MXPA00004835A - Man-machine interface for a custom tabular display - Google Patents

Abstract

A power management control system ("PMCS") provides control and graphical representation of a plurality of electrical devices and components of an electrical distribution system. The PMCS includes a customized tabular display with database links for viewing selected, metered data provided by various intelligent electronic devices and components of the electrical distribution system. The Custom Table Wizard provides a simple method of selecting and displaying important parameters to the user during operation of the PMCS. The custom table graphic includes approximately 1 to 12 rows of information representative of selected, metered data of the selected device. The development of a custom table display is automated using software, namely a Custom Table Wizard. The Custom Table Wizard automates the configuration of the customized tabular display, which is user configurable, and thereby enables the integrator to generate a tabular data interface quickly without programming skills. The Custom Table Wizard is also file driven and therefore, a new device and its associated tag information may be added by simply editing the associated files. The Custom Table Wizard also allows editing of data descriptions and units, thereby allowing wizard to be used in international language applications.

Description

MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE FOR TABULAR PERSONALIZATION PRESENTATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an energy management control system and, in particular, to software that allows a rapid development of a custom tabular graph that allows the viewing of data provided by an electronic device selected from a control system of energy management. Energy management control systems verify and control a variety of intelligent electronic devices in an electrical distribution system. The power management control system includes a computer connected to a common bar, which allows electronic devices to communicate with a server. The control system provides graphical representations of the distribution system devices that allow a user to verify and operate the distribution system. Current PMCSs use Tabular Device Assistants that offer an easy view of integrating a complete device registration map of all corresponding device parameters. However, many of the tabular wizards create between 200 and 400 touch DDE labels, which correspond to device parameters. This number of DDE tags not only increases the size of the touch database, but can also result in a large amount of traffic in the bar. For operators who are only interested in seeing a limited number of records in a device (for example, less than 20 records), the overall load of full tabular wizards may be too much to justify their use in a particular screen. Typically, integrators are screens of current creation, by hand, in order to get a quick overview of the most important data in your application on a single screen. These customization tables that have a substantially reduced list of parameters are usually more viewed by the end user. The configuration of said personalization table for each device is time consuming and requires the integrator to have programming skills.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION This invention offers advantages and alternatives over the prior art by providing a personalization table assistant for an energy management control system that automates the development of a personalization table. The personalization table wizard provides automatic configuration of a personalization table graph for a device in an electrical distribution system. The personalization table wizard provides a quick and cost-effective method to allow an integrator to select a small number of important parameters of an electrical device for a personalization graphic. In addition, the wizard is activated by file and, therefore, the devices added to the distribution system in the future can easily be supported by the wizard by simply editing a couple of files. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for generating a tabular display of personalization for operating data from an intelligent data device of an electrical distribution system. The method includes selecting a personalization table wizard. Next, the assistant prompts the integrator to select a device from which the integrator wishes to generate a personalization table for it. A server of an energy management control system, which verifies a predetermined number of parameters of the selected device, provides a list of parameters of the selected device. The integrator then selects at least one parameter from this list of parameters. A navigation link is provided between the server and the personalization table wizard to present the selected parameter in a table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, wherein like elements are listed of similar type, in the various figures: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic block diagram of an energy management and control system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of a tabular display window of personalization generated by computer software modeling the present invention: Figure 3 is a view of a tabular display window of personalization of Figure 2 before configuration; Figure 4 is a block diagram of the computer software used in the energy management and control system of the present invention; Figure 5 is a view of a window touch-display window, generated by the software of the computer of Figure 4; Figures 6-9 are views of box windows of attendee selection dialogs generated by the computer software of Figure 4; Figure 10 is a view of a window touch-screen window generated by the computer software of Figure 4; Figure 11 is a view of a wizard dialog box window generated by the computer software of Figure 4 to configure the data presented in the tabular display of personalization of a selected device before being configured; Figure 12 is a view of a wizard dialog box window generated by the computer software of Figure 4 to configure the data presented in the tabular personalization presentation; and Figure 13 is a view of a wizard dialog box window generated by the computer software of Figure 4 to configure the data presented in the tabular display of personalization of a selected device after being configured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to Figure 1, an energy management control system ("PMCS"), generally designated 10, provides a custom tabular graph 12 (see Figure 2) with database link to view selected measured data provided by various intelligent electronic devices and components 13 of an electrical distribution system 14. The PMCS 10 comprises a computer 16, for example, an IBM-PC AT compatible machine which is based on a Pentium processor, which has standard RS485 interface cards , 18, or an RS232 to RS485 converter, and adapters installed in their I / O