National Instruments Corporation

Samson L DeKey

Hugo A Andrade

Bob Mitchell

Jogen Pathak

Todd Brower

Lothar Wenzel

Dinesh R Nair

Nicolas F Vazquez

Abhay Shah

Jeffrey L Kodosky

Darshan K Shah

Dan Mondrik

Steven W Rogers

Steve Rogers

Abhay S Shah

A computer-based virtual instrumentation system including a host computer and an embedded system or device, wherein graphical programs created using the computer system can be downloaded to the embedded system for execution in a real-time or more deterministic manner. The present invention thus provides a method for automatically generating an embedded application in response to a graphical program created by a user. This provides the user the ability to develop or define instrument functionality using graphical programming techniques, while enabling the resulting program to operate in an embedded real-time system. The invention includes a novel method for configuring the embedded system. During execution of a graphical program in the embedded system, the block diagram portion executes in the embedded system, and the host CPU executes front panel display code to display on the screen the graphical front panel of the graphical program. The embedded system and the host computer exchange data using a front panel protocol to enable this operation. The present invention also includes improved debugging support for graphical programs executing on the embedded system. The host graphical programming system thus provides the user interface for graphical programs executing on the embedded system, essentially acting as the front panel &ldquo;browser&rdquo; for embedded applications. The host LabVIEW can also act as an independent application communicating with embedded LabVIEW through the shared memory. The host graphical programming system further provides a seamless environment in which the user can develop an embedded application using high level graphical programming techniques.

System and method for providing and displaying debugging information of a graphical program on a first computer during execution of the graphical program on a second computer

A system and method for improved image characterization, object placement, and mesh design utilizing Low Discrepancy sequences. The Low Discrepancy sequence is designed to produce sample points which maximally avoid one another, i.e., the distance between any two sample points is maximized. The invention may be applied specifically to methods of image characterization, pattern matching, acquiring image statistics, object location, image reconstruction, motion estimation, object placement, sensor placement, and mesh design, among others. Image characterization is performed by receiving an image and then sampling the image using a Low Discrepancy sequence, also referred to as a quasi-random sequence, to determine a plurality of sample pixels in the image which characterize the image. Sensor placement is performed by generating a Low Discrepancy sequence for the desired placement application, and then selecting locations for the optimal placement of sensors using the generated Low Discrepancy sequence.

System and method for sampling and/or placing objects using low discrepancy sequences

A system and method for performing pattern matching to locate zero or more instances of a template image in a target image. The method first comprises sampling the template image using a Low Discrepancy sequence, also referred to as a quasi-random sequence, to determine a plurality of sample pixels in the template image which accurately characterize the template image. The Low Discrepancy sequence is designed to produce sample points which maximally avoid each other. After the template image is sampled or characterized, the method then performs pattern matching using the sample pixels and the target image to determine zero or more locations of the template image in the target image. The method may also perform a local stability analysis around at least a subset of the sample pixels to determine a lesser third number of sample pixels which have a desired degree of stability, and then perform pattern matching using the third plurality of sample pixels. In one embodiment, the local stability analysis determines a plurality of sets of sample pixels with differing stability neighborhood sizes, and the pattern matching performs a plurality of iterations of pattern matching using different sets of sample pixels, preferably performed in a coarse to fine manner, e.g., using sets of sample pixels with successively smaller stability neighborhood sizes and/or step sizes. The present invention also includes performing rotation invariant pattern matching by sampling the template image along one or more rotationally invariant paths, preferably circular perimeters, to produce one or more sets of sample pixels. These sample pixels from the circular paths are then used in the pattern matching. The rotationally invariant pattern matching may also use local stability analysis and coarse to fine searching techniques.

Pattern matching system and method with improved template image sampling using low discrepancy sequences

Pattern matching system and method which performs local stability analysis for improved efficiency

Embedded graphical programming system

A system and method for controlling a computer-based instrumentation system which provides simplified application development and improved performance for instrumentation systems. The present invention provides a system including a software architecture which defines the control and management of an instrumentation system. The present invention includes a base object class, an object manager, session and resource classes, and one or more resource templates. The instrumentation system of the present invention provides a plurality of instrument control resources which are used as building blocks to create instrument drivers and higher level applications. The present invention also uses object oriented technology which allows device resources to be easily combined to create higher level applications. The present invention is independent of I/O interface type, operating system, and programming language while also providing a common look and feel and consistent API to the user. The present invention includes novel methods for access control, event handling, resource management, and resource addressing, among others.

