System and method for developing software utilizing determinative representations

• US 6,880,147 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Pauly, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar, Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US09/656,685
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/105, 703/2, 703/22
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

A statechart includes a state having two or more parallel states. The two or more parallel states are ordered to ensure determinism for the system. The statecharts can be modified Harel statecharts. The statecharts can be utilized to generate avionics software.

Claims

1. A statechart system for use in the development of avionic software, the avionic software requiring deterministic behavior, the statechart system comprising:

a statechart stored on a computer readable medium, the statechart comprising;

a first state;

a second state; and

a third state, the third state including the first state and the second state, the first state being parallel to and simultaneously active with the second state when the third state is active, wherein the first state is ordered with respect to the second state, whereby the statechart does not allow parallel states to be unordered to ensure the deterministic behavior of the statechart.

2. The statechart system of claim 1 further comprising:

a fourth state in parallel and simultaneously active with the first state and the second state and included within the third state, the fourth state being ordered with respect to the first state and the second state.

3. The statechart system of claim 2 further comprising:

a fifth state in parallel and simultaneously active with the first state, the second state and the fourth state and included within the third state, the fifth state being ordered with respect to the first state and the second state and the fourth state.

4. The statechart system of claim 1 wherein the avionic software is a graphical flight planner.

5. A modified Harel statechart system formed on a computer, the modified Harel statechart system comprising:

a modified Harel statechart formed on a computer, the modified Harel statechart including a mathematical representation of a group of states, the group of states including a first state including a plurality of ordered parallel states that are simultaneously active when the first state is active, the mathematical representation ensuring deterministic operation.

6. The modified Harel statechart system of claim 5 wherein the group of states are represented mathematically.

7. A method of providing avionic software, the method comprising:

providing a graphical representation of a state including a plurality of parallel states, the parallel states being ordered with respect to each other and simultaneously active when the state is active, the parallel states being ordered so that only one of a plurality of substate states of the parallel, simultaneously active states is active in response to a particular event; and

applying the mathematical representation to an execution engine to create the avionics software.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the avionics software is fully deterministic.