Graphical user interface with user-selectable list-box

• US 8,078,970 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ting
• Application Number:
  US10/008,096
• Time in Patent Office: 3,686 Days
• Field of Search: 345/808, 345/809, 345/810, 717/104, 717/105, 716/1, 706/919, 714/724, 715/964, 715/734, 715/735, 715/763, 715/808, 715/809, 700/90
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]

Abstract

A graphical user interface for configuring a programmable integrated circuit is disclosed. More specifically, the graphical user interface may comprise a displayed graphical representation of the programmable integrated circuit, where the graphical representation includes one or more selectable portions which may represent actual circuitry or components of the programmable integrated circuit. A user-selectable list box may be displayed which comprises one or more selectable items for configuring a selected portion of the graphical representation of the programmable integrated circuit. The user-selectable list box may be displayed in response to a selection of a selectable portion of the programmable integrated circuit for configuration. Additionally, the user-selectable list box may disappear or no longer be displayed in response to a user interaction outside the user-selectable list box, in response to a selection of an item from the user-selectable list box, etc.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for configuring a programmable integrated circuit, the graphical user interface comprising:

a graphical representation of said programmable integrated circuit displayed on a display device coupled to a computer system, wherein said displayed graphical representation physically resembles the shape of the programmable integrated circuit and comprises a plurality of pin images, wherein said plurality of pin images represent actual pins operable to couple said programmable integrated circuit to hardware separate from said programmable integrated circuit; and

a user-selectable list box displayed on said display device coupled to said computer system, wherein said user-selectable list box comprises a plurality of selectable items for configuring a portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with a selected pin image of said plurality of pin images, wherein said user-selectable list box is further for configuring said portion of said programmable integrated circuit in accordance with a selected item of the plurality of selectable items, wherein said user-selectable list box is automatically displayed in response to a selection of said selected pin image, wherein said user-selectable list box is displayed simultaneously with said selected pin image, and wherein said user-selectable list box automatically disappears in response to a user interaction outside said user-selectable list box.

2. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1, wherein said user-selectable list box is sized to only accommodate said plurality of selectable items.

3. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1, wherein said programmable integrated circuit comprises a programmable system on a chip.

4. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1, wherein a color of said selected pin image is changed to an updated color after configuration of said portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said updated color of said selected pin image is associated with said configuration of said portion of said programmable integrated circuit.

5. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1 further comprising labels associated with said plurality of pin images.

6. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1, wherein said user-selectable list box is displayed near said selected pin image.

7. A graphical user interface as described in claim 1, wherein said user-selectable list box automatically disappears in response to a selection of a selected item from said plurality of selectable items displayed within said user-selectable list box.

8. A method of configuring a programmable integrated circuit, said method comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said programmable integrated circuit, wherein said displayed graphical representation physically resembles the shape of the programmable integrated circuit and comprises a plurality of pin images, wherein said plurality of pin images represent actual pins operable to couple said programmable integrated circuit to hardware separated from said programmable integrated circuit;

identifying a selection of a selected pin image from said plurality of pin images;

in response to said selection of said selected pin image, automatically displaying a user-selectable list box comprising a plurality of selectable items for configuring a portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said user-selectable list box is further for configuring said portion of said programmable integrated circuit in accordance with a selected item of the plurality of selectable items, and wherein the user-selectable list box is displayed simultaneously with said selected pin image; and

automatically removing said user-selectable list box in response to a user interaction outside said user-selectable list box.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said identifying said selection of said selected pin image further comprises:

identifying an overlapping of a displayed cursor and said selected pin image; and

identifying a user input for selecting said selected pin image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said user input is selected from a group consisting of a clicking of a mouse button, a double clicking of said mouse button, and an activation of a button of a keyboard.

11. The method as described in claim 8, wherein said programmable integrated circuit comprises a programmable system on a chip.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying labels associated with said plurality of pin images.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

configuring a portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said configuring is based upon said selected item from said user-selectable list box; and

displaying said selected pin image with an updated color in response to said configuring of said portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said updated color of said selected pin image distinguishes said configuration of said portion from at least one other portion of said programmable integrated circuit.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically removing said user-selectable list box in response to a selection of a selected item from said plurality of selectable items displayed within said user-selectable list box.

15. A computer-useable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code embodied therein for implementing a method of configuring a programmable integrated circuit, said method comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said programmable integrated circuit, wherein said displayed graphical representation physically represents the shape of the programmable integrated circuit and comprises a plurality of pin images, wherein said plurality of pin images represent actual pins operable to couple said programmable integrated circuit to hardware separate from said programmable integrated circuit;

identifying a selection of a selected pin image from said plurality of pin images;

in response to said selection of said selected pin image, automatically displaying a user-selectable list box comprising a plurality of selectable items for configuring a portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said user-selectable list box is further for configuring said portion of said programmable integrated circuit in accordance with a selected item of the plurality of selectable items, and wherein the user-selectable list box is displayed simultaneously with said selected pin image; and

automatically removing said user-selectable list box in response to a user interaction outside said user-selectable list box.

16. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein said identifying said selection of said selected pin image further comprises:

identifying an overlapping of a displayed cursor and said selected pin image; and

identifying a user input for selecting said selected pin image.

17. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein said user input is selected from a group consisting of a clicking of a mouse button, a double clicking of said mouse button, and an activation of a button of a keyboard.

18. The computer-usable medium as described in claim 15, wherein said programmable integrated circuit comprises a programmable system on a chip.

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein-said method further comprises:

displaying labels associated with said plurality of pin images.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

configuring a portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said configuring is based upon said selected item from said user-selectable list box; and

displaying said selected pin image with an updated color in response to said configuring of said portion of said programmable integrated circuit associated with said selected pin image, wherein said updated color of said selected pin image distinguishes said configuration of said portion from at least one other portion of said programmable integrated circuit.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

automatically removing said user-selectable list box in response to a selection of a selected item from said plurality of selectable items displayed within said user-selectable list box.