Automatic generation of programs with GUI controls for interactively setting or viewing values

• US 20040221238A1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vazquez, Nicolas, Caltagirone, Christophe, Cifra, Chris, Schultz, Kevin, Kellam, Jeff, Correll, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23008 Computer aided software engineering, program generation, case tools, CASE
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40099 Graphical user interface for robotics, visual robot user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

A system and method for automatically (i.e., programmatically) generating a computer program based on program information, wherein the program includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying input values to or viewing output values from the program. In various embodiments, the program information may comprise any type of information specifying functionality for the generated program. In one embodiment, the program information may comprise information specifying a prototype, and the system and method may automatically (i.e., programmatically) generate a computer program from the prototype, wherein the program includes a graphical user interface for specifying input parameter values to or viewing output parameter values from the program. The prototype may comprise a series of functional operations. One or more input and/or output parameters may be associated with each functional operation. In response to a user'"'"'s request for a program implementing the prototype to be automatically generated, a list of parameters associated with the operations included in the prototype may be displayed. The user may select from the displayed list the input parameters which are desired to be interactively changeable. In response, the program may be generated such that the program has a graphical user interface including a user interface control associated with each selected input parameter. The user interface control for a given input parameter may be operable to receive user input and provide this input to the associated operation in the program. Similarly, the user may select from the displayed list the output parameters which are desired to be interactively viewable, and a user interface control for viewing each selected output parameter value on the graphical user interface may be included. Embodiments in which the program information upon which the programmatically generated program is based comprises other types of information besides prototype information are also described.

Claims

1. A method for generating a computer program, the method comprising:

receiving user input specifying a prototype, wherein the prototype comprises a series of functional operations, wherein at least one of the operations has an associated one or more parameters;

automatically generating a program that implements the prototype, in response to the specified prototype;

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating a graphical user interface for the program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical user interface comprises automatically creating graphical user interface elements associated with the one or more parameters, wherein during execution of the program, the graphical user interface elements are displayed and are operable to receive user input and/or display output.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating code for the program without direct user input.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated input parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element for interactively providing program input specifying a value for the input parameter.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated output parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element for viewing program output indicating a value for the output parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of parameters are associated with the functional operations, the method further comprising:

receiving user input specifying which of the plurality of parameters are desired to have associated graphical user interface elements;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element associated with each specified parameter, but not creating gaphical user interface elements associated with unspecified parameters.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the generated program is a text-based program.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the generated program is a graphical program, comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the program.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving user input specifying a prototype is performed by a prototyping application;

wherein the prototyping application interfaces with a programming environment application in order to perform said generating the program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one parameter has an associated data type, the method further comprising:

determining the data type of the at least one parameter;

wherein creating a graphical user interface element associated with the at least one parameter comprises creating a gaphical user interface element according to the data type of the at least one parameter.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the prototype specifies an image processing algorithm;

wherein the generated program implements the image processing algorithm.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more graphical user interface elements for providing input parameter values affecting the image processing algorithm.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more graphical user interface elements for viewing output parameter values determined by the image processing algorithm.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the program comprises:

automatically generating a block diagram, wherein the block diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate the functionality of the program.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises:

automatically generating a user interface panel, wherein the user interface panel comprises the graphical user interface elements.

2. (Cancelled)

14. A system for generating a computer program, the system comprising:

a prototyping environment application for receiving user input specifying a prototype, wherein the prototype comprises a series of functional operations, wherein at least one of the operations has an associated one or more parameters;

wherein the prototyping environment application is operable to automatically generate a program that implements the prototype, in response to the specified prototype;

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating a graphical user interface for the program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical user interface comprises automatically creating graphical user interface elements associated with the one or more parameters, wherein during execution of the program, the graphical user interface elements displayed and are operable to receive user input and/or display output.

16. The system of claim 14,

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating code for the program without direct user input.

17. The system of claim 14,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated input parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element for interactively providing program input specifying a value for the input parameter.

18. The system of claim 14,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated output parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a gaphical user interface element for viewing program output indicating a value for the output parameter.

