Altering an attribute of a model based on an observed spatial attribute

• US 9,245,068 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mosterman, Pieter J., Grace, Andrew C., Mestchian, Ebrahim
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Iftekhar
• Application Number:
  US13/730,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]

Abstract

A computing device may create a link between a first attribute of a model and an attribute from a spatial environment. The model, when executed, may simulate the behavior of a system. The computing device may further observe a physical object in the spatial environment, and receive a value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on observing the physical object in the spatial environment. The computing device may also adjust a value of a second attribute, of the model, from a first value to a second value based on the created link and the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment. The computing device may execute the model using the second value.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to;

receive a request to link a model and an attribute from a spatial environment,

the model, when executed, simulating a behavior of a system,

cause a user interface to be provided that allows a user to select a first attribute, from among a plurality of attributes of the model, to link to the attribute from the spatial environment,

detect a selection of the first attribute to be linked to the attribute from the spatial environment,

receive information identifying a selection of a physical object in the spatial environment to be monitored to obtain a value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

create a link between the first attribute of the model and the attribute from the spatial environment based on information identifying the first attribute of the model and information identifying the attribute from the spatial environment,

obtain the value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on monitoring the physical object in the spatial environment, and

alter a value of a second attribute, of the model, from a first value to a second value based on the created link and the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

the model producing a first result when the model is executed using the first value of the second attribute of the model, and

the model producing a second, different result when the model is executed using the second value of the second attribute of the model.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the second attribute of the model is different than the first attribute of the model, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to alter the value of the second attribute of the model include:

one or more instructions to alter the value of the second attribute to increase a degree of match between the value of the attribute from the spatial environment and a value of the first attribute of the model.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the second attribute of the model is a same attribute as the first attribute of the model.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the model includes a plurality of model elements, and

where the first attribute, of the model, corresponds to an input to a model element, of the plurality of model elements.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to obtain, after altering the value of the second attribute of the model, another value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on additional monitoring of the physical object in the spatial environment, and

one or more instructions to alter the value of the second attribute, of the model, from the second value to a third value based on the created link and the obtained other value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

the model producing a third, different result when the model is executed using the third value of the second attribute of the model.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the second value of the second attribute more closely matches the value of the attribute from the spatial environment than the first value of the second attribute.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the plurality of instructions to cause the processor to alter the value of the second attribute, of the model, from the first value to the second value include:

one or more instructions to modify the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment, and

one or more instructions to determine the second value of the second attribute of the model based on the modified value of the attribute from the spatial environment.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, where the one or more instructions to modify the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment include:

one or more instructions to alter the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment using a constant.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, where the one or more instructions to modify the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment include:

one or more instructions to alter the obtained value of the attribute from the spatial environment using an equation.

10. A device comprising:

a processor to;

cause a user interface to be provided that allows a user to select a first attribute of a model, from among a plurality of attributes of the model, to link to an attribute from a spatial environment,

the model, when executed, simulating behavior of a system,

detect a selection of the first attribute to be linked to the attribute from the spatial environment,

receive information identifying a selection of a physical object in the spatial environment to be monitored to obtain a value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

create a link between the first attribute of the model and the attribute from the spatial environment,

receive the value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on observing the physical object in the spatial environment, and

alter a value of a second attribute of the model, from among the plurality of attributes of the model, from a first value to a second value based on the created link and the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

the model producing a first result when the model is executed using the first value of the second attribute of the model, and

the model producing a second, different result when the model is executed using the second value of the second attribute of the model.

11. The device of claim 10, where the second attribute of the model is different than the first attribute of the model.

12. The device of claim 10, where the second value of the second attribute more closely matches the value of the attribute from the spatial environment than the first value of the second attribute.

13. The device of claim 10, where, when altering the value of the second attribute, of the model, from the first value to the second value, the processor is to:

cause the second value of the second attribute, of the model, to match the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment within a tolerance amount.

14. The device of claim 10, where, when altering the value of the second attribute, of the model, from the first value to the second value, the processor is to:

modify the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment, and

determine the second value of the second attribute, of the model, based on the modified value of the attribute from the spatial environment.

15. The device of claim 14, where, when modifying the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment, the processor is to:

alter the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment using a constant.

16. The device of claim 14, where, when modifying the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment, the processor is to:

alter the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment using an equation.

17. A method comprising:

causing a user interface to be provided that allows a user to select an attribute of a model, from among a plurality of attributes of the model, to link to an attribute from a spatial environment,

the model, when executed, simulating behavior of a system,

the causing being performed by a computing device;

detecting a selection of the attribute of the model to be linked to the attribute from the spatial environment,

the detecting the selection of the attribute of the model being performed by the computing device;

receiving information identifying a selection of a physical object in the spatial environment to be monitored to obtain a value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

the receiving the information identifying the selection of the physical object being performed by the computing device;

creating a link between the attribute of the model and the attribute from the spatial environment,

the creating being performed by a computing device;

observing the physical object in the spatial environment,

the observing being performed by the computing device;

receiving a value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on observing the physical object in the spatial environment,

the receiving being performed by the computing device;

adjusting a value of the attribute, of the model, from a first value to a second value based on the created link and the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment,

the adjusting being performed by the computing device; and

executing the model using the second value,

the executing being performed by the computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, where the model includes a plurality of model elements, and

where the attribute, of the model, corresponds to an input to a model element, of the plurality of model elements.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, after adjusting the value of the attribute of the model, another value of the attribute from the spatial environment based on additional observation of the physical object in the spatial environment;

adjusting the value of the attribute, of the model, from the second value to a third value based on the created link and the received other value of the attribute from the spatial environment; and

executing the model using the third value.

20. The method of claim 17, where adjusting the value of the attribute, of the model, from the first value to the second value includes:

setting the second value of the attribute, of the model, equal to the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment.

21. The method of claim 17, where adjusting the value of the attribute, of the model, from the first value to the second value includes:

modifying the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment, and

setting the value of the attribute, of the model, to the second value based on the modified value of the attribute from the spatial environment.

22. The method of claim 21, where modifying the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment includes:

altering the received value of the attribute from the spatial environment using at least one of a constant or an equation.