slots. Computer 16 contains the software to verify and control selected aspects of energy use / consumption, as described in detail below. The cards 18 provide I / O ports, which define multiple RTU networks of multiple industry standard MOD bars, 20 and 22. The RTU bar protocol MOD is a well-known Industrial standard. Devices with a MOD bar RTU interface can be directly connected to the MOD bar, for example, control devices 24, such as, multi-line models 269 and 565 and EPM 3710 and EPM 3720 power management. Other devices communicate in the comment protocol and include travel units 26, for example, travel, enhanced travel D, travel PM, and improved travel units C, which are commercially available from General Electric Co., meters 28, for example. , Power Leader Meters Commercially available from General Electric Co., and relays 30, for example, General Electric Co's Spectra ECM and Power Leader MDP. A MOD 32 bar concentrator provides an interface between the MOD bar RTU protocol and the comment protocol, so these devices can communicate through the MOD 32 bar hub on the MOD bar. In this example, up to 32 devices, (ie, direct connection devices or bus hubs) can be connected to each RTU network of the MOD bar. Referring to Figure 2, the presentation of the custom tabular graph 12 includes a table 36 having 11 rows of information representative of selected data provided by a device 13 of the distribution system 14. Each row has three fields, wherein the first field 38 is a description of the data provided by the electronic device 13, the second and third fields 39, 40 are the value and units of the parameter measured, respectively. For example, the data provided in the first row is for the phase current in amperes for phase A. Table 26 may comprise from 1 to 12 rows of information. Each table 36 is identified by the device name 42 for the electronic device 13 and an optional description 44 provided by the integrator of the PMCS 10. For example, the personalization table 36 in Figure 2 has a Device Name 2 of "line" 1_760_X3"and a description 44 of" 3-cell corner device, Fred's nearby desk ". The development of a customization table presentation 12 is automatic using software, primarily a personalization table wizard. The personalization table wizard provides automatic configuration of the custom tabular graph 12, which can be configured by the user, and thus allows the integrator to generate a tabular data interface quickly without programming skills or the need to validate and test the object each time table 36 is used. The personalization table wizard provides a quick and cost-effective method through which a personalization table presentation is developed 12. Previous implementations of a personalization table presentation required personalization programming by the integrator who develops the personalization table. the system. The personalization table wizard allows the user to generate the display of personalization table 12 without any detailed device knowledge or programming skill, as will be described in more detail below. Another advantage of the personalization table 36 is that the dimension of the table is about one quarter of the screen of the computer 16 and, therefore, allows four tables to be presented simultaneously to the user without having to alternate between tables or move between the tables to see another table presented on the screen. The personalization table wizard also provides a simple method for selecting and presenting important parameters to the user during the operation of the PMCS 10. When the integrator drops the personalization table wizard in the touch application, it appears as shown in the Figure 3, not configured with carriers for information. At this point, the integrator double-clicks on the personalization table wizard in order to configure the labels used by the wizard, as will be described in more detail later. Referring now to Figure 4, a block diagram 50 of the software for verifying and controlling selected aspects of the use / power consumption of the PMCS 10, discussed above, is generally shown. This software is loaded on the computer 16 and includes a dynamic data exchange server (DDE) 52. The DDE server 52 allows external programs to enter the energy management data in a Microsoft Windows environment. The data interface to the DDE server 52 is provided by the system through a Wonderware touch utility. The DDE server is a 32-bit application under Windows NT. A configuration and control interface for the DDE server is provided through the server application window menu. Associated with the DDE server 52 are the logical data tables 54 and related modules, i.e., an Excel applications module and another for DDE, 56, a waveform capture module 58, an event recorder module 60, productivity modules 62 and a Wonderware 64 touch module. The module 64 includes a set of tools for developing screens and interfaces, and a graphical user interface 66 for verifying and controlling the electrical distribution system . The graphical user interface 66 for the server operates in a Windows or Windows NT 32-bit environment and touch library functions. The waveform capture module 46 provides vision and waveform analysis (e.g., frequency and / or Fourier harmonic analysis) captured by sophisticated measurement devices. The event recorder module 60 provides the vision, organization and analysis of unusual behavior in an energy system. The productivity modules 62 include, for example, a cost distribution module and a load management module. The cost distribution module provides the tracking of energy consumption at a subunit level, developing methods and internal billing reports and thus reducing the cost. The load management module provides energy demand tracking and automatically spreading non-critical loads to avoid peak demand penalties, and provides control based on a stopwatch to reduce energy consumption. The DDE server 52 communicates through the interface card 18 shown in Figures 1 and 4. The event recorder module 60 includes a utility that passes a received message as an alarm that can not be known or can be detected. know or as an event based on the contents of an initialization file. The DDE server 52 ensures that all events are combined in the same format, so that the event recorder module 60 can interpret each event. The electric meters 28 and control / protection devices 26 use various codes to write occurrences to the circuits that are verified or controlled. A file compares these codes in three categories for analysis. These three categories for any particular device can be modified for the code received from a device. The three categories are 'ACK / UNACK' for alarms that can be recognized, '-' for alarms that do not require any recognition, and "EVENTS" (Events) to merely report the status of the device. The waveform capture module 58 includes a utility that provides an interface for configuring and presenting data from a device that transmits waveform data. These devices transmit