Software development apparatus with regulated user access

• US 20070022408A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Roth, Michael, Bray, Steven, Morris, Jeffrey, Smith, Vernon, Brandt, Wayne, Wulfert, Wayne, Herget, Dale, Earleson, Walt
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A software system development apparatus is provided. The software system development apparatus may include a processor and a computer-readable medium operatively coupled to the processor. The apparatus may also include a system design tool program stored on the computer-readable medium that, when executed by the processor, is operable to regulate user access to at least one aspect of the system design tool according to one or more authorization categories of users of the system design tool. The system design tool may also be operable to generate a real-time embedded control software system by selecting from a collection of reusable software components stored and described in a catalog in accordance with the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS).

Claims

1. A software system development apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium operatively coupled to the processor;

a system design tool program stored on the computer-readable medium that, when executed by the processor, is operable to;

regulate user access to at least one aspect of the system design tool according to one or more authorization categories of users of the system design tool; and

generate a real-time embedded control software system by selecting from a collection of reusable software components stored and described in a catalog in accordance with the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one aspect includes at least one of software components stored in the catalog and one or more features of the system design tool.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system design tool is further operable to store the software system, generated using the system design tool, in the catalog in such a manner as to be available for future use by users of the system design tool.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the system design tool is operable to store the software system, generated using the system design tool, in the catalog only if the software system was designed with user access to the system design tool under a predetermined authorization category.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system design tool is maintained by a host organization and is further operable to regulate user access to confidential software of the host organization that is stored in the catalog.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system design tool is maintained by a host organization and is further operable to regulate user access to one or more features of the system design tool that are confidential to the host organization.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more authorization categories are based, at least in part, on one or more different levels of performance of the system design tool that are available to users of the system design tool.

8. A method of developing a software system, comprising:

accessing a system design tool program under one of two or more authorization categories of users of the system design tool, the authorization categories regulating user access to at least one of;

a collection of reusable software components; and

one or more features of the system design tool; and

generating an embedded control software system utilizing one or more reusable software components stored and described in a catalog in accordance with the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS).

9. The method of claim 8, further including storing the embedded control software system in the catalog in such a manner as to be available for future use by users of the system design tool.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the system design tool is maintained by a host organization and the method further includes accessing the system design tool under an authorization category under which confidential software of the host organization that is stored in the catalog is available to the user of the system design tool.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the system design tool is maintained by a host organization and the method further includes accessing the system design tool under an authorization category under which features of the system design tool that are confidential to the host organization are available to the user of the system design tool.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the two or more authorization categories are based, at least in part, on different levels of performance of the system design tool that are available to users.

13. A software system development apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium operatively coupled to the processor;

a system design tool program stored on the computer-readable medium and maintained by a host organization, the system design tool being operable, when executed by the processor, to;

generate a real-time embedded control software system by selecting from a collection of software components stored and described in a catalog in accordance with the Reusable Asset Specification (RAS);

regulate user access to at least one aspect of the system design tool based on one or more authorization categories of users of the system design tool;

the at least one aspect of the system design tool including;

confidential software of the host organization that is stored in the catalog;

one or more features of the system design tool that are confidential to the host organization; and

one or more predetermined levels of performance of the system design tool that are available to users of the system design tool; and

store the software system, generated using the system design tool, in the catalog in such a manner as to be available for future use by users of the system design tool, the system design tool being operable to store the software system in the catalog only if the software system was designed with user access to the system design tool under a predetermined authorization category.