Report generator for a mathematical computing environment

• US 7,139,686 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Critz, David, Dean, Loren
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Paul L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US09/517,952
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/6, 703/13, 706/45, 715/522, 709/227
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A method and apparatus, including a computer program apparatus, implementing techniques for generating a report from a technical computing environment provided by a mathematical computer program. A report generator defines a set of reporting components that can be assembled to form a report template and processes the reporting components of the report template in order to extract data from the mathematical computing environment and generate the report. The report generator includes a user interface by which a designer can hierarchically assemble the reporting elements, which are defined according to an object-oriented programming language. The report generator bi-directionally communicates with the mathematical computing environment such that the report generator can evaluate expressions defined within the mathematical computing environment, change initial conditions and parameters of a mathematical model, and issue commands to advance the simulation time of the model. The report generator includes a generation engine that generates an intermediate representation of the report and a transformation engine that transforms the intermediate representation into an electronic document according to a user-selected format.

Claims

1. A method for generating simulation reports based on simulation results of a system, said method comprising:

a report generator receiving a selection of a template to generate a simulation report based on results of a simulation of the system using a model, wherein the template defines a plurality of components;

the report generator processing the plurality of components;

the report generator issuing a plurality of commands to a technical computing environment, wherein one of the plurality of commands instructs the technical computing environment to simulate the system using the model;

the report generator receiving data from the technical computing environment and the simulation based on execution of the plurality of commands; and

the report generator generating the report incorporating the received simulation data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the report generator issuing a command to change a parameter or an initial condition of the model used for simulation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the report generator issuing a command to advance the simulation time by one or more time steps.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the report generator issuing a command to modify the model by adding or removing one or more function blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the report generator controlling the simulation of the system using the model; and

the report generator generating the report on a state of the system at a specified simulation time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the system is simulated by a simulator that interacts with the technical computing environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating an additional template using the plurality of components.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an intermediate representation of the report.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing an external process to change a state of a calculation workspace of the technical computing environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the template is recursively defined.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a subset of the components defines a programming language having flow control constructs for use by the report generator and the technical computing environment.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

the report generator evaluating expressions in a calculation workspace of the technical computing environment, wherein the expressions are defined using the programming language of the technical computing environment.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

the report generator issuing the plurality of commands to the technical computing environment using a programming language provided by the technical computing environment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the components are defined using an object orientated programming language.

15. A report generation system for generating simulation reports based on simulation results of a modeled system, said report generation system comprising:

a simulator for simulating the modeled system;

a technical computing environment that interacts with the simulator, the technical computing environment including a calculation workspace that stores definitions and data of the model; and

a report generator that;

receives a selection of a template to generate a simulation report based on results of a simulation of the modeled system, wherein the template defines a plurality of components;

processes the plurality of components;

issues a plurality of commands to the technical computing environment and controls the simulation of the modeled system; and

receives data from the technical computing environment and the simulation based on execution of the plurality of commands;

wherein the report generator includes a generation engine that generates a report based on the received simulation data.

16. A medium storing computer executable instructions for generating simulation reports based on simulation results of a system, the instructions including the instructions for:

a report generator receiving a selection of a template to generate a simulation report based on results of a simulation of the system using a model, wherein the template defines a plurality of components;

the report generator processing the plurality of components;

the report generator issuing a plurality of commands to a technical computing environment, wherein one of the plurality of commands instructs the technical computing environment to simulate the system using the model;

the report generator receiving data from the technical computing environment and the simulation based on execution of the plurality of commands; and

the report generator generating the report incorporating the received simulation data.