Graphical diagram wires whose appearance represents configured semantics

• US 8,028,241 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Correll, Jeffrey N., Kodosky, Jeffrey L., Fuller, David W III, Kornerup, Jacob, Breyer, John R., Hayles, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hur; Ece
• Application Number:
  US11/759,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 715/964, 715/763, 715/762, 715/771, 715/835, 715/967, 717/109, 717/105, 717/113
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/964 CAD or CAM, e.g. interactive design tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

Configuring wires/icons in a diagram. The diagram may be an executable diagram such as a graphical program or a system diagram. The diagram may include a plurality of icons that are connected by wires, and the icons may visually represent functionality of the diagram. The diagram may be executable to perform the functionality. Displaying the diagram may include displaying a first wire in the diagram, where the first wire connects a first icon and a second icon. Data transfer functionality may be specified for the first wire and/or the first or second icon in the diagram. The data transfer functionality may be visually indicated in the diagram, e.g., by appearances of the first icon, the second icon, the first wire, and/or icons displayed proximate to these components of the diagram.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

utilizing a computer to perform;

displaying a diagram on a display, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons that are connected by wires, wherein the plurality of interconnected icons visually represents functionality of the diagram, and wherein the diagram is executable to perform the functionality;

wherein said displaying the diagram comprises displaying a first wire in the diagram, wherein the first wire connects a first and a second icon on the diagram;

receiving user input selecting the first wire for configuration of data exchange semantics for the first wire;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for the configuration of data exchange semantics specifically for the first wire for selection of buffer policy specifying how data are buffered when transferred between the first icon and the second icon;

receiving user input to the GUI specifying desired data exchange semantics, wherein the user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics specifies buffering of data between the first icon and the second icon, wherein the user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics specifies how data are buffered using an intermediate data store when transferred between the first icon and the second icon;

configuring the first wire with the data exchange semantics specified by the user input;

displaying the first wire to visually indicate that the first wire is configured with the data exchange semantics, wherein the first wire visually indicates that data from the first icon is transferred to the second icon according to the data exchange semantics; and

executing the diagram, wherein during said executing the diagram, data is provided from the first icon to the second icon according to the data exchange semantics configured for the first wire.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the first wire comprises configuring one or more queues for the first wire.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the first wire comprises configuring one or more buffer sizes for the first wire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the first wire comprises configuring one or more read or write policies for the first wire.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics comprises displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display;

and

receiving the user input to the GUI.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the first wire comprises configuring asynchronous behavior for the first wire.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the first wire comprises specifying a graphical program for the first wire, wherein the graphical program is executable to implement the data exchange semantics.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing information regarding a plurality of possible visual wire appearances;

wherein displaying the first wire to visually indicate that the first wire is configured with the data exchange semantics comprises displaying one of the plurality of possible visual wire appearances based on the data exchange semantics.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the plurality of possible visual appearances comprises one or more of different patterns, different colors and different thicknesses.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of possible visual appearances comprise one or more of:

a 3D appearance;

a tube appearance;

a separated appearance;

or

a curved appearance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first wire to visually indicate that the first wire is configured with the data exchange semantics comprises displaying a data transfer icon proximate to the first wire.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data transfer icon represents a mailbox, wherein the data transfer icon comprises an arrow and a rectangle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data transfer icon represents a circular buffer, wherein the data transfer icon comprises at least one circle and an arrow.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data transfer icon represents a FIFO, wherein the data transfer icon comprises a plurality of rectangles and an arrow.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data transfer icon provides an affordance for a user to configure the wire.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagram comprises a data flow diagram, wherein the icons represent functions, and wherein the wires indicate that data produced by one icon is used by another icon.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of icons each represent a respective processing element, and wherein each processing element has an associated program for execution by the processing element.

18. A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions that are executable to:

display a plurality of icons in a diagram;

display a first wire in the diagram connected to at least one icon of the plurality of icons, wherein the first wire has a first appearance;

receiving user input selecting the first wire for configuration of data exchange semantics for the first wire;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for the configuration of data exchange semantics specifically for the first wire for selection of buffer policy specifying how data are buffered when transferred between the first icon and the second icon;

receive user input to the GUI specifying desired data exchange semantics of the first wire, wherein the user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics specifies how data are buffered using an intermediate data store when transferred between the at least one icon and the other icon;

configure the first wire with the data exchange semantics specified by the user input; and

re-display the first wire with a second appearance in response to the user input specifying the data exchange semantics of the first wire, wherein the second appearance corresponds to the specified data exchange semantics configured for the first wire.

19. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 18, wherein the data exchange semantics comprises one or more of:

one or more read policies;

one or more write policies;

directionality of the wire;

one or more associated or included data structures;

semantics of wire branching;

one or more queues;

or

one or more buffer sizes.

20. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 18, wherein said receiving user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics of the first wire comprises receiving user input specifying a desired data transport protocol for the first wire.

21. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 20, wherein the desired data transport protocol comprises one or more of:

TCP/IP;

USB;

DMA (direct memory access);

or

register access.

22. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 18, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

store information regarding a plurality of possible visual wire appearances;

wherein re-displaying the first wire with the second appearance comprises displaying one of the plurality of possible visual wire appearances based on the data exchange semantics.

23. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 22, wherein the plurality of possible visual wire appearances comprises one or more of different wire patterns, different wire colors and different wire thicknesses.

24. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 18, wherein the second appearance comprise one or more of:

a 3-d appearance;

a tube appearance;

a separated appearance;

or

a curved appearance.

25. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 18, wherein said re-displaying the first wire with the second appearance comprises displaying a data transfer icon proximate to the first wire.

26. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory medium coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to;

display a diagram including a plurality of icons that are connected by wires, wherein the plurality of interconnected icons visually represents functionality of the diagram, and wherein the diagram is executable to perform the functionality;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for the configuration of data exchange semantics specifically for wires, wherein the data exchange semantics includes a buffer policy specifying how data are buffered when transferred between icons over a wire;

receive user input to the GUI selecting a particular wire type from a plurality of wire types, wherein each wire type of the plurality of wire types corresponds to respective data exchange semantics, wherein the data exchange semantics specify buffering of data between two icons, wherein the user input specifying the desired data exchange semantics specifies how data are buffered using an intermediate data store when transferred between icons;

in response to the user input selecting the particular wire type, display a first wire of the particular type connecting a first and a second icon, wherein the first wire has an appearance corresponding to the particular wire type.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of wire types have associated respective visual appearances, wherein the plurality of visual appearances include one or more of:

a 3-d appearance;

a tube appearance;

a separated appearance;

or

a curved appearance.