Abstract:
Dynamic Monitoring System With Polychromatic Gradient—DMSPG concerns a mechanism of visual monitoring by any visual analog or digital representation means, based on a color scale in the form of a polychromatic gradient, that is, a gradated scale. This color presentation is present in the background and its real-time variation is integrally related to the references established by the user or automatically by the system in the foreground. It may be applied to the financial market to monitor the variability of stock-exchange listings of a particular kind (stock, good, etc.) in real time or historically. It may also be applied to general monitoring systems, for example, industrial monitoring systems (boiler or tank temperature control, etc.).

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 or 365 to Brazil, Application No. PI 0603718-6, filed Aug. 25, 2006.  
         [0002]     The entire teachings of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Various monitoring systems exist. For example, in financial industries, there are systems that monitor the variability of stock-exchange listings. In industrial settings, there are systems (e.g. controllers) that monitor mechanical or physical properties such as boiler temperature or tank temperature and/or pressure.  
         [0004]     Improvements in the visual presentation of monitors (output thereof) is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     This invention concerns a mechanism of visual monitoring by any visual analog or digital means, based on a color scale in the form of a polychromatic gradient, that is, a gradated scale. This color presentation will be present in the background and its variation, in real time, will be integrally related to the references established by the user or automatically by the system in the foreground.  
         [0006]     These references are: variability margin overlaid on the graph (line graph, candlestick graph, etc.) measured by two baselines/values, maximum and minimum, as well as a mobile reference line which may or may not be coupled to the aforementioned margin.  
         [0007]     The laws governing the background color change dynamic are applied in real time to any type of digital data, whether this comes from a digital or analog source, by means of analog-digital converters, and will be described below in the scope of the project. The monitoring system in question may be applied to the financial market to monitor the variability of stock-exchange listings of a particular kind (stock, goods, etc.) in real time or historically. It may also be applied to general monitoring systems, for example, industrial monitoring systems (boiler or tank temperature control, etc.).  
         [0008]     Embodiments of the present invention present a Dynamic Monitoring System With Polychromatic Gradient—DMSPG, with the aim of providing a mechanism of visual monitoring by any means of analog or digital presentation, characterized in that it is based on the electronic processing of data generated by analog or digital sources constituted by analog data sources, digital data sources, other digital sources, by means of analog-digital and/or digital-digital converters. In the invention system, data is prepared, inserted, and synchronized through a data equalizer in a single signal used to feed the DMSPG server organizing a database feeding the DMSPG user in real time, which is responsible for the visual color display. The DMSPG user comprises an analysis and display program with mathematic algorithms and tables controlling the graph data and screen colors both in the foreground and background.  
         [0009]     The basic visual monitoring components comprise: a background, with polychromatic gradient colors and/or a single color, horizontal and vertical scales within an analyzed period (axis t—time), a variable vertical axis being studied, a mobile reference line (horizontal), and a graph with various presentations in the foreground. A semi-transparent or transparent region is overlaid on the graph screen and referred to as the box or variability margin limiting the screen to specific analysis zones by maximum and minimum baseline/values. This makes it possible to place the reference axis inside the box or with the box accompanying the linked mobile reference line, a polychromatic reference band (vertical band) which can be altered by the system or operator/user linked to the margin/box under analysis. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a monitoring system embodying the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a graph of background polychromatic gradient over time used by embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 3-6  are example screen views generated by embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an example screen view in which difference of dot value in relation to the invention reference line is small.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a screen view in which difference of dot value in relation to the reference line is considerably positive.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a screen view in which difference of dot value in relation to the reference line is considerably negative.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of computer client, server, nodes or modules executing embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.  
