Patents Assigned to National Instruments
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Patent number: 8117588Abstract: A system and method for creating a distributed application using graphical programming techniques are disclosed. The distributed application may comprise a first graphical program and a second graphical program, where a host computer system executes the first graphical program, and a plurality of remote computer systems or computing devices each execute an instance of the second graphical program. In some embodiments the first graphical program may utilize a node that represents the second graphical program. The node may be operable to exchange data with a plurality of instances of the second graphical program executing on a plurality of remote devices.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2006Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Jacob Kornerup, Andrew P. Dove, Joel Sumner
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Patent number: 8108833Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating a graphical data flow program from a statechart are disclosed. The statechart may be created in a graphical manner in response to user input, e.g., in response to the user arranging state icons on a display and creating interconnections representing transitions among the respective states. The statechart may include at least one hierarchical state, where each hierarchical state includes one or more sub-states. A graphical data flow program may be automatically generated from the statechart. The graphical data flow program may include a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical data flow program, where connections among the nodes visually indicate data flow among the nodes. The graphical data flow program may be executable to implement the functionality of the statechart.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2007Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Christina M. Dellas, Nicholas G. Neumann, Toga Hartadinata, Kevin M. Hogan
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Patent number: 8108784Abstract: Configuring wires/icons in a diagram. The diagram may be an executable diagram such as a graphical program or a system diagram. The diagram may include a plurality of icons that are connected by wires, and the icons may visually represent functionality of the diagram. The diagram may be executable to perform the functionality. Displaying the diagram may include displaying a first wire in the diagram, where the first wire connects a first icon and a second icon. Data transfer functionality may be specified for the first wire and/or the first or second icon in the diagram. The data transfer functionality may be visually indicated in the diagram, e.g., by appearances of the first icon, the second icon, the first wire, and/or icons displayed proximate to these components of the diagram.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2007Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Timothy J. Hayles, Jacob Kornerup
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Patent number: 8108166Abstract: Log chirp testing where a log chirp may be provided to a device under test and a first time domain response from the device under test may be received. The first time domain response may be in the time domain. The first time domain response may be converted to the angular domain to create an angular domain response. Converting to the angular domain response may include resampling the time domain response from the time domain to the angular domain. The angular domain response may be filtered and/or analyzed. The angular domain response may be converted to a second time domain response. Similar to above, the conversion may include resampling the angular domain response from the angular domain to the time domain. The first time domain response and the second time domain response may be analyzed. Testing results of the device under test may be generated and stored based on said analyzing.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Jack Harris Arnold, Douglas Scott Bendele, Xianglin Mo, Chen Zhang
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Patent number: 8107244Abstract: Connecting a plurality of chassis using a rigid connection. A first coupling element of a first chassis may be mated with a first rigid connection. The first coupling element may be positioned on an exterior housing of the first chassis. A second coupling element of a second chassis may be mated with the first rigid connection. The second coupling element may be positioned on an exterior housing of the second chassis. Connecting the first chassis and the second chassis may allow the first and second chassis to communicate.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2008Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: James A. Reimund
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Patent number: 8099400Abstract: A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which may be specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2007Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Andreas Peter Haub, Stefan Romainczyk, Ralf Deininger, Helmut Helpenstein, Andreas Krantz, Myrle H. Krantz, Eva Wolpers
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Patent number: 8099712Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating a data flow diagram in response to a first diagram. The first diagram may specify one or more states and one or more state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A data flow diagram may be automatically generated from the first diagram. A hardware description may be generated from the data flow diagram. The hardware description may be usable to configure a programmable hardware element such as, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The configured programmable hardware element may implement a hardware implementation of the data flow diagram.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2009Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Jeffrey L. Kodosky, Kevin Hogan
