User-defined hierarchies of user-defined classes of graphical objects in a graphical modeling environment

• US 7,934,194 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mosterman, Pieter J., Kinnucan, Paul F. Jr., Mestchian, Ebrahim Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): TECKLU, ISAAC TUKU
• Application Number:
  US11/581,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4492 Inheritance

Abstract

The present invention allows a user to graphically define a hierarchy of user-defined, executable classes of graphical objects that can be implemented in a graphical model. The present invention supports the features of inheritance, abstraction and polymorphism. Further, descendant classes of graphical objects can graphically extend the behavior and/or structure of ancestor classes of graphical objects.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method for specifying a hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects comprising the steps of:

graphically specifying a first class of graphical objects wherein an aspect of the first class of graphical objects is not fully specified; and

graphically specifying at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is a subclass of the first class of graphical objects for the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects,

wherein at least one of the first or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects can be instantiated in an executable graphical model;

wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects supplies at least one aspect required for fully specifying aspects of the first class of graphical objects;

incorporating an instance of the first class of graphical objects into an executable graphical model;

instantiating the at least one descendant class of graphical objects;

initiating execution of the executable graphical model; and

dynamically specifying at least one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is instantiated after initiating execution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects inherits at least one aspect from the first class of graphical objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects are represented by a block diagram that is executable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the block diagram includes at least one propagation characteristic.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one propagation characteristic is one of a sample time or a data type.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

depicting contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, wherein the contents comprise the at least one aspect that is inherited from the first class.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one aspect that is inherited cannot be changed in the at least one descendant class of graphical objects.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

graphically indicating that the at least one aspect that is inherited cannot be changed.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects is operable to modify the at least one aspect that is inherited from the first class of graphical objects.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects includes at least one additional aspect that is not included in the first class of graphical objects.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one additional aspect is a non-functional aspect.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one additional aspect is a functional aspect.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one additional aspect is a graphical affordance.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the first class of graphical objects is not fully specified.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

graphically specifying a second class of graphical objects that is an ancestor of the at least one descendant class; and

the at least one descendant class, inheriting at least one aspect from the second class of graphical objects.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

specifying a number of connections on a connection interface of at least one of the class of graphical objects in the hierarchical class of graphical objects; and

specifying a data type for at least one connection on the connection interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the classes of graphical objects in the hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects includes a plurality of data representations and the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a user-defined data type for at least one of the plurality of data representations.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

generating code that represents the graphical model.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the code that is generated represents an object oriented code.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the object oriented code is mapped to at least a part of the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the object oriented code may include an abstract class that is partially specified and that resembles a class of graphical objects in the graphical model.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects includes at least one recognized design pattern.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one recognized design pattern is an algorithmic design pattern that creates a class of graphical objects to reflect a reoccurring aspect of graphical models.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one recognized design pattern is at least one of a creational design pattern for creating instances of a class of graphical objects that are suitable for a given situation, a structural design pattern that facilitates interfacing an instance of a class with another instance in the graphical model or a behavioral design pattern that creates a class structure that encapsulates classes of graphical objects based on the class behavior, a architectural design pattern for providing classes of graphical objects that represent common architecture or a concurrency design for providing classes of graphical objects that are used to control model execution.

25. In a computing environment, a method for specifying a hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects comprising:

graphically specifying a first class of graphical objects wherein an aspect of the first class of graphical objects is not fully specified; and

graphically specifying at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is a subclass of the first class of graphical objects for the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects,

wherein at least one of the first or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects can be instantiated in an executable graphical model;

incorporating an instance of the first class of graphical objects in a graphical model;

initiating execution of the graphical model;

instantiating the first class of graphical objects;

instantiating the at least one descendant class of graphical objects;

dynamically specifying one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is instantiated after initiating execution.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the dynamically specifying is based on at least one of an input to the instantiated first class of graphical objects, an output from the instantiated first class of graphical objects, a state variable of the instantiated first class of graphical objects, a simulation parameter or a user-specified parameter.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

generating code that represents the graphical model.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium holding instructions that when executed by a computer device generate a hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects in a graphical modeling environment by:

graphically specifying a first class of graphical objects wherein an aspect of the first class of graphical objects is not fully specified; and

graphically specifying at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is a subclass of the first class of graphical objects for the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects,

wherein at least one of the first or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects can be instantiated in an executable graphical model;

wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects supplies at least one aspect required for fully specifying aspects of the first class of graphical objects;

incorporating an instance of the first class of graphical objects into an executable graphical model;

instantiating the at least one descendant class of graphical objects;

initiating execution of the executable graphical model; and

dynamically specifying at least one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is instantiated after initiating execution.

