Apparatus and method for viewing relationships in a factory management system

Patent 5295242 Issued on March 15, 1994. Estimated Expiration Date:

March 15, 2011. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Assignee

Consilium, Inc.

Application

No. 608310 filed on 11/02/1990

US Classes:

715/853, Hierarchy or network structure715/835, Selectable iconic array715/841, Sub-menu structure715/970Instrumentation and component modelling (e.g., interactive control panel)

Examiners

Primary: Herndon, Heather R.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor and Zafman

International Class

G06F 015/62

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying the relationship of objects in a factory on a computer system display. A first icon is displayed, the first icon representing a first class of factory objects. A second icon is displayed, the second icon representing a second class of factory objects. A first connector connecting the first icons and second icons is displayed representing the relationship between the first and the second class of factory objects. The first icon is selected, thus displaying a first list of names of all objects comprising the first class of factory objects. Then, a first name from the first list of names is selected, and a second list of names is displayed. The second list of names comprises the names of all objects in the second class of factory objects associated with the object from the first class having the first name.