Graphical system for executing a process and for programming a computer to execute a process, including graphical variable inputs and variable outputs

A system for executing a process, said process characterized by at least one input variable and at least one output variable, said system comprising:

• a first store for a first collection comprising graphical representations of variable inputs and variable outputs;
• a first display, responsive to user inputs and coupled with the first store to display at least one variable input as a graphical representation selected from said first collection to show a value of said at least one input variable and to display at least one variable output as a graphical representation selected from said first collection to show a value of said at least one output variable to provide a display which substantially characterizes a panel;
• a second store for a second collection comprising icons, wherein respective icons in the second collection correspond to variable inputs and variable outputs in said first collection;
• a third store for a third collection comprising graphical structure representations, wherein respective structure representations correspond to respective data flow structures;
• a diagram display to display at least one diagram, said diagram including an icon corresponding to said at least one variable input on said panel and an icon corresponding to said at least one variable output on said panel and at least one structure representation selected from said third collection, such that said diagram graphically displays data flow of a procedure by which said at least one input variable shown on the panel with said at least one variable input can produce said at least one output variable shown on said panel with said at least one variable output;
• a program, coupled with the diagram display, that constructs execution instructions in response to said diagram such that said execution instructions characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure;
• and
• a processor, coupled with the diagram display and the first display, and responsive to at least one value shown with said at least one variable input on said panel, to execute said execution instructions to produce at least one value shown with said at least one variable output on said panel.

A method for programming a computer to execute a process, said process characterized by a reception of at least one input variable and a provision of at least one output variable, said method comprising the steps of:

• constructing on the computer in response to user input, at least one panel display including a variable input to show a value of said at least one input variable and a variable output to show a value of said at least one output variable;
• constructing on a computer in response to user input, at least one diagram display such that said diagram display graphically displays data flow of a procedure by which said at least one input variable can produce said at least one output variable;
• constructing execution instructions in the computer in response to said at least one diagram display and said at least one panel display which characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure and is responsive to the value shown in the variable input to update the value shown in the variable output;
• and
• executing in the computer, in response to the valve of said at least one input variable shown by the variable input, said execution instructions to update in real time the value shown by the variable output.

A method for programming a computer to execute a process, said process characterized by a reception of at least one input variable and a provision of at least one output variable, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying at least one graphical representation for a variable input to show a value of said at least one input variable and displaying at least one graphical representation for a variable output to show a value of said at least one output variable to provide a display which substantially characterizes a panel;
• displaying a graphical representation of a reference to said panel, said graphical representation including respective regions corresponding to said at least one variable input and to said at least one variable output;
• constructing at least one diagram display which displays said graphical representation and at least one data flow structure representation, such that said diagram display graphically displays a procedure by which said at least one input variable can produce said at least one output variable;
• and
• constructing in response to said diagram display execution instructions which characterize an execution procedure which substantially corresponds to said displayed procedure.

A method for programming a computer to execute a procedure, the computer including memory, a display, a user input device, and a data processor, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing in the memory a plurality of executable functions and a plurality of data types;
• storing in the memory at least one scheduling function for controlling data flow among executable functions;
• assembling a data flow diagram on the display in response to user input, the data flow diagram including function icons corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of executable functions, at least one scheduler-icon corresponding to the at least one scheduling function, variable icons corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of data types, and arcs interconnecting the function-icons and variable-icons;
• assembling a panel on the display in response to user input, the panel including variable input-icons and variable output-icons for assigning input values and displaying output values, respectively, to variable-icons in the data flow diagram;
• and
• generating an executable program in response to the data flow diagram and the panel including interconnected executable functions and scheduling functions as indicated by the data flow diagram, for receiving input values indicated in the panel and executing a procedure to generate output values for display in the panel.