Graphical user interface for viewing or editing an executable block diagram model

• US 8,019,579 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Pressman, Eric, Yeddanapudi, Murali, Wey, Claudia, Conte, Len, Torgerson, Jay Ryan, Mosterman, Pieter J., Ciolfi, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Proctor; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERRE LOUIS, ANDRE
• Application Number:
  US11/974,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for displaying elements of an attribute in an executable block diagram model is provided. The method may include displaying an executable block diagram model in a first window and receiving a first input from an input device, wherein the first input associates with a first parameter of a block diagram modeling component in the executable block diagram model, the first parameter is represented in the executable block diagram model by a first graphical affordances. The method may include triggering the display of a value of a first parameter in a first user interface widget in the first window.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium holding computer executable instructions for displaying one or more attributes associated with one of one or more block diagram modeling components of an executable block diagram model, where at least one of the one or more attributes has one or more attribute values, the medium comprising:

instructions for displaying an executable block diagram model in a first window, the executable block diagram model comprising a first block diagram modeling component having a first attribute;

instructions for associating the first block diagram modeling component with a first graphical affordance;

instructions for displaying the first block diagram modeling component with the first graphical affordance;

instructions for activating the first graphical affordance in response to a cursor being proximate to the graphical affordance; and

instructions for displaying a first widget in response to activating the first graphical affordance, the first widget for displaying a history of attribute values associated with the first block diagram modeling component.

2. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for receiving a first input, wherein the first input is related to the first attribute;

instructions for modifying the one or more attribute values of the first attribute based on the first input;

instructions for updating information about the first block diagram modeling component of the executable block diagram model using the one or more attribute values of the first attribute; and

instructions for displaying the updated information in the first widget of the first window.

3. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for receiving a second input, the second input including an additional attribute value for the first attribute; and

instructions for displaying the additional attribute value for the first attribute in the first widget.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first attribute comprises a simulation result of the first block diagram modeling component, a subsystem represented by the first block diagram modeling component, a code associated with the first block diagram modeling component, parameters of the first block diagram modeling component, or a representation of the first block diagram modeling component generated via a scripting language.

5. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of a second attribute in the first window or in a second window, wherein the second attribute is represented by a second graphical affordance in the executable block diagram model.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first graphical affordance is provided on the block diagram modeling component or around the block diagram modeling component as a hotspot region, the hotspot region being displayed without using a graphical icon.

7. The medium of claim 6, further comprising:

instructions for displaying a first hotspot region associated with the first attribute, a second hotspot region associated with a second attribute and a third hotspot region associated with a third attribute;

instructions for displaying the one or more attribute values of the first attribute when the first hotspot region is selected by the cursor being proximate to the first hotspot region;

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of the second attribute when the second hotspot region is selected by the cursor being proximate to the second hotspot region; and

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of the third attribute when the third hotspot region is selected by the cursor being proximate to the third hotspot region.

8. A computer readable medium holding computer executable instructions for causing a computing device to display one or more attributes associated with one or more block diagram modeling components of an executable block diagram model, where at least one of the one or more attributes has one or more attribute values, said medium comprising:

instructions for displaying an executable block diagram model in a first window, where the executable block diagram model comprises a first block diagram modeling component that includes a first attribute having one or more attribute values;

instructions for identifying one or more hotspot regions around the first block diagram modeling component, where the instructions for identifying comprise;

instructions for associating one of the one or more hotspot regions with the first attribute, and

instructions for associating another of the one or more hotspot regions with a second attribute when a second attribute is associated with the first block diagram modeling component;

instructions for receiving a first input for the first attribute or the second attribute, where the first input modifies one or more attribute values of the first attribute or the second attribute; and

instructions for displaying the one or more attribute values associated with the first attribute or the one or more attribute values associated with the second attribute via a first widget in the first window, where the displaying provides updated information about the first block diagram modeling component or the executable block diagram model.

9. The medium of claim 8, further comprising:

instructions for receiving second input, the second input including additional attribute values for the first attribute; and

instructions for displaying the additional attribute values of the first attribute in the first widget.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the displaying the additional attribute values includes replacing the one or more attribute values of the first attribute with the additional attribute values.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the first widget is selectively visible on the executable block diagram model.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the first widget displays dynamic data.

13. The medium of claim 9, wherein the first attribute comprises simulation results of the first block diagram modeling component, a subsystem represented by the first block diagram modeling component, a code associated with the first block diagram modeling component, parameters of the first block diagram modeling component or representation of the first block diagram modeling component generated via a scripting language.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more hotspot regions are displayed without using a graphical icon.

15. The medium of claim 8, further comprising:

instructions for displaying a first hotspot region associated with the first attribute, a second hotspot region associated with a second attribute and a third hotspot region associated with a third attribute;

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of the first attribute when the first hotspot region is selected;

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of the second attribute when the second hotspot region is selected; and

instructions for displaying one or more attribute values of the third attribute when the third hotspot region is selected.

16. A system for displaying one or more attribute values of one or more attributes of a block diagram modeling component in an executable block diagram model, the system comprising:

a display device that displays an executable block diagram model having one or more block diagram modeling components in a window, wherein the one or more block diagram modeling components have one or more attributes;

a model editor that associates the one or more block diagram modeling components or regions around the one or more block diagram modeling components with one or more graphical affordances;

an attribute value viewer that in response to activating the one or more graphical affordances in response to a cursor being proximate to the one or more graphical affordances, displays a first widget for illustrating a history of attribute values of a first attribute associated with a first block diagram modeling component;

an input device for entering input to modify the one or more attribute values displayed on the first widget; and

an updating logic that updates the display of the block diagram with the input entered using the input device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first attribute comprises simulation results of the first block diagram modeling component, a subsystem associated with the first block diagram modeling component, a code associated with the first block diagram modeling component, parameters of the first block diagram modeling component or representation of the block diagram modeling component generated via a scripting language.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a multi-level detail viewer for displaying a specified level of detail of one of the one or more block diagram modeling components in the executable block diagram model when the one of the one or more block diagram modeling components is selected, wherein the one of the one or more block diagram modeling components is displayed in its normal viewing mode, when the one of the one or more block diagram modeling components is not selected.