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Patent number: 8082515Abstract: System and method for developing a motion application. A motion manager component implementing a supervisory control function and at least one trajectory generation algorithm is stored on a motion controller. A first application programming interface (API) for interfacing the motion manager component to a user developed motion control application is displayed. A second API for interfacing the motion manager component to a user developed communication interface component is displayed. A user application executable for sequencing motion operations in the motion system is created using the first API is created in response to user input. A first communication interface component is created using the second API in response to user input, where the communication interface component is operable to interface with the motion manager component using the second API, and where the user developed communication interface component is executable to communicate with a motion element, e.g., a drive or simulation.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2007Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventor: Sundeep Chandhoke
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Patent number: 8078980Abstract: System and method for configuring a wire appearance in a graphical programming environment. A first data type (or class), or communication functionality between nodes, e.g., timing, or data transfer, e.g., data transfer semantics, mechanism, or medium, in a graphical program is specified in response to user input. A first wire appearance denoting the first data type or specified functionality is created in response to user input, including, e.g., a specified wire pattern, thickness, shape, color(s), portion of the wire to be configured with the first wire appearance, wire label and/or wire icon to be displayed on or near the wire. A graphical program including a first icon and a second icon is created, including connecting the first icon to the second icon in response to user input, and displaying a wire between the first icon and the second icon in response, where the wire has the first wire appearance.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: David W Fuller, III, Jacob Kornerup, John R. Breyer
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Patent number: 8074201Abstract: System and method for deploying and executing a program, e.g., a graphical program, on an embedded device. The program and a plurality of execution system components are stored on a host computer. The program is analyzed programmatically to determine a subset of the plurality of components required for execution of the program. The subset of components and the program are combined into a file while preserving execution order of the program. The file is transmitted to the device. The file is used to construct a combined program which includes executable code for the program and the subset of components. The device includes a minimal execution engine which executes the subset of components to execute the program. The file may be streamed to the device for streaming execution, where received portions of the subset of components needed for execution of received portions of the program are stored until no longer needed.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Marius Ghercioiu, Ciprian Ceteras, Ioan Monoses, Gratian I. Crisan, Jeffrey L. Kodosky
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Patent number: 8074203Abstract: System and method for executing a graphical program on a first computer and providing a user interface of the graphical program on a second computer, where the graphical program includes a plurality of interconnected function icons representing graphical data flow of a function. Information indicating a plurality of graphical programs on the first computer, e.g., a list, may be displayed on the second computer, and user input specifying the graphical program on the first computer received to the second computer, e.g., selecting the graphical program from the list of graphical programs. The graphical program is executed on the first computer, and information describing the user interface of the graphical program is provided to the second computer during execution. The user interface of the graphical program is displayed on the second computer, facilitating interaction between a user of the second computer and the graphical program executing on the first computer.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2008Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Robert E. Dye, Darshan Shah, Steve Rogers, Greg Richardson, Dean A. Luick
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Patent number: 8074177Abstract: System and method for configuring a wire appearance in a graphical programming environment. A first data type (or class), or communication functionality between nodes, e.g., timing, or data transfer, e.g., data transfer semantics, mechanism, or medium, in a graphical program is specified in response to user input. A first wire appearance denoting the first data type or specified functionality is created in response to user input, including, e.g., a specified wire pattern, thickness, shape, color(s), portion of the wire to be configured with the first wire appearance, wire label and/or wire icon to be displayed on or near the wire. A graphical program including a first icon and a second icon is created, including connecting the first icon to the second icon in response to user input, and displaying a wire between the first icon and the second icon in response, where the wire has the first wire appearance.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2008Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Marc A. Page, Robert S. Gehbauer
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Patent number: 8069275Abstract: A system and method for online configuration of a measurement system. The user may access a server over a network and specify a desired task, e.g., a measurement task, and receive programs and/or configuration information which are usable to configure the user's measurement system hardware (and/or software) to perform the desired task. Additionally, if the user does not have the hardware required to perform the task, the required hardware may be sent to the user, along with programs and/or configuration information. The hardware may be reconfigurable hardware, such as an FPGA or a processor/memory based device. In one embodiment, the required hardware may be pre-configured to perform the task before being sent to the user. In another embodiment, the system and method may provide a graphical program in response to receiving the user's task specification, where the graphical program may be usable by the measurement system to perform the task.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2009Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Joseph E. Peck, Matthew Novacek, Hugo A. Andrade, Newton G. Petersen, Ganesh Ranganathan, Brian Sierer, John Pasquarette