29. The medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects inherits at least one aspect from the first class of graphical objects.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the at least one aspect that is inherited cannot be changed by the at least one descendant class of graphical objects and the instructions further comprise the step of:

graphically indicating that the at least one aspect that cannot be changed.

31. The medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed by the computer device:

depict contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, wherein the contents comprise the at least one aspect that is inherited from the first class.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein contents of the second class of graphical objects are represented by a block diagram.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the block diagram includes at least one propagation characteristic.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the at least one propagation characteristic is one of a sample time or a data type.

35. The medium of claim 28, wherein the first class of graphical objects is not fully specified.

36. The medium of claim 35, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects supplies at least one aspect required for fully specifying the first class of graphical objects.

37. In a computing environment, a method for specifying a hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects comprising the steps of:

identifying a first class of graphical objects; and

identifying at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is a subclass of the first class of graphical objects for the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects;

graphically depicting a relationship between the first class of graphical objects and the at least one descendent class of graphical objects;

inheriting, with the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, aspects of the first class of graphical objects;

graphically depicting contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, wherein the contents include the aspects that are inherited from the first class of graphical objects;

incorporating an instance of the first class of graphical objects in a graphical model;

initiating execution of the graphical model;

instantiating the first class of graphical objects;

instantiating at least one of the at least one descendant classes of graphical objects;

dynamically specifying one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is instantiated after initiating execution.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a modification to the contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one of the aspects of that is inherited is modified.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the modification comprises at least one of adding, deleting, inserting or copying aspects to the at least one descendant class.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects are represented as a relationship diagram.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the relationship diagram is at least one of a block diagram, a state transition diagram or a flow diagram.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the second class of graphical objects is executable and the relationship diagram includes propagated characteristics.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein a propagated characteristic is one of a sample time or a data type.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein the dynamically specifying is based on at least one of an input to the instantiated first class of graphical objects, an output from the instantiated first class of graphical objects, a state variable of the instantiated first class of graphical objects, a simulation parameter or a user-specified parameter.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one descendant class of graphical objects includes at least one recognized design pattern.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the at least one recognized design pattern is an algorithmic design pattern that creates a class of graphical objects to reflect a reoccurring aspect of graphical models.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the at least one recognized design pattern is at least one of a creational design pattern for creating instances of a class of graphical objects that are suitable for a given situation, a structural design pattern that facilitates interfacing an instance of a class with another instance in the graphical model, a behavioral design pattern that creates a class structure that encapsulates classes of graphical objects based on the class behavior, a architectural design pattern for providing classes of graphical objects that represent common architecture or a concurrency design for providing classes of graphical objects that are used to control model execution.

49. The method of claim 37, wherein the graphically depicting of a relationship depicts an inheritance relationship.

50. The method of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises

inserting a graphical symbol that represents classes of a hierarchy of classes into a graphical model;

and

graphically specifying that the graphical symbol represents an instance of one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects.

51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium holding instructions that when executed by a computing device generate a hierarchy of user-defined classes of graphical objects in a graphical modeling environment by:

identifying a first class of graphical objects; and

identifying at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is a subclass of the first class of graphical objects for the hierarchy of classes of graphical objects;

graphically depicting a relationship between the first class of graphical objects and the at least one descendant class of graphical objects;

inheriting, with the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, aspects of the first class of graphical objects;

depicting, graphically, contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects, wherein the contents include the aspects that are inherited from the first class of graphical object;

incorporating an instance of the first class of graphical objects in a graphical model;

initiating execution of the graphical model;

instantiating the first class of graphical objects;

instantiating at least one of the at least one descendant classes of graphical objects;

dynamically specifying one of the first class of graphical objects or the at least one descendant class of graphical objects that is instantiated after initiating execution.

52. The medium of claim 51, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed by the computing device:

receive a modification to the contents of the at least one descendant class of graphical objects.

53. The medium of claim 52, wherein at least one of the aspects of that is inherited is modified.

54. The medium of claim 52, wherein the modification comprises at least one of adding, deleting, inserting or copying aspects to the at least one descendant class.

55. The medium of claim 51, wherein the graphically depicting of a relationship depicts an inheritance relationship.