Method and apparatus for providing improved type compatibility and data structure organization in a graphical data flow diagram
First Claim
1. A method for improved type compatibility in a computer system including means for creating a virtual instrument, said virtual instrument comprising a graphical program and a graphical front panel, the method comprising the steps of:
- the computer system displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first virtual instrument;
the computer system displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument, wherein said original control has a first type;
the computer system placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments, wherein said one or more copies of said original control have said first type;
the computer system changing the type of said original control to a second type as directed by the user; and
the computer system automatically updating the type of said one or more copies of said original control to said second type.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A type definition ability in a graphical programming environment which enables a user to assign a name to a custom control that the user intends to use throughout one or more virtual instruments. The user can create a master or original of a control and use copies of that control in all subsequent virtual instruments. If a user subsequently needs to change that control, the user merely updates the single master control which was saved as a type definition. This has the effect of updating all other copies of that control to that of the changed master or original control. An auto-update feature is included which allows a user to choose between automatic updating of all type definition copies or merely indicating to the user which controls need to be updated. Strict type definitions are provided wherein virtually any user change made to a parameter of the original typedef, i.e. appearance, propagates throughout the remaining instances or copies where that type definition is used. Two cluster functions referred to as Bundle by Name and Unbundle by Name are also provided to allow more flexible access to data in clusters. The Bundle by Name and Unbundle by Name functions allow the user to access specific elements or variables in clusters by name. Since these functions reference components by name and not by their position in the cluster, a user change to the data structure of a cluster, for example the addition or removal of elements, or the reordering of elements in the cluster, does not necessarily result in any errors.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for improved type compatibility in a computer system including means for creating a virtual instrument, said virtual instrument comprising a graphical program and a graphical front panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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the computer system displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first virtual instrument; the computer system displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument, wherein said original control has a first type; the computer system placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments, wherein said one or more copies of said original control have said first type; the computer system changing the type of said original control to a second type as directed by the user; and the computer system automatically updating the type of said one or more copies of said original control to said second type. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for improved type compatibility in a computer system including means for creating a virtual instrument, said virtual instrument comprising a graphical program and a graphical front panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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the computer system displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first virtual instrument; the computer system displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument; the computer system assigning a first appearance to said original control as selected by a user; the computer system saving said original control; the computer system placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments; the computer system changing the appearance of said original control from the first appearance to a second appearance as directed by the user; and the computer system automatically updating the appearance of said one or more copies of said original control to said second appearance. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for improved type compatibility in a computer system, comprising:
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a video display screen; means for displaying on the screen a front panel of a first virtual instrument; means for displaying on the screen an original control in said front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument, wherein said original control has a first type; means for saving said original control; means for placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments; means for changing the type of said original control to a second type as directed by the user; and means for automatically updating the type of said one or more copies of said original control to said second type. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for improved data structure organization in a computer system including means for creating a graphical program, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying on the screen a cluster creation icon for creating a cluster data structure of N data elements, wherein one or more of said data elements has a name; displaying on the screen a bundle by name icon for writing values to a subset M of said N data elements in said cluster data structure by name, wherein said bundle by name icon includes M terminals corresponding to said M data elements, wherein said bundle by name icon displays said names of said one or more of said data elements; displaying on the screen one or more values corresponding to said subset M of said N data elements in said cluster data structure; assembling a graphical program including said cluster creation icon and said bundle by name icon, wherein said assembling includes connecting said one or more values to said M terminals corresponding to said subset M of said N data elements in said cluster data structure, wherein names of said subset M of said N data elements are displayed in said bundle by name icon and are observable by a user during said connecting and facilitate said connecting, wherein when said graphical program is executed said values are written to said M elements in said cluster data structure. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for improved data structure organization in a computer system including means for creating a graphical program, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying on the screen a cluster creation icon for creating a cluster data structure of N data elements, wherein said cluster creation icon includes N terminals and wherein each of said data elements has a name; displaying on the screen an unbundle by name icon for reading values from one or more of said N data elements in said cluster data structure by name, wherein said unbundle by name icon displays said names of said data elements; and assembling a graphical program including said cluster creation icon and said unbundle by name icon, wherein said assembling includes selecting a subset M of said N data elements in said cluster data structure to be read, wherein names of said N data elements are displayed in said unbundle by name icon and are observable by a user during said selecting to facilitate said selecting, wherein when said graphical program is executed, said unbundle by name icon provides said values of said M elements which were selected in said assembling. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for improved type compatibility in a computer system including means for creating a virtual instrument, said virtual instrument comprising a graphical program and a graphical front panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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the computer system displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first virtual instrument; the computer system displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument, wherein said original control has a first type; the computer system saving the original control; the computer system saving a first timestamp of the original control during said step of saving the original control; the computer system placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments, wherein said one or more copies of said original control have said first type; the computer system saving said first timestamp with each of said one or more copies of said original control during said step of placing copies of said original control; the computer system changing the type of said original control to a second type as directed by the user; the computer system saving a second timestamp with said original control, wherein said second timestamp is different than said first timestamp; and the computer system automatically updating the type of said one or more copies of said original control to said second type; wherein said step of automatically updating comprises; comparing the timestamp of said original control with the timestamp of said one or more copies; and updating said one or more copies to match said original control if the timestamp of said original control does not match the timestamp of said one or more copies.
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44. A method for improved type compatibility in a computer system including means for creating a virtual instrument, said virtual instrument comprising a graphical program and a graphical front panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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the computer system displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first virtual instrument; the computer system displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first virtual instrument that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first virtual instrument; the computer system assigning a first appearance to said original control as selected by a user; the computer system saving said original control; the computer system saving a first timestamp of said original control during said step of saving said original control; the computer system placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more virtual instruments as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more virtual instruments; the computer system saving said first timestamp with each of said one or more copies of said original control; the computer system changing the appearance of said original control from the first appearance to a second appearance as directed by the user; the computer system saving a second timestamp with said original control, wherein said second timestamp is different than said first timestamp; and the computer system automatically updating the appearance of said one or more copies of said original control to said second appearance; wherein said step of automatically updating comprises; comparing the timestamp of said original control with the timestamp of each of said copies; and updating respective copies of said one or more copies to match said original control if the timestamp of said original control does not match the timestamp of said respective copies.
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45. A computer-implemented method for improved type compatibility in a graphical program, said graphical program comprising a graphical block diagram and a graphical front panel, the method comprising:
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displaying on the screen a graphical front panel of a first graphical program; displaying on the screen an original control in said graphical front panel of said first graphical program that references a first variable, wherein said original control displays data in said first graphical program, wherein said original control has a first type; saving said original control; placing one or more copies of said original control in various places in one or more graphical front panels of one or more graphical programs as directed by the user, wherein said one or more copies of said original control display data in respective ones of said one or more graphical program, wherein said one or more copies of said original control have said first type; changing the type of said original control to a second type as directed by the user; and automatically updating the type of said one or more copies of said original control to said second type. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification