JPH1031513A - User interface system for monitor control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To speedily comply with the change of a system being the object of monitor control by permitting a user interface (UI) client to read and UI objects of the individual monitor control types from a data base and executing them. SOLUTION: In the UI client 110, a UI module 102 reads the UI objects 105 of the individual monitor control types from the data base 101 and executes the UI program. The UI objects 105 take the charge of the monitor control types which are respectively decided. The UI objects 105 read data required for the monitor control types from the data base 101, compile and work them, generate display screen data and sound data and supply them to an operator by using an output means 103. When data is inputted from the operator, it is complied and data of the data base 101 is updated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a user interface system for a supervisory control system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A monitoring and control system for a network or a plant is a system in which an operator collects various data at a monitoring center and performs various monitoring and control based on the data with the aid of a computer. In this type of system, a user interface (hereinafter abbreviated as UI) system is a cathode-ray-tu for monitoring and inputting operation commands by an operator.
A system is provided which includes an output unit such as a be (CRT) and a speaker, provides various data to an operator, and includes an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse to input necessary commands and data.

Conventionally, as a UI system of this kind of monitoring and control system, there is one disclosed in, for example, JP-A-3-42705. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing this conventional example. The conventional UΙ system 310 includes a database 301 that can access data to be monitored and controlled, such as facility data, setting data, and status data of a monitored and controlled system, and a buffer 303 that stores data to be displayed. An application 302 which is in charge of the specified monitoring control type, reads data necessary for the monitoring control type from the database 301, edits and edits the data, and writes the edited data into the buffer 303 as data to be displayed.
Screen definition data 306 for defining a screen display method of display target data for each predetermined monitoring control type; display target data and screen definition data 306 of the buffer 303
Display module 304 that generates display screen data from
And output means 305 for visualizing display screen data.

When an operator performs a task of a certain monitoring control type, the application 302 and the screen definition data 306 corresponding to the monitoring control type are selected. The application 302 reads data necessary for the monitoring control type from the database 301, edits the data, and writes the data into the buffer 303 as data to be displayed. The display module 304 generates display screen data from the display target data of the buffer 303 and the screen definition data 306. The output unit 305 visualizes the display screen data and provides it to the operator.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned conventional system has the following problems. The first problem is that the UI cannot quickly respond to a change in the monitored and controlled system. The reason for this is that, when a change is made to the monitoring control target system, data items of the database 301 are generally added or deleted, and the meaning of the data is changed, so that the application 302 and the screen definition data 306 also need to be updated. In the above system, the screen definition data 306 is used so as to support an interface specific to the device used as the output unit 305.
Is customized for each device to absorb differences in interfaces.

Therefore, the screen definition data 306 generally differs for each output means 305. Therefore, especially in a system having a large number of UI systems, the updating of the application 302 and the screen definition data 306 is a very complicated operation.

A second problem is that the system does not provide a means for an operator to change screen definition data 306 for defining a screen layout and the like.
In order to improve the work efficiency of the operator, it is necessary to customize the screen layout according to the situation, but it is difficult in the above system.

A third problem is that a case where a plurality of UI systems operate the same data to be monitored and controlled is not considered. When a plurality of operators operate the same data to be monitored and controlled from different UI systems, the operations may be inconsistent with each other, and as a result, abnormal operations may be performed on the data to be monitored and controlled.

An object of the present invention is to provide a U $ system that can quickly respond to a change in a system to be monitored and controlled.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a UΙ system that enables a screen layout to be customized according to a situation.

[0011] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system which can prevent mutually inconsistent operations from being performed by a plurality of operators.
あ る To provide a system.

[0012]

In order to solve the first problem, the UI system according to the present invention holds data to be monitored and controlled, such as equipment data, setting data, and status data of a monitored and controlled system. A database accessible by the U object and a U client; the U client reading the U object from the database and executing the U object; output means for visualizing and audible display screen data and audio data; Input means for receiving an instruction or data input from an operator, and when the operator performs a task of a certain monitoring control type, the U $ module reads a UI object of the monitoring control type from the database and executes the UI object. It is characterized by.

[0013] The second problem is characterized in that the U @ client is provided with parameter storage means for storing parameters unique to each UI object.

[0014] As for the third problem, the database copies the UI object to the UI client and then resets the operation permission flag of the UI object. When the process is completed, a process of setting an operation permission flag of the UI object of the original in the database is performed.

[0015]

The UI object for processing data to be monitored and controlled by the database is read from the database and executed whenever necessary. For this reason, when adding or deleting data items in the database or changing the meaning of data with the change of the monitored system,
By updating the UI object of the database at the same time, it is possible to simultaneously change the system to be monitored and controlled and update the UI.

In a system in which a plurality of U $ systems exist, the sharing of a database between the U $ systems allows the UI of each UI system to be updated, thereby greatly simplifying the updating work.

Further, since the UI object can store its own parameters in the parameter storage means, the operator can indirectly change the parameters such as the screen layout using the function of the UI object.

Although the same UI object may be duplicated and processed on a plurality of UI clients, the database can be updated only in the UI objects for which the operation permission flag is set. It is. The same UI object is duplicated and multiple U
Only one of the UI objects that are being processed on the I client has the operation permission flag set, so that a plurality of UΙ
There will be no conflicting operations from the client.

[0019]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. U @ System 150
Is the equipment data and setting data of the monitored and controlled system,
Holds data to be monitored and controlled, such as status data.
Database 1 accessible to I-object 105
01 and a plurality of UΙ clients 110, 111, 112
Consisting of U @ Clients 110, 111, 112
Has the same configuration. For the UI client 110, the UI module 102 reads the U $ object 105 from the database 101 and executes it, the output unit 103 visualizes and audibles the display screen data and audio data, and the output from the operator. It comprises an input unit 104 for receiving commands and data input, and a parameter storage unit 107 for storing parameters such as a display position on the display screen of the output unit 103, a color, and a sound output volume for each UI object.