waveform data with different formats. A uniform presentation format is desired for these different types of meters. This utility applies spindle information transmitted by the meter to correctly scale and display the value data separated by a comma transmitted by the devices as applicable. The Wonderware 64 touch module includes a software tool kit for the rapid development of three-dimensional representations of the electrical distribution switch 68, as shown in Figure 5. These switch lifts have logical connections to the switch devices 13. Making Referring to Figure 5, a typical switch elevation developed with the so-called Power Wizards (Energy Wizard) illustrated in Figures 6-9, is shown. This elevation can be modified to any dimension with an infinite number of combinations and arrangements of meters and protection devices to quickly and accurately represent a customer switch. The Power Wizards eliminates the need to extract each individual component line by line. The user starts by selecting a cabinet assistant such as AKD-8 or Power Break Cabinet to which handles, panels and fasteners are added, Figure 6 and 7. Then, circuit breakers 26 (Figure 8), meters 28 and other protection devices (Figure 9) are located or dropped on the appropriate panels in the same locations as the actual customer switch. These items have dialogue boxes associated with them that open by double clicking on one of the Power Wizards once they have fallen. From this dialog box, a navigation link is established to another window containing another Power Wizard that presents detailed measurement, configuration and control information. Referring to Figure 10, an example of a Power Wizard of a measuring device 28 is shown. Power Wizards assistants instantly develop a standard search interface for a particular type of device. These Power Wizard assistants also create, from this standard interface, unique database links that the user defines by selecting a name and entering in this name from a Power Wizard dialog box. In this way, the same wizard can be used again and again, but it can be logically distinguished from another through the user-defined name for a device entered in the Power Wizard wizard's dialog box. All the error margins that may have occurred in the manual entry in the data access links to a database server are removed by the ability of the Power Wizards wizard to automatically fix them using a single user-defined device name. Each window application is registered in a window core with an application name. To uniquely identify a data item for communication between two cooperation window applications (DDE application), the data item is identified by tupia (Application, Topic, item). The topic name provides a grouping and the name of the article specifies the actual data point that will be accessed under a topic. For the DDE server 52, the application name is the name executable by the server. The topical name can be the device identification name and the article name can be the record identification of a field data point. For example, with a General Electric Co. EPM meter, the tupia can be from GE32MODB, EPM1, AMP_A, where GE32MODB is the application name for a DDE server, EPM 1 is the name of the meter identification, and AMP_A is the current for phase A. DDE messages mainly include requests to send data as identified by the topic name and article. They can also be to fix downloaded points to the data points as identified by the topic and article names. The input parameter values are reported by field devices in the communication interface in response to a poll by the server. This value can be a floating value, an integer value, a string or discrete state bits. The fix point records are to be downloaded based on the request of a DDE client, that is, a program, for example, such as Wonderware in Touch 5.0 or MS-Excel, which requests data items from the DDE server 52 and accepts data through DDE. The DDE server acts as a link between a client request data device and a field device, which can provide the data. The DDE server communicates to the field device through communication ports and to the client through the DDE message link. A client sends its requests to the server to read / write some device records. The server maps each request request / read request packets of appropriate device and performs the necessary transaction with the device. It then sends the result back to the client after processing and, if necessary, converts the assembled device data to the appropriate format. In addition, the contents of normal device record reporting, the server can also collect special data of capture data / waveform record of the device and pass it to a client. A device-type register map must be configured for each of the device topics connected to it. The system provides the configuration of a valid start address, a valid final address and a group of invalid register blocks using this utility. Valid records, in this example, are ROXXXX; R1XXXX; R3XXXX; or R4XXXX. Accordingly, the DDE server 52 supports the following types of MOD bar register; ROXXXX discrete coils, R1 XXXX-discrete state registers, R3XXXX-entry records and R4XXXX-establishment point records. With these generic types, a user can configure any number of record types. Each of these types will have polling speed attributes (for example, fast polling, slow polling, or one-shot polling). Regulated events, read / write registers, date / time for time synchronization, waveform capture data and waveform engraving data are implemented differently in the devices that support them, therefore not No common configuration utility is provided for these functions. The DDE server 52 handles each of these functions in a specific way. Again, a mnemonic name is associated with a registration address. In general, the DDE server 52 uses the MOD bar RTU protocol to communicate with a field device 13. The DDE server provides the appropriate return values as specified for all clients, that is, periodic poll packets for topics and articles assets, periodic poll packets for events and states, periodic updating of dates for all devices, update of data value for clients for items purchased, event / status report in in Touch (tactile), so that it can become part of the normal alarm record, and status update for active topics (device). The set point write requests are appropriately formatted fix point download communication packets for the request. The execution and termination of the server are initiated in the user request from the window menu of the DDE server. As described above, the personalization table wizard assists the integrator in the development of the custom tabular graph 12 of the present invention, shown in Figure 2. Specifically, the personalization table wizard interconnects field data points or parameters selected with the chart of personalization table 12, and in this way provides a list of a reduced number of important parameters measured or provided by the selected device 13.

