Abstract: A control system includes a plurality of sensors configured to produce a plurality of sensor signals in response to a sensed condition; a plurality of controllers configured to produce a plurality of control signals in response to one or more sensor signals; a plurality of operational units, each respective operational unit receiving one or more control signals, each respective operational unit configured to produce a control effect in response to the one or more control signals; and a display device which produces a starfield display in response to the plurality of sensor signals and the plurality of control signals. The starfield display conveys operational information about the control system to an operator.

Abstract: A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features.

Abstract: A computer implemented environmental process control apparatus for displaying the condition of selected attributes of a plurality of environmental control components or zones within a facility. One embodiment of the apparatus is configured to create a river of time display including a rivulet having an historical and future data segment corresponding to each of the plurality of components or zones. In order to create the river of time, the apparatus includes a memory having a plurality of first instances of a data structure and a plurality of second instances of a data structure for storing historical and future data, respectively, means for establishing a look back value, means for establishing a look forward value, an historical data processing module, a future data processing module, a graphic engine, and a data access logic device. The historical and future data processing modules receive and commnunicate historical and future data, respectively, to the first and second instances of the data structure.

Abstract: The operational state of a complex control system, with a number of operating units controlled by a plurality of sensing and input devices, can be dynamically displayed as a starfield. In the starfield, each operating unit is depicted by a separate cluster of stars representing the states of the sensing devices for that operating unit. The position and other display attributes of the stars denote the functional state of the associated device. An archive of starfields is maintained in a storage device with each such starfield depicting the state of the control system for a particular operating condition, such as a specific system error. When an unusual starfield occurs, it can be compared to the archived starfields to determine whether a problem exists and if so determine a solution.

Abstract: A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features.

Abstract: A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features.

Abstract: A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features.

Abstract: A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features.

Abstract: A network system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems includes network controllers which continuously process data related to building and industrial, environmental, security and other automated system controls. Each network controller has a network address indicative of a communication link to which the network controller is connected, a local address and a node drop ID to determine whether the network controller is a configured or non-configured device. Data stored in an archive device is downloaded to a destination network controller in the absence of a routing table in the destination network controller by transmitting a download request message from the archive device to an intermediate network controller with a routing table. The intermediate network controller assumes control of the download request by transmitting the message to the destination controller.