Automated Point Mapping Interface

Abstract

An interface is disclosed that allows a controller wiring diagram to be automatically created by understanding the nature of the building the controller is in as well as understanding the nature of the devices that are to be wired to it, and the location within the building of the devices. Users, using the user interface, can modify a depiction of the wiring diagram which may further modify the hardware of the controller device interface. Some embodiments further comprise modules that plug into the controller. The modules comprise the device connector that will be wired to the device. Some modules have hardware and memory that allow the module to physically modify the device connectors.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for creating a control system topology comprising:
 a controller having a device interface, computer hardware, programmable memory, a user interface, a physical structure representation in programmable memory, and a list of predefined device models in programmable memory, the predefined device models having corresponding device terminal interface attributes, and device names;   displaying the list of predefined device models on the user interface;   displaying at least a portion of the physical structure representation on the user interface;   the controller accepting a device model from the list of predefined device models displayed on the user interface;   the controller accepting placement of the device model into a location in the physical structure representation;   the controller accepting mapping a device terminal interface attribute associated with the device module to the device interface; and   the controller using the computer hardware and programmable memory to create a control system topology comprising a point mapping diagram of the controller and the device model.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the device interface further comprises a device interface value and further comprising when the device interface value and the device terminal interface attribute do not match, the controller uses a program stored in programmable memory to change the device interface value to the device terminal interface attribute. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the controller is operationally able to accept change in device interface value from user input. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the control system topology is displayed on the user interface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a module connects to the controller and wherein the device terminal interface attribute matches the device interface value associated with the module. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising accepting change of the device interface value associated with the module, the change comprising operationally registering a selection from a predefined list of device terminal interface attributes stored in the programmable memory, and wherein the controller recreates the control system topology using the selection. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the device interface is wired to a device creating a wired device, and where the controller is operationally able to detect a fault in the wired device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the controller accepting mapping the device terminal interface attribute to the device interface further comprises the controller signaling to. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second controller and wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to input a request to move the device model to a different location on the second controller, and wherein the request rebuilds the control system topology. 
     
     
         10 . A controller having a device connector, a processor, programmable memory, a user interface, a physical structure representation in programmable memory, a list of predefined device models in programmable memory, predefined device models in the list having corresponding device terminal interface attributes, and a physical structure representation in programmable memory; a program residing in memory, the program allowing input of controller information and modification of controller terminals, including instructions residing in the memory, which are executable by the processor to perform a method which includes:
 displaying the list of predefined device models on the user interface;   the controller accepting a device model from the list of predefined device models displayed on the user interface;   the controller accepting placement of the device model into a location in the physical structure representation;   the controller accepting mapping a device terminal interface attribute associated with the device model to the device interface; and   the controller using the processor and programmable memory to create a control system topology comprising a point mapping diagram of the controller and the device model within a representation of the controller.   
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 10 , further comprising a second controller and wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to input a request to move at least one of the predefined device models to the second controller, and wherein the second controller rebuilds the point mapping diagram. 
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 10 , further comprising a second device interface, and wherein the controller accepts, from the user interface, device placement on the second device interface. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the controller modifies the Device Connector to match requirements of the device model. 
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is operationally connected to a module, the module comprises a device connector, and wherein the module modifies the Device Connector to match requirements of the device model. 
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 14 , wherein the module modifies the Device Connector by activating a chip. 
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 14 , wherein the module modifies the Device Connector by deactivating a chip. 
     
     
         17 . The controller of  claim 10 , further comprising a controller constraint, and wherein the controller constraint at least partially determines device placement within the controller. 
     
     
         18 . The controller of  claim 17 , further comprising a controller-module-device hierarchy with first controller and a second controller, and wherein a device associated with a first controller can be moved to be associated with the second controller. 
     
     
         19 . The controller of  claim 17 , wherein the controller constraint comprises a labor vs equipment cost constraint or a fill rate constraint. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable storage medium configured with data and with instructions that upon execution by at least one processor in a controller computing system having a device interface, computer hardware, programmable memory, a user interface, a physical structure representation in programmable memory, and predefined device models in programmable memory, the predefined device models having corresponding device terminal interface attributes, and device names; will cause the at least one processor to perform a technical process for point mapping diagram creation, the technical process comprising:
 displaying the list of predefined device models on the user interface;   displaying at least a portion of the physical structure representation on the user interface;   the controller computing system accepting a device model from the list of predefined device models displayed on the user interface;   the controller computing system accepting placement of the device model into a location in the physical structure representation;   the controller computing system accepting mapping the device terminal interface attribute to the device interface; and   the controller computing system using the computer hardware and programmable memory to create a control system topology comprising a point mapping diagram of the controller computing system and the predefined device model.