Industrial IDE Workspace Filtering for Automation Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in integrated design, programming, and configuration due to the need for separate development environments for different aspects, leading to a piecemeal approach that complicates data interfacing and requires significant debugging and testing.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) is introduced that uses a common design environment and data model to design, program, and configure multiple aspects of industrial automation systems, allowing for automated filtering of tools and panels based on the current development task, reducing clutter, and facilitating intuitive workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate development environments are used for different aspects of industrial automation systems, then each aspect can be developed with specialized tools, but the overall system integration becomes complex and requires significant debugging and testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate development environments (configuration tool, programming tool, and development environment) into a single integrated development environment. This integration allows all aspects of industrial automation systems to be developed, programmed, and configured in one unified platform, eliminating the need for complex data interfacing between separate tools and reducing debugging and testing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated development environment provides universal functionality by incorporating multiple specialized tools within a single platform. The environment can perform configuration, programming, and development tasks across different aspects of industrial automation systems, making it a multi-functional solution that replaces several separate specialized tools.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate tools are used for configuration and programming, then each tool can be optimized for its specific function, but data interfacing between tools becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges configuration and programming functionalities into a single integrated development environment, eliminating the need for complex data interfacing between separate tools. All data remains within the unified environment, preventing information loss and simplifying the development process.
3Device complexity
If a comprehensive development environment is provided for all industrial automation aspects, then integration is improved, but the interface becomes cluttered and less intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated development environment segments its comprehensive functionality into distinct modules or panels that can be selectively displayed. This segmentation allows the interface to present only relevant tools and options based on the current development task, maintaining interface clarity while providing access to all necessary integration capabilities when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The development environment dynamically adapts its interface based on the current development task. Relevant tools and panels are automatically filtered and presented, while unrelated options are hidden. This dynamic behavior maintains interface simplicity and intuitiveness while providing comprehensive integration capabilities when required.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) comprises a development interface that affords a user a great deal of control over the editing tools, workspace canvases, and project information rendered at a given time. The industrial IDE system automatically filters the tools, panels, and information available for selection based on a current project development task, such that a focused subset of editing tools relevant to a current development task or context are made available for selection while other tools are hidden. The development interface also allows the user to selectively render or hide selected tools or information from among the relevant, filtered set of tools. This can reduce or eliminate unnecessary clutter and aid in quickly and easily locating and selecting a desired editing function. The IDE's development interface can also conform to a structured organization of workspace canvases and panels that facilitates intuitive workflow.