System and method for dynamic meta-data in control and visualization

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to:

• store, in a tag object data store, tag object data of a tag object in one or more data fields defined by a data structure of measurement data acquired by a sensing component, wherein the tag object data comprises a first tag object and a second tag object, wherein the first tag object comprises an association with one or more first metadata fields, and the second tag object comprises an association with one or more second metadata fields;
• extend the data structure by associating metadata associated with the first tag object with the second tag object by:
• defining one or more metadata values that are not defined in the one or more second metadata fields based on a pass-through relationship between the first tag object and the second tag object;
• and
• storing the one or more metadata values in the one or more second metadata fields;
• and
• access at least a portion of both the tag object data and the metadata from the tag object data store by:
• providing a name reference that comprises a measurement data namespace, indicating a particular instance of the tag object and particular measurement data from the one or more data fields and a metadata namespace, indicating a particular field of metadata from the one or more metadata fields associated with the tag object data, wherein the name reference comprises a special identifier that separates the measurement data namespace from the metadata namespace and a second special identifier that separates the particular instance of the tag object from the particular measurement data;
• and
• in response to providing the name reference, receiving, from the tag object data store, measurement data and metadata identified by the name reference.

An electronic device, comprising:

• a tag object data store;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• acquire tag object data from one or more measurement devices in a format defined by a data structure;
• store, in the tag object data store, the tag object data of a tag object in one or more tag object data fields defined by the data structure;
• extend the data structure based on a pass-through relationship between the tag object and another tag object of the tag object data store;
• extend the data structure by associating metadata with the tag object data;
• identify an object type reference associating tag objects of a particular type to the metadata;
• associate the tag objects of the particular type to the metadata based upon the object type reference;
• and
• access at least a portion of both the data and the metadata from the tag object data store by:
• providing a name reference that comprises a measurement data namespace, indicating a particular instance of the tag object and particular measurement data from the one or more data fields and a metadata namespace, indicating a particular field of metadata from the metadata associated with the particular type to access, wherein the name reference comprises a special identifier that separates the measurement data namespace from the metadata namespace and a second special identifier that separates the particular instance of the tag object from the particular measurement data;
• and
• in response to providing the name reference, receiving, from the tag object data store, measurement data and metadata identified by the name reference.