Conversion of model components into references

• US 7,567,890 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Warlock, Arwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thangavelu; Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US11/879,228
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/13, 703/20, 717/116, 717/107, 700/182, 846/09, 345/762, 345/968, 345/736, 715/515, 715/853, 715/210
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/3323 using formal methods, e.g. equivalence checking or property checking

Abstract

An automated model componentization feature systematically converts duplicate or otherwise amenable patterns in a model into references. Multiple references are simplified to one unit that contains the otherwise duplicated functionality. Duplicated or selected functionality is identified based on a number of arguments that may be user supplied. These arguments include the level of polymorphism (i.e., which of the sample times, dimensions, and data types can be propagated in) but also the maximum size of the patterns to look for to address the general trade-off of generating few partitions with many blocks or many partitions with few blocks and which modeling constructs are used (e.g., whether Go To/From connections such as in Simulink® are present). Model conversions can result in potentially disjoint partitions.

Claims

1. In a computing device, a method of altering a graphical model of an engineered system, the method comprising:

identifying, using the computing device, a component of the graphical model for conversion into a reference, the component being identified based on one or more selected characteristics or an application of one or more heuristics;

processing, using the computing device, the component to identify a pattern of one or more similarities with one or more other components or one or more similarities of one or more selected characteristics;

replacing, using the computing device, a similar pattern or a set of selected characteristics of a representation of the component with a reference to a previous occurrence of that similar pattern or the set of selected characteristics in a representation of any other component; and

storing the reference and contents of the representation of the any other component in the computing device for coordinating a graphical modeling process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises at least one of a system, a sub-system, a portion of a system, or a portion of a sub-system disposed within the graphical model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

heuristically locating a re-usable pattern; and

identifying the component based on the located re-usable pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

identifying the similar pattern utilizing a checksum, the checksum being an identifier that captures a set of characteristics; and

identifying the component based on the identified similar pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

heuristically locating a specific type of component; and

identifying the component based on the located specific type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

locating a selected acyclic graph of blocks; and

identifying the component based on a location of the selected acyclic graph of blocks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

selecting a predetermined combination of selected patterns and selected re-usable features of the component utilizing a partitioning specific checksum; and

identifying the component based on the selected predetermined combination of selected patterns and the selected re-usable features of the component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component further comprises:

identifying the component based on at least one of pattern matching, re-usability, and polymorphism characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a new graphical model of the engineered system; and

copying the component of the graphical model into the new graphical model.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

copying a configuration set from the graphical model, the copying for converting the component into a reference for the new graphical model, the configuration set including model peripheral information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

replacing the one or more other components with one or more references to the new graphical model.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating the component into a subsystem within the graphical model.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

creating a copy of the subsystem in a library.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

replacing the subsystem with a reference to the copy of the subsystem in the library.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

replacing one or more other subsystems with one or more references to the copy of the subsystem in the library.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference further comprises at least one of a library reference or a model reference.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting, using a computing device, a portion of a first graphical model, the selected portion converted into a reference using at least one of;

heuristically locating, using the computing device, a pattern in the first graphical model and selecting the portion of the first graphical model as representing the pattern,

identifying, using the computing device, a selected pattern in the first graphical model utilizing a checksum and selecting the portion of the first graphical model as matching the selected pattern, the checksum being an identifier that captures one or more characteristics of the first graphical model,

heuristically locating, using the computing device, a specific type of component in the first graphical model and selecting the portion of the first graphical model as matching the specific type of component,

locating, using the computing device, an acyclic graph of one or more blocks in the first graphical model and selecting the portion of the first graphical model as including the acyclic graph of the one or more blocks,

selecting, using the computing device, a combination of selected patterns utilizing a partitioning specific checksum and selecting the portion of the first graphical model as matching the combination of selected patterns, and

selecting, using the computing device, the portion of the first graphical model based on at least one of pattern matching, re-usability, and polymorphism characteristics;

transferring, using the computing device, the selected portion of the first graphical model to a library;

replacing, using the computing device, the selected portion of the first graphical model with a reference to a location in the library; and

storing the first graphical model in the computing device, the stored first graphical model for coordinating a graphical modeling process.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

identifying a second portion of a second graphical model that is similar to the selected portion of the first graphical model; and

replacing the second portion of the second graphical model with the reference to a location in the library.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, using a computing device, a portion in a first graphical model based on one or more selected characteristics or a pattern of one or more similarities;

generating, using the computing device, a second graphical model based on the first graphical model, the second graphical model being functionally equivalent to the first graphical model;

identifying, using the computing device, one or more portions in the second graphical model that are similar to the identified portion in the first graphical model;

replacing, using the computing device, the identified one or more portions in the second graphical model with a reference to a location, in the first graphical model, of the identified portion of the first graphical model; and

storing the second graphical model in the computing device for coordinating a graphical modeling process.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the reference to the location of the identified portion of the first graphical model includes a reference to a location in a third graphical model that includes the identified portion of the first graphical model or a reference to a location in a library that includes the identified portion of the first graphical model.