Linking of model elements to spatial elements

• US 9,607,113 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Ciolfi, John E., Mosterman, Pieter J., Torgerson, Jay R., Higgins, Daniel F., Kinnucan, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebresilassie, Kibrom K
• Application Number:
  US13/730,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

A device may include a processor and a memory. The processor may receive a request to link a model element, of a model, and a spatial element. The model, when executed, simulates behavior of a system, and the spatial element is a physical object or an object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions. The processor may further receive information identifying the model element, receive information identifying the spatial element, and create a link between the identified model element and the identified spatial element based on the received request. The link may allow at least one of the model element to be identified based on identification of the spatial element, or the spatial element to be identified based on identification of the model element. The memory may store the link.

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 create a link between a model element of a model and a spatial element,

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

the spatial element being a physical object or an object that is rendered for display in two dimensions or three dimensions,

the spatial element being associated with a portion of the system modeled by the model element,

detect a user selection of the model element,

detect a user selection of the spatial element, and

create the link between the model element and the spatial element based on the user selection of the model element and the user selection of the spatial element,

the link allowing;

information associated with the spatial element to be presented based on navigation of the model to a portion of the model that includes the model element, or

navigation of the model to the model element and presentation of the model element based on detection of the spatial element in a spatial environment.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the link is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and

where the plurality of instructions further cause the processor to:

cause the URL to be displayed in association with the model element.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to receive the request include:

one or more instructions to receive the request in a technical computing environment,

where the instructions further comprise;

one or more instructions to provide a graphical user interface based on receiving the request, and

one or more instructions to receive, via the graphical user interface, information identifying the model element and information identifying the spatial element,

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the model element include;

one or more instructions to detect the user selection of the model element based on the received information identifying the model element, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the spatial element include;

one or more instructions to detect the user selection of the spatial element based on the received information identifying the spatial element.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to receive the request include:

one or more instructions to receive the request in a technical computing environment,

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the model element include;

one or more instructions to detect selection of the model element in the technical computing environment.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the spatial element is the physical object, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the spatial element include:

one or more instructions to detect a presence of the physical object in a spatial environment.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the spatial element is the physical object, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the spatial element include:

one or more instructions to detect selection of the physical object based on pointing to the physical object in a spatial environment.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the spatial element is the object that is rendered for display in two dimensions or three dimensions, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the spatial element include:

one or more instructions to detect selection of the object, as the object is rendered for display.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the spatial element is the object that is rendered for display, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to detect the user selection of the spatial element include:

one or more instructions to receive an image of the physical object, and

one or more instructions to identify the physical object based on the received image.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to detect the spatial element after the link is created, and

one or more instructions to navigate, on a display, from a first portion of the model to a second, different portion of the model based on detecting the spatial element and based on the link,

the second, different portion of the model including the model element.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the spatial element is the physical object,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to detect the physical object in the spatial environment after the link is created, and

one or more instructions to navigate, on a display, from a first portion of the model to a second, different portion of the model based on detecting the physical object in the spatial environment and based on the link,

the second, different portion of the model including the model element.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1,

where the spatial element is the object that is rendered for display in two dimensions or three dimensions,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to detect a user navigation of the model to the model element after the link is created, and

one or more instructions to present the object on a display based on detecting the user navigation of the model to the model element and based on the link.

12. A device comprising:

a processor to;

receive a request to create a link between a model element, of a model, and a spatial element,

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

the spatial element being a physical object or an object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions,

the spatial element being associated with a portion of the system modeled by the model element,

receive information identifying a user selection of the model element,

receive information identifying a user selection of the spatial element, and

create the link between the model element and the spatial element based on the user selection of the model element and the user selection of the spatial element,

the link allowing at least one of;

information associated with the spatial element to be presented based on navigation of the model to a portion of the model that includes the model element, or

navigation of the model to the model element and presentation of the model element based on detection of the spatial element in a spatial environment; and

a memory to store the link.

13. The device of claim 12, where, when receiving the information identifying the user selection of the spatial element, the processor is to:

detect a presence of the spatial element in a spatial environment, and

receive the information identifying the user selection of the spatial element based on detecting the presence of the spatial element in the spatial environment.

14. The device of claim 12, where the processor is further to:

receive information indicating detection of the spatial element in the spatial environment after the link is created, and

navigate, on a display, from a first portion of the model to a second, different portion of the model based on the detection of the selection of the spatial element and based on the link,

the second, different portion of the model including the model element.

15. The device of claim 12, where the spatial element is the physical object,

where the processor is further to:

receive information relating to detection of the physical object in the spatial environment after the link is created, and

navigate, on a display, from a first portion of the model to a second, different portion of the model based on detection of the physical object in the spatial environment and based on the link,

the second, different portion of the model including the model element.

16. The device of claim 12, where the spatial element is the object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions,

where the processor is further to:

detect selection of the model element after the link is created, and

navigate to the object on a display based on detecting the selection of the model element and based on the link.

17. The device of claim 12, where the processor is further to:

cause the link to be displayed in connection with at least one of;

the model, or

the object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions, when the spatial element is the object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions,

the link being displayed as at least one of;

text, or

an image.

18. The device of claim 12, where the memory is further to store a plurality of links,

the plurality of links including the link,

each link, in the plurality of links, being associated with a different identifier, and

each link, in the plurality of links, associating a model element and a spatial element.

19. The device of claim 18, where the processor is further to:

provide a user with an option to perform an action,

the action including at least one of;

bookmarking one or more links in the plurality of links,

performing a search in connection with the plurality of links,

exporting one or more links in the plurality of links,

importing one or more other links into the memory,

creating the identifier associated with one or more links in the plurality of links,

accessing a history of previously-created links, or

sharing one or more links, in the plurality of links, with another user,

receive a selection of the option, and

perform the action.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a request to create a link between a model element, of a model, and a spatial element,

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

the spatial element being a physical object or an object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions,

the spatial element being associated with a portion of the system modeled by the model element, and

the receiving the request being performed by a computing device;

receiving information identifying a user selection of the model element, the receiving the information identifying the user selection of the model element being performed by the computing device;

receiving information identifying a user selection of the spatial element,

the receiving the information identifying the user selection of the spatial element being performed by the computing device;

creating the link between the model element and the spatial element based on the user selection of the model element and the user selection of the spatial element,

the creating the link being performed by the computing device;

detecting the spatial element subsequent to creating the link,

the detecting the spatial element being performed by the computing device; and

causing, based on detecting the spatial element and based on the link, the model element to be displayed,

the causing the model element to be displayed being performed by the computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, where the link includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL),

where the spatial element corresponds to the object that is rendered for display in two or more dimensions,

where the method further comprises:

causing the URL to be displayed in association with the object, and

where detecting the spatial element includes;

detecting selection of the URL.

22. The method of claim 20, where detecting the spatial element includes:

detecting a presence of the spatial element in a spatial environment.

23. The method of claim 20, where the spatial element visually resembles a physical structure of the system to which the model element corresponds.

24. The method of claim 20, where the link is associated with information that indicates a manner in which the spatial element is to be displayed,

the manner including at least one of:

a viewing angle of the spatial element,

a scale of the spatial element,

a coloring of the spatial element, or

a transparency of the spatial element.