As shown in Figure 3, the integrator drops into the wizard by selecting the personalization table wizard from a drill-down menu to configure the personalization table 12. After selecting the personalization table wizard, the integrator double-click on the window 70 of Figure 3 to present a dialog box 72, as shown in Figure 11, first, the name of the device 13 for which the customization table 12 is associated is entered in the "Name" field of Device "74 (that is," DFP_11B "). Then, the DDE server name is entered in the "Application Name" field 76 of the dialog box 72. The corresponding type of device 13 is selected from a polling descending menu 78. The polling descending menu includes a list of all types of hermetically integrated devices, 13 (ie, "DFP100") verified by the selected DDE server 76. The integrator can also provide a brief description of the device selected in field 80 of "Device Description".

After entering the above information in the four fields, the integrator can select by pointing and pressing on the "Select Multiple Labels" button 82 to select a plurality of device parameters that will be presented in the Customization Table 12, or select a button 84 of "Select # Tag" to select a parameter for the corresponding row of the customization table. For example, the "Select Label 6" button is selected to define the measured parameter of the selected device for the sixth row of the personalization table. The dialog box 86 marketed with "Select Device Labels" of Figure 12, appears when the "Select Multiple Labels" button 82 is selected (see Figure 11). The dialog box 86 provides a list of all the preconfigured labels 90, which the personalization table wizard supports for the specified device type, specified in the "device type" field 78 of the dialog box 72 of the Figure 11. Each preconfigured tag 90 provided in the list 88 includes the address 92 of the tag, the tag name 94 and a description of the parameter 96 verified for the selected device 13. For example, the phase current for device type DFP100 has a label name "AMPS_B" and a description of "phase B current". The address of the label is "R3X0202". The dialog box 86 prompts the integrator to select a maximum of 12 labels from the list at 98. The integrator selects a label 90 by pointing and pressing a desired label, which is then illuminated. After the integrator has selected the desired labels (or measurement parameters) the integrator selects the "OK" button 100. If the integrator wishes to change the selection, the integrator selects button 102 to "delete selections". The list 88 of preconfigured tags 90 is a subset of all the DDE items supported by the DDE server for a given device. The list of preconfigured labels comprises mainly measurement value registers (ie, present values). Some records that have values based on one or more other records (for example, relationship scale) can be supported by the personalization table wizard.

