Patents Assigned to National Instruments
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Graphical programming system enabling data sharing from a producer to a consumer via a memory buffer
Patent number: 8769549Abstract: A graphical program execution environment that facilitates communication between a producer program and a consumer program is disclosed. The producer program may store data in a memory block allocated by the producer program. A graphical program may communicate with the producer program to obtain a reference to the memory block. The graphical program may asynchronously pass the reference to the consumer program, e.g., may pass the reference without blocking or waiting while the consumer program accesses the data in the memory block. After the consumer program is finished accessing the data, the consumer program may asynchronously notify the graphical program execution environment to release the memory block. The graphical program execution environment may then notify the producer program that the block of memory is no longer in use so that the producer program can de-allocate or re-use the memory block.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2012Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: J. Adam Kemp, Neil S. Feiereisel, Brent C. Schwan -
Patent number: 8762589Abstract: Transferring data between devices utilizing state data. The devices may include a writer device and a reader device, each coupled to a common bus. A host device may create a transfer session between the devices. Each of the host device, the writer device, and the reader device may maintain state data of the transfer session. The host device may notify at least one of the reader device or the writer device of a state change from a disabled state to an enabled state. After enabling, data may be transferred directly between the writer device and the reader device without involving the host device. Finally, the host device may notify at least one of the reader device or the writer device of a state change from the enabled state to the disabled state. After disabling, the direct transfer of data between the writer device and the reader device may be stopped.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2010Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Haider Ali Khan, Matthew John Koenn, John Robert Breyer, Christopher Frederick Graf, Siddharth Sethi, Christopher Scott Green
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Patent number: 8757874Abstract: Provided in some embodiment is a thermocouple system that includes a printed circuit board having a terminal component connection to couple to a connector of a terminal component, a temperature sensing component connection to couple to a connector of a temperature sensing component, a signal plane thermally coupled to the terminal component connection, and a thermal plane thermally coupled to the temperature sensing component connection and electrically isolated from the terminal component connection and the signal plane. The surface area of the thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of a surface area of the signal plane.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2010Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Alvin G. Becker, Daniel H. Ousley
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Publication number: 20140167793Abstract: The present invention relates to a measurement system for characterising a device under test (DUT) wherein impedance is controlled or varied over a set of measurement conditions and a parameter or a set of parameters measured for each measurement condition. The measurement system comprises at least one impedance control device, signal separation hardware connected with the impedance control device, receiving means for measuring electrical quantities related to characteristics of the DUT and for converting the measured electrical quantities, a data processing unit connected to the receiving means and adapted to provide characteristics of the device under test based on the converted electrical quantities, whereby the at least one impedance control device is integrated into the signal separation hardware.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: National Instruments Ireland Resources LimitedInventor: Marc Vanden Bossche
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Patent number: 8756565Abstract: Customizing a target system. The target system may include a first device with a first programmable hardware element (PHE) and a second device with a second PHE. Synchronization modules may be provided for implementation on the first and second PHEs. The synchronization modules may provide a standard interface for interacting with other code. A user may specify user-created code for the first and second PHEs which utilizes the synchronization modules. The user-created code may interact with the synchronization modules using the standard interface. Accordingly, hardware descriptions may be generated for the first and second PHEs of the target system. Different modules may be used for different interconnects. Additionally, multiple synchronization modules may be used, e.g., dynamically, during operation of the target system.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2012Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Christopher F. Graf, Ryan H. Brown, Daniel J. Baker, Matthew J. DeVoe
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Patent number: 8756539Abstract: Maintaining a netlist while editing a circuit diagram. The circuit diagram may be displayed on a display. The circuit diagram may include a plurality of electronic components connected by nets and may also include modular block(s) which represent a circuit portion in a hierarchical fashion. A global netlist may be stored that includes information regarding the nets of the circuit diagram. User input may be received which modifies the circuit diagram. Accordingly, the global netlist may be updated in response to the user input modifying the circuit diagram. The circuit diagram may be updated on the display based on updating the global netlist. Receiving the user input and updating the global netlist and circuit diagram may be performed a plurality of times, in a dynamic fashion during edit time.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2009Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: B. Alexander Elliott, Rodney A. J. Draaisma
