The drawing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 arranges constituent objects used in a composite object on a composite object editing screen when a user performs a selection operation such as adding an object. The drawing device also assigns properties of the composite object to properties of the constituent objects, and defines the types and property names of the properties used in the composite object. Furthermore, the drawing device associates properties of the constituent objects with properties of each composite object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2012 / 117539 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the drawing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a composite object is duplicated, the same information is generated multiple times. Therefore, when a programmable display device displays a screen using drawing data created by the drawing device, the processing speed of the programmable display device slows down and a large amount of storage space is used. This problem is particularly serious when the program that operates the programmable display device is created using object-oriented programming.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to improve the processing speed of a programmable display and reduce storage space when the programmable display displays a screen using a project that defines a screen having a composite object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a creation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a creation device that creates a project that specifies a screen having a composite object containing at least one object, which is used for displaying a programmable display device, and includes: a master generation unit that generates master data including first display information for displaying a first object among the objects included in the composite object; an identification unit that identifies second display information for displaying a second object, different from the first object, among the objects included in the composite object; and a slave generation unit that generates slave data including the second display information identified by the identification unit and reference information for referencing the first display information.

[0007] The slave generation unit generates slave data including the second display information identified by the identification unit and reference information for referencing the first display information. Therefore, when multiple slave data are generated, each slave data references the first display information included in the master data. Therefore, when a composite object is duplicated, multiple copies of the same first display information are not generated. When the programmable display device uses the slave data, the processing speed of the programmable display device can be improved and the storage area can be reduced.

[0008] The first display information may include first attribute information indicating attributes of the first object, the second display information may include second attribute information indicating attributes of the second object, and the reference information may be information for referencing the first attribute information. The master data includes the first attribute information, and the slave data includes reference information for referencing the first attribute information. This eliminates the need to store and generate the same first attribute information multiple times.

[0009] The first display information may include, for each of the first objects, first attribute information indicating attributes of the first objects, the second display information may include second attribute information indicating attributes of the second objects, and the reference information may be information for referencing the first attribute information for each of the first objects. The master data includes the first attribute information for each of the first objects, and the slave data includes reference information for referencing the first attribute information for each of the first objects. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of reference information.

[0010] The reference information may be a hash value generated based on the first display information. Since the reference information is a hash value generated based on the first display information, management of the reference information is easy or unnecessary.

[0011] The first display information may be information that cannot be changed when the slave data is edited, which can prevent a user from accidentally editing the first display information that is the reference destination when editing the slave data.

[0012] A programmable display according to one embodiment of the present invention is a programmable display that displays the screen defined by the project created by the creation device, and may include a first generation unit that generates a first instance of the first display information from the master data, and a second generation unit that generates a second instance of the second display information and instance reference information that references the first instance generated by the first generation unit from the slave data.

[0013] The second generation unit generates a second instance of the second display information and instance reference information that references the first instance generated by the first generation unit. Therefore, when multiple pieces of instance reference information are generated, each piece of instance reference information references and executes the first instance. Therefore, multiple identical first instances are not generated, and when the programmable display device displays a composite object using slave data, the processing speed of the programmable display device can be improved and the storage area can be reduced.

[0014] The programmable display may include a management unit that manages the second instances as a single piece of state information when the second generation unit generates the second instances, and a display control unit that changes the overall display of the second instances based on a change in the single piece of state information managed by the management unit. The display control unit changes the overall display of the second instances, thereby making it possible to provide a screen that is easy for a user to recognize. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the processing speed of a programmable display device can be improved and the storage area can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a PC and a programmable display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a numeric display as an example of a composite object included in a screen defined by a project created by the PC shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing master data and a plurality of slave data included in a project created by the PC shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in which a control unit of the PC shown in FIG. 1 creates a project. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing master data and a plurality of slave data included in a project in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process in which a control unit of a PC creates a project in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing master data and a plurality of slave data included in a project in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing the number of instances and the number of pieces of reference information in the conventional technique and the first to third embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing master data and a plurality of slave data included in a project in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10A is a diagram showing a screen displayed by a conventional programmable display device, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a screen displayed by a display panel of a programmable display device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [Embodiment 1] The configurations of a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as "PC") 1 and a programmable display device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a PC 1 and a programmable display device 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] (PC1) As shown in Fig. 1, the PC 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 20, an interface unit 30, a display unit 40, and an operation unit 50. The PC 1 is communicably connected to the programmable display device 2. The PC 1 is an example of a creation device that creates a project used for displaying the programmable display device 2. The project defines a screen having a composite object that includes at least one object.

[0019] The control unit 10 includes a master generation unit 11, an identification unit 12, and a slave generation unit 13. The control unit 10 controls each unit of the PC 1 and creates a project. Details of the processing of the master generation unit 11, the identification unit 12, and the slave generation unit 13 will be described later. The storage unit 20 stores the project created by the control unit 10.

[0020] The interface unit 30 is a communication unit that enables the PC 1 to communicate with the programmable display device 2. The display unit 40 is a monitor that displays the processing contents of the PC 1. The operation unit 50 is, for example, a keyboard that allows the user to input data and a mouse that allows the user to perform operations.

[0021] (Programmable Display 2) 1, the programmable display device 2 includes a control unit 21, a display panel 22, a touch panel 23, a user memory 24, and interface units 25 and 26. The programmable display device 2 is connected to a PLC (programmable logic controller) 3 as an external device.

[0022] The programmable display device 2 is connected to the PLC 3 via a communication cable to communicate with the PLC 3. The programmable display device 2 is a dedicated computer that displays screens for operation and display, thereby realizing operation and display functions specific to programmable displays, and is used as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) device.

[0023] The control unit 21 specifies an operation to display the state of the device 4 connected to the PLC 3 and an operation to control the state of the device 4 in response to an operation on the touch panel 23. The control unit 21 includes a first generation unit 211, a second generation unit 212, a management unit 213, and a display control unit 214. Details of the processing of the first generation unit 211, the second generation unit 212, the management unit 213, and the display control unit 214 will be described later.

[0024] The display panel 22 displays screens created by the user and the status of the device 4. The user memory 24 stores screens created by the PC 1 as a group of related screens in a file format called a project. Projects are created by the control unit 10 of the PC 1 and downloaded from the PC 1.

