Graphical association of a device icon with a graphical program

• US 20030035006A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kodosky, Jeffrey L., Rogers, Steven W., Shah, Darshan
• Application Number:
  US10/123,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035006A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/763
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A system and method for creating and using configuration diagrams for configuring distributed systems. The methods described herein may be used for various types of operations in configuring distributed systems, including creating programs, managing programs in the distributed system, deploying programs to various distributed devices, configuring remote execution or inter-operation of distributed programs, and executing distributed applications. Embodiments of the invention utilize graphical iconic-based techniques for performing the above operations. The configuration diagram may include device icons which represent devices and program icons which represent programs. Device icons and program icons may be associated with each other to accomplish various program creation and deployment operations. Device icons and program icons may also interact with graphical program nodes or icons. Context sensitive device connections and/or program connections are displayed. An asynchronous data flow node may be used to facilitate asynchronous data flow between two graphical programs. The distributed system may also support distributed graphical debugging.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system, wherein the graphical program is stored on a second device;

associating the first device icon with the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying the first device icon in the graphical program in response to said associating, wherein the first device icon is operable to perform at least one of receive data from the device or provide data to the device during execution of the graphical program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the first device icon as a node in the graphical program.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein said configuring the first device icon as a node in the graphical program comprises creating one or more input terminals and one or more output terminals on the first device icon based on at least one of:

parameters of the first program and parameters of the graphical program.

4. The method of claim 3,

connecting at least one of the input terminals and output terminals of the first device icon to an existing node in the graphical program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating comprises dragging and dropping the first device icon into the graphical program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram, wherein the block diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said displaying the graphical program comprises displaying the block diagram.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning the first device icon at a first location in the graphical program in response to user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

the method further comprising positioning the first device icon at a first location in the graphical program.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein said positioning comprises positioning the first device icon as a node in the graphical program.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of nodes interconnected by wires;

wherein said positioning comprises positioning the first device icon at a first location on a wire in the graphical program proximate to an existing node in the graphical program;

the method further comprising displaying the first device icon in the graphical program connected through the wire to the existing node in the graphical program.

11. The method of claim 8,

wherein said positioning the first device icon is performed using a pointing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a second device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the second device icon corresponds to the second device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a program icon on the display, wherein the program icon corresponds to the graphical program; and

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

wherein said displaying the graphical program on the display of the first computer system is automatically performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein said associating the first device icon with the program icon comprises dragging and dropping the first device icon proximate to or onto the program icon.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein said dragging and dropping the first device icon proximate to or onto the program icon comprises receiving further user input indicating that the first device icon is to be configured as a node in the graphical program.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a second device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the second device icon corresponds to the second device;

wherein the program icon is displayed proximate to the second device icon to visually indicate that the graphical program is stored on the second device.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein said associating the first device icon with the graphical program comprises positioning the first device icon at a desired location in the graphical program in response to user input.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a program icon on the display, wherein the program icon corresponds to the graphical program;

wherein said associating the first device icon with the graphical program comprises;

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

wherein said displaying the graphical program on the display of the first computer system is performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon; and

positioning the first device icon at a desired location in the graphical program in response to user input.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the graphical program to include program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to read and/or write data from/to the first device during execution of the graphical program, wherein said modifying is performed after said associating;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program represents the program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to read and/or write data from/to the first device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the graphical program after said associating and said displaying the first device icon, wherein said executing the graphical program includes performing at least one of reading data from the device or writing data to the device.

21. The method of claim 1,

wherein the graphical program includes a first node which visually indicates that associated operations are repetitively performed;

the method further comprising positioning the first device icon proximate to the first node in the graphical program to configure repetitive operation of the first device icon in the graphical program.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein the first node is a loop structure node;

wherein said positioning comprises positioning the first device icon within the loop structure node to visually indicate that first device icon is to repetitively operate in the graphical program.

23. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is a sensor;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to receive data from the sensor during execution of the graphical program.

24. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is a measurement device;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to receive data from the measurement device during execution of the graphical program.

25. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is a data acquisition device;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to receive data from the data acquisition device during execution of the graphical program.

26. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is an actuator;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to provide data to the actuator during execution of the graphical program.

27. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is a measurement device;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to provide data to the measurement device during execution of the graphical program.

28. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first device is a data acquisition device;

wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to provide data to the data acquisition device during execution of the graphical program.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical program comprises a data flow diagram.

30. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

positioning the first device icon at a first location in the graphical program in response to user input;

automatically modifying the graphical program to access the first device after said positioning;

wherein during execution the graphical program is operable to access the first device.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram includes the first device icon corresponding to the first device.

32. The method of claim 31,

wherein the configuration diagram includes the graphical program.

33. The method of claim 31,

wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices including the first device, wherein the configuration diagram includes a plurality of device icons corresponding to the plurality of devices, wherein the first device icon is one of the plurality of device icons.

34. The method of claim 31,

wherein the configuration diagram comprises a program icon, wherein the program icon corresponds to the graphical program;

the method further comprising;

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

wherein said displaying the graphical program on the display of the first computer system is automatically performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon.

35. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system, wherein the graphical program is stored on a second device;

associating the first device icon with the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying a new icon in the graphical program in response to said associating, wherein the new icon corresponds to the first device, where the new icon is operable to perform at least one of receive data from the device or provide data to the device during execution of the graphical program.

36. The method of claim 35,

wherein the new icon is the first device icon.

37. The method of claim 35,

wherein the new icon has an appearance which visually indicates the first device.

38. The method of claim 35,

wherein the first device icon has a first appearance;

wherein the new icon has the first appearance of the first device icon.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

wherein the new icon is a first node in the graphical program, wherein the first node is operable to access the first device during execution of the graphical program.

40. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system, wherein the graphical program is stored on a second device associating the first device icon with the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying the first device icon in the graphical program in response to said associating;

wherein, in response to said associating and said displaying, during execution the graphical program is operable to access the device.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

modifying the graphical program to include program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device during execution of the graphical program, wherein said modifying is performed after said associating;

wherein the first device icon represents the program instructions and/or data structures.

42. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system;

dragging and dropping the first icon into the graphical program in response to user input; and

displaying the first icon in the graphical program in response to said dragging and dropping;

wherein the graphical program is operable to access the device during execution in response to said dragging and dropping and said displaying.

43. The method of claim 42,

wherein said dragging and dropping comprises positioning the first device icon at a first location in the graphical program in response to user input.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said dragging and dropping comprises positioning the first device icon as a node in the graphical program in response to user input.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of nodes interconnected by wires;

wherein said dragging and dropping comprises dropping the first device icon on a first wire in the graphical program;

the method further comprising displaying the first device icon in the graphical program connected to the first wire in the graphical program.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

modifying the graphical program to include program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device during execution of the graphical program, wherein said modifying is performed after said dragging and dropping;

wherein the first device icon represents the program instructions and/or data structures.

47. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system;

associating the first device icon into the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying a new icon in the graphical program in response to said associating, wherein the new icon corresponds to the first device, where the new icon is operable to invoke execution of the first device during execution of the graphical program.

48. A method for creating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a device icon corresponding to a device;

displaying a block diagram of the graphical program;

associating the device icon with the block diagram;

programmatically creating code in the graphical program which is executable to provide programmatic access to the device, wherein said programmatically creating is performed in response to said associating.

49. The method of claim 48,

wherein the programmatically created code comprises program instructions.

50. The method of claim 48,

wherein the programmatically created code comprises at least one node icon in the graphical program.

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

programmatically creating a graphical program element in the block diagram in response to said associating, wherein the graphical program element corresponds to the device icon;

wherein the graphical program element is operable to access the device during graphical program execution.

52. The method of claim 51,

wherein said programmatically creating a graphical program element in the block diagram comprises:

displaying the device icon in the graphical program; and

creating program instructions corresponding to the device icon in the graphical program, wherein the program instructions are executable to provide programmatic access to the device.

