Method and device for changing objects in a human-machine interface device

A programmable computer device for changing an object for use in a display screen of a human-machine interface device of a programmable system, the computer device having a processor and a memory, the processor being arranged to:

• create said object, said object comprising an assembly of properties of said object, at least some of said properties being properties associated with a corresponding variable quantity;
• determine for said properties of said object associated with a corresponding variable quantity a property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable, with other property or properties of the object associated with a corresponding variable quantity being fixed, by carrying out a setting operation to determine said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable and creating an association record identifying said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable;
• store said object and said association record in a library in said memory of said computer device;
• retrieve said object and said association record from said library;
• display said property or properties of said object for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable;
• reassign a different variable quantity to a property of said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable, thereby to change said object and thus create a new object;
• and
• transfer said new object to a memory of said human-machine interface device, for display on said display screen;
• wherein said association record is used by said processor to identify for display said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable.

A computer program which, when run on a programmable computer device for changing an object for use in a display screen of a human-machine interface of a programmable system, causes the computer device to carry out the steps of:

• creating said object, said object comprising an assembly of properties of said object, at least some of said properties being properties associated with a corresponding variable quantity;
• determining for said properties of said object associated with a corresponding variable quantity a property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable, with other property or properties of the object associated with a corresponding variable quantity being fixed;
• storing said object in a library;
• retrieving said object from said library;
• displaying said property or properties of said object for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable;
• reassigning a different variable quantity to a property of said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable, thereby to change said object and thus create a new object;
• and
• transferring said new object to a memory of said human-machine interface device, for display on said display screen;
• wherein
• said determining step includes carrying out a setting operation to determine said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable and creating an association record identifying said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable;
• said storing step includes storing said association record in said library;
• and
• said retrieving step includes retrieving said association record;
• wherein said association record is used In said displaying step to identify for display said property or properties for which the corresponding variable quantity is reassignable.