Patent ID: 7146232

Claim:
A system for programming a plurality of self-organizing autonomous control units forming a distributed control system being configured to control a plurality of controllable devices for performing a process, the system comprising: a terminal that displays a graphical user interface having a plurality of images including: a first image showing a plurality of selectable templates, the terminal providing a first mechanism by which first user input signals can be received concerning the templates, wherein the templates include software for controlling self-organizing autonomous control units that represent controlled devices for the purpose of organization; and a second image showing a representation of the controllable devices, the terminal providing a second mechanism by which second user input signals can be received concerning associations between the templates and the representation of the controllable devices; and a processing device that generates executable programming to be performed by the distributed control system based upon the templates and the associations, wherein the executable programming at least partly governs self-organizing-type behavior of the distributed control system.