Analog spectrum display for environmental control

A computer implemented environmental process control apparatus for displaying the condition of selected attributes of a plurality of N environmental control components, the environment having a plurality of zones each with a control component communicating therewith, each control component being adapted to transmit an attribute condition indicating signal to said control apparatus, said control apparatus comprising:

• a memory including:
• a data structure for storing a plurality of data entries for each of said plurality of N components, said data entries including an attribute condition, start, and end;
• a plurality of N first instances of said data structure for storing historical data for each of said plurality of N components, where N is a positive integer;
• and
• a plurality of N second instances of said data structure for storing future data for each of said plurality of N components;
• a time of day clock;
• means for establishing a look back value;
• means for establishing a look forward value;
• an historical data processing module with a field input adapted to receive an attribute condition indicating signal from each of said plurality of N components, said historical data processing module coupled to said first instance of said data structure to communicate said historical data thereto;
• a future data processing module adapted to receive user input corresponding to the desired attribute condition of said plurality of N components, said future data processing module coupled to said second instance of said data structure to communicate said future data thereto;
• a graphic engine that creates a first window and a time of day axis within said first window;
• and
• a data access logic device that accesses historical data from said plurality of N first instances of said data structure and future data from said plurality of N second instances of said data structure and communicates said historical and future data to said graphic engine such that said graphic engine creates a plurality of rivulets normalized to said time of day axis, each of said plurality of rivulets including an historical data segment extending from said time of day axis in a first direction and a future data segment extending from said time of day axis in a second direction opposite said first direction,
• said data access logic device configured to access a time of day from said time of day clock, access said look back value, calculate a look back start time by subtracting said look back value from said time of day, access said look forward value, and calculate a look forward end time by adding said look forward value to said time of day,
• said data access logic device configured to access said plurality of N first instances of said data structure and communicate each of said data entries therein having at least one of said start and said end between said look back start time and said time of day to said graphic engine such that said graphic engine creates said plurality of historical data segments, and
• said data access logic device configured to access said plurality of N second instances of said data structure and communicate each of said data entries therein having at least one of a start and end between said time of day and said look forward end time to said graphic engine such that said graphic engine creates said plurality of future data segments.

A computer implemented environmental process control apparatus for displaying an environmental condition in each of a plurality of N environmental zones, where N is a positive integer, a sensor communicating with said plurality of N environmental zones, said sensor adapted to measure the condition in each of said plurality of N environmental zones and to transmit a measured value to said control apparatus, said control apparatus comprising:

• a memory including a first data structure for storing a first data entry for each of said plurality of N zones, each of said first data entries including a first measured value;
• means for establishing a condition set point for each of said plurality of N environmental zones;
• a data processing module with a field input adapted to receive said first measured values from the sensors in each of said plurality of N environmental zones, said data processing module coupled to said first data structure to supply said first measured values thereto;
• a graphic engine that creates a first window, a first axis within said window, and a first label establishing a first scale for said first axis;
• a data access logic device that accesses said first data structure, retrieves said first data entry for each of said plurality of N environmental zones, accesses said condition set point, calculates a plurality of N departure values by subtracting said first measured value from said set point for each of said plurality of N zones, and communicates said plurality of N departure values to said graphic engine such that said graphic engine creates a plurality of N first segments normalized to and extending from said first axis whereby each of said plurality of N segments indicate the departure value for each of said plurality of N zones relative to said first scale;
• and
• a real time of day clock, wherein said first data structure stores a plurality of first data entries for each of said plurality of N environmental zones, wherein each of said first data entries further include a real time of day reading, wherein said data processing module is coupled to said real time of day clock and adapted to retrieve said real time of day reading in response to receiving each of said first measured values, associate said real time of day reading with each of said first measured values to create said first data entries, and communicate said first data entries to said first data structure, and wherein said data access logic device accesses said first data structure, accesses said real time of day, identifies the data entry for each of said plurality of N zones that is closest to said real time of day, and communicates each of said plurality of N identified data entries to said graphic engine whereby said graphic engine creates said plurality of N first segments.