Generic human machine interface for a graphical model

• US 9,672,389 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mosterman, Pieter J., Szpak, Peter S., Higgins, Daniel F., Kinnucan, Paul F., Torgerson, Jay R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebresilassie, Kibrom K
• Application Number:
  US13/730,092
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/48 Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators

Abstract

A computing device may receive a request to create a link between a control mechanism of a human machine interface and an attribute of a model. The model, when executed, may simulate behavior of a system. The human machine interface may correspond to a physical object. The request may include information identifying the attribute and information identifying the control mechanism. The computing device may create a link between the control mechanism and the attribute based on receiving the request. The computing device may further observe the control mechanism in a spatial environment and detect that the control mechanism has changed based on observing the control mechanism. The computing device may modify a value, associated with the attribute, based on detecting that the control mechanism has changed and based on 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 human machine interface and a model,

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

the human machine interface being a physical object and including a control mechanism,

receive, subsequent to receiving the request, information that identifies the control mechanism, receive information that identifies a plurality of attributes of the model,

cause a user interface to be provided that allows a user to select an attribute, from among the plurality of attributes, and to select the control mechanism to which the attribute is to be linked,

detect a selection of the attribute to be linked to the control mechanism,

detect a selection of the control mechanism to be linked to the attribute,

create the link, based on the selection of the attribute and the selection of the control mechanism, between the human machine interface and the model by linking the control mechanism to the attribute of the model based on the received information identifying the control mechanism and information identifying the attribute included in the received information identifying the plurality of attributes,

identify a presence of the human machine interface in a spatial environment,

receive, by monitoring the spatial environment, information indicating that the control mechanism has changed, and

modify a value, associated with the attribute, to form a modified value of the attribute based on receiving the information indicating the change to the control mechanism and based on the link,

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

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

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

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

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the control mechanism includes a rotating mechanism,

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to receive information indicating that the control mechanism has changed include:

one or more instructions to monitor the rotating mechanism in the spatial environment,

one or more instructions to detect that the rotating mechanism has been rotated in a direction based on monitoring the rotating mechanism, and

one or more instructions to receive information indicating that the rotating mechanism has been rotated in the direction based on the detecting, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to modify the value associated with the attribute include;

one or more instructions to increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the direction.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, where the received information indicating that the rotating mechanism has been rotated in the direction includes information indicating an amount of rotation, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to modify the value associated with the attribute include:

one or more instructions to determine a quantity based on the amount of rotation, and

one or more instructions to increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the quantity.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the control mechanism includes a sliding mechanism,

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to receive information indicating that the control mechanism has changed include:

one or more instructions to monitor the sliding mechanism in the spatial environment,

one or more instructions to detect that the sliding mechanism has been moved in a direction based on monitoring the sliding mechanism, and

one or more instructions to receive information indicating that the sliding mechanism has been moved in the direction based on the detecting, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to modify the value associated with the attribute include;

one or more instructions to increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the direction.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, where the received information indicating that the sliding mechanism has been moved in the direction includes information indicating an amount of movement, and

where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to modify the value associated with the attribute include:

one or more instructions to determine a quantity based on the amount of movement, and

one or more instructions to increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the quantity.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the plurality of instructions to cause the processor to receive the information that identifies the control mechanism include:

one or more instructions to cause an image of the human machine interface and the control mechanism to be displayed in the user interface,

one or more instructions to detect selection of the control mechanism in the user interface, and

one or more instructions to receive the information identifying the control mechanism based on the detected selection of the control mechanism in the user interface.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the plurality of instructions that cause the processor to receive the information indicating that the control mechanism has changed and to modify the value associated with the attribute include:

one or more instructions to receive the information indicating that the control mechanism has changed and to modify the value, associated with the attribute, during an execution of the model.