         [0019]     The system  25  proposed herein will be better understood with the illustration of the universal connection diagram contained in  FIG. 1 , where the letter “A” represents the electronic processing of data generated by analog or digital sources  11   a, b, c ; the letter “B” represents the data prepared by analog-digital converters  13  and/or digital-digital converters; the letter “C” represents the data from sources already prepared, inserted, and synchronized, from a data equalizer  15 , in a single signal, used to feed the DMSPG server  17  organizing a database  19  defined by the letter “D.” This data feeds the DMSPG user computers/nodes  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c  . . .  21   n  in real time represented by the letter “E.” Computer nodes  21  may be arranged in a local area network  23  or communicate over a global computer network  27  or the like. In one configuration, a client  21 -server  17  architecture is employed but the invention is not limited to such.  
         [0020]     Data sources  11  generate analogue data, digital data and/or other digital signals. Analogue-to-digital converter  13  converts the analog data to digital feed to equalizer  15 . Also the source digital data and signals (from A) feed into equalizer  15 . Equalizer  15  prepares, inserts and synchronizes the received data (from A and B). Equalizer  15  outputs the processed data as a single signal input to server  17 .  
         [0021]     Server  17  stores the received signal data in database  19 . In cooperation with user computer nodes/clients  21 , server  17  and database  19  support a real-time visual color display having dynamic polychromatic gradient coloring corresponding to a reference line  3  ( FIG. 2  discusses later). That is the signal data from server  17  and databases  19  to end user computer modules  21  are utilized to generate screen views or presentations of data with a gradated color scale that varies in real time with respect to a reference line. The reference line may be system defined and/or user defined. The resulting display or presentation of system screen views (rendering visual representations of the source data) provides or enables an improved visual monitoring system.  
         [0022]     The Following is a Description of the DMSPG User System  21 :  
         [0023]     The invention system  25  comprises an analysis and display program with mathematical algorithms and tables controlling the graph data (representations of source data A) and colors of the end user display screen views both in the foreground and the background.  
         [0024]     The basic components of the visual presentation are defined in: 
        1) the background  1 , with colors in polychromatic gradient (gradated) and/or a single color;     2) horizontal and vertical scales within the analyzed period—t-time axis  2   a , variable vertical axis  2   b  subject to study;     3) mobile reference line (horizontal)  3 ;     4) graph  4  with various presentations, line/dot, dot-to-dot, dashed, bar, candlestick, etc. in the foreground (foreground histogram);     5) semi-transparent or transparent region, overlaid on the graph screen, referred to as a box or variability margin  5 , limiting the screen to specific zones of analysis by maximum and minimum baseline/values  5   a ,  5   b  making it possible to place the reference axis (the mobile reference line)  3  inside the box or with the box accompanying the linked mobile reference line;     6) polychromatic reference band (vertical band)  6 , which can be changed (color spectrum) by the system or by the operator/user, linked to the analysis margin/box  5 . The purpose of this is to reference the gradated color changes (gradient) of the background  1 .        
 
         [0031]     Description of the Polychromatic Dynamic in the Background:  
         [0032]     The background  1  colors variability is regulated by the position/value relationship with the mobile reference line ( 3 ) illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This relationship is measured as a variation percentage and is applied to the variability margin ( 5 ), which in turn is linked to the polychromatic band ( 6 ) affecting the change of background colors. The lower the variability margin  5 , the faster the change in background  1  colors using the polychromatic band  6 ; however, the higher the variability margin  5 , the greater the differences have to be between the reference line  3  and subject data point or dot  7  to provoke a change in the background colors and is therefore slower than the polychromatic variation in the background  1 . The color rules in application are governed by the relationship between the polychromatic band ( 6 ) and the mobile reference line ( 3 ).  
         [0033]     Furthermore, the gradated or polychromatic color gradient used in the background ( 1 ) as a variability indicator and therefore governed by the polychromatic band, is based on a color spectrum with a variability governed by the colors present in the polychromatic band  6  (see  FIG. 2 ). This spectrum may be composed of various colors starting with one tone and ending with a different one (gradated), or even being made up of a single color (single-color gradation).  
