Software Reuse Support Method and Apparatus

• US 20100269099A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Atarashi, Yoshitaka, Narisawa, Fumio, Sasaki, Hiroto, YOSHIMURA, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification of the existing device is calculated for each version of a software component used in the control software of the existing device, and a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version is calculated for each software component used in the control software of the existing device. A posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component is calculated for each specification of a device to be developed, on the basis of the likelihood and the prior probability.

Claims

1. A software component reuse support method of supporting the use of existing software components when control software to be developed is created, using a specification database that stores the specifications of an existing device, a software component database that stores software components used in the control software of the existing device and the versions of the software components, an input device, and an arithmetic device, comprising:

a likelihood analyzing step of allowing the arithmetic device to calculate a likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification for each version of the software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database;

a prior probability analyzing step of allowing the arithmetic device to calculate a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version for each software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database;

a specification input step of inputting the specifications of a device to be developed through the input device;

a posterior probability analyzing step of allowing the arithmetic device to calculate a posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component for each specification of the device to be developed, on the basis of the specifications of the device to be developed, the likelihood, and the prior probability; and

a software component selecting step of allowing the arithmetic device to select the version of the software component with a high posterior probability as a software component which can be reused for the control software of the device to be developed.

2. The software component reuse support method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the posterior probability calculating step, when the likelihood is P(A|B), the prior probability is P(B), the posterior probability is P(B|A), the probability that the specifications of the device to be developed will be selected from all the existing devices is P(A), the posterior probability is calculated by an expression P(B|A)=P(A|B) P(B)/P(A).

3. The software component reuse support method according to claim 1,

wherein the software component selecting step compares the posterior probability calculated in the posterior probability analyzing step with a predetermined threshold value and selects the version of the software component with a posterior probability greater than the threshold value as a reusable software component.

4. The software component reuse support method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of establishing a logical relationship for restricting the selection between the software components,

wherein the software component selecting step selects the software component with a version satisfying the logical relationship among the versions of the software components with a high posterior probability as a reusable software component.

5. The software component reuse support method according to claim 4,

wherein the logical relationship includes at least one of an exclusive relationship in which, when the version of one software component of the versions of two software components is selected, the version of the other software component cannot be selected and a dependence relationship in which, when the version of one software component is selected among the versions of a plurality of software components, the version of another specific software component needs to be selected.

6. The software component reuse support method according to claim 1,

wherein the device is an engine control device,

the specifications of the device are the specifications of the engine control device, and

the control software is engine control software.

7. A software component reuse support method of supporting the use of existing software components when control software to be developed is created, using a specification database that stores the specifications of an existing device, a software component database that stores software components used in the control software of the existing device and the versions of the software components, and a computer, comprising:

a likelihood analyzing step of calculating a likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification for each version of the software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database, and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database;

a prior probability analyzing step of calculating a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version for each software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database;

a specification input step of inputting the specifications of a device to be developed; and

a posterior probability analyzing step of calculating a posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component for each specification of the device to be developed,

wherein, in the posterior probability calculating step, when the likelihood is P(A|B), the prior probability is P(B), the posterior probability is P(B|A), the probability that the specifications of the device to be developed will be selected from all the existing devices is P(A), the posterior probability is calculated by an expression P(B|A)=P(A|B) P(B)/P(A).

8. The software component reuse support method according to claim 7, further comprising:

a step of establishing a logical relationship for restricting the selection between the software components, and

a software component selecting step for selecting the software component with a version satisfying the logical relationship among the versions of the software components with a high posterior probability as a reusable software component.

9. The software component reuse support method according to claim 8,

wherein the logical relationship includes at least one of an exclusive relationship in which, when the version of one software component of the versions of two software components is selected, the version of the other software component cannot be selected and a dependence relationship in which, when the version of one software component is selected among the versions of a plurality of software components, the version of another specific software component needs to be selected.

10. The software component reuse support method according to claim 7,

wherein the device is an engine control device,

the specifications of the device are the specifications of the engine control device, and

the control software is engine control software.

