Method and apparatus for constructing an iconic sequence to operate external devices
First Claim
1. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, said computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
- causing said computer to display on said display device a device icon, said device icon representing said external device;
causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device;
constructing an icon sequence, said icon sequence including said device icon and said operation icon; and
causing said computer to generate control signals responsive to said icon sequence, said control signals including a control signal for causing said external device to perform said operation;
wherein said external device is a first external device of a plurality of external devices and said device icon is a first device icon of a plurality of device icons, each device icon of said plurality of device icons representing a corresponding external device of said plurality of external devices, wherein said step of constructing said icon sequence includes inserting said plurality of device icons into said icon sequence;
and wherein said step of constructing said icon sequence includes inserting a plurality of operation icons into said icon sequence, wherein said plurality of operation icons represent a plurality of operations, wherein said step of causing said computer to generate control signals includes causing said computer to generate control signals to cause said plurality of operations to be performed by said plurality of external devices, wherein the one or more devices of said plurality of external devices which performs a given operation of said plurality of operations is determined based upon a plurality of relative positions of said plurality of device icons and said plurality of operation icons in said icon sequence.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for causing a computer to drive one or more external devices is provided. A computer executes instructions which cause the computer to display an experiment design region and a set of icons. A user copies the icons into the experiment design region to specify the various phases of an experiment. By setting controls in windows associated with the icons, a user specifies how the general stages of an experiment will be performed. Specifically, a user operates controls associated with the icons in the experiment design region to specify which devices will be used in the experiment, how data generated during the experiment will be stored, how different sets of data are related, calculations to be performed on the data, and the format of reports generated based on the data gathered during the experiment. The user specifies the operations to be performed by constructing an icon sequence in a scheduler window. The icon sequence may include device icons which represent devices, operation icons which represent the operations to be performed, and sequence control icons which affect the sequencing of certain designated operations. The computer then issues control signals to the devices specified in the icon sequence to cause the devices to perform the operations specified in the icon sequence. The operations are performed in the order specified by the icon sequence.
165 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, said computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing said computer to display on said display device a device icon, said device icon representing said external device; causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device; constructing an icon sequence, said icon sequence including said device icon and said operation icon; and causing said computer to generate control signals responsive to said icon sequence, said control signals including a control signal for causing said external device to perform said operation; wherein said external device is a first external device of a plurality of external devices and said device icon is a first device icon of a plurality of device icons, each device icon of said plurality of device icons representing a corresponding external device of said plurality of external devices, wherein said step of constructing said icon sequence includes inserting said plurality of device icons into said icon sequence; and wherein said step of constructing said icon sequence includes inserting a plurality of operation icons into said icon sequence, wherein said plurality of operation icons represent a plurality of operations, wherein said step of causing said computer to generate control signals includes causing said computer to generate control signals to cause said plurality of operations to be performed by said plurality of external devices, wherein the one or more devices of said plurality of external devices which performs a given operation of said plurality of operations is determined based upon a plurality of relative positions of said plurality of device icons and said plurality of operation icons in said icon sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, said computer having a display device, wherein said external device generates data responsive to performing an operation, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing said computer to display on said display device a device icon, said device icon representing said external device; causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device; constructing an icon sequence, said icon sequence including said device icon and said operation icon; causing said computer to generate control signals responsive to said icon sequence, said control signals including a control signal for causing said external device to perform said operation; causing said computer to display on said display device an experiment design region; causing said computer to display on said display device a scheduler icon; copying said device icon into said experiment design region; copying said scheduler icon into said experiment design region; associating said device icon with said scheduler icon; causing said computer to display on said display device a scheduler window associated with said scheduler icon; wherein said step of constructing said icon sequence includes constructing said icon sequence in said scheduler window; causing said computer to display on said display device a database icon; copying said database icon into said experiment design region; specifying a database format associated with said database icon; associating said scheduler icon with said database icon; and storing said data generated during said operation in said database format. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, said computer having a display device, wherein said external device generates a first set of data responsive to performing an operation, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing said computer to display on said display device a device icon, said device icon representing said external device; causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device; constructing an icon sequence, said icon sequence including said device icon and said operation icon; causing said computer to generate control signals responsive icon sequence, said control signals including a control signal for causing said external device to perform said operation; causing said computer to display on said display device an experiment design region; causing said computer to display on said display device as scheduler icon; copying said device icon into said experiment design region; copying said scheduler icon into said experiment design region; associating said device icon with said scheduler icon; causing said computer to display on said display device a scheduler window associated with said scheduler icon; wherein said step of constructing said sequence includes constructing said icon sequence in said scheduler window; causing said computer to display on said display device a data correlation icon; copying said data correlation icon into said experiment design region; specifying a correlation between said first set of data and a first plurality of labels with controls associated with said data correlation icon; associating said scheduler icon with said data correlation icon; and causing said computer to generate correlation data representing said correlation responsive to said data correlation icon.
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18. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, said computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing said computer to display on said display device a device icon, said device icon representing said external device; causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device; constructing an icon sequence, said icon sequence including said device icon and said operation icon; causing said computer to generate control signals responsive to said icon sequence, said control signals including a control signal for causing said external device to perform said operation; causing said computer to display on said display device a stopwatch icon, said icon sequence including said stopwatch icon; and causing said computer to begin tracking elapsed time upon completion of an operation represented by an icon directly preceding said stopwatch icon in said icon sequence.
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19. A method for causing a computer to operate an external device, the computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing said computer to display on said display device an operation icon, said operation icon representing an operation performable by said external device; causing said computer to display on said display device a sequence control icon, said sequence control icon being associated with a terminating condition; constructing an icon sequence including said sequence control icon and said operation icon; and causing said computer to generate control signals to said external device, said control signals causing said external device to repeatedly perform said operation until said terminating condition is satisfied wherein a linear insertion position of said sequence control icon determines which icons in the icon sequence are affected by said sequence control icon. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for graphically programming a computer to automate an analysis, said computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
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constructing a sequence of icons on said display device, said sequence of icons including at least one icon specifying an operation and at least one icon specifying an external device; and causing said computer to generate control signals to said at least one external device, said control signals causing said at least one external device to perform said operation wherein said step of constructing said sequence of icons includes the step of inserting into said sequence of icons a plurality of operation icons, each operation icon of said plurality of operation icons specifying an operation of a plurality of operations, wherein said step of causing said computer to generate control signals includes causing said computer to generate control signals to cause said plurality of operations to be performed in a sequence corresponding to a plurality of relative positions of said plurality of operation icons in said sequence of icons. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A system for automatically performing a series of operations, comprising:
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a computer having a display device and an input device; at least one external device operatively coupled to said computer; said computer executing a series of instructions to cause said at least one external device to perform said series of operations, said series of instructions including instructions for; constructing and displaying a sequence of icons on said display device responsive to input from said input device, said sequence of icons including at least one operation icon, said at least one operation icon specifying said series of operations; and
generating control signals to said at least one external device, said control signals causing said at least one external device to perform said series of operations;wherein said series of instructions includes instructions for; inserting into said sequence of icons a plurality of operation icons responsive to input from said input device, each operation icon of said plurality of operation icons specifying an operation; and causing said computer to generate control signals to cause said series of independent operations to be performed in a sequence corresponding to a plurality of relative positions of said plurality of operation icons in said sequence of icons.
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Specification