[0025] The interface unit 25 is a communication unit that allows the programmable display device 2 to communicate with the PC 1. The interface unit 26 is a communication unit that allows the programmable display device 2 to communicate with the PLC 3.

[0026] The PLC 3 is a control device that reads out the state of the device 4 and issues control instructions to the device 4 at predetermined scan times in accordance with a sequence program created by a user.

[0027] (complex object) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a numeric display ND as an example of a composite object included in a screen defined by a project created by PC1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2(A), the numeric display ND includes a grid GL, a rectangle Q1, a character display CH, a rectangle Q2, a polygon TR1, a rectangle Q3, and a polygon TR2. The grid GL, the rectangle Q1, the character display CH, the rectangle Q2, the polygon TR1, the rectangle Q3, and the polygon TR2 are parts as examples of objects.

[0028] The grid GL is an invisible line that divides the area where the numeric display ND is placed into two rows and three columns. The rectangle Q1 is a rectangle placed in the left-hand area of ​​two rows and two columns of the area divided by the grid GL. The character display CH is a character display placed in the left-hand area of ​​two rows and two columns of the area divided by the grid GL.

[0029] Quadrilateral Q2 is a quadrilateral located in the area at row 1, column 3 of the area divided by the grid GL. Polygon TR1 is an equilateral triangle located in the area at row 1, column 3 of the area divided by the grid GL, with its vertex facing up. Quadrilateral Q3 is a quadrilateral located in the area at row 2, column 3 of the area divided by the grid GL. Polygon TR2 is an equilateral triangle located in the area at row 2, column 3 of the area divided by the grid GL, with its vertex facing down.

[0030] (Master data) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing master data MD and multiple slave data SD-1 to SD-N included in a project created by PC1 shown in Fig. 1. The master data MD includes a list, and the list has multiple pieces of reference information and multiple values. In the list, multiple pieces of reference information are associated with multiple values.

[0031] The correspondence between the multiple reference information and the multiple values ​​in the list is as shown in Figure 3. The multiple values ​​in the list are commonly used among the properties of the multiple parts included in the slave data SD-1 to SD-N. Furthermore, each of the multiple values ​​in the list represents a collection of data such as an instance (entity) generated by the programmable display device 2.

[0032] The multiple values ​​contained in the list of master data MD are an example of first display information for displaying a first object. The first object will be described later. The multiple values ​​contained in the list of master data MD are first attribute information indicating the attributes of the first object. In other words, the first display information includes the first attribute information. Note that the first display information may include, in addition to the first attribute information, first entity information indicating the entity of the first object.

[0033] The value V_RW indicates that the grid divides the area into two rows, the value V_CL indicates that the grid divides the area into three columns, the value V_LC1 indicates the position of the area in the first row and first column of the grid, and the value V_BD indicates the border color or boundary line color.

[0034] The value V_FC1 indicates light blue, the value V_FC2 indicates white, the value V_LC2 indicates the position of the area in the first row and third column of the area divided by the grid, and the value V_FC3 indicates yellow.

[0035] The value V_OP1 indicates a function that adds one number, the value V_DT1 indicates an equilateral triangle with its vertex pointing up, the value V_LC3 indicates the position of the area in the second row and third column of the area divided by the grid, the value V_OP2 indicates a function that subtracts one number, and the value V_DT2 indicates an equilateral triangle with its vertex pointing down.

[0036] (Slave data) The slave data SD-1 includes a plurality of values ​​corresponding to a plurality of parts. In the slave data SD-1, the names of the parts are associated with the plurality of values. The correspondence between the names of the parts and the plurality of values ​​in the slave data SD-1 is as shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] The value GL-1 indicates the entity of the grid GL, and the value Q1-1 indicates the entity of the rectangle Q1. The value CH-1 indicates the entity of the character display CH, and the value Q2-1 indicates the entity of the rectangle Q2. The value TR1-1 indicates the entity of the polygon TR1, and the value Q3-1 indicates the entity of the rectangle Q3. The value TR2-1 indicates the entity of the polygon TR2.

[0038] The slave data SD-1 also includes properties and public properties of multiple parts. The properties of the multiple parts, excluding the property of the character display CH, have multiple names and multiple pieces of reference information. In the properties of the multiple parts, excluding the property of the character display CH, the multiple names and the multiple pieces of reference information are stored in association with each other.

[0039] A property of the character display CH has multiple names, multiple references, and one value. In a property of the character display CH, multiple names are associated with multiple references or one value. A public property has one name and one value. A public property is information specific to the character display CH. In a public property, one name is associated with one value.

[0040] The properties of the grid GL have reference information RI_RW corresponding to the rows and reference information RI_CL corresponding to the columns. The reference information RI_RW of the properties of the grid GL is information for referencing the value V_RW corresponding to the reference information RI_RW of the master data MD. The reference information RI_CL of the properties of the grid GL is information for referencing the value V_CL corresponding to the reference information RI_CL of the master data MD.

[0041] The second generation unit 212 of the control unit 21 of the programmable display device 2 references the value V_RW and the value V_CL in the properties of the grid GL, thereby placing a grid GL on the screen that divides the area where the numeric display device ND is placed into areas of 2 rows and 3 columns, as shown in (A) of FIG.

[0042] The properties of the rectangle Q1 include reference information RI_LC1 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary, and reference information RI_FC1 corresponding to the color. The reference information RI_LC1 included in the properties of the rectangle Q1 is information for referencing the value V_LC1 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC1 in the master data MD.

[0043] The reference information RI_BD in the property of the rectangle Q1 is information for referencing the value V_BD corresponding to the reference information RI_BD in the master data MD. The reference information RI_FC1 in the property of the rectangle Q1 is information for referencing the value V_FC1 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC1 in the master data MD.

[0044] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC1, V_BD, and V_FC1 in the properties of the rectangle Q1. As a result, as shown in (A) of Figure 2, the rectangle Q1 colored light blue is placed within a boundary formed around a 2-row x 2-column region, based on the position of the region in the 1st row and the 1st column among the regions divided by the grid GL.