11. A software component reuse support apparatus that supports the use of an existing software component when control software to be developed is created, comprising:

a specification database that stores the specifications of an existing device;

a software component database that stores software components used in the control software of the existing device and the versions of the software components;

an input device; and

a reusable software component search device that searches for a reusable software component from the software component database on the basis of the specifications of a device to be developed which is input through the input device,

wherein the reusable software component search device includes;

a likelihood analyzing unit that calculates a likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification for each version of the software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database, and calculates a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version for each software component, on the basis of the specifications of the device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database; and

a posterior probability analyzing unit that calculates a posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component for each specification of the device to be developed, on the basis of the likelihood, the prior probability, and the specifications of the device to be developed which are input through the input device.

12. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein, when the likelihood is P(A|B), the prior probability is P(B), the posterior probability is P(B|A), the probability that the specifications of the device to be developed will be selected from all the existing devices is P(A), the posterior probability analyzing unit calculates the posterior probability using an expression P(B|A)=P(A|B) P(B)/P(A).

13. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the reusable software component search device includes:

a logical relationship database that stores a logical relationship including at least one of an exclusive relationship in which, when the version of one software component of the versions of two software components is selected, the version of the other software component cannot be selected and a dependence relationship in which, when the version of one software component is selected among the versions of a plurality of software components, the version of another specific software component needs to be selected; and

a reusability determining unit that determines the version of the software component with a posterior probability greater than a predetermined threshold value among the software components satisfying the logical relationship stored in the logical relationship database to be a reusable software component in the control software of the device to be developed.

14. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the device is an engine control device,

the specifications of the device are the specifications of the engine control device, and

the control software is engine control software.

15. A software component reuse support apparatus that supports the use of an existing software component when engine control software to be developed is created, comprising:

a specification database that stores the specifications of an existing engine control device;

a software component database that stores software components used in the control software of the existing engine control device and the versions of the software components;

an input device;

a display device; and

a reusable software component search device that searches for a reusable software component from the software component database on the basis of the specifications of an engine control device to be developed which is input through the input device,

wherein the reusable software component search device includes;

a likelihood analyzing unit that calculates a likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification for each version of the software component, on the basis of the specifications of the engine control device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database, and calculates a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version for each software component, on the basis of the specifications of the engine control device stored in the specification database and the software components and the versions of the software components stored in the software component database; and

a posterior probability analyzing unit that calculates a posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component for each specification of the engine control device to be developed, on the basis of the likelihood, the prior probability, and the specifications of the engine control device to be developed which are input through the input device, and

when the likelihood is P(A|B), the prior probability is P(B), the posterior probability is P(B|A), the probability that the specifications of the engine control device to be developed will be selected from all the existing engine control devices is P(A), the posterior probability analyzing unit calculates the posterior probability using an expression P(B|A)=P(A|B)·

P(B)/P(A).

16. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the reusable software component search device is a computer.

17. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the reusable software component search device includes:

a logical relationship database that stores a logical relationship including at least one of an exclusive relationship in which, when the version of one software component of the versions of two software components is selected, the version of the other software component cannot be selected and a dependence relationship in which, when the version of one software component is selected among the versions of a plurality of software components, the version of another specific software component needs to be selected; and

a reusability determining unit that determines the version of the software component with a posterior probability greater than a predetermined threshold value among the versions of the software components satisfying the logical relationship stored in the logical relationship database to be a reusable software component in the control software of the engine control device to be developed.

18. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the display apparatus displays a software component selection screen, which is an operation screen that can be operated by a user, and

the version number of each software component and the posterior probability of each version are displayed on the software component selection screen.

19. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the display apparatus displays a specification selection screen, which is an operation screen that can be operated by a user, and

a choice for each specification is displayed on the specification selection screen such that the user can change the choice for the version.

20. The software component reuse support apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein, when the user changes the choice on the specification selection screen, the posterior probability is recalculated, and

when the recalculated posterior probability is less than the predetermined threshold value, a warning is displayed.