HMI Object Property Entity Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interface devices in industrial automation, such as HMIs, face performance and responsiveness issues due to caching and data transfer challenges when manipulating objects, leading to reduced memory availability and impaired user interaction.
Innovation Solution
A novel approach utilizing visual representations of device elements on interface devices allows users to change and undo operations, with entity creation and transfer to designer software, enabling efficient management and configuration without compromising performance, using a framework that includes run-time and design-time environments with dynamic manipulation and configuration capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If caching functionality is used to store objects in memory, then object manipulation speed is improved, but memory availability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential properties, connections, and text of device elements into cached entities, rather than caching entire objects. This selective extraction maintains manipulation speed while significantly reducing memory consumption by storing only critical data needed for undo operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments device elements into distinct components: properties, connections, and text. Each component is independently cached as a separate entity, allowing efficient memory management and selective restoration without requiring storage of complete object states.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data transfer between web browser and interface device is increased to enable full object manipulation, then configuration capability is improved, but performance and responsiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only essential configuration data (properties, connections, text) from complete device elements for transfer to the web browser. This selective data transfer enables full configuration capability while minimizing network bandwidth consumption and improving responsiveness by reducing the volume of transferred data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing on device elements to extract and prepare only the necessary configuration data before transfer. This preliminary action reduces the data volume that needs to be transmitted and processed, thereby improving performance while maintaining complete configuration capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized software is used to manage device elements, then configuration precision is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal entity structure that can represent properties, connections, and text of any device element type through a common interface. This multi-functional entity design enables precise configuration of diverse elements without requiring specialized software for each element type, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes designating a visual representation of an object in a display screen of a human machine interface, changing the state of the object, and creating an entity in response to the changing, wherein the entity includes any properties, connections and text associated with the object. An interface system is provided that includes a machine readable medium having programming code implementing the method. An industrial automation device is also provided.