[0045] The properties of rectangle Q2 include reference information RI_LC2 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary (release), and reference information RI_FC1 corresponding to the color (release). The properties of rectangle Q2 also include reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary (push), reference information RI_FC3 corresponding to the color (push), and reference information RI_OP1 corresponding to the operation.

[0046] The reference information RI_LC2 held by the property of rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the value V_LC2 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC2 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_BD held by the property of rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the value V_BD corresponding to the reference information RI_BD in the master data MD. The reference information RI_FC1 held by the property of rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the value V_FC1 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC1 in the master data MD.

[0047] The reference information RI_FC3 in the property of rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the value V_FC3 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC3 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_OP1 in the property of rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the value V_OP1 corresponding to the reference information RI_OP1 in the master data MD.

[0048] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC2, V_BD, V_FC1, V_FC3, and V_OP1 in the properties of the rectangle Q2. As a result, as shown in (A) of FIG. 2, a rectangle Q2 colored light blue is placed at the position of the region in the first row and third column of the regions divided by the grid, within a boundary formed around the region of one row and one column. Also, as shown in (B) of FIG. 2, when the rectangle Q2 is pressed, the rectangle Q2 turns yellow, and the value of the character display CH, that is, the value ZI-1 described below, is set to be incremented by one.

[0049] The properties of rectangle Q3 include reference information RI_LC3 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary (release), and reference information RI_FC1 corresponding to the color (release). The properties of rectangle Q3 also include reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary (push), reference information RI_FC3 corresponding to the color (push), and reference information RI_OP2 corresponding to the operation.

[0050] The reference information RI_LC3 held by the property of rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the value V_LC3 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC3 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_BD held by the property of rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the value V_BD corresponding to the reference information RI_BD in the master data MD. The reference information RI_FC1 held by the property of rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the value V_FC1 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC1 in the master data MD.

[0051] The reference information RI_FC3 in the property of rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the value V_FC3 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC3 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_OP2 in the property of rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the value V_OP2 corresponding to the reference information RI_OP2 in the master data MD.

[0052] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC3, V_BD, V_FC1, V_FC3, and V_OP2 in the properties of the rectangle Q3. As a result, as shown in (A) of FIG. 2, a rectangle Q3 colored light blue is placed in the second row, third column position of the area divided by the grid, within a boundary formed around the one row by one column area. Also, as shown in (C) of FIG. 2, when the rectangle Q3 is pressed, the rectangle Q3 turns yellow, and the value of the character display CH, that is, the value ZI-1 described below, is set to be decreased by one.

[0053] The property of the character display CH has reference information RI_LC1 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_FC2 corresponding to the color, and a value ZI-1 corresponding to the text. The reference information RI_LC1 of the property of the character display CH is information for referencing the value V_LC1 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC1 of the master data MD.

[0054] The reference information RI_FC2 held by the property of the character display CH is information for referencing the value V_FC2 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC2 of the master data MD. The value ZI-1 in the string() held by the property of the character display CH is the same as the value ZI-1 held by the public property included in the slave data SD-1, and they are synchronized.

[0055] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC1, V_FC2, and ZI-1 in the properties of the character display CH. As a result, as shown in (A) of Fig. 2, the character display CH, which is colored white, is positioned based on the position of the area in the first row and first column of the area divided by the grid GL. Furthermore, the character of the character display CH indicates the value ZI-1.

[0056] The properties of the polygon TR1 include reference information RI_LC2 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary, reference information RI_FC2 corresponding to the color, and reference information RI_DT1 corresponding to the data.

[0057] The reference information RI_LC2 in the properties of polygon TR1 is information for referencing the value V_LC2 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC2 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_BD in the properties of polygon TR1 is information for referencing the value V_BD corresponding to the reference information RI_BD in the master data MD.

[0058] The reference information RI_FC2 in the property of polygon TR1 is information for referencing the value V_FC2 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC2 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_DT1 in the property of polygon TR1 is information for referencing the value V_DT1 corresponding to the reference information RI_DT1 in the master data MD.

[0059] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC2, V_BD, V_FC2, and V_DT1 in the properties of the polygon TR1. As a result, as shown in (A) of Figure 2, a polygon TR1 colored white within a boundary formed around an equilateral triangular region with its vertices pointing upward is placed at the position of the region in the first row and third column of the regions divided by the grid.

[0060] The properties of the polygon TR2 include reference information RI_LC3 corresponding to the position, reference information RI_BD corresponding to the boundary, reference information RI_FC2 corresponding to the color, and reference information RI_DT2 corresponding to the data.

[0061] The reference information RI_LC3 in the properties of polygon TR2 is information for referencing the value V_LC3 corresponding to the reference information RI_LC3 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_BD in the properties of polygon TR2 is information for referencing the value V_BD corresponding to the reference information RI_BD in the master data MD.

[0062] The reference information RI_FC2 in the property of polygon TR2 is information for referencing the value V_FC2 corresponding to the reference information RI_FC2 in the master data MD. The reference information RI_DT2 in the property of polygon TR2 is information for referencing the value V_DT2 corresponding to the reference information RI_DT2 in the master data MD.

[0063] The second generation unit 212 references the values ​​V_LC3, V_BD, V_FC2, and V_DT2 in the properties of the polygon TR2. As a result, as shown in (A) of Figure 2, the polygon TR2 colored white within the boundary formed around the equilateral triangular region with its vertices pointing downward is placed at the position of the region in the second row and third column of the regions divided by the grid.

[0064] The public property included in the slave data SD-1 has a value ZI-1 corresponding to a variable. The value ZI-1 of the public property is an integer, and is set to the value of a device address in the device memory of PLC 3. The value ZI-1 is an example of second display information for displaying a second object different from the first object.

[0065] The first object is an object included in the composite object whose property does not include the value of a public property. The second object is an object included in the composite object whose property includes the value of a public property. Furthermore, the value ZI-1 is second attribute information indicating the attribute of the second object. In other words, the second display information includes the second attribute information. Note that the second display information may include, in addition to the second attribute information, second entity information indicating the entity of the second object.

[0066] 2, the grid GL, rectangle Q1, rectangle Q2, polygon TR1, rectangle Q3, and polygon TR2 of the numeric display ND are examples of first objects because their properties do not include values ​​of public properties. The character display CH of the numeric display ND is an example of a second object because its properties include values ​​of public properties.

