IMPLIED ANALYTICAL REASONING AND COMPUTATION

• US 20100156900A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rubin, Darryl E., Beckman, Brian C., Meijer, Henricus Johannes Maria, Mital, Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 8,314,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Solving for output variable(s) of a model that includes multiple analytically related model variables. The identity of the output model variables and the analytical relationships between the model variables are separately designated. Regardless of the identity of the output variable(s), a solver framework interprets the analytical relationships and solves for the designated output variable(s). The output model variable(s) may be designated separately than the analytical relationships themselves. By simply changing the designation of the output model variable(s), the analytical relationships are reevaluated, and the output variable(s) are solved for. The solver framework itself stays the same regardless of the identity of the output model variable(s).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for solving in the context of a model that includes a plurality of model variables, the method comprising:

an act of formulating an output variable data structure that identifies one or more output model variables of the plurality of model variables;

an act of formulating an equation data structure that represents model analytics that represents analytical relationships between the plurality of model variables; and

an act of automatically solving for the identified one or more output model variables using a solver framework, wherein the solver framework does not change depending on the identity of the one or more output model variables identified in the output variable data structure.

2. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the output variable data structure follows a schema that does not change depending on which of the plurality of model variables are identified as output model variables in the output variable data structure.

3. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of formulating the output variable data structure is performed in response to human programmer input.

4. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the output variable data structure is an in-memory data structure.

5. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the output variable data structure is a persisted data structure.

6. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of formulating an output variable data structure further comprises an act of identifying the one or more output model variables, wherein the act of identifying is performed automatically such that the output variable data structure is auto-populated during the act of formulating the equation data structure.

7. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the act of formulating an output variable data structure is performed in response to a user interfacing with a distinct output variable edit area on a display,

wherein the act of formulating an equation data structure is performed in response to a user interfacing with an equation edit area of the display.

8. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the output variable edit area and the equation edit area are on different portions of a display.

9. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the equation edit area presents the analytical relationships between the plurality of model variables in other than left-hand form.

10. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

in response to the user interfacing with the output variable edit area so as to change the one or more output model variables, an act of altering the output variable data structure to identify a different set of one or more output model variables.

11. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the following in response to the act of altering the output variable data structure to identify a different set of one or more output model variables:

an act of automatically solving for the different set of one or more output model variables using the same solver framework, wherein the solver framework is at least partially defined by the analytical relationships between the plurality of model variables.

12. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the act of automatically solving for the different set of one or more output model variables occurred without changing the equations data structure.

13. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of automatically solving for the identified one or more output model variables comprises at act of solving for at least one of the one or more output model variables using a symbolic solve.

14. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of automatically solving for the identified one or more output model variables comprises at act of solving for at least one of the one or more output model variables using a literal solve.

15. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of automatically solving for the identified one or more output model variables comprises at act of solving for the one or more output model variables using a combination of a symbolic solve and a literal solve.

16. A method for presenting to a user interface that allows a user to solve for model analytics that defines an analytical relationship between a plurality of model variables, the method comprising:

an act of presenting on a display an equation edit area that a user may edit to present one of more analytical relations between model parameters;

an act of presenting on the display an output variable edit area that allows a user to identify a set of one or more output variables that are to be solved for using the analytical relation(s) in the equation edit area; and

an act of detecting an event that indicates that a solve operation is to occur, such that when the event is detected, the one or more output variables identified in the output variable edit area are solved for using the one or more analytical relations displayed in the equation edit area.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the event is a changing of the set of one or more output variables identified in the output variable edit area.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the event could also be a changing of the one or more analytical relations identified in the equation edit area.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the event is a changing of the one or more analytical relations identified in the equation edit area.

20. A computing system comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

one of more physical computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform the following;

an act of presenting on a display an equation edit area that a user may edit to present one of more analytical relations between model parameters;

an act of presenting on the display an output variable edit area that allows a user to identify a set of one or more output variables that are to be solved for using the analytical relation(s) in the equation edit area;

an act of solving for the identified one or more output variables each time a user edits the equation edit area to change the one of more analytical relations, or to change the set of one or more output variables that are to be solved for, wherein whenever there is a solve, the act of solving is performed using the same solver framework even if the analytical relation(s) and/or the output model variable(s) are to change, the solver framework configured to solved by performing the following for each analytical relation;

     1) attempting to forward solve the analytical relation,

     2) attempting to invert the analytical relation if the solver framework fails in forward solving the analytical relation, and

     3) solving the analytical relation by numerical methods if the solver framework fails to invert the analytical relation.