19. The system of claim 14,

wherein a plurality of parameters are associated with the functional operations;

wherein the prototyping environment application is operable to receive user input specifying which of the plurality of parameters are desired to have associated graphical user interface elements;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element associated with each specified parameter, but not creating graphical user interface elements associated with unspecified parameters.

20. The system of claim 14,

wherein the generated program is a text-based program.

21. The system of claim 14,

wherein the generated program is a graphical program, comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the program.

22. The system of claim 14,

wherein the prototyping environment application interfaces with a programming environment application in order to perform said generating the program.

23. The system of claim 14,

wherein at least one parameter has an associated data type;

wherein the prototyping environment application is operable to determine the data type of the at least one parameter;

wherein creating a graphical user interface element associated with the at least one parameter comprises creating a gaphical user interface element according to the data type of the at least one parameter.

24. The system of claim 14,

wherein the prototyping environment application is an image processing prototype environment application;

wherein the prototype specifies an image processing algorithm;

wherein the generated program implements the image processing algorithm.

25. The system of claim 24,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more graphical user interface elements for providing input parameter values affecting the image processing algorithm.

26. The system of claim 24,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more graphical user interface elements for viewing output parameter values determined by the image processing algorithm.

15. (Cancelled)

27. A memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive user input specifying a prototype, wherein the prototype comprises a series of functional operations, wherein at least one of the operations has an associated one or more parameters;

automatically generate a program that implements the prototype, in response to the specified prototype;

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating a graphical user interface for the program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical user interface comprises automatically creating gaphical user interface elements associated with the one or more parameters, wherein during execution of the program, the graphical user interface elements displayed and are operable to receive user input and/or display output.

29. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating code for the program without direct user input.

30. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated input parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element for interactively providing program input specifying a value for the input parameter.

31. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein at least one of the operations has an associated output parameter;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element for viewing program output indicating a value for the output parameter.

32. The memory medium of claim 27, wherein a plurality of parameters are associated with the functional operations, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying which of the plurality of parameters are desired to have associated gaphical user interface elements;

wherein said generating the graphical user interface comprises creating a graphical user interface element associated with each specified parameter, but not creating graphical user interface elements associated with unspecified parameters.

33. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein the generated program is a text-based program.

34. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein the generated program is a graphical program, comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the program.

35. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein said receiving user input specifying a prototype is performed by a prototyping application;

wherein the prototyping application interfaces with a programming environment application in order to perform said generating the program.

36. The memory medium of claim 27, wherein at least one parameter has an associated data type, wherein the program instructions are further executable to determine the data type of the at least one parameter;

wherein creating a graphical user interface element associated with the at least one parameter comprises creating a gaphical user interface element according to the data type of the at least one parameter.

37. The memory medium of claim 27,

wherein the prototype specifies an image processing algorithm;

wherein the generated program implements the image processing algorithm.

38. The memory medium of claim 37,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more graphical user interface elements for providing input parameter values affecting the image processing algorithm.

39. The memory medium of claim 37,

wherein the generated program has a graphical user interface including one or more gaphical user interface elements for viewing output parameter values determined by the image processing algorithm.

28. (Cancelled)

40. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a computer program, the method comprising:

receiving program information specifying functionality of the computer program;

automatically generating the computer program in response to the program information, wherein the computer program implements the specified functionality;

wherein said automatically generating the program comprises automatically generating a graphical user interface for the program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical user interface comprises automatically creating one or more graphical user interface elements for providing input to and/or viewing output from the program, wherein during execution of the program, the graphical user interface elements displayed and are operable to receive user input and/or display output.

42. The method of claim 40,

wherein said automatically generating the computer program comprises automatically generating code for the program without direct user input.

43. The method of claim 40,

wherein each of the one or more automatically created gaphical user interface elements corresponds to one or more parameters specified by the program information.

44. The method of claim 40,

wherein the generated computer program is a graphical program, comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the program.

45. The method of claim 40,

wherein the received program information specifies one of:

a prototype;

a test executive sequence; and

a state diagram.

41. (Cancelled)