53. The method of claim 51,

wherein the device icon has a first appearance;

wherein the graphical program element has the first appearance

54. The method of claim 51,

wherein the graphical program element is operable to perform at least one of:

read values of the data point during graphical program execution or write values to the data point during graphical program execution.

55. The method of claim 51,

wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

the method further comprising;

connecting the graphical program element to at least one node present in the graphical program.

56. The method of claim 48, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of nodes interconnected by wires;

wherein said associating comprises positioning the device icon at a first location on a wire in the graphical program proximate to an existing node in the graphical program;

the method further comprising displaying the device icon in the graphical program connected through the wire to the existing node in the graphical program.

57. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram includes the device icon corresponding to the device.

58. The method of claim 57,

wherein the configuration diagram includes the graphical program.

59. The method of claim 57,

wherein the configuration diagram comprises a program icon, wherein the program icon corresponds to the graphical program;

the method further comprising;

associating the device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

wherein said displaying the graphical program on the display of the first computer system is automatically performed in response to said associating the device icon with the program icon.

60. A computer-implemented method for creating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the configuration diagram includes a first device icon corresponding to a first device, wherein the configuration diagram includes a second device icon corresponding to a second device, wherein the second device icon stores a graphical program;

displaying the graphical program on the display of the computer system;

associating the first device icon with the graphical program in response to user input;

programmatically creating code in the graphical program which is executable to provide programmatic access to the first device, wherein said programmatically creating is performed in response to said associating.

61. The method of claim 60,

wherein said associating comprises dragging and dropping the first device icon to a location within the block diagram of the graphical program.

62. The method of claim 60,

wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to the graphical program;

wherein the method further comprises receiving user input selecting the program icon, wherein said displaying the block diagram of the graphical program is performed in response to said user input selecting the program icon.

63. The method of claim 60,

wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to the graphical program;

wherein said associating the first device icon with the block diagram comprises;

associating the first device icon with the program icon;

wherein said displaying the block diagram of the graphical program is performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon; and

graphically positioning the first device icon within the block diagram.

64. A computer-implemented method for creating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the configuration diagram includes a plurality of device icons each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device, wherein the plurality of device icons includes a first device icon;

displaying a block diagram of the graphical program;

associating the first device icon with the block diagram of the graphical program in response to user input;

programmatically creating code in the graphical program which is executable to provide programmatic access to the first device, wherein said programmatically creating is performed in response to said associating.

65. A computer-implemented method for configuring a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the configuration diagram includes a plurality of device icons each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device, wherein the plurality of device icons includes a first device icon, wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to a graphical program;

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

displaying a block diagram of the graphical program in response to said associating;

displaying the first device icon in the block diagram in response to said associating, wherein the first device icon is operable to programmatically access the first device during execution of the graphical program.

66. The method of claim 65,

wherein the first device icon is operable to perform at least one of receive data from the first device or provide data to the first device during execution of the graphical program.

67. The method of claim 65, further comprising

programmatically creating code in the graphical program which is executable to provide programmatic access to the first device, wherein said programmatically creating is performed after said associating.

68. A method for configuring a graphical program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a program icon on the display of the first computer system, wherein the program icon corresponds to a graphical program;

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

displaying the graphical program in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon; and

displaying the first device icon in the graphical program after said displaying, wherein the first device icon in the graphical program is operable to access the first device during execution of the graphical program.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising:

modifying the graphical program to include program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device during execution of the graphical program, wherein said modifying is performed after said associating;

wherein the first device icon represents the program instructions and/or data structures.

70. A method for graphically configuring a program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying source code of a first program on the display of the first computer system;

associating the first device icon with the source code of the first program in response to user input;

inserting new source code into the first program in response to said associating.

71. The method of claim 70,

wherein the new source code is executable to access the first device during execution of the first program.

72. The method of claim 70,

wherein the new source code is executable to invoke the first device during execution of the first program.

73. The method of claim 70,

wherein the source code of the first program is of a text-based programming language;

wherein the new source code comprises a function call to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device.

74. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

displaying a first program icon on the display, wherein the first program icon corresponds to the first program; and

associating the first device icon with the first program icon in response to user input;

wherein said displaying the source code of the first program on the display of the first computer system is automatically performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the first program icon.