[0067] (Duplicating a composite object) When a numeric display ND, which is an example of a composite object, is duplicated, slave data SD-2 is generated by duplicating slave data SD-1. Similarly, slave data SD-1 can be duplicated to generate slave data SD-3 to SD-N. N in "SD-N" is a natural number equal to or greater than 2.

[0068] In the slave data SD-N, each of the multiple values ​​corresponding to the multiple components is different from that in the slave data SD-1. For example, the value indicating the entity of the grid GL is changed from value GL-1 to value GL-N. Also, in the slave data SD-N, compared to the slave data SD-1, the value corresponding to the variable in the public property is changed from value Z1-1 to value Z1-N.

[0069] Here, the reference information held by the properties of the multiple parts included in the slave data SD-1 is first attribute information, that is, information for referencing multiple values ​​held by the list in the master data MD. Therefore, the master data MD includes the first attribute information, and the slave data SD-1 includes reference information for referencing the first attribute information. This eliminates the need to store and generate the same first attribute information multiple times.

[0070] (Process flow of the control unit 10 creating a project) Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the control unit 10 of the PC 1 shown in Fig. 1 to create a project. The control unit 10 executes the processing shown in Fig. 4 using screen editing software. Furthermore, when a user operates the operation unit 50 to register a composite object in a project, the control unit 10 executes the processing shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, when a user operates the operation unit 50 to duplicate a composite object, the control unit 10 may execute the processing shown in Fig. 4.

[0071] 4A, the master generation unit 11 of the control unit 10 determines whether or not master data exists in the project (S1). If the master generation unit 11 determines that master data exists in the project (YES in S1), the control unit 10 proceeds to the process of S3.

[0072] When the master generation unit 11 determines that there is no master data in the project (NO in S1), it generates master data (S2). The master data generated in S2 is, for example, the master data MD shown in FIG. 3. After the master generation unit 11 generates the master data, the slave generation unit 13 of the control unit 10 generates slave data (S3). The slave data generated in S3 is, for example, the slave data SD-1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0073] The master generation unit 11 generates master data, and the slave generation unit 13 generates slave data, whereby the control unit 10 creates a project. The project created by the control unit 10 is stored in the storage unit 20.

[0074] (Process flow of master data generation by the master data generation unit 11) In the process of S2, as shown in (B) of Fig. 4, the master generation unit 11 acquires a part from the data structure stored in the storage unit 20 (S21). After acquiring the part from the data structure, the master generation unit 11 acquires the properties of the part acquired in S21 from the data structure (S22).

[0075] If the master generation unit 11 acquires a grid GL in S21, the master generation unit 11 acquires, for example, a value V_RW as a property of a row of the grid GL in S22. After acquiring the property from the above data structure, the master generation unit 11 determines whether the property acquired in S22 references a value of a public property (S23).

[0076] For example, the text property of the character display CH references the value ZI-1 of the public property. Therefore, when the master generation unit 11 acquires the value ZI-1 as the text property of the character display CH in S22, it determines that the property acquired in S22 references the value of the public property. On the other hand, for example, the property of a row of the grid GL does not reference the value of a public property. Therefore, when the master generation unit 11 acquires the property of a row of the grid GL in S22, it determines that the property acquired in S22 does not reference the value of the public property.

[0077] If the master generation unit 11 determines that the property acquired in S22 references the value of a public property (YES in S23), the process proceeds to S26. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the property acquired in S22 does not reference the value of a public property (NO in S23), the master generation unit 11 determines whether the property acquired in S22 is included in the master data (S24).

[0078] If the master generation unit 11 determines that the property acquired in S22 is included in the master data (YES in S24), the process proceeds to S26. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the property acquired in S22 is not included in the master data (NO in S24), the master generation unit 11 generates the property acquired in S22 in the master data (S25).

[0079] Specifically, the master generation unit 11 associates the reference information with a value and generates the reference information and the value in the master data MD. In S25, the master generation unit 11 may generate a reference list in the master data for the programmable display device 2 to refer to properties in order to assist the programmable display device 2 in searching for properties when generating an instance.

[0080] The master generation unit 11 determines whether or not the next property exists for the part acquired in S21 (S26). If the master generation unit 11 determines that the next property exists for the part acquired in S21 (YES in S26), the process proceeds to S22. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the next property does not exist for the part acquired in S21 (NO in S26), the master generation unit 11 determines whether or not the composite object has a next part (S27).

[0081] If the master generation unit 11 determines that the composite object has a next part (YES in S27), it proceeds to the process of S21. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the composite object does not have a next part (NO in S27), it ends the process of S2.

[0082] (Process flow of slave generation unit 13 generating slave data) In the process of S3, as shown in (C) of FIG. 4, the slave generation unit 13 generates public properties (S31). Specifically, before the process of S23 by the master generation unit 11, the identification unit 12 of the control unit 10 identifies second display information for displaying the second object. For example, in response to a user's operation of the operation unit 50, the identification unit 12 identifies the value ZI-1 as second display information for displaying character display CH as the second object. In the process of S31, the slave generation unit 13 generates public properties having the value ZI-1.

[0083] After generating the public properties, the slave generation unit 13 acquires the parts from the data structure stored in the storage unit 20 (S32). After acquiring the parts from the data structure, the slave generation unit 13 generates the parts acquired in S32 in the slave data (S33). For example, when the slave generation unit 13 acquires the grid GL from the data structure, it generates the value GL-1 in the slave data. Note that the slave generation unit 13 may not execute the process of S33, and instead may generate the parts acquired by the master generation unit 11 in S21 in the master data.

[0084] After generating the part, the slave generation unit 13 acquires the properties of the part acquired in S32 from the data structure (S34), similar to the process of S22 by the master generation unit 11. After acquiring the properties from the data structure, the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not the master data generated by the master generation unit 11 in S2 includes reference information for the properties acquired in S34 (S35).

[0085] For example, reference information RI_RW of the properties of the rows of the grid GL is included in the master data MD generated by the master generation unit 11. Therefore, when the properties of the rows of the grid GL are acquired in S34, the slave generation unit 13 determines that the master data MD includes the reference information of the properties acquired in S34.

