Graphical system for executing a process and for programming a computer to execute a process, including graphical variable inputs and variable outputs

• US 5,291,587 A
• Filed: 11/19/1992
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Truchard, James J., Kodosky, Jeffrey L., MacCrisken, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GECKIL, MEHMET B
• Application Number:
  US07/979,416
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 395/275, 395/140, 395/155, 395/100, 395/12, 395/80, 395/147, 395/157, 395/159, 395/800, 395/500, 364/188, 364/149, 364/578
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31912 Tester/user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3632 of specific synchronisation aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• 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 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4494 data driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

A graphical system for executing a process or for programming a computer to execute the process is based on graphical programming techniques. Techniques include composing a graphical front panel of an instrument which provides a means for the user to provide input and monitor outputs of the process, composing a data flow diagram using graphical representations of data flow structures, and in response to the data flow diagram and the panel diagram, composing a sequence of execution instructions to carry out the diagrammed process in response to inputs provided by the panel to supply outputs displayed by the panel. The system is based on libraries of executable functions and variable types having corrresponding icons. The user selects icons which have corresponding entries in the libraries to assemble the diagrams. The system is responsive to the diagram to select the corresponding executable functions and variable types, and interconnecting the selected functions and data types to compose an executable program.

Claims

1. A system for executing a process, said process characterized by at least one input variable and at least one output variable, said system comprising:

a front panel display to display at least one variable input to show a value of said at least one input variable and to display at least one variable output to show a value of said at least one output variable;

a diagram display to display at least one diagram, such that said diagram graphically displays data flow of a procedure by which said at least one input variable shown on the front panel display can produce said at least one output variable shown on the front panel display,

means, coupled with the front panel display and diagram display, for constructing execution instructions in response to said diagram, said at least one variable input and said at least one variable output such that said execution instructions characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure responsive to the value shown in the at least one variable input to update the value shown in the at least one variable output; and

execution means, responsive to the value shown for said at least one input variable, for executing said execution instructions in real time to update the value shown for said at least one output variable.

2. A system for executing a process, said process characterized by at least one input variable and at least one output variable, said system comprising:

a first store for a first collection comprising graphical representations of variable inputs and variable outputs;

a first display, responsive to user inputs and coupled with the first store to display at least one variable input as a graphical representation selected from said first collection to show a value of said at least one input variable and to display at least one variable output as a graphical representation selected from said first collection to show a value of said at least one output variable to provide a display which substantially characterizes a panel;

a second store for a second collection comprising icons, wherein respective icons in the second collection correspond to variable inputs and variable outputs in said first collection;

a third store for a third collection comprising graphical structure representations, wherein respective structure representations correspond to respective data flow structures;

a diagram display to display at least one diagram, said diagram including an icon corresponding to said at least one variable input on said panel and an icon corresponding to said at least one variable output on said panel and at least one structure representation selected from said third collection, such that said diagram graphically displays data flow of a procedure by which said at least one input variable shown on the panel with said at least one variable input can produce said at least one output variable shown on said panel with said at least one variable output;

a program, coupled with the diagram display, that constructs execution instructions in response to said diagram such that said execution instructions characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure; and

a processor, coupled with the diagram display and the first display, and responsive to at least one value shown with said at least one variable input on said panel, to execute said execution instructions to produce at least one value shown with said at least one variable output on said panel.

3. The system of claim 2, further including:

an instrument coupled to said system that provides at least one input variable to said system and for receiving said at least one output variable from said system.

4. A method for programming a computer to execute a process, said process characterized by a reception of at least one input variable and a provision of at least one output variable, said method comprising the steps of:

constructing on the computer in response to user input, at least one panel display including a variable input to show a value of said at least one input variable and a variable output to show a value of said at least one output variable;

constructing on a computer in response to user input, at least one diagram display such that said diagram display graphically displays data flow of a procedure by which said at least one input variable can produce said at least one output variable;

constructing execution instructions in the computer in response to said at least one diagram display and said at least one panel display which characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure and is responsive to the value shown in the variable input to update the value shown in the variable output; and

executing in the computer, in response to the valve of said at least one input variable shown by the variable input, said execution instructions to update in real time the value shown by the variable output.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of constructing execution instructions takes place substantially during said step of constructing at least one diagram display.

6. A method for programming a computer to execute a process, said process characterized by a reception of at least one input variable and a provision of at least one output variable, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying at least one graphical representation for a variable input to show a value of said at least one input variable and displaying at least one graphical representation for a variable output to show a value of said at least one output variable to provide a display which substantially characterizes a panel;

displaying a graphical representation of a reference to said panel, said graphical representation including respective regions corresponding to said at least one variable input and to said at least one variable output;

constructing at least one diagram display which displays said graphical representation and at least one data flow structure representation, such that said diagram display graphically displays a procedure by which said at least one input variable can produce said at least one output variable; and

constructing in response to said diagram display execution instructions which characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure.

7. The method of claim 7, wherein the process emulates an instrument with the computer, said emulated instrument adapted to receive at least one input signal and to provide at least one output signal, and further including:

assigning the value for said at least one input variable shown by the variable input, said value corresponding to said at least one input signal received by said emulated instrument; and

executing said execution instructions, in response to the assigned value, to produce at least one output value for said at least one output variable, said at least one output value corresponding to said at least one output signal provided by said emulated instrument.

8. A method for programming a computer to execute a procedure, the computer including memory, a display, a user input device, and a data processor, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in the memory a plurality of executable functions and a plurality of data types;

storing in the memory at least one scheduling function for controlling data flow among executable functions;

assembling a data flow diagram on the display in response to user input, the data flow diagram including function icons corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of executable functions, at least one scheduler-icon corresponding to the at least one scheduling function, variable icons corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of data types, and arcs interconnecting the function-icons and variable-icons;

assembling a panel on the display in response to user input, the panel including variable input-icons and variable output-icons for assigning input values and displaying output values, respectively, to variable-icons in the data flow diagram; and

generating an executable program in response to the data flow diagram and the panel including interconnected executable functions and scheduling functions as indicated by the data flow diagram, for receiving input values indicated in the panel and executing a procedure to generate output values for display in the panel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data flow diagram is acyclic.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one scheduling function includes an iteration function for iterating a subset of the data flow diagram.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one scheduling function includes a conditional branch function for routing data between at least two executable functions in response to a condition.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one scheduling function includes a sequencing function for controlling sequencing of at least two executable functions.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one scheduling function includes a feedback function for controlling feedback of data generated during the procedure to at least one executable function within the procedure.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the scheduling icon is displayed on the data flow diagram adjacent to function-icons corresponding to executable functions controlled by the scheduling function.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein function-icons corresponding to executable functions controlled by the scheduling function are displayed on the data flow diagram within the corresponding scheduling-icon.

16. The method of claim 8, further including:

displaying the panel and the data flow diagram on the display simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the procedure performs real time data analysis.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the procedure emulates an instrument for performing real time data analysis.