Unified software construct representing multiple synchronized hardware systems

• US 8,327,029 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Purser, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US12/723,157
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/237, 709/231, 709/208, 714/746, 348/500, 370/208, 370/352, 375/130, 717/121, 703/1, 703/13
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/20 Comparing separate sets of record carriers arranged in the same sequence to determine whether at least some of the data in one set is identical with that in the other set or sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/05 Synchronising circuits with arrangements for extending range of synchronisation, e.g. by using switching between several time constants

Abstract

In an embodiment, a session associated with a first hardware device that sends or receives a first data stream and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream may be provided. The session may be used to access information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device. The accessed information may be used to identify a strategy from among a plurality of strategies for synchronizing either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device. The identified strategy may be applied to synchronize either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory electronic device readable storage medium storing instructions for performing a method in an electronic device, the instructions comprising one or more instructions for:

providing a session associated with a first hardware device, that sends or receives a first data stream, and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream;

accessing, using the session, information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device;

based on the accessed information, identifying a strategy, from among a plurality of strategies, for synchronizing either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device; and

applying the identified strategy to synchronize either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising one or more instructions for:

providing a block diagram model in a block diagram modeling environment, the first hardware device being represented as a first component in the block diagram model and the second hardware device being represented as a second component in the block diagram model, the identified strategy being applied to the first component and the second component.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising one or more instructions for:

providing an array-based environment that synchronizes the first data stream and the second data stream using the identified strategy.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first hardware device operates in a first domain that describes a type of data collected by the first hardware device, and the second hardware device hardware device operates in a second domain that describes a type of data collected by the second hardware device, and the first domain and the second domain are different.

5. The storage medium of claim 4, wherein the first domain and the second domain are selected from the group consisting of a stream of one-dimensional data, a stream of multi-dimensional data, and event-based data.

6. The storage medium of claim 4, wherein the first domain and the second domain are selected from the group consisting of time-based data, event-based data, and frequency-based data.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the identified strategy is applied by the session.

8. The storage medium of claim 1 the instructions further comprising instructions for ranking the plurality of strategies based on a degree of compatibility of each strategy with the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of strategies are presented to a user along with a ranking, and instructions further comprising one or more instructions for:

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of strategies for application to the first data stream or the second data stream.

10. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device comprises information relating to the type of one of the hardware devices, the vendor of one of the hardware devices, communication paths that are present between the first hardware device and the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

11. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the information related to first hardware device and the second hardware device includes information obtained by querying one of the hardware devices.

12. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device is provided by a user through a graphical or textual user interface.

13. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first data stream represents data obtained using the first hardware device or the second data stream represents data obtained using the second hardware device.

14. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the session is associated with an acquisition system that is accessible to the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

15. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first hardware device and the second hardware device are measurement devices.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the measurement devices are used for acquiring data during an analysis of an acquisition system, and the selected strategy relates to processing the data acquired during the analysis.

17. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first hardware device and the second hardware device are manufactured by different vendors.

18. A method performed in an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a session associated with a first hardware device, that sends or receives a first data stream, and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream;

accessing, using the session, information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device;

based on the accessed information, identifying a strategy, from among a plurality of strategies, for synchronizing either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device; and

applying the identified strategy to synchronize either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a block diagram model in a block diagram modeling environment, the first hardware device being represented as a first component in the block diagram model and the second hardware device being represented as a second component in the block diagram model, the identified strategy being applied to the first component and the second component.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing an array-based environment that synchronizes the first data stream and the second data stream using the identified strategy.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first hardware device operates in a first domain that describes a type of data collected by the first hardware device, and the second hardware device hardware device operates in a second domain that describes a type of data collected by the second hardware device, and the first domain and the second domain are different.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the identified strategy is applied by the session without input from a user.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising ranking the plurality of strategies based on a degree of compatibility of each strategy with the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of strategies are presented to a user along with a ranking, and the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of strategies for application to the first data stream or the second data stream.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device comprises information relating to the type of one of the hardware devices, the vendor of one of the hardware devices, communication paths that are present between the first hardware device and the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first hardware device and the second hardware device are manufactured by different vendors.