[0086] If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the master data contains reference information for the property acquired in S34 (YES in S35), it uses the reference information for the master data (S37).If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the master data does not contain reference information for the property acquired in S34 (NO in S35), it generates the property acquired in S34 in the slave data (S36).

[0087] After the process of S36 or S37, the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not the next property exists for the part acquired in S32 (S38). If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the next property exists for the part acquired in S32 (YES in S38), the slave generation unit 13 proceeds to the process of S34. If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the next property does not exist for the part acquired in S32 (NO in S38), the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not the composite object has a next part (S39).

[0088] If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the composite object has a next part (YES in S39), it proceeds to the processing of S32. If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the composite object does not have a next part (NO in S39), it ends the processing of S3.

[0089] When a user operates the operation unit 50 to copy a composite object onto a screen defined by a project, for example, the slave generation unit 13 copies the slave data SD-1 to generate slave data SD-2. Similarly, the slave generation unit 13 can copy the slave data SD-1 to generate slave data SD-3 to SD-N.

[0090] When the slave generation unit 13 copies the slave data SD-1 to generate the slave data SD-N, the slave generation unit 13 generates a plurality of values ​​corresponding to a plurality of parts in the slave data SD-N. For example, the slave generation unit 13 generates a value GL-N corresponding to the grid GL in the slave data SD-N.

[0091] Furthermore, the slave generation unit 13 generates public properties in the slave data SD-N in response to a user's operation of the operation unit 50. Specifically, for example, a variable name, a device address, or the like, specified by the user, is set in the value ZI-N as second display information for displaying the character display CH as the second object. The slave generation unit 13 generates public properties having the value ZI-N. Furthermore, the slave generation unit 13 duplicates the reference information of multiple parts in the slave data SD-1 in the slave data SD-N.

[0092] In the above manner, the slave generation unit 13 generates slave data including the second display information identified by the identification unit 12 and reference information for referencing the first display information. Therefore, when multiple slave data are generated, each slave data refers to the first display information included in the master data.

[0093] Therefore, when a composite object is duplicated, the same first display information is not generated multiple times, and when the programmable display device 2 uses slave data, the processing speed of the programmable display device 2 can be improved and the storage area can be reduced. In particular, when switching screens on the programmable display device 2, the programmable display device 2 does not need to generate duplicate instances, which can improve the processing speed and reduce the storage area. The storage area is a storage area in the main memory such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) or user memory 24 (not shown) provided in the programmable display device 2 where processing actually takes place. Generation of instances will be described later.

[0094] The first display information may be information that cannot be changed when the slave data is edited. Specifically, when the user edits the slave data by operating the operation unit 50, the user cannot change the first display information. For example, when editing the slave data SD-1, the user cannot change the multiple values ​​contained in the list of the master data MD. This prevents the user from accidentally editing the referenced first display information when editing the slave data, that is, from making an erroneous operation that could result in the loss of commonality in the master data MD.

[0095] Furthermore, the first display information is information that can be changed when the master data is edited, and the second display information is information that can be changed when the slave data is edited. Specifically, when editing slave data by operating the operation unit 50, the user can change the second display information. For example, when editing slave data SD-1, the user can change the value ZI-1 of the public property of the slave data SD-1.

[0096] Furthermore, the slave generation unit 13 may not execute the process of S33 when generating the slave data SD-1 in the process of S3, but may execute the process of S33 when generating the slave data SD-2 to SD-N.

[0097] (Programmable Display 2 display) The display panel 22 of the programmable display device 2 displays a screen defined by the project created by the PC 1. This is explained in detail below. The control unit 21 of the programmable display device 2 downloads the project from the PC 1 via the interface unit 25. When using runtime software created using object-oriented programming, the control unit 21 executes the following process.

[0098] The first generation unit 211 of the control unit 21 generates a first instance of the first display information from the master data included in the downloaded project. Specifically, the first generation unit 211 generates first instances of multiple values ​​included in the list of master data MD shown in FIG.

[0099] Furthermore, the second generation unit 212 of the control unit 21 generates, from the slave data included in the downloaded project, a second instance of the second display information and instance reference information that references the first instance generated by the first generation unit 211. Specifically, the second generation unit 212 generates a second instance of the value ZI-1 included in the slave data SD-1 shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the second generation unit 212 generates, from the reference information included in the slave data SD-1, instance reference information that references the first instances of the multiple values ​​included in the list of master data MD.

[0100] When multiple pieces of instance reference information are generated, each piece of instance reference information references and executes the first instance. Therefore, when the same first instance is not generated multiple times and the programmable display device 2 displays a composite object using slave data, the processing speed of the programmable display device 2 can be improved and the storage area can be reduced.

[0101] (Variation) The master data MD and / or the plurality of slave data SD-1 to SD-N may be generated by the screen editing software of the control unit 10, or may be generated by the runtime software of the control unit .

[0102] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing master data MD2 and multiple slave data SD2-1 to SD2-N included in a project in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] (Master data) As shown in Fig. 5, the master data MD2 includes properties of multiple parts. In the properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD2, multiple names and multiple values ​​are stored in association with each other. The multiple values ​​of the properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD2 are an example of first display information. Furthermore, the multiple values ​​of the properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD2 are first attribute information.

[0104] The properties of the grid GL have a value V_RW corresponding to the row and a value V_CL corresponding to the column, and are associated with the reference information RI_GL of the slave data SD2-1.

[0105] The properties of the rectangle Q1 include a value V_LC1 corresponding to the position, a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary, and a value V_FC1 corresponding to the color. The properties of the rectangle Q1 are associated with reference information RI_Q1 of the slave data SD2-1.

[0106] The properties of rectangle Q2 have a value V_LC2 corresponding to the position, a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary (release), and a value V_FC1 corresponding to the color (release). The properties of rectangle Q2 also have a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary (push), a value V_FC3 corresponding to the color (push), and a value V_OP1 corresponding to the operation. The properties of rectangle Q2 are associated with reference information RI_Q2 of slave data SD2-1.

[0107] The properties of rectangle Q3 include a value V_LC3 corresponding to the position, a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary (release), and a value V_FC1 corresponding to the color (release). The properties of rectangle Q3 also include a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary (push), a value V_FC3 corresponding to the color (push), and a value V_OP2 corresponding to the operation. The properties of rectangle Q3 are associated with reference information RI_Q3 of slave data SD2-1.