The U object 10 prepared in the database 101 and read and executed by the UI module 102
Numeral 5 is in charge of each individually defined monitoring control type. The U @ object 105 reads data necessary for the monitoring control type from the database 101, edits and creates display screen data and audio data, and outputs the data.
3 is provided to the operator, and when there is an input from the operator, this program edits and processes the input data and updates the data in the database 101, and has both the application 302 and the screen definition data 306 in FIG. I have. The UI object 105 can store parameters unique to the object using the parameter storage unit 107. When the operation of the U $ object is once terminated and then activated again, the same screen layout and volume as the previous time can be reproduced by reading and applying the previously stored parameters.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the storage format of the parameter storage means 107. The example of this figure is an example in which the parameters are stored as a text file, and the parameters of U $ object $ JA and $ JB are stored. The parameters of the U object O {J-} indicate that the background color is stored as white, the foreground color is black, the position on the X coordinate on the screen is 100, the position on the Y coordinate is 200, and the volume is 15. . Although any programming language can be used to describe the UI object 105,
It is desirable to use an interpreted language such as the Tcl / Tk language or the Java language in that the dependence on the architecture of the U $ module 102 to be executed is low.

The Tcl / Tk language program shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a program for displaying operation buttons for accepting an input by a mouse of an operator.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process performed by the UI module 102 when an operator performs an operation of a certain monitoring control type. When the operator performs an operation of a certain monitoring control type, the U $ module 102 reads the UI object of the monitoring control type from the database 101 (Step 202). In step 203, it is determined whether or not an error has occurred. If an error has occurred during reading, such as when the corresponding UI program did not exist, the operator is notified of the occurrence of the error using the output unit 103. (Step 205). If it can be read normally, the U $ program is executed (step 204).

The U @ module 102 is the database 10
As a means for reading the UI program from No. 1, any data transfer protocol can be used. For example, in the network management system, the database 101 and the U.S.A.
Common mana for communication with I-module 102
Gement information protocol
ol (CMIP), the CMIP G
It can be read using the ET operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process performed by the database 101 every time a read request for a UI object of a certain monitoring control type is received from a U @ client. The database 101 searches whether a UI object of the monitoring control type is stored (step 40).
2, 403). If it is not stored, an error occurrence is notified to the requested UI client (step 4).
06). If the UI object is stored, the UI object (this is referred to as an object #) is duplicated and passed to the requested U @ client as the duplicated UI object 106 (see FIG. 1) (step 404). Reset the permission flag (Step 40)
5).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the end processing performed by the U $ object in the U $ module 102. The UI object performs a main process in the U $ module 102, and when the main process is completed,
The object performs the processing shown in this flowchart. The UI object checks its own operation permission flag (step 502) and determines the set state (step 503). If the operation permission flag has not been set, the process ends. If it is set, the database 101 is requested to set the operation permission flag of its own original U @ object existing in the database 101 (step 504).

Note that the same UI object may be duplicated and processed by a plurality of UI clients. However, the processing in step 405 of the database 101 and the processing in step 504 of the U object may
There is at most one UI object for which the operation permission flag is set and the processing is continuing at the same time. When the operation permission flag of the U @ object is not set, the database 101 can be read but the writing is prohibited. Therefore, only one copy of a U object of the same type can update the database 101.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. The U object that processes data to be monitored and controlled by the database is read from the database and executed each time the processing is required. For this reason, when adding or deleting data items in the database or changing the meaning of the data in accordance with the change of the system to be monitored and controlled, the UΙ object of the database is also updated to change the system to be monitored and controlled. U
更新 can be updated simultaneously. In a system having a plurality of U @ clients, since the database is shared between the U @ systems, the updating of the U @ of each U @ client can be performed at the same time.

Further, since a parameter storage unit 107 for storing parameters such as a screen layout and a volume for each U $ object is prepared for each U $ client, the operator customizes and stores a screen layout or the like that is convenient for work efficiency. You can let it.

Although the same U @ object may be duplicated and processed on a plurality of U @ clients, only one of them can update the database. On the other hand, a plurality of UI clients do not perform mutually contradictory operations.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a storage format of a parameter storage unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI program in the Tcl / Tk language.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a UI module.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a database.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing of a U @ object.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Database 102 UI Module 103 Output Unit 104 Input Unit 105, 106 U @ Object 107 Parameter Storage Unit 110, 111, 112 UI Client 150 User Interface System 301 Database 302 Application 303 Buffer 304 Display Module 305 Output Unit 306 Screen Definition Data 310 User Interface system

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A user interface system for a monitoring and control system, comprising a database that has data to be monitored and controlled, such as equipment data, setting data, and status data of the system to be monitored and controlled, and that is accessible by a U @ object and a U @ client. The U client includes a U module for reading the U object from the database and executing the U object, an output unit for visualizing and audible display screen data and audio data, and an input for receiving an instruction or data input from an operator. Means when the operator performs a task of a certain monitoring control type.
(4) The user interface system of the monitoring control system, wherein the module reads the UI object of the monitoring control type from the database and executes the UI object. 2. The user of the monitoring control system according to claim 1, wherein the U client further includes parameter storage means for storing parameters unique to each U object. Interface system. 3. The user interface system of the monitoring control system according to claim 1, wherein the database resets an operation permission flag of the U @ object after copying and passing the UI object to the U @ client. A user interface system for a supervisory control system, characterized in that when the processing is completed, the U @ object with the flag set performs a process of setting an operation permission flag of its own original UI object in the database.