METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIMULATING A PLURALITY OF DEVICES

• US 20100070909A1
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Biltz, Michael J., MacDonald, Graeme D., Stauth, Sean, Hsu, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,893,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system and graphical user interface for configuring a simulator. A graphical user interface may be used to define a configurable device profile, where a large number of devices for simulation by a simulator may be created based upon the configurable device profile. Once created, the devices may be individually configured and/or configured in groups. Additionally, the configuration of the devices may determine how the simulator generates and/or outputs simulated device data for the devices. For example, an attribute may be associated with a device which defines a format of the simulated device data, a rate at which the simulated device data is output, a range of values for the simulated device data, or an operating parameter of the device. An attribute specifying the communicative coupling of the devices may also be defined. Further, the simulated device data may include a data value.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a simulator, said method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface for display on a computer system, said graphical user interface for enabling a user to define at least one attribute associated with a device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator based on said device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a quantity of said plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator, wherein said plurality of devices are associated with said at least one attribute;

generating, based upon user interaction with said graphical user interface, configuration data for configuring said simulator; and

storing said configuration data for access by said simulator during a simulation of said plurality of devices, wherein said simulator is operable to generate simulated device data for said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data, and wherein said simulated device data is for use in analyzing performance of a component coupled to receive said simulated device data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically instantiating said plurality of devices in a memory accessible by said simulator based on said device profile and said quantity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of a device abstraction layer and a business application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one attribute is selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for at least one device of said plurality of devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one device, and further comprising:

generating said configuration data for said at least one device based upon said customized attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define a communicative coupling of said plurality of devices, and further comprising:

generating said configuration data for said plurality of devices based upon said communicative coupling of said plurality of devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to group said plurality of devices into a plurality of groups, wherein said on-screen display is further for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for each device of at least one group of said plurality of groups.

9. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus, wherein said memory comprises instructions that when executed implement a method of configuring a simulator, said method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface for display on a computer system, said graphical user interface for enabling a user to define at least one attribute associated with a device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator based on said device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a quantity of said plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator, wherein said plurality of devices are associated with said at least one attribute;

generating configuration data for configuring said simulator based upon user interaction with said graphical user interface; and

storing said configuration data for access by said simulator during a simulation of said plurality of devices, wherein said simulator is operable to generate simulated device data for said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data, and wherein said simulated device data is for use in analyzing performance of a component coupled to receive said simulated device data.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

automatically instantiating said plurality of devices in a memory accessible by said simulator based on said device profile and said quantity.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of a device abstraction layer and a business application.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said at least one attribute is selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for at least one device of said plurality of devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one device, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating said configuration data for said at least one device based upon said customized attribute.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define a communicative coupling of said plurality of devices, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating said configuration data for said plurality of devices based upon said communicative coupling of said plurality of devices.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to group said plurality of devices into a plurality of groups, wherein said graphical user interface is further for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for each device of at least one group of said plurality of groups.

17. An on-screen graphical user interface for configuring a simulator, said graphical user interface comprising:

a first display region for enabling a user to define at least one attribute associated with a device profile;

a second display region for enabling a user to define a plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator based on said device profile, wherein said second display region is further for enabling a user to define a quantity of said plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator, wherein said plurality of devices are associated with said at least one attribute; and

wherein configuration data generated based upon user interaction with said first and second display regions are for configuring said simulator to simulate said plurality of devices, wherein said simulator is operable to generate simulated device data for said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data, and wherein said simulated device data is for use in analyzing performance of a component coupled to receive said simulated device data.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 17 further comprising a display region for initiating said simulator to automatically instantiate said plurality of devices in a memory accessible to said simulator based on said device profile and said quantity.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of a device abstraction layer and a business application.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein said at least one attribute is selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 17 further comprising:

a third display region for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for at least one device of said plurality of devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one device, and wherein said customized attribute is for generating said configuration data for said at least one device.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 17 further comprising:

a fourth display region for enabling a user to define a communicative coupling of said plurality of devices, and wherein said communicative coupling of said plurality of devices is for generating said configuration data for said plurality of devices.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 17 further comprising:

a fifth display region for enabling a user to group said plurality of devices into a plurality of groups; and

a sixth display region for enabling a user to define a customized attribute for each device of at least one group of said plurality of groups.