System and method for controlling an instrumentation system

A system and method for enabling applications written for SICL driver level software to operate with a VISA system. The present invention maps driver level event function calls from the SICL driver level library to VISA resource operations. This enables a VISA system to operate in conjunction with applications written for the SICL I/O library. The SICL Driver level library provides a completely different methodology for enabling and handling events than does a VISA system. According to the present invention, the method verifies and translate session identifier parameters from SICL functions to corresponding session identifiers in a VISA system. The method also verifies and translates interrupt condition parameters from SICL to corresponding event types in VISA for numerous event functions. Further, the method examines parameters in various SICL event functions and invokes the appropriate VISA operations to perform the indicated functions. In many instances, the method of the present invention is required to invoke multiple VISA operations to perform the desired functions indicated by a single SICL function. The method of the present invention performs many other operations necessary to map SICL event commands to the appropriate VISA operations.

System and method for mapping driver level event function calls from a

A method and apparatus for controlling instrumentation systems and for providing a user with the capability to develop instrument drivers and application software for controlling instrumentation systems. The present invention provides a system including a software architecture which defines the control and management of an instrumentation system. The method of the present invention utilizes a device resource independence approach whereby the individual capabilities of devices are broken down into a plurality of objects called resources and these resources are then used to develop instrument drivers or instrument control applications. The method of the present invention also uses object oriented technology which allows device resources to be easily combined to create higher level applications. The present invention is independent of I/O interface type, operating system, and programming language while also providing a common look and feel and consistent API to the user. The present invention includes novel methods for access control, event handling, resource management, and resource addressing, among others.

Method and apparatus for controlling an instrumentation system

A system and method for improved handling of events in an instrumentation system which provides numerous features and advantages over prior art methods. The present invention provides simplified application development and improved performance for instrumentation systems. The instrumentation system of the present invention provides event queueing, event handling, and suspend handling features, thus providing the user or developer with greater freedom in designing his test and measurement or process control application. The present invention includes a single operation referred to as viEnableEvent which is used for enabling events of all event types, and a single operation for installing handlers for all event types, referred to as viInstallHandlr. The operation viEnableEvent includes one or more parameters which can be specified as a filter to qualify the types of events desired to be received at the time of the event occurrence. This provides the user with greater control over which events are specified to be received. The present invention further includes an auto-acknowledge capability which enables a resource to automatically provide an acknowledge to an instrument generating an interrupt. An auto-enable feature is included for resources within the system which provides that if there are multiple sessions, the first session for which events are enabled enables the respective event receiving hardware, and the hardware remains enabled until the last session has been disabled. The present invention further provides several different mechanisms for generating interrupts within the system. For example, a user application can cause a resource to signal a session that an event has occurred, thus enabling the user application to create events within the system. Alternatively, an event can be generated internally to a resource and constructed within a resource. Further, an asynchronous notification method is provided whereby an event could be generated by a first resource and trapped by a second resource.

System and method for handling events in an instrumentation system

A system and method for developing instrument drivers and applications in a computer-based instrumentation system. The present invention provides simplified application development and improved performance for instrumentation systems. The instrumentation system of the present invention provides a plurality of instrument control resources which are used as building blocks to create instrument drivers and higher level applications. The present invention also uses object oriented technology which allows device resources to be easily combined to create higher level applications. The present invention is independent of I/O interface type, operating system, and programming language while also providing a common look and feel and consistent API to the user. A developer creates a resource in the VISA system by first determining if the desired resource can inherit from a currently existing resource. If the resource desired to be created can inherit from an existing resource, then the developer creates session and resource classes from the base classes that are being inherited from. If the developer determines that a resource does not currently exist from which the resource can inherit, then the developer inherits from the base session and resource classes provided in a VISA system. After either of the above steps, the developer creates an interface description language for the resource and session classes that have been created for the resource. The interface description language describes the interface for the session and resource classes created for the session. The developer then creates the code which supplements and/or overwrites the code in the existing resource that was inherited from. The code is created to provide operations, attributes, and events for the new resource. Once the code has been created and debugged, then a resource has been created for controlling the particular instrument. In a similar manner, various other types of instrument drivers in higher level instrumentation applications can be created by inheriting from existing resources.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Samson L DeKey