Presenting continuous timestamped time-series data values for observed supervisory control and manufacturing/production parameters

1. A computer system having computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising a process control and manufacturing information database client application for displaying received time-series data, the client application comprising:

a data acquisition interface for obtaining timestamped time-series data values for an observed parameter from the process control and manufacturing information database; and

a display function for rendering the timestamped time-series data values as a series of points on a time-line graph including alphanumeric time labels specified in accordance with a designated time zone, and the display function renders the time-line graph without disruptions over a time span containing a Daylight Savings Time (DST) transition for the designated time zone.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , the display function positioning the series of points on the time-line graph according to a first time convention having no disruptions over the time span containing the DST transition for the designated time zone.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , the first time convention comprising coordinated universal time (UTC).

4. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

a time zone designation interface comprising a list of named entities and associated time zone identification information.

5. The computer system of claim 4 , the list of named entities including the database client application.

6. The computer system of claim 4 , the list of named entities including a client machine upon which the database client application resides.

7. The computer system of claim 4 , the list of named entities including a database server to which the database client application is connected.

8. The computer system of claim 1 further including a special time label provided to identify the DST transition on a time axis of the time-line graph.

9. A method for displaying, by a process control and manufacturing information database client application, received time-series data, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a data acquisition interface of the client application, timestamped time-series data values for an observed parameter from the process control and manufacturing information database; and

rendering, by a display function of the client application, the timestamped time-series data values as a series of points on a time-line graph including alphanumeric time labels specified in accordance with a designated time zone, and during the rendering step the display function renders the time-line graph without disruptions over a time span containing a Daylight Savings Time (DST) transition for the designated time zone.

10. The method of claim 9 , the rendering step comprising positioning the series of points on the time-line graph according to a first time convention having no disruptions over the time span containing the DST transition for the designated time zone.

11. The method of claim 10 , the first time convention comprising coordinated universal time (UTC).

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

presenting, via a time zone designation interface, a list of named entities and associated time zone identification information.

13. The method of claim 9 , the rendering step comprising providing a special time label, on the time axis of the time-line graph, to identify the DST transition.

14. A computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions for displaying, by a process control and manufacturing information database client application, received time-series data, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

obtaining, by a data acquisition interface of the client application, timestamped time-series data values for an observed parameter from the process control and manufacturing information database; and

rendering, by a display function of the client application, the timestamped time-series data values as a series of points on a time-line graph including alphanumeric time labels specified in accordance with a designated time zone, and during the rendering step the display function renders the time-line graph without disruptions over a time span containing a Daylight Savings Time (DST) transition for the designated time zone.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the rendering step comprising positioning the series of points on the time-line graph according to a first time convention having no disruptions over the time span containing the DST transition for the designated time zone.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the first time convention comprising coordinated universal time (UTC).

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising computer-executable instructions for facilitating:

presenting, via a time zone designation interface, a list of named entities and associated time zone identification information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the list of named entities including a client machine upon which the database client application resides.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the list of named entities including a database server to which the database client application is connected.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the rendering step comprising providing a special time label, on the time axis of the time-line graph, to identify the DST transition.