# US 2014/0196006 A1 · Appearance objects for configuring and graphically displaying programmed/configured process control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196006 A1 - Document ID: US20140196006A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/155,068 - Filed: 2014-01-14 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2006-04-11 - Assignees: Invensys Systems, Inc. - Applicants: Invensys Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Keith E. Eldridge; Mikhail V. Fishbeyn; Paul Meskonis; James William Hemenway; Christopher Neil Baldwin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196006A1 ## CPC - G06F 8/34: Graphical or visual programming - G05B 19/0426: {Programming the control sequence} - G05B 2219/23258: GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview - G05B 2219/23261: Use control template library - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Enhancements to a strategy object editor for creating and modifying control strategies for process control systems (both distributed and discrete) is described. The improvements include: supporting a set of graphical depictions for individual control object (modified by an appearance object editor), drag and drop connections for declarations that connect control strategies to other control strategies, GUI-based designation of object execution order, automatically applied line styles based upon connection data type, and automatic modification of elements within an appearance object to accommodate a moved attribute. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tangible computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for providing a control program development editor facility including a graphical user interface (GUI), the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer system, causing the GUI to display to a user: a template toolbox area comprising a set of graphical images corresponding to selectable control object templates, wherein individual ones of the control object templates are associated with multiple, user-selectable, alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions; and a strategy canvas for defining a control strategy, wherein the defined control strategy comprises multiple connected control objects and further comprises at least one child strategy object, and wherein the control strategy is defined by selecting a control object template on the strategy canvas, and wherein upon placing the selected control object template within the control strategy represented on the strategy canvas a currently preferred one of the multiple depictions is initially displayed on the strategy canvas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the control program development editor facility further comprises an appearance control for selecting a graphical image and thereafter designating for display one of the multiple depictions associated with the selected object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the appearance control is launched via a context menu associated with a control object graphically depicted on the strategy canvas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of graphical images is provided in the template toolbox area in an expanding/contracting tree structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of graphical images is provided in the template toolbox area via pallets including a set of bitmap representations of selectable control object templates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the selectable control object templates each comprises an appearance objects list attribute for enumerating a set of appearance objects corresponding to the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the control program development editor facility further comprises an appearance object editor for defining an appearance object corresponding to one of the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions include at least: (1) a default appearance object depiction, and (2) an application-specific appearance object depiction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the application-specific appearance object depiction is a Scientific Apparatus Makers Association symbol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein connections associated with a depicted control object on the strategy canvas are automatically updated by the editor facility in response to designating one of the multiple control object graphical depictions for the depicted control object that differs from a currently displayed control object graphical depiction. ### Claim 11 A method of defining control objects for deployment and execution on a process control system, the method comprising: presenting to a user via a graphical user interface, a control program development window, said control program development window including: a template toolbox area comprising a set of graphical images corresponding to selectable control object templates, wherein individual ones of the selectable control object templates are each associated with multiple, user-selectable, alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions; and a strategy canvas for defining a control strategy, wherein the defined control strategy comprises multiple connected control objects and further comprises at least one child strategy object, and wherein the user defines the control strategy by selecting a control object template from the template toolbox area and placing the selected control object template on the strategy canvas, and wherein upon placing a selected control object template within the control strategy represented on the strategy canvas a currently preferred one of the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions is initially displayed on the strategy canvas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting to the user via the graphical user interface an appearance control for selecting a control object on the strategy canvas and thereafter designating for display one of the multiple depictions associated with the selected object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the appearance control is launched via a context menu associated with a control object graphically depicted on the strategy canvas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the set of graphical images is provided in the template toolbox area in an expanding/contracting tree structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the set of graphical images is provided in the template toolbox area via pallets including a set of bitmap representations of selectable control object templates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the selectable control object templates in the form of an appearance object list attribute for enumerating a set of appearance objects corresponding to the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an appearance object editor for defining an appearance object corresponding to one of the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions include at least: (1) a default appearance object depiction, and (2) an application-specific appearance object depiction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein connections associated with a depicted control object on the strategy canvas are automatically updated by the editor facility in response to designating one of the multiple control object graphical depictions for the depicted control object that differs from a currently displayed control object graphical depiction. ### Claim 20 A workstation computer having a memory storing computer-executable instructions for providing a control program development editor facility including a graphical user interface (GUI), the computer executable instructions, when executed by the workstation computer display, causing the GUI to display to a user: a template toolbox area comprising a set of graphical images corresponding to selectable control object templates, wherein individual ones of the selectable control object templates are each associated with multiple, user-selectable, alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions; and a strategy canvas for defining a control strategy, wherein the defined control strategy comprises multiple connected control objects and further comprises at least one child strategy object, and wherein the user defines the control strategy by selecting a control object template from the template toolbox area and placing the selected control object template on the strategy canvas, and wherein upon placing a selected control object template within the control strategy represented on the strategy canvas a currently preferred one of the multiple alternatively displayed control object graphical depictions is initially displayed on the strategy canvas.