US 4,570,217 AGranted

Man machine interface

OwnerBruce S. Allen, Michael R. Dunalvey +16inventors

InventorsBruce S. Allen, Michael R. Dunalvey, Bruce A. King, Harold J. DuPrie, Richard E. Hudnall, Stanely N. Lapidus, Daniel R. Gilbert, Anne M. Carlson, Kiran Thakrar, Robert C. Doig, Brian S. Kimerer, Andrew F. Sirois, Bruce A. Poirer, Philip G. Hunt, Joseph J. Dziezanowski, Michael A. Bromberg, Michael Brown, Seymour A. Friedel

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Abstract

A man-machine interface for use with industrial processes is disclosed having the capability of design and configuration of the interrelationship of components forming an overall industrial process. The man-machine interface further provides operator use, including process monitoring and control, as well as alarm annunciation. Most user interaction with the man-machine interface is performed through a color CRT monitor having a touch panel on the surface of the CRT screen. Operator use may be limited to touch panel interaction while configurer and designer use normally further includes use of a keyboard. The man-machine interface utilizes distributed processing and incorporates a high level graphic language. The graphic language facilitates real time graphic display implementation through use of dynamic and static variables. Variable types are dynamically associated with variable values so that variables can undergo type changes without detrimental effect. Video bit bangers and shifters further enhance the versatility and ease of implementing rapid modifications of graphic displays. The man-machine interface further incorporates a new bus structure including a new bus arbitration technique, a unidirectional memory boundary protection mechanism, an improved interrupt system, and an improved watchdog timer circuit.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A man-machine interface for design, configuration and operation of an interconnected external process control system comprising:

(A) a monitor having means for the display of information to the designer, configurer and operator, and for the receipt of information from the designer, configurer and operator;
(B) means for generating video signals in response to graphic commands and for presenting an overall display on the monitor corresponding to the received graphic commands;
(C) means for processing information, including the processing of designer, configurer and operator information, said information including the updating of database variables associated with the process control system, and further for generating graphic commands for use by the video signal generating means, wherein the graphic commands may be referenced to database variables
(D) means for the storage of randomly addressable information, said information including a high level graphic language for defining and implementing the graphic commands and variables, the high level graphics languages including means, in association with said monitor information receipt means, for the creation of displays and subpictures, wherein subpictures are collections of user selected or predefined display language commands that each perform a logical function, including functions that perform graphics, and wherein displays are collections of one or more subpictures that may be graphical in nature;
wherein the created subpicture commands are selected in static or dynamic mode, wherein if selected in static mode, the features drawn are assumed to be unaffected by database variables and such features are therefore only drawn once on the monitor, and wherein if the commands are selected in dynamic mode, bhe features are assumed to be affected by database variables and are redrawn at a predetermined rate on the monitor means so that the dynamic commands of the subpictures displayed on the monitor can be rapidly updated;
(E) means for communicating with the external process control system so that the process control system can be designed, configured and monitored by the man-machine interface;
and
(F) means for the transfer of information between the monitor, video generating means, the processing means, the memory storage means, and communicating means.

5 more elements

A man-machine interface for design, configuration and operation of an interconnected external process control system comprising:

(A) a monitor of the raster scan type having means for the display of information to the designer, configurer and operator, and for the receipt of information from the designer, configurer and operator;
(B) means for generating video signals in response to graphic commands and for presenting an overall display on the monitor corresponding to the received graphic commands, wherein the video generating means comprises a video central processing unit (video CPU) for interpreting graphic commands from the processing means and also comprises a bit map memory for storage of information for each pixel of the monitor for each primary color presentable on the monitor, and wherein said video generating means further comprises means for performing Boolean operations on data read from the bit map memory and data received from the video CPU for a corresponding pixel, wherein the result of the Boolean operation is written back into the same memory location of the bit map memory;
thereby providing that the video data to be presented on the monitor can be rapidly altered in the bit map memory without the need for the video CPU to perform read, bit manipulation, and write operations to each memory location in the bit map memory for which a change is desired;
(C) means for processing information, including the processing of designer, configurer and operator information, said information including the updating of database variables associated with the process control system, and further for generating graphic commands for use by the video signal generating means, wherein the graphic commands may be referenced to database variables;
(D) means for the storage of randomly addressable information, said information including a high level graphic language for defining and implementing the graphic commands and variables;
(E) means for communicating with the external process control system so that the process control system can be designed, configured and monitored by the man-machine interface;
and
(F) means for the transfer of information between the monitor, video generating means, the processing means, the memory storage means, and communicating means.

5 more elements

A man-machine interface for design, configuration and operation of an interconnected external process control system comprising:

(A) a monitor having means for the display of information to the designer, configurer and operator, and for the receipt of information from the designer, configurer and operator;
(B) means for generating video signals in response to graphic commands and for presenting an overall display on the monitor corresponding to the received graphic commands;
(C) means for processing information, including the processing of designer, configurer and operator information, and further for generating graphic commands for use by the video signal generating means;
(D) means for the storage of randomly addressable information, said information including a high level graphic language for defining and implementing the graphic commands and variables;
(E) means for communicating with the external process control system so that the process control system can be designed, configured and monitored by the man-machine interface;
and
(F) means for the transfer of information between the monitor, video generating means, the processing means, the memory storage means, and communicating means, said transfer means comprising an overall bus having a public bus and a private bus, the public bus interconnected between each of the means which communicate information among themselves and the private bus interconnected between one or more pairs of means for the private transfer of information between the means forming each pair.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/479,191Filed 28 Mar 1983 · continuation in part
Priority: 29 Mar 1982
Granted: 11 Feb 1986
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

G06F 9/4812
Task transfer initiation or dispatching: by interrupt, e.g. masked
G06F 1/14
Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom: time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
G06F 9/44
Using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs: arrangements for executing specific…
G06F 9/4825
By interrupt, e.g. masked: interrupt from clock, e.g. time of day