         [0034]     With a view to a better explanation of this system  25 , some examples of embodiments are provided below, wherein  FIG. 3  shows the screen with subject quotation listings variable in the time period equal to t 0  to -t and the region marked out in variables V 1  and V 2  with an internal axis in the region indicated at variable V 0 .  FIG. 4  represents a situation whereby there is a small difference in value between the subject dot  7  and the reference line  3 ;  FIG. 5  represents a situation whereby the difference in value between the subject dot  7  and the reference line  3  is considerably positive; and  FIG. 6  represents a situation whereby the difference in value between the dot  7  and the reference line  3  is considerably negative.  
         [0035]     Although only those illustrations contained in  FIGS. 3, 4 ,  5 , and  6  have been presented, there are however countless possible applications for this system  25  as long as there is a variable to be monitored in relation to a predetermined reference. The system will present the gradated colors on the screen, enabling the operator to take the necessary measures in the event that the variable reaches incorrect or undesirable values.  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of the internal structure of a computer (e.g., client processor/device  21  or server computers  17 ) in the computer system  25  of  FIG. 1 . Each computer  17 ,  21  contains system bus  79 , where a bus is a set of hardware lines used for data transfer among the components of a computer or processing system. Bus  79  is essentially a shared conduit that connects different elements of a computer system (e.g., processor, disk storage, memory, input/output ports, network ports, etc.) that enables the transfer of information between the elements. Attached to system bus  79  is I/O device interface  82  for connecting various input and output devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, displays, printers, speakers, etc.) to the computer  21 ,  17 . Network interface  86  allows the computer to connect to various other devices attached to a network (e.g., network  23 ,  27  of  FIG. 1 ). Memory  90  provides volatile storage for computer software instructions  92  and data  94  used to implement an embodiment of the present invention (e.g., program tables, polychromatic gradient band  6 , variability margin  5 , mobile reference line  3 , background color and change in color rules, and code for controlling graph data detailed above). Disk storage  95  provides non-volatile storage for computer software instructions  92  and data  94  used to implement an embodiment of the present invention. Central processor unit  84  is also attached to system bus  79  and provides for the execution of computer instructions.  
         [0037]     In one embodiment, the processor routines  92  and data  94  are a computer program product (generally referenced  92 ), including a computer readable medium (e.g., a removable storage medium such as one or more DVD-ROM&#39;s, CD-ROM&#39;s, diskettes, tapes, etc.) that provides at least a portion of the software instructions for the invention system. Computer program product  92  can be installed by any suitable software installation procedure, as is well known in the art. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the software instructions may also be downloaded over a cable, communication and/or wireless connection. In other embodiments, the invention programs are a computer program propagated signal product embodied on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., a radio wave, an infrared wave, a laser wave, a sound wave, or an electrical wave propagated over a global network such as the Internet, or other network(s)). Such carrier medium or signals provide at least a portion of the software instructions for the present invention routines/program  92 .  
         [0038]     In alternate embodiments, the propagated signal is an analog carrier wave or digital signal carried on the propagated medium. For example, the propagated signal may be a digitized signal propagated over a global network (e.g., the Internet), a telecommunications network, or other network. In one embodiment, the propagated signal is a signal that is transmitted over the propagation medium over a period of time, such as the instructions for a software application sent in packets over a network over a period of milliseconds, seconds, minutes, or longer. In another embodiment, the computer readable medium of computer program product  92  is a propagation medium that the computer system  21  may receive and read, such as by receiving the propagation medium and identifying a propagated signal embodied in the propagation medium, as described above for computer program propagated signal product.  
         [0039]     Generally speaking, the term “carrier medium” or transient carrier encompasses the foregoing transient signals, propagated signals, propagated medium, storage medium and the like.  
         [0040]     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.  
         [0041]     For example, the present invention may be implemented in a variety of computer architectures. The computer network of  FIGS. 1 and 7  are for purposes of illustration and not limitation of the present invention.