Displaying physical signal routing in a diagram of a system

• US 8,782,525 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Curtis, Matthew C., Loy, Jenifer M., Gabbert, Adam K., Ryckman, Jayson P., Kornerup, Jacob, Correll, Jeffrey N., Hayles, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US13/193,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/736, 715/735, 715/823, 715/854, 715/855, 715/860
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/394 Routing G06F30/396 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Displaying physical signal routing of a system. A diagram of the system may be displayed. The system may include physical components connected via physical connections and logical components implemented on various ones of the physical components. The diagram may include a plurality of icons connected by wires. At least a first subset of the icons may represent logical elements of the system and wires between the first subset of icons may represent logical connections between corresponding logical elements. User input requesting signal routing information of the system may be received. In response, a signal route corresponding to a first logical connection between a first logical element and a second logical element may be visually indicated.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for displaying signal routing, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

display a diagram of a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of physical components connected via physical connections, wherein the system comprises a plurality of software elements implemented on various ones of the physical components, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons connected by wires, wherein at least a first subset of the icons represent the plurality of software elements of the system, wherein wires between the first subset of icons represent logical connections between corresponding software elements without representing corresponding physical signal routes;

receive user input requesting physical signal routing information of the system; and

visually indicate a physical signal route corresponding to a first logical connection between a first software element and a second software element based on the user input, wherein the first software element is implemented on a first physical component and the second software element is implemented on a second physical component, wherein said visually indicating comprises displaying the physical signal route of a first physical connection between the first physical component and the second physical component.

2. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user input selects a first wire representing the first logical connection, wherein said visually indicating the physical signal route is based on the user input selecting the first wire.

3. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the physical signal route corresponding to the first logical connection is not displayed prior to said receiving user input.

4. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said visually indicating the physical signal route comprises displaying a graphical representation of the physical signal route.

5. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the physical signal route comprises a plurality of physical components and physical connections between the physical components.

6. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

visually indicate a physical signal route corresponding to a second logical connection between a third software element and a fourth software element in response to the user input.

7. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said visually indicating is performed within the diagram.

8. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

visually indicate communication characteristics of the physical signal route.

9. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the software elements represent graphical programs, wherein each graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected icons that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the functionality.

10. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the diagram comprises a second subset of icons corresponding to the plurality of physical components, wherein wires between the second subset of icons represent the physical connections between the corresponding physical elements.

26. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein each software element comprises one or more of:

a software element executable by a processor of a device;

or

a software element implemented on a programmable hardware element of a device.

11. A method for displaying signal routing, comprising:

displaying a diagram of a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of physical components connected via physical connections, wherein the system comprises a plurality of software elements implemented on various ones of the physical components, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons connected by wires, wherein at least a first subset of the icons represent the plurality of software elements of the system, wherein wires between the first subset of icons represent logical connections between corresponding software elements without representing corresponding physical signal routes;

receiving user input requesting physical signal routing information of the system; and

visually indicating a physical signal route corresponding to a first logical connection between a first software element and a second software element based on the user input, wherein the first software element is implemented on a first physical component and the second software element is implemented on a second physical component, wherein said visually indicating comprises displaying the physical signal route of a first physical connection between the first physical component and the second physical component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input selects a first wire representing the first logical connection, wherein said visually indicating the physical signal route is based on the user input selecting the first wire.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical signal route corresponding to the first logical connection is not displayed prior to said receiving user input.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said visually indicating the physical signal route comprises displaying a graphical representation of the physical signal route.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical signal route comprises a plurality of physical components and physical connections between the physical components.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

visually indicating a physical signal route corresponding to a second logical connection between a third software element and a fourth software element in response to the user input.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said visually indicating is performed within the diagram.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

visually indicating communication characteristics of the physical signal route.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a subset of the software elements represent graphical programs, wherein each graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected icons that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the functionality.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the diagram comprises a second subset of icons corresponding to the plurality of physical components, wherein wires between the second subset of icons represent the physical connections between the corresponding physical elements.

21. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for displaying signal routing in response to selection of a logical connection, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

display a diagram of a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of physical components connected via physical connections, wherein the system comprises a plurality of software elements implemented on various ones of the physical components, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons connected by wires, wherein a first subset of the icons comprise physical component icons representing the physical components, wherein a second subset of the icons comprise software element icons representing the plurality of software elements of the system, wherein wires between the software element icons represent connections between corresponding software components without representing corresponding physical connections;

receive user input selecting a first wire between a first software element and a second software element; and

visually indicate physical connectivity information corresponding to the first wire, wherein the first software element is implemented on a first physical component and the second software element is implemented on a second physical component, wherein said visually indicating comprises displaying the physical connectivity information of a first physical connection between the first physical component and the second physical component in the diagram.

22. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 21, wherein wires between the physical component icons represent physical connections between corresponding physical components.

23. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 21, wherein at least a subset of the software elements represent graphical programs, wherein each graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected icons that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the functionality.

24. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 21, wherein the physical connectivity information corresponding to the first wire is not displayed prior to said receiving user input.

25. A method for displaying signal routing in a chassis in response to selection of a logical connection, comprising:

displaying a diagram of a system, wherein the system comprises a chassis having a backplane and a plurality of slots, wherein devices are positioned in at least two of the slots and are configured to communicate over the backplane, wherein the system comprises software elements implemented on each of the devices, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons connected by wires, wherein a first subset of the icons comprise physical component icons representing the devices, wherein a second subset of the icons comprise software element icons representing the plurality of software elements of the system, wherein wires between the software element icons represent connections between corresponding software elements without representing corresponding physical connections;

receive user input selecting a first wire between a first software element and a second software element; and

visually indicate physical connectivity information corresponding to the first wire, wherein the first software element is implemented on a first device and the second software element is implemented on a second device, wherein said visually indicating comprises displaying the physical connectivity information of the backplane connection between the first device and the second device in the diagram.