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Patent number: 8068660Abstract: System and method for characterizing vision systems. A multi-dimensional condition space is provided, each dimension representing a respective condition axis, where each point in the condition space specifies a set of conditions under which a vision system may operate. An image is provided. The condition space is sampled according to a pseudo-random sequence, e.g., a low-discrepancy sequence, to determine a plurality of test conditions usable to characterize the vision system, where each test condition corresponds to a respective set of conditions. A plurality of test images corresponding to the plurality of test conditions are generated based on the image, e.g., by applying image processing functions to the image that simulate the test conditions. A vision inspection is performed on each of the plurality of test images to generate respective test results, and the test results are analyzed to determine conditions under which the vision system operates correctly.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2008Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Dinesh R. Nair, Nicolas Vazquez, Robert J. B. Giesen, Joshua B. Keeler, Bruce Smyth
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Patent number: 8060483Abstract: A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which are specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2006Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Andreas Peter Haub, Stefan Romainczyk, Ralf Deininger, Helmut Helpenstein, Andreas Krantz, Myrle Krantz
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Patent number: 8055738Abstract: System and method for generating a configuration diagram based on user specification of a task. A server computer communicates with a client system, e.g., a measurement system, including a client computer system, over a network. The server receives requirements, e.g., a task specification, for a task, e.g., a measurement task, where the requirements are provided in response to user input. A plurality of products operable to perform the task are determined in response to the requirements, e.g., by programmatically analyzing the requirements. A diagram is displayed on the client computer system iconically representing the plurality of products, including icons representing at least a subset of the products to the user as proposed hardware and/or software products for the client system. Pricing information for the proposed products may be displayed. User input indicating purchase of at least one of the products is received and the purchased products provided to the user.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2009Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Mohammed Kamran Shah, David W Fuller, III, Jeffrey N. Correll, Brian H. Sierer
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Patent number: 8055637Abstract: A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which are specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2006Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Andreas Peter Haub, Stefan Romainczyk, Ralf Deininger, Helmut Helpenstein, Andreas Krantz, Myrle Krantz
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Patent number: 8051148Abstract: System and method for determining and/or merging differences between configuration diagrams. First information is received regarding a first configuration diagram comprising a first plurality of nodes and graphically representing a first system, and second information is received regarding a second configuration diagram comprising a first plurality of nodes and graphically representing a second system. At least a portion of the nodes may correspond to hardware devices, programs, and/or configuration data of the respective systems, and may be interconnected. The first and second information is analyzed to determine and/or merge differences between the first configuration diagram and the second configuration diagram, e.g., differences between hardware, software, configuration, and/or connectivity, e.g., by traversing the configuration diagrams or data structures representing the diagrams. An indication of the differences and/or a merged configuration diagram may be displayed on a display device, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2006Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: David W Fuller, III, Mohammed Kamran Shah
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Patent number: 8050882Abstract: A system and method for online configuration of a measurement system. The user may access a server over a network and specify a desired task, e.g., a measurement task, and receive programs and/or configuration information which are usable to configure the user's measurement system hardware (and/or software) to perform the desired task. Additionally, if the user does not have the hardware required to perform the task, the required hardware may be sent to the user, along with programs and/or configuration information. The hardware may be reconfigurable hardware, such as an FPGA or a processor/memory based device. In one embodiment, the required hardware may be pre-configured to perform the task before being sent to the user. In another embodiment, the system and method may provide a graphical program in response to receiving the user's task specification, where the graphical program may be usable by the measurement system to perform the task.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Brian Sierer, Ganesh Ranganathan, John Pasquarette, David W Fuller, III, Joseph E. Peck, Matthew Novacek, Hugo A. Andrade
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Patent number: 8046739Abstract: A system and method for creating a graphical program. A function block may be displayed in a graphical program. The graphical program may include a plurality of interconnected blocks which visually indicate the functionality of the program. Additionally, the function block may be operable to perform a first function and may include one or more inputs and one or more outputs. User input specifying an attribute behavior for the function block may be received, e.g., via a menu which allows selection or definition of attribute behaviors, a graphical wizard, or another graphical program, among other methods. The attribute behavior specified for the function block may be usable to determine at attribute of at least a subset of the one or more outputs of the function block based on an attribute of at least one of the one or more inputs to the function block.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2006Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Matthew C. Curtis, James M. Lewis