Automatic generation of application domain specific graphical programs

• US 20060225034A1
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Peck, Joseph E., Novacek, Matthew E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

System and method for generating an application domain specific graphical program. A graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying functionality of a graphical program in an application domain is displayed, where the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain. User input to the GUI specifying the functionality of the graphical program is received, and the graphical program generated in response, where the graphical program is executable to perform the specified functionality, and comprises multiple interconnected graphical program nodes that visually represent the graphical program functionality. The GUI includes graphical interface elements operable to indicate and/or specify, e.g., via user input, respective attributes of the graphical program such as timing, triggering, analog and/or digital input/output (I/O), resource allocation, processing option, inclusion of one or more external files, and one or more target devices, among others, and may determine the graphical interface elements based on the specified one or more target devices.

Claims

1. A computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions for creating a graphical program, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying functionality of a graphical program in an application domain, wherein the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain;

receiving user input to the GUI specifying the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the user input does not specify graphical program nodes or interconnections between graphical program nodes; and

automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the specified functionality, and wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually represents the functionality of the graphical program;

wherein the graphical program is a distributed graphical program comprising a plurality of portions each targeted for execution on a respective device of a plurality of devices, and wherein the portions are respectively executable on the respective devices to perform the specified functionality in a cooperative manner; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of devices comprises a programmable hardware element.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user input to the GUI specifies one or more of:

timing for the graphical program;

triggering for the graphical program;

analog input/output (I/O) for the graphical program;

digital I/O for the graphical program;

resource allocation for the graphical program;

processing options for execution of the graphical program; and

inclusion of one or more external files in the graphical program.

3. The memory medium of claim 2, wherein, in specifying timing for the graphical program, the user input specifies a timing model for the graphical program, and wherein the GUI is operable to display a graphical representation of the timing model in response to the user input.

4. The memory medium of claim 2, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

verifying one or more of;

the timing for the graphical program specified by the user;

the triggering for the graphical program specified by the user;

the analog input/output (I/O) for the graphical program specified by the user;

the digital input/output (I/O) for the graphical program specified by the user;

the resource allocation for the graphical program specified by the user;

the processing options for execution of the graphical program specified by the user; and

the inclusion of one or more external files in the graphical program specified by the user.

5. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a plurality of graphical interface elements operable to indicate and/or specify respective attributes of the graphical program.

6. The memory medium of claim 5, wherein the user input to the GUI specifies the plurality of devices for executing the graphical program, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

determining the plurality of graphical interface elements based on the specified plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of graphical interface elements correspond to respective attributes of the graphical program appropriate to each of the plurality of devices.

7. The memory medium of claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

determining suitable target devices for the graphical program based on the specified functionality;

the GUI indicating the suitable target devices; and

receiving user input selecting the plurality of devices from the suitable target devices for deployment and execution of the graphical program.

8. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

storing configuration information for the graphical program in one or more of;

a configuration file; and

the graphical program.

9. The memory medium of claim 8,

wherein the graphical program comprises one or more features, wherein each of the one or more features comprises a respective one or more graphical program elements;

and

wherein the configuration information specifies the graphical program at a feature level.

10. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving user input to the GUI specifying import of a previously created graphical program; and

importing the previously created graphical program in response to the user input specifying the import.

11. The memory medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

analyzing configuration information for the imported graphical program; and

the GUI displaying respective attributes of the imported graphical program based on said analyzing configuration information;

wherein said receiving user input to the GUI specifying the functionality of the graphical program comprises receiving user input to at least a subset of the graphical interface elements modifying respective attributes of the imported graphical program; and

wherein said automatically generating comprises automatically modifying the imported graphical program based on the received user input, and wherein the graphical program comprises the modified imported graphical program.

12. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the application domain comprises one or more of:

control loops;

timer/counters;

control;

motion control;

measurement;

data acquisition;

waveform generation;

pattern matching;

data analysis;

image processing;

signal processing;

machine vision;

hardware in the loop simulation;

simulation; and

embedded systems.

13. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program comprises:

automatically analyzing the user input; and

automatically executing one or more scripts to generate the graphical program based on the analysis.

14. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein said executing one or more scripts to generate the graphical program comprises:

invoking one or more low level assistants to generate the graphical program, wherein each of the low level application assistants executes a respective one or more scripts to generate respective portions of the plurality of portions of the graphical program.

15. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further comprises:

automatically generating the one or more scripts based on the analysis.

16. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving further user input specifying one or more additional nodes and/or interconnections for the graphical program; and

adding the one or more additional nodes and/or interconnections to the graphical program in response to the further user input.

17. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving additional user input invoking the GUI;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying further functionality of a graphical program in an application domain, wherein the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain;

receiving user input to the GUI further specifying the functionality of the graphical program; and

generating an updated graphical program in response to the user input.

18. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving further user input specifying modification of the graphical program; and

modifying the graphical program in response to the further user input.

19. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving further user input specifying one or more modifications to the plurality of interconnected nodes of the generated graphical program; and

modifying the plurality of interconnected nodes in response to the further user input.

20. The memory medium of claim 19,

wherein, prior to said receiving further user input specifying one or more modifications and said modifying the plurality of interconnected nodes, the graphical program is locked with respect to the GUI, wherein, in being locked with respect to the GUI allows the GUI to be invoked for the graphical program;

and

wherein said modifying the plurality of interconnected nodes further comprises;

unlocking the graphical program with respect to the GUI, wherein said unlocking precludes subsequently invoking the GUI for the graphical program.

21. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the GUI is operable to display resource states of respective resources associated with the graphical program.

22. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the resource states comprise one or more of:

unused;

used but available;

used and unavailable for further use; and

over-committed and inoperable.

23. The memory medium of claim 22, wherein if the resource state is used and unavailable for further use, the GUI is operable to lock the resource against further use.

24. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the GUI is operable to display resource states via one or more of:

one or more icons associated with the respective resource;

a resource state display window;

a system diagram;

one or more status bars associated with the corresponding resources; and

a display window launched during compilation or execution of the graphical program.

25. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said receiving user input to the GUI comprises:

executing one or more assistants to receive further user input specifying additional functionality of the graphical program.

26. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said generating the graphical program further comprises:

automatically analyzing the user input;

automatically generating one or more data structures based on the analysis; and

automatically generating the graphical program based on the one or more data structures.

27. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices comprises a host computer.

28. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the GUI is operable to display an estimated utilization of one or more of the at least one programmable hardware element.

29. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the GUI is further operable to perform:

displaying the graphical program.

30. The memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the GUI is further operable to perform:

receiving user input specifying deployment of the graphical program to the plurality of devices; and

wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform;

deploying the graphical program to the plurality of devices in response to said receiving user input specifying deployment of the graphical program.

31. The memory medium of claim 30, wherein the program instructions are further operable to perform:

receiving user input invoking execution of the graphical program; and

executing the graphical program on the plurality of devices in response to said invoking.

32. A computer-implemented method for creating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying functionality of a graphical program in an application domain, wherein the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain;

receiving user input to the GUI, wherein the user input specifies the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the user input does not specify graphical program nodes or interconnections between graphical program nodes; and

automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the specified functionality, and wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually represents the functionality of the graphical program;

wherein the graphical program is a distributed graphical program comprising a plurality of portions each targeted for execution on a respective device of a plurality of devices, and wherein the portions are respectively executable on the respective devices to perform the specified functionality in a cooperative manner; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of devices comprises a programmable hardware element.

33. A system for creating a graphical program, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor,

a display device, coupled to the processor and the memory; and

an input, coupled to the processor and the memory;

wherein the memory stores program instructions which are executable by the processor to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display device for specifying functionality of a graphical program in an application domain, wherein the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain;

wherein the input is operable to;

receive user input to the GUI, wherein the user input specifies the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the user input does not specify graphical program nodes or interconnections between graphical program nodes; and

wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to perform;

automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the specified functionality, and wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually represents the functionality of the graphical program;

wherein the graphical program is a distributed graphical program comprising a plurality of portions each targeted for execution on a respective device of a plurality of devices, and wherein the portions are respectively executable on the respective devices to perform the specified functionality in a cooperative manner; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of devices comprises a programmable hardware element.

34. A system for creating a graphical program, the system comprising:

means for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for specifying functionality of a graphical program in an application domain, wherein the GUI corresponds specifically to the application domain;

means for receiving user input to the GUI, wherein the user input specifies the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the user input does not specify graphical program nodes or interconnections between graphical program nodes;

means for automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input, wherein the graphical program is executable to perform the specified functionality, and wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected graphical program nodes that visually represents the functionality of the graphical program;

wherein the graphical program is a distributed graphical program comprising a plurality of portions each targeted for execution on a respective device of a plurality of devices, and wherein the portions are respectively executable on the respective devices to perform the specified functionality in a cooperative manner; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of devices comprises a programmable hardware element.