[0108] The properties of polygon TR1 include a value V_LC2 corresponding to the position, a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary, a value V_FC2 corresponding to the color, and a value V_DT1 corresponding to the data. The properties of polygon TR1 are associated with reference information RI_TR1 of slave data SD2-1.

[0109] The properties of polygon TR2 include a value V_LC3 corresponding to the position, a value V_BD corresponding to the boundary, a value V_FC2 corresponding to the color, and a value V_DT2 corresponding to the data. The properties of polygon TR2 are associated with reference information RI_TR2 of slave data SD2-1.

[0110] (Slave data) The slave data SD2-1 includes a plurality of values ​​and a plurality of reference information corresponding to a plurality of parts. In the slave data SD2-1, the names of the parts are associated with a plurality of values ​​and a plurality of reference information. The correspondence between the names of the parts in the slave data SD2-1 and the plurality of values ​​and a plurality of reference information is as shown in FIG.

[0111] The reference information RI_GL corresponding to the grid GL is information for referencing the properties of the grid GL in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the grid GL. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2A, a grid GL is placed on the screen, dividing the area where the numeric display device ND is placed into two rows and three columns.

[0112] The reference information RI_Q1 corresponding to the rectangle Q1 is information for referencing the properties of the rectangle Q1 in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the rectangle Q1. As a result, as shown in (A) of FIG. 2, the rectangle Q1 colored light blue is placed within a boundary formed around a 2-row x 2-column area, based on the position of the area in the first row and first column of the areas divided by the grid GL.

[0113] The reference information RI_Q2 corresponding to the rectangle Q2 is information for referencing the properties of the rectangle Q2 in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the rectangle Q2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2A, a rectangle Q2 colored light blue is placed at the position of the first row, third column area among the areas divided by the grid, within a boundary formed around the one row by one column area. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the rectangle Q2 is pressed, the rectangle Q2 turns yellow and the value ZI-1 is incremented by one.

[0114] The reference information RI_Q3 corresponding to the rectangle Q3 is information for referencing the properties of the rectangle Q3 in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the rectangle Q3. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2A, a rectangle Q3 colored light blue is placed in the second row, third column position of the area divided by the grid, within a boundary formed around the one row by one column area. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the rectangle Q3 is pressed, the rectangle Q3 turns yellow, and the value ZI-1 is set to be decreased by one.

[0115] The reference information RI_CH corresponding to the character display CH is information for referencing the properties of the character display CH included in the slave data SD2-1. The properties of the character display CH have a value V_LC1 corresponding to the position, a value V_FC2 corresponding to the color, and a value ZI-1 corresponding to the text. The properties of the character display CH are associated with the reference information RI_CH of the slave data SD2-1.

[0116] The value ZI-1 in the string() of the character display CH property is the same as the value ZI-1 of the public property included in the slave data SD2-1, and they are synchronized. The public property included in the slave data SD2-1 is the same as the public property included in the slave data SD-1 shown in Figure 3.

[0117] The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the character display CH. As a result, as shown in Fig. 2A, the character display CH colored white is placed based on the position of the area in the first row and first column of the area divided by the grid GL. The character of the character display CH indicates the value ZI-1.

[0118] The reference information RI_TR1 corresponding to the polygon TR1 is information for referencing the properties of the polygon TR1 in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the polygon TR1. As a result, as shown in (A) of FIG. 2, the polygon TR1 colored white is placed in the first row, third column position of the area divided by the grid, within the boundary formed around the equilateral triangular area with its vertices pointing upward.

[0119] The reference information RI_TR2 corresponding to the polygon TR2 is information for referencing the properties of the polygon TR2 in the master data MD. The second generation unit 212 references the properties of the polygon TR2. As a result, as shown in (A) of FIG. 2, the polygon TR2 colored white is placed in the area in the second row and third column of the area divided by the grid, within the boundary formed around the equilateral triangular area with its vertices pointing downward.

[0120] (Duplicating a composite object) When a numeric display ND, which is an example of a composite object, is duplicated, slave data SD2-2 is generated by duplicating slave data SD2-1. Similarly, slave data SD2-1 can be duplicated to generate slave data SD2-3 to SD2-N, where N in "SD2-N" is a natural number equal to or greater than 2.

[0121] In the slave data SD2-N, each of the multiple values ​​corresponding to the multiple components is different from that in the slave data SD2-1. Also, in the slave data SD2-N, the value corresponding to the variable in the public property is changed from value Z1-1 to value Z1-N, compared to that in the slave data SD2-1.

[0122] As described above, the first display information includes, for each first object, first attribute information indicating the attributes of the first object. That is, the first display information as multiple values ​​of the properties of multiple parts contained in the master data MD2 includes, for each part, first attribute information indicating the attributes of the part. Furthermore, the multiple pieces of reference information corresponding to the multiple parts contained in the slave data SD2-1 are information for referencing the first attribute information for each first object.

[0123] The master data includes first attribute information for each first object, and the slave data includes reference information for referencing the first attribute information for each first object, thereby reducing the amount of reference information.

[0124] (Process flow of the control unit 10 creating a project) Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in which the control unit 10 of the PC 1 creates a project in the second embodiment of the present invention. When the user operates the operation unit 50 to register a composite object in a project, the control unit 10 executes the processing shown in Fig. 6. Note that when the user operates the operation unit 50 to duplicate a composite object, the control unit 10 may execute the processing shown in Fig. 6.

[0125] As shown in Fig. 6A, the control unit 10 executes the processes of S4 to S6 in the same manner as the processes of S1 to S3 shown in Fig. 4A. The master data generated in S5 is, for example, the master data MD2 shown in Fig. 5. The slave data generated in S6 is, for example, the slave data SD2-1 shown in Fig. 5.

[0126] (Process flow of master data generation by the master data generation unit 11) In the process of S5, as shown in Fig. 6B, the master generation unit 11 acquires a part from the data structure stored in the storage unit 20 (S51). After acquiring the part from the data structure, the master generation unit 11 determines whether or not the part acquired in S51 has a property that references the value of a public property (S52).