A similar dialog box marked "select device labels" of Figure 12 appears when any of the buttons is selected on 84 of "Select # of Label" in dialog box 72 (see Figure 11). The same list is provided to the recorder to select the measured parameter that will be included in the selected row of the customization table 12. After the integrator has selected the desired tag 90 (or measurement parameter), the integrator selects the 100"OK" button. When the preconfigured labels 90 have been selected, the information of the selected labels is entered in the appropriate row of the dialog box 72 of Figures 11 and 13. For each label, the description of labels and the units of measurement are presented in the corresponding fields 104, 106. The label descriptions and units are used when the personalization table graph 12 of Figure 2 is presented. If the integrator finds this configuration of the personalization table graph acceptable, the integrator selects the button 108 of "OK". Alternatively, the integrator can select the "cancel" button 110 to reconfigure the entire customization table chart 12. The integrator can also edit the text of the "Label Description" or the "Units" by pointing and pressing in field 104 , 106 desired. It will be noted that the editing of these fields does not alter the actual DDE label name, data format or classification of the values. The ability to change descriptions and units is particularly useful for applications that are not in English, as well as for cases where the generic description of a record can be clarified. For example, the personalization table wizard may have an "analog input 1" for a description of a record. The integrator can change the description to "source A of far voltage", which can provide a more accurate description of the record, or perhaps the integrator can change the language of the text from English to Spanish. Another convenient aspect of the personalization table wizard is its ability to allow the recorder to place the records in the personalization table 12 in any order, configuring each row of the table, one row at a time, as described above. The information gathered by the personalization table wizard for each type of device is provided with files supplied with the wizard. A file contains all types of devices supported by the probe down menu 78 of the dialog box 72 of Figures 11 and 13. Another file associated with each device type contains all the label / record information for the specific type of device. device. Since the personalization table wizard is an activated file, a new device can be added by simply editing the device type file and adding a label information file for the new device type. This eliminates the need to modify the wizard anywhere when new devices are added to the power control system. Although the embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present invention has been described by way of itration and not limitation.

Claims (12)

1. CLAIMS 1.- A method to generate a tabular presentation of personalization to operate data from a device of an electrical distribution system; said method comprises: selecting a personalization table assistant; select a device; provide a list of parameters of said selected device verified by a server of an energy management control system; select at least one parameter from the parameter list; provide a navigation link between the server and the personalization table wizard; and presenting a table having at least one selected parameter.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation link includes a memory recorder commonly dirigible by said personalization table assistant and said server.
3. 3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising selecting a server name, and a device name for the personalization wizard to define the address of said memory register.
4. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a device description to the table.
5. 5. - The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter list includes an address of a common memory register, an article name and description of the parameter.
6. 6. - The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting at least one parameter includes selecting a plurality of parameters to be presented from said list.
7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting at least one parameter includes selecting a parameter to present a selected row of said table.
8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the table has a number of parameters less than the number of parameters in the list.
9. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the number of parameters presented in the table is between 1 and 12 parameters.
10. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the table of at least one selected parameter includes a description of said parameter, a value of the parameter and units of the parameter.
11. 11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising editing the description of said parameter presented in the table.
12. 12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising editing said units of the parameter presented in the table. SUMMARY An energy management control system ("PMCS") is described that provides the control and graphic representation of a plurality of electrical devices and components of an electrical distribution system. The PMCS includes a customized tabular presentation with database links to view measured, selected data provided by various intelligent electronic devices and components of the electrical distribution system. The personalization table wizard provides a simple method to select and present important parameters to the user during the operation of the PMCS. The personalization table graph includes approximately 1 to 12 rows of representative information of measured data, selected from the selected device. The development of a personalization table presentation is automatic using software, mainly a Personalization Table Wizard. The Personalization Table Wizard automates the configuration of the customized tabular presentation, which is configurable by the user, and in this way allows the integrator to generate a tabular data interface quickly without the need for programming skills. The Personalization Table Wizard is also an activated file and, therefore, a new device and its associated label information can be added by simply editing the associated files. The Personalization Table Wizard also allows the editing of data descriptions and units, thus allowing the wizard to be used in international language applications.