75. The method of claim 70,

wherein said associating the first device icon with the source code of the first program comprises positioning the first device icon at a desired location in the source code of the first program in response to user input;

wherein said inserting comprises inserting the new source code into the first program at the desired location in response to said positioning.

76. The method of claim 70,

wherein said associating the first device icon with the source code of the first program comprises:

displaying the first device icon in the source code of the first program; and

positioning the first device icon in the source code of the first program at a first location in response to user input;

wherein said inserting comprises inserting the new source code into the first program at the desired location in response to said positioning.

77. The method of claim 70,

wherein the first program is stored on a second device.

78. A method for graphically configuring a program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a first program icon on the display of the first computer system, wherein the first program icon corresponds to a first program;

associating the first device icon with the first program icon in response to user input;

displaying source code of the first program on the display of the first computer system in response to said associating;

displaying the first device icon in the source code of the first program in response to said associating;

positioning the first device icon in the source code of the first program at a first location in response to user input; and

inserting new source code into the first program at the first location.

79. A computer-implemented method for creating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the configuration diagram includes a plurality of device icons each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device, wherein the plurality of device icons includes a first device icon;

displaying source code of a program;

associating the first device icon with the source code of the program in response to user input;

programmatically creating new code in the program which is executable to provide programmatic access to the first device, wherein said programmatically creating is performed in response to said associating.

80. The method of claim 79,

wherein said associating comprises dragging and dropping the first device icon to a first location within the source code of the program;

wherein said programmatically creating comprises creating the new code at the first location within the source code of the program.

81. The method of claim 79,

wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to the graphical program;

wherein the method further comprises receiving user input selecting the program icon, wherein said displaying the source code of the program is performed in response to said user input selecting the program icon.

82. The method of claim 79,

wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to the program;

wherein said associating the first device icon with the source code comprises;

associating the first device icon with the program icon;

wherein said displaying the source code of the program is performed in response to said associating the first device icon with the program icon; and

graphically positioning the first device icon within the source code of the program.

83. The method of claim 79,

wherein the source code of the program is of a text-based programming language;

wherein the new code comprises a function call to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device.

84. A method for graphically configuring a program, wherein the method executes on a first computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on a display of the first computer system, wherein the configuration diagram includes a first device icon that corresponds to a first device and a first program icon that corresponds to a first program;

associating the first device icon with the first program icon in response to user input;

displaying source code of the first program on the display of the first computer system in response to said associating;

displaying the first device icon in the source code of the first program in response to said associating;

positioning the first device icon in the source code of the first program at a first location in response to user input; and

inserting new source code into the first program at the first location in response to said positioning.

85. A computer-implemented method for configuring a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a configuration diagram on the display of the computer system, wherein the configuration diagram represents a system comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the configuration diagram includes a plurality of device icons each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device, wherein the plurality of device icons includes a first device icon, wherein the configuration diagram includes a program icon corresponding to a program;

associating the first device icon with the program icon in response to user input;

displaying source code of the program in response to said associating;

inserting new source code into the program in response to said associating, wherein the new source code is operable to programmatically access the first device during execution of the program.

86. The method of claim 85,

wherein the first device icon is operable to perform at least one of receive data from the first device or provide data to the first device during execution of the graphical program.

87. The method of claim 85,

wherein the source code of the program is of a text-based programming language;

wherein the new source code comprises a function call to perform at least one of read data from the first device or write data to the first device.

88. A memory medium comprising program instructions for configuring a graphical program, wherein the program instructions execute on a first computer system, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

displaying a first device icon on a display of the first computer system, wherein the first device icon corresponds to a first device;

displaying a graphical program on the display of the first computer system;

associating the first device icon with the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying the first device icon in the graphical program in response to said associating, wherein the first device icon is operable to perform at least one of receive data from the device or provide data to the device during execution of the graphical program.

89. The memory medium of claim 88, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

modifying the graphical program to include program instructions and/or data structures that are executable to read and/or write data from/to the first device during execution of the graphical program, wherein said modifying is performed after said associating.