[0127] For example, the text property of the character display CH references the public property value ZI-1. Therefore, when the character display CH is acquired in S51, the master generation unit 11 determines that there is a property that references the value of a public property for the component acquired in S51. On the other hand, for example, the row and column properties of the grid GL do not reference the value of a public property. Therefore, when the grid GL is acquired in S51, the master generation unit 11 determines that there is no property that references the value of a public property for the component acquired in S51.

[0128] If the master generation unit 11 determines that there is a property that references the value of the public property (YES in S52), it proceeds to the processing of S56. If the master generation unit 11 determines that there is no property that references the value of the public property (NO in S52), it obtains the property of the part obtained in S51 from the above data structure (S53).

[0129] After acquiring the properties from the data structure, the master generation unit 11 generates the properties acquired in S53 in the master data (S54). Specifically, the master generation unit 11 associates names with values ​​and generates the names and values ​​in the master data MD. Note that in S54, the master generation unit 11 may also generate a reference list in the master data for the programmable display device 2 to reference properties in order to assist the programmable display device 2 in searching for properties when generating an instance.

[0130] The master generation unit 11 determines whether or not the next property exists for the part acquired in S51 (S55). If the master generation unit 11 determines that the next property exists for the part acquired in S51 (YES in S55), the process proceeds to S53. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the next property does not exist for the part acquired in S51 (NO in S55), the master generation unit 11 determines whether or not the composite object has a next part (S56).

[0131] If the master generation unit 11 determines that the composite object has a next part (YES in S56), it proceeds to the process of S51. If the master generation unit 11 determines that the composite object does not have a next part (NO in S56), it ends the process of S5.

[0132] (Process flow of slave generation unit 13 generating slave data) In the process of S6, as shown in (C) of Fig. 6, the slave generation unit 13 generates public properties (S61) in the same manner as the process of S31 shown in (C) of Fig. 4. After generating the public properties, the slave generation unit 13 acquires components from the data structure stored in the storage unit 20 (S62). After acquiring the components from the data structure, the slave generation unit 13 generates the components acquired in S62 in the slave data (S63). Note that the master generation unit 11 may generate the components acquired in S51 in the master data without the slave generation unit 13 executing the process of S63.

[0133] After generating the part, the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not there is a property that references the value of the public property for the part acquired in S62 (S64), similar to the process of S52 by the master generation unit 11. If the slave generation unit 13 determines that there is no property that references the value of the public property (NO in S64), it uses the property of the part in the master data as the reference destination for the reference information of the part acquired in S62 (S65).

[0134] If the slave generation unit 13 determines that there is a property that references the value of the public property (YES in S64), it acquires the property of the part acquired in S62 from the data structure (S66). After acquiring the property from the data structure, the slave generation unit 13 generates the property acquired in S66 in the slave data (S67).

[0135] After generating the property, the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not the next property exists for the part acquired in S62 (S68). If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the next property exists for the part acquired in S62 (YES in S68), the slave generation unit 13 proceeds to the processing of S66. If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the next property does not exist for the part acquired in S62 (NO in S68), the slave generation unit 13 determines whether or not the composite object has a next part (S69).

[0136] If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the composite object has a next part (YES in S69), it proceeds to the process of S62. If the slave generation unit 13 determines that the composite object does not have a next part (NO in S69), it ends the process of S6.

[0137] When the slave generation unit 13 copies the slave data SD2-1 to generate the slave data SD2-N, it copies, into the slave data SD2-N, multiple pieces of reference information corresponding to multiple parts in the slave data SD2-1 and multiple values ​​possessed by the properties of the character display CH.

[0138] [Embodiment 3] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first and second embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing master data MD3 and multiple slave data SD3-1 to SD3-N included in a project in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0139] (Master data) As shown in Fig. 7, the master data MD3 includes a list and properties of multiple parts. The list included in the master data MD3 is the same as the list included in the master data MD shown in Fig. 3. The properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD3 are the same as the properties of the multiple parts included in the slave data SD-1 shown in Fig. 3. However, the master data MD3 does not include a property for character display CH. Furthermore, the properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD3 are each associated with multiple pieces of reference information included in the slave data SD3-1, similar to the properties of the multiple parts included in the master data MD2 shown in Fig. 5.

[0140] (Slave data) As shown in FIG. 7, the slave data SD3-1 differs from the slave data SD2-1 shown in FIG. 5 in that the values ​​corresponding to the position and color in the character display property CH are changed to reference information.

[0141] (Number of instances and number of reference information in embodiments 1 to 3) Fig. 8 is a graph showing the number of instances and the number of pieces of reference information for the conventional technology and embodiments 1 to 3. Fig. 8(A) is a graph showing the number of instances for the conventional technology and embodiments 1 to 3, and Fig. 8(B) is a graph showing the number of pieces of reference information for the conventional technology and embodiments 1 to 3. The conventional technology in Fig. 8 is a technology in which, when duplicating a composite object, the entire composite object is duplicated.

[0142] The number of instances shown in (A) of Figure 8 is the number of instances generated by the control unit 21 of the programmable display device 2, and the number of reference information shown in (B) of Figure 8 is the number of instance reference information generated by the control unit 21 of the programmable display device 2.

[0143] In (A) of Fig. 8, IS1 to IS4 correspond to the prior art, embodiment 1, embodiment 2, and embodiment 3, respectively. The horizontal axis indicates the number of composite objects, and the vertical axis indicates the number of objects. Specifically, the number of objects on the vertical axis of (A) of Fig. 8 indicates the number of instances (number of entities) of parts and properties to be generated, while the number of objects on the vertical axis of (B) of Fig. 8 indicates the number of pieces of information for referencing the instances of parts and properties to be generated.

[0144] As shown in (A) of Fig. 8, in the first to third embodiments, the number of instances of a composite object can be reduced compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the greater the number of composite objects, the greater the effect of reducing the number of instances can be expected. As shown in (B) of Fig. 8, the disadvantage of the first embodiment, which is that there is a large amount of reference information, can be improved in the second or third embodiment. Furthermore, the greater the number of composite objects, the greater the effect of reducing the amount of reference information can be expected.