27. A non-transitory electronic device readable storage medium storing electronic device readable instructions for performing a method using an electronic device, the instructions comprising one or more instructions for:

providing a session associated with a first hardware device and a second hardware device, the first hardware device sending or receiving a first data stream and the second hardware device sending or receiving a second data stream, the first data stream and the second data stream being initially unsynchronized;

using the session to select a strategy from among a plurality of strategies for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream;

applying the selected strategy to the first data stream and the second data stream to align corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream; and

generating an output comprising information for aligning the corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream in accordance with the selected strategy.

28. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the output comprises a time array comprising a plurality of aligned data streams.

29. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the first hardware device operates in a first domain that describes a type of data processed by the first hardware device, and the second hardware device operates in a second domain that describes a type of data processed by the second hardware device, and the first domain and the second domain are different.

30. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first domain and the second domain are selected from the group consisting of a stream of one-dimensional data, a stream of multi-dimensional data, and event-based data.

31. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first domain and the second domain are selected from the group consisting of time-based data, event-based data, and frequency-based data.

32. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein the first domain represents a format of data in the first data stream, and the second domain represents a format of data in the second data stream.

33. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further comprise one or more instructions for:

identifying, using the electronic device, information relating to the type of the first hardware device or the second hardware device, the vendor of the first hardware device or the second hardware device, communication paths that are present between the first hardware device or the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device or the second hardware device, and uses the information to select the strategy.

34. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the information comprises information obtained by querying the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

35. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the first data stream and the second data stream comprise data obtained using the first hardware device and the second hardware device while performing a measurement.

36. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the first hardware device and the second hardware device are manufactured by different vendors.

37. The storage medium of claim 27, wherein the output is persistently stored so that the output is available for offline use.

38. A method performed in an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing, using the electronic device, a session associated with a first hardware device and a second hardware device, the first hardware device sending or receiving a first data stream and the second hardware device sending or receiving a second data stream, the first data stream and the second data stream being initially unsynchronized;

using the session to select a strategy from among a plurality of strategies for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream;

applying the selected strategy to the first data stream and the second data stream to align corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream; and

generating an output comprising information for aligning the corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream in accordance with the selected strategy.

39. A non-transitory electronic device readable storage medium storing electronic device readable instructions for performing a method using an electronic device, the instructions comprising one or more instructions for:

obtaining information related to a system comprising a first hardware device that sends or receives a first data stream and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream;

providing a library of synchronization strategies;

identifying one or more synchronization strategies from the library suitable for synchronizing the system, the identifying based on the obtained information related to the system; and

generating a recommendation for synchronizing the system using one of the synchronization strategies.

40. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein identifying the one or more synchronization strategies suitable for synchronizing the system comprises recognizing that the first hardware device and the second hardware device are not connected by a communication link, and the recommendation comprises a suggestion to connect the first hardware device and the second hardware device with a communication link.

41. The storage medium of claim 39, the instructions further comprising instructions for graphically displaying one or more of the identified synchronization strategies on a display.

42. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the information related to the system comprises information relating to the type of the first hardware device or the second hardware device, the vendor of the first hardware device or the second hardware device, communication links that are present between the first hardware device or the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

43. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the information related to the system comprises information describing the system obtained by querying the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

44. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the first hardware device or the second hardware device obtains data during a measurement, and the synchronization strategy relates to processing the data.

45. A method performed in an electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining information related to a system comprising a first hardware device that sends or receives a first data stream and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream;

providing a library of synchronization strategies;

identifying one or more synchronization strategies from the library suitable for synchronizing the system, the identifying based on the obtained information related to the system; and

generating a recommendation for synchronizing the system using one of the synchronization strategies.