Conversion of a first diagram having states and transitions to a graphical data flow program using an intermediate XML representation

• US 7,987,448 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kodosky, Jeffrey L., Hogan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US12/426,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 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

Abstract

A system and method for programmatically generating a graphical program in response to state diagram information. The state diagram information may specify a plurality of states and state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A graphical program generation program (GPG program), may receive the state diagram information and automatically, i.e., programmatically, generate a graphical program (or graphical program portion) based on the state diagram information.

Claims

1. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies one or more states and one or more transitions between the states, wherein the first diagram specifies first functionality;

store an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generate a graphical data flow program based on the XML representation, wherein the graphical data flow program specifies a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and wherein the graphical data flow program is executable by a processor to perform the first functionality.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

automatically generate the XML representation based on the first diagram.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display the graphical data flow program on a display after said automatically generating the graphical data flow program.

4. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first diagram is a state diagram.

5. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein, for at least one state of the one or more states, the first diagram comprises program code associated with the at least one state;

wherein the graphical data flow program comprises the specified program code.

6. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein, for at least one state, the first diagram comprises program code associated with the state;

wherein the graphical data flow program is operable to invoke the specified program code.

7. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical data flow program comprises at least one placeholder for at least one state transition of the one or more transitions.

8. The memory medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

for the one or more state transitions, receive user input specifying a Boolean condition associated with each state transition.

9. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises at least a first node that represents control flow of data among one or more of the plurality of nodes.

10. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

automatically generate a hardware description based on the graphical data flow program, wherein the hardware description specifies a hardware implementation of the graphical data flow program, and wherein the hardware description is usable to configure a programmable hardware element to implement the first functionality.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies one or more states and one or more transitions between the states, wherein the first diagram specifies first functionality;

automatically generating, by the computer system, an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generating a data flow diagram based on the XML representation, wherein the data flow diagram specifies a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and wherein the data flow diagram is executable by a processor to perform the first functionality.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the data flow diagram on a display after said automatically generating the data flow diagram.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first diagram is a state diagram.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, for at least one state of the one or more states, the first diagram comprises program code associated with the at least one state;

wherein the data flow diagram comprises the specified program code.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, for at least one state, the first diagram comprises program code associated with the state;

wherein the data flow diagram is operable to invoke the specified program code.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data flow diagram comprises at least one placeholder for at least one state transition of the one or more transitions.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

for the one or more state transitions, receiving user input specifying a Boolean condition associated with each state transition.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises at least a first node that represents control flow of data among one or more of the plurality of nodes.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically generating a hardware description based on the data flow diagram, wherein the hardware description specifies a hardware implementation of the data flow diagram, and wherein the hardware description is usable to configure a programmable hardware element to implement the first functionality.

20. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies one or more states and one or more transitions between the states, wherein the first diagram specifies first functionality;

store an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generate a data flow program based on the XML representation, wherein the data flow program specifies a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and wherein the data flow program is executable by a processor to perform the first functionality.

21. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies one or more states and one or more transitions between the states, wherein the first diagram specifies first functionality;

means for automatically generating an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

means for automatically generating a data flow program based on the XML representation, wherein the data flow program specifies a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and wherein the data flow program is executable by a processor to perform the first functionality.