Interactive Tooltip for Data Point Location Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional software tools for programming and debugging industrial control systems require users to navigate away from the logic to view data point locations, disrupting workflow and making it difficult to find and debug specific data points due to the need to sift through extensive lists of information.
Innovation Solution
A system that displays data point locations and reference information within the same display area as the logic, using tooltips or menus to facilitate navigation without obscuring the logic, allowing users to hover over data points for location information and navigate directly to selected locations without breaking their workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a separate reference window is used to display data point locations, then data point information is provided, but the user must leave the current logic view and the reference window covers the logic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a tooltip that nests within the existing logic display area. When a user hovers over a data point in the logic, a tooltip appears directly at that location showing all references to that data point. This nesting approach allows the reference information to be displayed without requiring the user to leave the logic view or have a separate window cover the logic, thus maintaining workflow continuity while providing complete data point location information.
2Loss of information
If a reference window displays all data point locations, then complete information is provided, but the user must spend time sorting through all information to find the specific data point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the tooltip appear only at the specific location of the hovered data point within the logic. Instead of displaying all data point locations globally in a separate window, the tooltip provides information locally contextualized to the specific data point of interest. This allows users to immediately see references to the specific data point they are examining without having to search through or sort through information about other data points, significantly reducing the time to find specific data point locations.
3Loss of information
If a printout is generated for data point reference information, then complete information is provided, but the user must manually go through and sort the printout
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the system automatically generates and displays the relevant data point location information in an interactive tooltip when the user hovers over a data point in the logic. This eliminates the need for the user to manually generate printouts and then manually sort through them. The system serves itself by automatically presenting the filtered, relevant information in context, saving the user time and effort while providing complete data point location information.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methodologies for viewing locations of a data point within a system are provided. A system provided herein includes a locate component that determines locations of a selected data point and a display component that displays the locations of the selected data point in a location structure, which can be displayed at a common area of display with the selected data point. In addition, a system provided herein further includes a navigation component that receives the locations of the selected data point and facilitates navigation of the area of display to a location selected from the location structure.