Method for displaying data in an industrial control system

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium;
• and
• computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data stored by a server, wherein information about a session with a thin client of the first user to at least one other user utilizing a first machine is stored by said server, the method comprising
• connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,
• displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,
• identifying by the first user the at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,
• designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,
• retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,
• sending a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,
• opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session,
• determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,
• if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and
• logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges
• wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

A graphical user interface for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process on a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, which session is logged by said server process, the graphical user interface comprising:

• a GUI member displayed on a display of the first machine, the GUI member comprising a text function or graphical user interface elements displayed on the display and receiving input from the first user for activating with the first machine a sharing action with at least one other machine of at least one other user, the displayed interface elements further receive input from the first user for identifying the at least one other user from a list of users having the technical assistance and for designating privileges of the at least one other user, wherein the sharing action comprises retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user, opening a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing another thin client running on the second machine.

A system for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process in a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, the system comprising:

• a server and a first machine;
• and
• at least one application which may be a server process which application is additionally arranged with one or more programs or procedures running in the server or the first machine for
• connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,
• displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,
• identifying by the first user the at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,
• designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,
• retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,
• sending a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,
• opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session,
• determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,
• if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and
• logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges
• wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

A software application recorded on a non-transitory computer readable medium for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process in a server of an industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, the application comprising procedures to:

• connecting the first machine of the first user to the server, thereby starting a session,
• displaying on said first machine said data provided by the server to the first machine,
• identifying by the first user at least one other user with which data will be shared or to which data will be distributed, wherein the at least one other user is identified from a list of other users having the technical assistance,
• designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user,
• retrieve an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user,
• send a request by the first user to share with or distribute the data to the at least one other user,
• at the initiation of the first user cause a channel to be opened between the server and said at least one other machine thereby initiating a shared session,
• determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session,
• if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine to another thin client running on said at least one other machine in accordance with the privileges at least one other user and displaying the data on said at least one other machine utilizing the other thin client, and
• log by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges, and wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user.

An industrial control system for a first user to obtain technical assistance by displaying data provided by a server process of a server of said industrial control system to a thin client process running on a first machine of the first user to at least one other user, which session is logged by said server process, the system comprising:

• at least one application which may be a server process which application is additionally arranged with one or more programs or procedures for determining that said first user makes a selection to distribute or share said data of said client process with at least one other user, for first user to identify the at least one other user, for designating by the first user privileges of the at least one other user from a list of other users having the technical assistance, for retrieving an address for at least one other machine of the at least one other user, for sending a request by the first user to share or distribute data to the at least one other user, for opening at the initiation of the first user a channel between the server and said at least one other machine, thereby initiating a shared session, determining whether the at least one other machine will accept the shared session, and if the at least one other machine accepts the shared session providing said data from said thin client process running on said first machine of said first user to another thin client running on at least one other machine of at least one other user utilizing the other thin client, logging by the server the session with the first machine and said data sent to said first machine, wherein the data is stored in a database of the server, and wherein the data provided to a thin client running on the at least one other machine is provided based on the log and the specified privileges, wherein the data is formatted for the thin client of the first user and the thin client of the at least one other user, and
• at least one second user machine comprising a display on which text and/or graphics of a client process may be displayed.