9. A device comprising:

a processor to;

receive a request to create a link between a human machine interface and a model,

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

the human machine interface being a physical object and including a control mechanism,

receive, subsequent to receiving the request, information that identifies the control mechanism,

receive information that identifies a plurality of attributes of the model,

cause a user interface to be provided that allows a user to select an attribute, of the plurality of attributes, and to select the control mechanism to which the attribute is to be linked,

detect a selection of the attribute to be linked to the control mechanism,

detect a selection of the control mechanism to be linked to the attribute,

create the link, based on the selection of the attribute and the selection of the control mechanism, between the human machine interface and the model by linking the control mechanism to the attribute of the model based on the received information identifying the control mechanism and information identifying the attribute included in the received information that identifies the plurality of attributes,

observe the human machine interface in a spatial environment,

receive information, based on observing the human machine interface, indicating that the control mechanism has changed,

modify a value, associated with the attribute, to form a modified value based on receiving the information indicating the change to the control mechanism and based on the link, and

cause the modified value to be displayed.

10. The device of claim 9, where the human machine interface includes a human machine interface produced via three dimensional (3D) printing.

11. The device of claim 9, where, when causing the modified value to be displayed, the processor is to:

cause the modified value to be displayed by the human machine interface.

12. The device of claim 9, where the control mechanism includes a rotating mechanism,

where, when observing the human machine interface, the processor is to:

determine that the rotating mechanism has been rotated in a direction,

where, when receiving the information indicating that the control mechanism has changed, the processor is to;

receive information indicating the direction, and

where, when modifying the value associated with the attribute, the processor is to;

increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the information indicating the direction of rotation.

13. The device of claim 12, where the received information indicating that the control mechanism has changed further includes information indicating a quantity of rotation, and

where, when modifying the value associated with the attribute, the processor is to:

increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the quantity of rotation.

14. The device of claim 9, where the control mechanism includes a sliding mechanism,

where, when observing the human machine interface, the processor is to:

determine that the sliding mechanism has been moved in a direction, and

where, when receiving the information indicating that the control mechanism has changed, the processor is to;

receive information indicating the direction, and

where, when modifying the value associated with the attribute, the processor is to;

increase or decrease the value, associated with the attribute, based on the information indicating the direction.

15. The device of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

generate the human machine interface based on information relating to the model.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a request to create a link between a control mechanism of a human machine interface and an attribute of a model,

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

the human machine interface being a physical object,

the receiving the request being performed by a computing device;

providing a user interface that allows a user to select the attribute, from among a plurality of attributes, and to select the control mechanism to which the attribute is to be linked, the providing the user interface being performed by the computing device;

detecting a user selection of the attribute to be linked to the control mechanism,

the detecting the user selection of the attribute being performed by the computing device,

detecting a user selection of the control mechanism to be linked,

the detecting the user selection of the control mechanism being performed by the computing device,

creating the link between the control mechanism and the attribute based on detecting the user selection of the attribute to be linked and the user selection of the control mechanism to be linked,

the creating the link being performed by the computing device;

observing the control mechanism in a spatial environment,

the observing the control mechanism being performed by the computing device;

detecting that the control mechanism has changed based on observing the control mechanism in the spatial environment,

the detecting being performed by the computing device; and

modifying a value, associated with the attribute, based on detecting that the control mechanism has changed and based on the link,

the modifying being performed by the computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, where the human machine interface includes a non-electronic physical object, and

where observing the control mechanism includes:

visually observing the non-electronic physical object in the spatial environment.

18. The method of claim 16, where the control mechanism includes a rotating mechanism,

where detecting that the control mechanism has changed includes:

detecting that the rotating mechanism has been rotated in a direction, and where modifying the value associated with the attribute includes;

increasing or decreasing the value, associated with the attribute, based on the direction.

19. The method of claim 16, where the user interface allows the user to specify how the value, associated with the attribute, is to be adjusted when the control mechanism is moved in a selected direction,

the method further comprising:

detecting a user selection, in the user interface, of how the value is to be adjusted when the control mechanism is moved in the selected direction; and

where modifying the value is based on the user selection of how the value is to be adjusted when the control mechanism is moved in the selected direction.

20. The method of claim 16, where the user interface allows the user to specify a direction of movement for the control mechanism and a scaling factor indicating an amount of change to the value based on a movement in the direction of movement

the method further comprising:

detecting a user selection, in the user interface, of the direction of movement and the scaling factor; and

where modifying the value is based on the user selection of the direction of movement and the scaling factor.