[0145] By reducing the number of generated parts and properties, it is possible to shorten the time required to generate and delete composite objects and reduce the amount of main memory, such as the DRAM, and the user memory 24 used by the programmable display device 2. Furthermore, the effects of improving processing speed and reducing memory space vary depending on the number of composite objects and the contents of the objects that make up the composite objects. Since multiple composite objects are often placed on the screen and the functions and designs of the parts that make up a composite object are often unified, the above effects tend to be greater.

[0146] (Variation) The control unit 10 may include a selection unit that selects which of the processes of the first to third embodiments to perform in order to select an embodiment taking into consideration the effect of reducing the number of instances and the number of pieces of reference information. The selection unit may select which of the processes of the first to third embodiments to perform in response to a user's operation of the operation unit 50, or may automatically select which of the processes of the first to third embodiments to perform.

[0147] [Embodiment 4] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first to third embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing master data MD4 and multiple slave data SD4-1 to SD4-N included in a project in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 9, the master data MD4 and the plurality of slave data SD4-1 to SD4-N differ from the master data MD and the plurality of slave data SD-1 to SD-N shown in FIG. 3 in that the reference information is a hash value.

[0149] When generating master data MD4, the master generation unit 11 generates a hash value based on each value. For example, the master generation unit 11 generates a hash value HS_RW based on the value V_RW. Furthermore, when acquiring a property from the above data structure, the master generation unit 11 generates a hash value when a new property is acquired.

[0150] Furthermore, the hash values ​​possessed by the properties of multiple parts in the slave data SD4-1 are reference information for referencing values ​​corresponding to the hash values ​​of the master data MD4. For example, the hash value HS_RW possessed by the properties of the grid GL is reference information for referencing the value V_RW corresponding to the hash value HS_RW of the master data MD4. In this embodiment, the reference information for referencing the first display information is a hash value generated based on the first display information. This makes it easy or unnecessary to manage the reference information.

[0151] [Embodiment 5] A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first to fourth embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will not be repeated. Fig. 10(A) is a diagram showing a screen displayed by a conventional programmable display device. Fig. 10(B) is a diagram showing a screen displayed by the display panel 22 of the programmable display device 2 in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0152] 10A, in a conventional programmable display device, it is assumed that each of the instances Q11 to Q16 is communicatively connected to an internal device of the PLC 3. Each of the instances Q11 to Q16 monitors the corresponding internal device.

[0153] Therefore, even if a communication error occurs between the PLC 3 and the instance Q14, the conventional programmable display device changes the display of each of the instances Q11 to Q16. For example, the conventional programmable display device changes the display of each of the instances Q11 to Q16 by changing the border, icon, or color.

[0154] In contrast, when the second generation unit 212 generates multiple second instances Q11 to Q16, the management unit 213 of the control unit 21 included in the programmable display device 2 according to this embodiment manages the multiple second instances Q11 to Q16 as a single piece of state information. For example, the single piece of state information may be a variable using an array or a structure. Each of the multiple second instances Q11 to Q16 monitors a corresponding internal device.

[0155] Furthermore, the display control unit 214 of the control unit 21 changes the display of the entire plurality of second instances Q11 to Q16, as shown in Fig. 10(B), based on a change in the one piece of state information managed by the management unit 213. For example, the display control unit 214 changes the display of the entire plurality of second instances Q11 to Q16 by changing the borders, icons, or colors. This aggregates objects for display change, thereby reducing the usage of the main memory such as the DRAM and the user memory 24.

[0156] If a communication error occurs between the PLC 3 and at least one second instance, the management unit 213 changes the one piece of status information. The display control unit 214 changes the overall display of the second instances Q11 to Q16, making it possible to provide a screen that is easy for the user to recognize. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to manage status information for each second instance, the processing speed of the programmable display device 2 can be improved and the storage area can be reduced.

[0157] [Software implementation example] The functions of PC1 and programmable display 2 (hereinafter referred to as "devices") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in control unit 10 and control unit 21).

[0158] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program, thereby realizing the functions described in each of the above embodiments.

[0159] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0160] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0161] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0162] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 1 PC 2 Programmable Display 11 Master Generation Unit 12 Specific section 13 Slave Generation Unit 211 1st generation part 212 Second generation part 213 Management Department 214 Display control unit MD, MD2, MD3, MD4 Master Data SD-1, SD2-1, SD3-1, SD4-1 slave data

Claims

1. A creation device for creating a project that defines a screen having a composite object including at least one object, which is used for displaying on a programmable display, comprising: a master generating unit that generates master data including first display information for displaying a first object among the objects included in the composite object; an identification unit that identifies second display information for displaying a second object different from the first object among the objects included in the composite object; a slave generation unit that generates slave data including the second display information identified by the identification unit and reference information for referencing the first display information, The creating device is characterized in that the first display information is information that cannot be changed when the slave data is edited.

2. the first display information includes first attribute information indicating an attribute of the first object; the second display information includes second attribute information indicating attributes of the second object; 2. The creating device according to claim 1, wherein the reference information is information for referencing the first attribute information.

3. the first display information includes, for each of the first objects, first attribute information indicating an attribute of the first object; the second display information includes second attribute information indicating attributes of the second object; 2. The creating device according to claim 1, wherein the reference information is information for referencing the first attribute information for each of the first objects.

4. The creation device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference information is a hash value generated based on the first display information.

5. A creating device that creates a project that defines a screen having a composite object including at least one object, which is used for displaying a programmable display, wherein the programmable display displays the screen defined by the project created by the creating device, The creating device is a master generating unit that generates master data including first display information for displaying a first object among the objects included in the composite object; an identification unit that identifies second display information for displaying a second object different from the first object among the objects included in the composite object; a slave generation unit that generates slave data including the second display information identified by the identification unit and reference information for referencing the first display information, The programmable display comprises: a first generation unit that generates a first instance of the first display information from the master data; A programmable display device comprising: a second generation unit that generates, from the slave data, a second instance of the second display information and instance reference information that references the first instance generated by the first generation unit.

6. a management unit that manages the second instances as one piece of state information when the second generation unit generates the second instances; The programmable display device according to claim 5, further comprising: a display control unit that changes the overall display of the plurality of second instances based on a change in the one piece of state information managed by the management unit.

Images