Stacking and repeating graphical controls

• US 7,827,526 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Chavez, Miguel A., Huin, Camille
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Marina
• Application Number:
  US10/865,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 717/113, 717/105, 717/109, 717/125
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A method and computer program product for adding additional functionality to a graphical control for use in a computer program. The method requires providing a graphical control that is displayable on a display device where the graphical control has at least one associated input or one associated output. Initially, the graphical control does not have an associated function. A user can then select a function from a list of functions to associate with the graphical control. The list of functions is associated with computer code for implementing the functions on a particular digital signal processor. The computer system determines whether a new input or output needs to be added to the graphical control based upon a selected function from the list of functions. The computer system also determines if the graphical control should be stacked or repeated. A plurality of functions may be associated with a single graphical control. In certain embodiments, a plurality of different digital signal processors is associated with a single graphical control.

Claims

1. A method for adding additional functionality to a graphical icon for use in a computer program, the method comprising:

providing a graphical icon that is displayable on a display device, the graphical icon graphically representing a desired function without functional code for implementing the desired function on a host processor;

selecting from a list of functions, a function to associate with the graphical icon, wherein the function is associated with functional code for implementing the desired function on a host processor, the graphical icon and the function, once associated, constructing a control object;

determining whether a new input or output is to be added to the graphical icon based upon the function selected from the list of functions; and

adding a new input or output to the graphical icon if the act of determining indicates that a new input or output is to be added.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list of functions is associated with computer code for implementing the functions on a particular digital signal processor.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of functions may be associated with a single graphical icon.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of different digital signal processors is associated with a single graphical icon.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the functional code includes computer code for automatically causing the computer code associated with the graphical icon to increase the number of displayed inputs.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein selected function automatically determines if an additional graphical control needs to be displayed, wherein a graphical control comprises a user selectable dial, slider or parameter input box.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein if an additional graphical control needs to be displayed, automatically generating an additional graphical control.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises specifying the desired host processor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises inputting a parameter to further define the function.

10. A method for adding additional functionality to a graphical object for use in a computer program, the method comprising:

receiving user input selecting a graphical object that is displayable on a display device, the graphical object graphically representing a desired function without code for implementing the desired function on a host processor, the graphical object including a graphical icon;

receiving user input associating a functional code block with the graphical object, wherein the functional code block comprises computer code for implementing the desired function,

the graphical object and the functional code block, once associated, constructing a control object;

receiving user input indicating the number of times that the functional code block should repeat; and

automatically updating the number of inputs and outputs of the graphical object based upon the number of repeats indicated for the functional code block.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the functional code block contains computer code for adding a graphical representation of an input and/or an output to a graphical object.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

providing a user with a context menu that provides the user the ability to repeat a functional code block associated with a graphical object.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein if a functional code block is requested to be repeated the functional code block automatically modifies a portion of the functional code block.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein the functional code block is selected from one or more functional code blocks associated with a digital signal processor having a pre-defined instruction set and the functional code is capable of being executed on the digital signal processor.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein the functional code block has associated repeater attributes.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the repeater attributes include whether to increase the number of inputs.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the repeater attributes include whether the number of inputs remain static or dynamic.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein repeating requires at least of a portion of the functional code block to loop.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a user can determine a number of loops for a portion of the functional code.

20. A computer program product comprising executable code executable on a computer, the computer program product containing computer code on a computer readable storage medium for adding additional functionality to a graphical object that is part of a separate computer program being coded, the computer program comprising:

computer code for providing a graphical object that is displayable on a display device, the graphical object graphically representing a desired function without functional code for implementing the desired function on a host processor, the graphical object having at least one associated input and/or one associated output;

computer code for allowing user selection of a function from a list of functions, wherein a selected function is associated with the graphical object,

the graphical object and a function, once associated, constructing a control object;

computer code for determining whether a new input or output is to be added to the graphical object based upon a selected function from the list of functions; and

computer code for adding a new input or output to the graphical object if the act of determining indicates that a new input or output is to be added.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the list of functions is associated with computer code for implementing the functions on a particular digital signal processor.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein a plurality of functions may be associated with a single graphical object.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of different digital signal processors is associated with a single graphical object.

24. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the selected function includes computer code for automatically causing the computer code associated with the graphical object to increase the number of displayed inputs and/or outputs.

25. The computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising computer code for adding an input and/or output to the graphical object and associating the graphical input and/or output with the function if a new input or output is to be added to the graphical object based upon the selected function.

26. The computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising computer code for automatically determining if an additional graphical control needs to be displayed, wherein a graphical control comprises a user selectable dial, slider or parameter input box.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, further comprising computer code for automatically generating a new graphical control if an additional graphical control needs to be displayed.

28. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein computer code for allowing selection of a function comprises computer code for allowing the specification the desired host processor.

29. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein computer code for allowing selection of a function comprises computer code for allowing input of a parameter to further define the function.

30. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product containing computer code on a computer readable storage medium for adding additional functionality to a graphical object for use in a separate computer program, the computer code comprising:

computer code for allowing user selection of a graphical object that is displayable on a display device, the graphical object graphically representing a desired function, and comprising a graphical icon defined by computer code without functional code for implementing the desired function on a host processor, wherein the graphical object has at least one associated input and/or one associated output;

computer code for associating a functional code block with the graphical object, wherein the functional code comprises computer code for implementing the desired function on the host processor, the graphical object and the functional code block, once associated, constructing a control object;

computer code for allowing a user to indicate that the functional code block should repeat a specified number of times; and

computer code for automatically updating the number of inputs and outputs of the graphical control based upon the number of repeats specified for the functional code block.

31. The computer program product according to claim 30, wherein the functional code block contains computer code for adding a graphical representation of an input and an output to a graphical object.

32. The computer program product according to claim 30, further comprising:

computer code for providing a user with a menu that provides the user the ability to repeat a functional code block associated with a graphical object.

33. The computer program product according to claim 30, further comprising computer code for automatically modifying a portion of the functional code block if a functional code block is requested to be repeated.

34. The computer program product according to claim 30 wherein the functional code block is selected from one or more functional code blocks associated with a digital signal processor having a pre-defined instruction set and the functional code is capable of being executed on the digital signal processor.