Creating a graphical program to configure one or more switch devices

• US 20030046657A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: White, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1302 Relay switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1304 Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/545 using a stored programme
• 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 a graphical program operable to configure one or more switch devices. A first node may be displayed in the graphical program, wherein the first node is operable to use route information to control or configure one or more of switch devices in a switching system. The first node may be configured with route information. For example, the route information may comprise information specifying one or more routes previously configured and stored. Also, the route information may comprise information specifying two endpoints of a route, as in the case of run-time auto-routing, or may comprise information explicitly specifying a complete route. The first node may be operable to perform various types of operations to control or configure the one or more switch devices, such as a connect operation to connect specified routes.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a graphical program to configure one or more switch devices, the method comprising:

displaying a first node in the graphical program, wherein the first node is operable to use route information to configure the one or more switch devices;

configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes; and

executing the graphical program, wherein said executing the graphical program comprises executing the first node, wherein the first node executes to configure the one or more switch devices according to the one or more routes.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the first node to one or more other nodes in the graphical program.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion and a user interface portion.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the graphical program comprises a graphical data flow program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input requesting to include the first node in the graphical program;

wherein said displaying the first node in the graphical program is performed in response to the user input.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said first node executing to configure the one or more switch devices according to the one or more routes comprises the first node executing to cause the one or more switch devices to connect the one or more routes.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises connecting one or more inputs to one or more input terminals of the first node;

wherein the one or more inputs specify the one or more routes.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises configuring the first node with information specifying names of the one or more routes;

wherein, for each route, the name of the route references stored information specifying the route.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating the stored information specifying the routes.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises receiving user input to a graphical user interface panel or window associated with the first node.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein each route comprises a plurality of connections, wherein each connection connects two switch device channels.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the plurality of connections comprises at least one hardwire connection;

wherein the hardwire connection connects a channel of a first switch device to a channel of a second switch device.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises configuring the first node with information a first endpoint for the route and a second endpoint for the route;

wherein the method further comprises dynamically determining a route from the first endpoint to the second endpoint during execution of the graphical program;

wherein the first node executes to configure the one or more switch devices according to the dynamically determined route from the first endpoint to the second endpoint.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a second node in the graphical program, wherein the second node is operable to cause the one or more switch devices to disconnect one or more routes;

configuring the second node with route information specifying the one or more routes; and

executing the graphical program, wherein said executing the graphical program comprises executing the second node after said executing the first node, wherein the second node executes to cause the one or more switch devices to disconnect the one or more routes.

16. A method for creating a graphical program that configures one or more switch devices, wherein the method operates in a computer system including a display device and a user input device, the method comprising:

displaying on the display device a graphical program node in the graphical program in response to user input; and

configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices in response to user input;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein the graphical program comprises one of a graphical data flow program or a graphical control flow program.

19. The method of claim 16,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises connecting one or more parameters to the graphical program node;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to use the one or more parameters in performing said configuring the one or more switch devices.

20. The method of claim 16,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices to perform one or more routes;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices to perform the one or more routes.

21. The method of claim 16,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises connecting a first parameter to the graphical program node, wherein the first parameter specifies one or more routes;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices to perform the one or more routes.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein each route specifies a plurality of connections to make within the one or more switch devices;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to cause the one or more switch devices to make the plurality of connections specified by each route.

23. The method of claim 21,

wherein the first parameter specifies one or more route names;

wherein each route name references stored information specifying a route through the one or more switch devices.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

creating the stored information specifying the routes through the one or more switch devices.

25. The method of claim 21,

wherein the first parameter comprises one or more route path strings, wherein each route path string fully specifies a route, wherein said fully specifying the route comprises specifying connections among channels in the route;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices to perform the routes specified by the one or more route path strings.

26. The method of claim 16,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises connecting a first parameter to the graphical program node, wherein the first parameter specifies two route endpoints;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to cause;

dynamic determination of a route connecting the two route endpoints; and

configuration of the one or more switch devices to perform the route connecting the two route endpoints.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

connecting the graphical program node to one or more other nodes in the graphical program.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

executing the graphical program;

wherein said executing the graphical program comprises executing the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices.

29. A memory medium for creating a graphical program to configure one or more switch devices, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive user input requesting inclusion of a first node in the graphical program;

display the first node in the graphical program in response to the request, wherein the first node is operable to use route information to configure the one or more switch devices; and

configure the first node with route information specifying one or more routes such that during execution of the graphical program the first node executes to configure the one or more switch devices according to the one or more routes.

30. The memory medium of claim 29,

wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

31. The memory medium of claim 30, further comprising program instructions executable to connect the first node to one or more other nodes in the graphical program.

32. The memory medium of claim 29,

wherein the graphical program comprises a graphical data flow program.

33. The memory medium of claim 29,

wherein said first node executing to configure the one or more switch devices according to the one or more routes comprises the first node executing to cause the one or more switch devices to connect the one or more routes.

34. The memory medium of claim 29,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises connecting one or more inputs to one or more input terminals of the first node;

wherein the one or more inputs specify the one or more routes.

35. The memory medium of claim 29,

wherein said configuring the first node with route information specifying one or more routes comprises configuring the first node with information specifying names of the one or more routes;

wherein, for each route, the name of the route references stored information specifying the route.

36. A memory medium for creating a graphical program that configures one or more switch devices, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive user input requesting inclusion of a graphical program node in the graphical program;

display on the display device the graphical program node in the graphical program in response to the user input; and

configure the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices in response to user input;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices.

37. The memory medium of claim 36,

wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

38. The memory medium of claim 36,

wherein the graphical program comprises one of a graphical data flow program or a graphical control flow program.

39. The memory medium of claim 36,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises connecting one or more parameters to the graphical program node;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to use the one or more parameters in performing said configuring the one or more switch devices.

40. The memory medium of claim 36,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices to perform one or more routes;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices to perform the one or more routes.

41. The memory medium of claim 36,

wherein said configuring the graphical program node to configure the one or more switch devices comprises connecting a first parameter to the graphical program node, wherein the first parameter specifies one or more routes;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to configure the one or more switch devices to perform the one or more routes.

42. The memory medium of claim 41,

wherein each route specifies a plurality of connections to make within the one or more switch devices;

wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the graphical program node is operable to cause the one or more switch devices to make the plurality of connections specified by each route.

43. The memory medium of claim 41,

wherein the first parameter specifies one or more route names;

wherein each route name references stored information specifying a route through the one or more switch devices.