Method of providing access to object parameters within a simulation model

• US 6,069,629 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Entelos Holding Corp. (SilkRoad Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Entelos, Inc. (SilkRoad Inc.)
• Inventors: Paterson, Thomas S., Bangs, Alex L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US08/979,270
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 345/353, 345/356, 345/357, 345/970, 345/349, 345/965, 345/967, 345/347, 345/975, 364/578, 364/188
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A method of providing access to object parameters of a simulation model involves the display of a diagram panel within a user interface, this diagram panel including icons representative of objects modeled within the simulation model. An access panel is also displayed within the user interface, this access panel being distinct and apart from the diagram panel. A set of object parameters, in terms of which objects within the simulation model may be defined, are identified for inclusion and display within the access panel. In response to identification of the set of object parameters, an identifier for each parameter of the set is displayed within the access panel. A value for at least one of the object parameters is then inputted by a user via the access panel, and this inputted value is then assigned to the relevant parameter.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to object parameters of a simulation model, including multiple objects, via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a diagram panel within a user interface, the diagram panel including respective graphical representations of objects of the simulation model;

displaying a first parameter panel within the user interface, the first parameter panel being distinct from the diagram panel;

detecting user selection of a set of object parameters for inclusion within the first parameter panel, the set of object parameters including object parameters associated with multiple objects of the simulation model;

in response to the user selection of the set of object parameters of the simulation model for inclusion in the first parameter panel, displaying an identifier for each object parameter of the set of object parameters within the first parameter panel to the exclusion of identifiers for object parameters not included within the set of object parameters;

receiving respective values for multiple object parameters of the set of object parameters, the respective values being inputted by a user via the first parameter panel; and

assigning the respective values received via the first parameter panel to the multiple object parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 including performing a simulation utilizing the simulation model wherein the values assigned to the multiple object parameters are utilized as initial input values for the multiple object parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 including displaying a respective identifier for each of the multiple objects, from which the set of object parameters is selected, within the first parameter panel.

4. The method of claim 1 including detecting the user selection by detecting a drag-and-drop operation performed by a user on an identifier associated with at least a first object parameter of an object of the simulation model.

5. The method of claim 1 including defining a plurality of parameter panels within the user interface, detecting user selection of a set of object parameters for inclusion within each of the plurality of parameter panels, and displaying a respective identifier for each of the parameters of each of the sets of object parameters within a respective parameter panel of the plurality of parameter panels.

6. The method of claim 5 including identifying the first parameter panel as being in an active state in which the values, for the multiple object parameters included in the first access panel, are receivable via the first parameter panel, and identifying a second parameter panel as being in an inactive state in which values for further object parameters included within the second parameter panel, are not receivable via the second parameter panel.

7. The method of claim 6 including displaying a navigation icon within the first parameter panel, detecting a user selection of the navigation icon, and transferring the first parameter panel to an inactive state and transferring the second parameter panel to an active state in response to the user selection of the navigation icon.

8. The method of claim 6 including displaying a list icon within the first parameter panel, detecting user selection of the list icon, and displaying respective identifiers for the first and second parameter panels in response to the user selection of the list icon.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the identifier for the first parameter panel indicates the first parameter panel as being in the active state.

10. The method of claim 8 including detecting a user selection of the identifier for the second parameter panel and placing the second parameter panel in an active state in response to the user selection.

11. The method of claim 1 including displaying a transfer icon within the first parameter panel, detecting a user selection of the transfer icon, and transferring the first and second object parameters in the first parameter panel to a second parameter panel in response to the user selection of the transfer icon.

12. A method of displaying parameters of a simulation model, including multiple objects, within a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

defining an access panel within the graphical user interface, the access panel being distinct from a diagram panel of the graphical user interface that includes graphical representations of objects of the simulation model;

selecting multiple object parameters of the simulation model for inclusion within the access panel, responsive to which an identifier for each of the multiple objects parameters is displayed within the access panel, the multiple object parameters including object parameters associated with multiple objects of the simulation model and the identifiers of the multiple object parameters being displayed to the exclusion of identifiers for object parameters that have not been selected for inclusion within the access panel; and

inputting respective values for the multiple object parameters via the access panel, responsive to which the values are assigned to the multiple object parameters.