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Patent number: 8755470Abstract: A mechanism for jointly correcting carrier phase and carrier frequency errors in a demodulated signal. A computer system may receive samples of a baseband input signal (resulting from QAM demodulation). The computer system may compute values of a cost function J over a grid in a 2D angle-frequency space. A cost function value J(?,?) is computed for each point (?,?) in the grid by (a) applying a phase adjustment of angle ? and a frequency adjustment of frequency ? to the input signal; (b) performing one or more iterations of the K-means algorithm on the samples of the adjusted signal; (c) generated a sum on each K-means cluster; and (d) adding the sums. The point (?e, ?e) in the 2D angle-frequency space that minimizes the cost function J serves an estimate for the carrier phase error and carrier frequency error. The estimated errors may be used to correct the input signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2013Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: I Zakir Ahmed, Krishna Bharadwaj, Vijaya Yajnanarayana
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Phase aligned sampling of multiple data channels using a successive approximation register converter
Patent number: 8755460Abstract: Provided is a method for processing data samples from a plurality of data channels. The method may include obtaining a plurality of data samples from the plurality of data channels. Obtaining the plurality of data samples may involve successively obtaining a data sample from each data channel of the plurality of data channels. Successively obtaining a data sample from each data channel may be performed a plurality of times during a specified time period. Each data sample of the plurality of data samples may be associated with a respective sample time, and each respective sample time may be relative to a single specified reference point in time. The method may further include, for each data sample of the plurality of data samples, determining a time-dependent coefficient value that may correspond to the sample time associated with the data sample, and applying the determined time-dependent coefficient value to the data sample.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2010Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Garritt W. Foote, Hector Rubio -
Patent number: 8754889Abstract: Cursor synchronization in a plurality of graphs. A plurality of graphs may be displayed. Each graph may visually represent data and may include at least two axis. User input may be received specifying a value of a first axis of a first graph of the plurality of graphs. The method may determine if the first axis in the first graph corresponds to a first axis of a second graph in response to the user input. A visual indication may be indicated at a second value in the second graph in response to determining that the first axis in the first graph corresponds to the first axis of the second graph. The second value may correspond to the first value.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2009Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Andreas Peter Haub, Sven Johannsen
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Patent number: 8754725Abstract: An apparatus for filtering a signal is disclosed. The apparatus includes a conductive line affixed to a surface of a substrate. For a signal received at an end of the conductive line, the apparatus is configured to filter at least a portion of the frequency components of the signal. First and second resistive films are adjacent to a respective side of the conductive line along a first side of each of the first and second resistive films, respectively. The first and second resistive films have a first resistivity. Third and fourth resistive films adjacent to a respective one of the first and second resistive films along a second side of each of the first and second resistive films. Each second side of the first and second resistive films extends beyond the third and fourth resistive films. The third and fourth resistive films have a second resistivity.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Ron Jay Barnett
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Patent number: 8724336Abstract: A cardguide to be disposed in a computer chassis during use. The cardguide includes a track to accept an edge of a printed circuit board of a modular computer device to be disposed in the computer chassis during use. The cardguide further comprises an integral clip configured to retain at least a portion of a temperature sensing device during use. The clip provides for positioning the temperature sensing device within the computer chassis during use.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2010Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: John N. Hanna, David M. Crowley
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Patent number: 8726228Abstract: System and method for specifying and implementing programs. A graphical program is created in a graphical specification and constraint language that allows specification of a model of computation and explicit declaration of constraints in response to user input. The graphical program includes a specified model of computation, a plurality of interconnected functional blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the specified model of computation, and specifications or constraints for the graphical program or at least one of the functional blocks in the graphical program. The specified model of computation and specifications or constraints are useable to analyze the graphical program or generate a program or simulation.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2011Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Kaushik Ravindran, Guang Yang, Jacob Kornerup, Ian C. Wong, Jeffrey N. Correll, Michael J. Trimborn, Hugo A. Andrade
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Patent number: 8719774Abstract: System and method for specifying and implementing programs. A graphical program is created in a graphical specification and constraint language that allows specification of a model of computation and explicit declaration of constraints in response to user input. The graphical program includes a specified model of computation, a plurality of interconnected functional blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the specified model of computation, and specifications or constraints for the graphical program or at least one of the functional blocks in the graphical program. The specified model of computation and specifications or constraints are useable to analyze the graphical program or generate a program or simulation.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Guoqiang Wang, Jeffrey N. Correll, Sadia B. Malik, Hugo A. Andrade, Newton G. Petersen, Rhishikesh Limaye, Trung N. Tran, Jacob Kornerup, Kaushik Ravindran, Guang Yang
