Programmatically generating a graphical program in response to user input

• US 8,479,109 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Washington, Jeffrey D., Kudukoli, Ram, Dye, Robert E., Austin, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/460,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/763, 717/104, 717/105, 717/109, 717/113
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for programmatically generating a graphical program or a portion of a graphical program in response to receiving user input. The user input may specify functionality of the graphical program or graphical program portion to be generated. In response to the user input, a graphical program (or graphical program portion) that implements the specified functionality may be programmatically generated. Thus, different graphical programs may be generated, depending on the user input received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for programmatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display;

receiving user input to the GUI specifying desired functionality of the graphical program; and

automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input specifying the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the specified functionality;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes; and

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further includes automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the graphical user interface without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the GUI comprises information useable in guiding a user in creation of a program.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the GUI comprises one or more GUI input panels;

wherein the user input to the GUI comprises user input to each of the one or more GUI input panels.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein said displaying the GUI and said receiving user input to the GUI comprise:

displaying a first GUI input panel on the display, wherein the first GUI input panel includes one or more first fields adapted to receive user input specifying first functionality of the graphical program;

receiving first user input specifying first functionality of the graphical program;

displaying a second GUI input panel on the display, wherein the second GUI input panel includes one or more second fields adapted to receive user input specifying second functionality of the graphical program; and

receiving second user input specifying second functionality of the graphical program.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the second GUI input panel is one of a plurality of possible second GUI input panels, wherein the second GUI input panel is displayed based on the first user input.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program comprises automatically generating a portion of a graphical program.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program creates the graphical program without any user input specifying the new graphical program during said creating.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program comprises:

automatically creating a plurality of graphical program objects in the graphical program; and

automatically interconnecting the plurality of graphical program objects in the graphical program;

wherein the interconnected plurality of graphical program objects comprise at least a portion of the graphical program.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the user input received specifies an instrumentation function;

and

wherein the automatically generated graphical program implements the specified instrumentation function.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the instrumentation function comprises one or more of:

a test and measurement function;

or

an industrial automation function.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program comprises calling an application programming interface (API) enabling the programmatic generation of a graphical program.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program comprises automatically requesting a server program to generate the graphical program.

13. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of GUI input panels on a display, wherein the GUI input panels comprise information useable in guiding a user in creation of a program;

receiving user input to the plurality of GUI input panels, wherein the user input specifies desired functionality of the graphical program; and

automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input specifying the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the specified functionality;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes; and

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further includes automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein said automatically creating the one or more user interface objects in the graphical program is performed without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program.

14. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying one or more input panels on a display;

receiving user input to the one or more input panels;

automatically generating graphical source code for the graphical program, based on the received user input; and

automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein said automatically creating the one or more user interface objects in the graphical program is performed without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; and

wherein said automatically generating graphical source code for the graphical program includes generating graphical source code for the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the one or more input panels comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) useable in guiding a user in specifying program functionality;

wherein the received user input specifies desired functionality of the graphical program;

wherein the automatically generated graphical source code implements the specified desired functionality.

16. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a node in the graphical program in response to user input;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring functionality for the node in response to user input;

receiving user input via the GUI indicating desired functionality for the node;

automatically including graphical source code associated with the node in the graphical program, wherein the automatically included graphical source code implements the desired functionality, and wherein the graphical source code comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually represent the desired functionality; and

automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein said automatically creating the one or more user interface objects in the graphical program is performed without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically including graphical source code associated with the node in the graphical program comprises automatically including the graphical source code as a sub-program of the graphical program without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes, wherein the node represents the sub-program.

17. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium for automatically generating a graphical program, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

display a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display;

receive user input to the GUI specifying desired functionality of the graphical program; and

automatically generate the graphical program in response to the user input specifying the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the specified functionality;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes; and

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further includes automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein said automatically creating the one or more user interface objects in the graphical program is performed without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program.

18. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the GUI comprises information useable in guiding a user in creation of a program.

19. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the GUI comprises one or more GUI input panels;

wherein the user input to the GUI comprises user input to each of the one or more GUI input panels.

20. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 19, wherein the program instructions executable to display the GUI and the program instructions executable to receive user input to the GUI comprise program instructions executable to:

display a first GUI input panel on the display, wherein the first GUI input panel includes one or more first fields adapted to receive user input specifying first functionality of the graphical program;

receive first user input specifying first functionality of the graphical program;

display a second GUI input panel on the display, wherein the second GUI input panel includes one or more second fields adapted to receive user input specifying second functionality of the graphical program;

receive second user input specifying second functionality of the graphical program.

21. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 20,

wherein the second GUI input panel is one of a plurality of possible second GUI input panels, wherein the second GUI input panel is displayed based on the first user input.

22. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 17,

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program creates the graphical program without any user input specifying the new graphical program during said creating.

23. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions executable to automatically generate the graphical program comprise program instructions executable to:

automatically create a plurality of graphical program objects in the graphical program; and

automatically interconnect the plurality of graphical program objects in the graphical program;

wherein the interconnected plurality of graphical program objects comprise at least a portion of the graphical program.

24. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the user input received specifies an instrumentation function;

wherein the automatically generated graphical program implements the specified instrumentation function.

25. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 24,

wherein the instrumentation function comprises one or more of:

a test and measurement function;

or

an industrial automation function.

26. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display;

receiving user input to the GUI specifying desired functionality of the graphical program;

executing a graphical program generation (GPG) program;

the GPG program receiving the user input, wherein the user input specifies the desired functionality of the new graphical program; and

the GPG program automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input specifying the functionality of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the specified functionality;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes; and

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further includes automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the graphical user interface without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program.

27. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a graphical program, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display;

receiving user input to the GUI indicating desired program operation of the graphical program;

executing a graphical program generation (GPG) program;

the GPG program receiving the user input, wherein the user input indicates desired operation of the graphical program; and

the GPG program automatically generating the graphical program in response to the user input indicating the desired operation of the graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the desired operation;

wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram portion comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the block diagram portion without direct user input specifying the plurality of nodes or connections between the nodes; and

wherein said automatically generating the graphical program further includes automatically creating one or more user interface objects in the graphical program, wherein the one or more user interface objects comprise a graphical user interface that is displayed during execution of the graphical program, wherein said automatically generating the graphical program includes generating the graphical user interface without direct user input specifying the one or more user interface objects, and wherein the one or more user interface objects perform one or more of providing user input to or displaying output from the graphical program during execution of the graphical program.

28. The method of claim 27,

wherein the GPG program comprises a graphical programming development environment application.

29. The method of claim 27,

wherein the GPG program is operable to generate a plurality of graphical programs, depending on the received user input.