13. The method of claim 12 including initiating a simulation operation utilizing the simulation model inclusive of the values assigned to the multiple object parameters.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein user selection comprises dragging-and-dropping a respective parameter identifier associated with each of the multiple object parameters into the access panel.

15. A machine-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the steps of:

displaying a diagram panel within a user interface, the diagram panel including respective graphical representations of multiple objects of a simulation model;

displaying a first access panel within the user interface, the first access panel being distinct from the diagram panel;

in response to a use identification of multiple object parameters of the multiple objects for inclusion within the first access panel, displaying an identifier for each of the multiple object parameters within the first access panel to the exclusion of identifiers for object parameters not identified by a user for inclusion with the first access panel;

receiving respective values for the multiple object parameters, the respective values being inputted by a user via the first access panel; and

assigning the respective values received via the first access panel to the multiple object parameters.

16. Logic for displaying multiple object parameters of a simulation model within a graphical user interface, the logic comprising:

first display logic to display a diagram panel within the graphical user interface that includes graphical representations of objects of the simulation model, and to display a first parameter panel within the graphical user interface that is district from the diagram panel; and

second display logic, in response to a user identification of multiple object parameters of the objects of the simulation model, to display an identifier for each of the multiple object parameters within the first parameter panel to the exclusion of identifiers for other object parameters not identified by a user for inclusion within the first parameter panel; and

input logic to receive respective values for the multiple object parameters, the respective values being inputted by the

user via the first parameter panel, and to assign the respective values to the multiple object parameters.

17. The logic of claim 16 including simulation logic to perform a simulation utilizing the simulation model wherein the values assigned to multiple first object parameters are utilized as initial input values for the multiple object parameters.

18. The logic of claim 16 wherein the second display logic displays a respective identifier fox each of multiple objects, associated with the multiple object parameters, within the first parameter panel.

19. The logic of claim 16 wherein the second display logic detects the user identification of the multiple object parameters by detecting a drag-and-drop operation performed by the user on respective identifiers associated with each of the multiple object parameters.

20. Apparatus for displaying multiple object parameters within a simulation model, the apparatus comprising:

first means for displaying a diagram panel within a user interface that includes graphical representations of objects of the simulation model, and for displaying a first parameter panel within the user interface that is distinct from the diagram panel;

second means, in response to a user identification of multiple object parameters of the objects of the simulation model, for displaying an identifier for each of the multiple object parameters within the first parameter panel to the exclusion of identifiers for other object parameters not identified by a user for inclusion within the first parameter panel; and

third means for receiving respective values for the multiple object parameters, the respective values being inputted by the user via the first parameter panel, and for assigning the respective values to the multiple object parameters.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 including fourth means for performing a simulation utilizing the simulation model wherein the respective values assigned to the multiple object parameters are utilized as initial input values for the multiple object parameters.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the second means displays a respective identifier for each of the multiple objects, associated with the multiple object parameters, within the first parameter panel.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the second means detects the user identification of the multiple object parameters by detecting a drag-and-drop operation performed by the user on respective identifiers associated with each of the multiple object parameters.

24. A method of providing access to multiple object parameters of a simulation model, the method comprising:

displaying a diagram panel within a user interface on a display device, the diagram panel including graphical representations of multiple objects of the simulation model;

displaying a parameter panel within a user interface on the display device, the parameter panel being distinct from the diagram panel;

detecting user identification, via an input device, of multiple object parameters for inclusion within the parameter panel, the multiple object parameters including object parameters associated with multiple objects of the simulation model,

in response to the user identification, via the input device, of the multiple object parameters of the multiple objects, displaying on the display device an identifier for each of the multiple object parameters within the parameter panel to the exclusion of identifiers for object parameters not identified by the user for inclusion within the parameter panel;

receiving user-inputted values for the multiple object parameters, the user inputted values being entered by the user into the parameter panel via the input device; and

assigning the user-inputted values to the multiple object parameters within a computer memory.

25. A method of displaying parameters of a simulation model, including multiple objects, within a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a parameter panel within the graphical user interface as displayed on a display device, the parameter panel being distinct from a diagram panel that includes graphical representations of multiple objects of the simulation model and that is also displayed on the display device within the graphical user interface; and

in response to a user selection of multiple object parameters of the multiple objects, displaying on the display device an identifier for each of the multiple object parameters within the parameter panel to the exclusion of identifiers for object parameters not identified by the user for inclusion within the parameter panel.