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Publication number: 20140118877Abstract: An input protection circuit may include an input node to receive an input signal, and may further include an output node to provide a protected output signal based on the input signal. Protection circuitry may be coupled between the input node and the output node to establish a current path that bypasses the input node and pulls the output pin to a specified reference voltage level in the event of a transient at the input node. A push-pull power supply may be used to provide the reference voltage to the current path, and dissipate any excess voltage by burning it off in a semiconductor device included in the push-pull power supply circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Matthew Viele
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Patent number: 8712951Abstract: Systems/methods for computing a power spectral density estimate for a noise signal. Where the noise signal appears in two channels (a single channel), n successive data acquisitions from the two channels (the single channel) are used to compute n respective cross (power) spectral densities, which are then averaged. The averaged cross (power) spectral density may then be smoothed in the spectral domain. The magnitude of the smoothed cross (power) spectral density comprises an estimate for the noise power spectral density. An effective number of independent averages may be computed based on the number n, the time-domain window applied to the acquired sample sets, the amount of overlap between successive sample sets, and the shape of the frequency-domain smoothing function. A statistical error bound (or uncertainty measure) may be determined for the power spectral density estimate based on the effective number of averages and the averaged single-channel and cross-channel spectral estimates.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Edward B. Loewenstein
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Patent number: 8713482Abstract: Presenting different views of a system based on input from a user. A first view of a first portion of the system may be displayed. For example, the first portion may be a device of the system. User input specifying a first gesture may be received. In response to the first gesture, a second view of the first portion of the system may be displayed. For example, the first view may represent a first level of abstraction of the portion of the system and the second view may represent a second level of abstraction of the portion of the system. A second gesture may be used to view a view of a different portion of the system. Additionally, when changing from a first view to a second view, the first view may “morph” into the second view.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Adam K. Gabbert
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Patent number: 8713540Abstract: A graphical program is analyzed, where the graphical program includes an I/O interface including one or more ordered parameters for providing input to or receiving output from the graphical program. A function is generated in a textual programming language based on the analyzing, where the function implements the functionality of the graphical program, and includes a textual function I/O interface with the one or more ordered parameters of the I/O interface of the graphical program. User input is received specifying a modified textual function I/O interface that differs from the textual function I/O interface. A wrapper for the function is generated with the modified textual function I/O interface, where the wrapper includes the function, and where during execution the wrapper receives or outputs values in accordance with the modified textual function I/O interface, and provides values to or receives values from the function via the textual function I/O interface.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2010Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Alejandro de Castillo
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Patent number: 8704408Abstract: A method that includes identifying a desired signal connectivity through a switch matrix, where the switch matrix includes a plurality of switching elements, and where the switching elements are selectively operable in a plurality of states to provide a plurality of signal paths for routing signals through the switch matrix. The method also includes identifying a sorting network model that corresponds to a topology of the switch matrix, applying a sorting algorithm to the sorting network model, and determining, based on the results of applying the sorting algorithm, operational states of the plurality of switching elements to provide signal paths corresponding to the desired signal connectivity.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Alvin G. Becker, James A. Reimund, Naji S. Norder, James E. Nicholson, Kyle R. Bryson
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Patent number: 8706657Abstract: Systems/methods for computing a power spectral density estimate for a noise signal. Where the noise signal appears in two channels (a single channel), n successive data acquisitions from the two channels (the single channel) are used to compute n respective cross (power) spectral densities, which are then averaged. The averaged cross (power) spectral density may then be smoothed in the spectral domain. The magnitude of the smoothed cross (power) spectral density comprises an estimate for the noise power spectral density. An effective number of independent averages may be computed based on the number n, the time-domain window applied to the acquired sample sets, the amount of overlap between successive sample sets, and the shape of the frequency-domain smoothing function. A statistical error bound (or uncertainty measure) may be determined for the power spectral density estimate based on the effective number of averages and the averaged single-channel and cross-channel spectral estimates.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Edward B. Loewenstein
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Publication number: 20140103946Abstract: An impedance control device for tuning a device under test comprising: a first terminal port arranged for connecting a device under test, a second terminal port arranged for connecting a termination, a first signal path for a signal travelling between the first and the second terminal port, first coupling means arranged for picking up a part of the signal travelling in the first signal path, a second signal path arranged for receiving the part of the signal from the first coupling means, said second signal path comprising a correction circuit for adapting as a function of frequency the amplitude and phase of the received part of the signal, second coupling means arranged for coupling back into the first signal path an adapted signal outputted by the correction circuit, and an attenuator and phase shifter for applying attenuation and phase shifting on the signals travelling between the first and the second terminal port.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: National Instruments Ireland Resources LimitedInventor: Marc Vanden Bossche