Interactive graphical model-based monitoring and control of networked physical assets

1. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling physical assets, comprising:

defining a dataset corresponding to a plurality of data-connected physical assets coupled to a data network, wherein each data-connected physical asset is associated with a respective feature set of the data-connected physical asset that can be monitored and controlled over said network using respective monitoring and control signals;

encoding said dataset in a data store coupled to said network;

serving said dataset to one or more consoles coupled to said network;

using a console graphics processing unit (GPU), generating a model-based three-dimensional vector graphics representation of said data-connected physical assets, along with respective states of said data-connected physical assets, based on respective data in said dataset;

on a console display screen, displaying the model-based three-dimensional vector graphics representation of said data-connected physical assets, including displaying a state of one or more controllable features of said data-connected physical assets;

using said console GPU, executing an interface abstraction layer to generate one or more model-based graphical user interface tools corresponding to the one or more controllable features of said data-connected physical assets;

on said console display screen, displaying a vector graphic representation of the one or more model-based graphical user interface tools so as to present an interactive control interface including said one or more model-based graphical user interface tools to a user of the console;

using said interactive control interface, accepting one or more inputs through said one or more model-based graphical user interface tools, the one or more inputs corresponding to one or more respective controllable features of said data-connected physical assets;

sending one or more control signals from said console to an asset controller, over said communication network, so as to configure said one or more respective controllable features of said data-connected physical assets; and

updating a state of the one or more respective controllable features of the data-connected physical assets in the displayed representation of the data-connected physical assets on said console display screen, including updating a state of said one or more respective controllable features of said data-connected physical assets as displayed on said console display screen.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing graphics extensions encoded into said console and executable on said console GPU to render said user one or more model-based graphical interface tools in a graphical environment displayed on said console display screen.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising registering said graphics extensions in a registry of extensions and encoded in said data store.

4. The method of claim 1 , said model-based three-dimensional vector graphics representation of said data-connected physical assets comprising a vector representation of an appearance of said data-connected physical assets to approximate an actual appearance of the data-connected physical assets.

5. The method of claim 1 , said one or more model-based user interface tools comprising a programmable vector graphic representation of a user interface tool.

6. The method of claim 1 , said one or more model-based user interface tools comprising one or more user interface widgets including one or more of: a text input box, a radio button and a drop-down menu.

7. The method of claim 1 , the generating said model-based three-dimensional vector graphics representation of said data-connected physical assets comprising generating geometric elements in said GPU so as to render a three-dimensional visual representation of said data-connected physical assets on a conventional computing console display screen.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plurality of said data-connected physical assets and controlling said plurality of said data-connected physical assets sharing some shared class of attributes.

9. A system for monitoring and controlling networked physical assets, comprising:

a computing console comprising a console processor configured and arranged to execute instructions for monitoring and controlling said physical assets, including instructions encoded into a data store of said console corresponding to a plurality of controllable features of said physical assets; and

a graphics circuit configured and arranged to generate a graphical output onto a display screen coupled to said console, and particularly configured and arranged to execute machine-readable instructions to generate a plurality of displayable screen views onto said display screen, each of said screen views comprising a transparent background and screen coverage size and area, wherein a plurality of said screen views are simultaneously generated by said graphics circuit and presented in respective positions relative to one another on said display screen and each of said screen views presents respective information relating to one or more of the controllable features of said physical assets, and wherein each of said screen views presents an interactive control interface that includes one or more user interface tools permitting changing of the encoded instructions in said data store and changing of corresponding controllable features of the physical assets.