Computer-based system, methods and graphical interface for information storage, modeling and stimulation of complex systems

A computer system comprising memory means, storage means, and program means, for building virtual-models of complex-systems in said computer system by creating, configuring and linking instances of prototypes of building-blocks stored in said computer-system, said prototypes representing different types of components characteristic of said complex-systems, comprising:

• one or more libraries of prototypes of building-blocks comprising:
• one or more different prototypes of reactant building-blocks representing populations of entities that are inputs to different types of processes as well as the different types of roles that the different inputs play in said types of processes,
• one or more different prototypes of product building-blocks representing populations of entities that are outputs of different types in different types of processes, and
• one or more different prototypes of composite process building-blocks representing different types of processes characteristic of said complex-systems, each instance of said prototypes to be configured to represent a conceptual process in which one or more different populations of entities participate, wherein each of said represented processes may comprise any number of equivalent and cumulative actual processes wherein subpopulations of said populations participate, each prototype comprising or enabled to comprise:
• any number of instances of one or more of said prototypes of reactant building-blocks representing the one or more inputs and the one or more different roles each of said inputs play in the represented type of process,
• any number of instances of one or more of said prototypes of product building-blocks representing the one or more outputs and types of outputs from said type of process, and
• wherein each of said inputs and outputs is to represent a population of any number of units of entities or entity complexes of a given type or in a given state or compartment;
• wherein said building-blocks may comprise any number of attributes which values are either being used to describe the characteristics of the types of components of said complex-systems that said types of building-blocks represent, or characteristics of said types of building-blocks in said computer system, or values or data structures used by said program means at runtime, or are to be used to more specifically describe or point to characteristics of individual components of said complex-systems that each instance of said types of building-blocks is to represent, or characteristics of instances of said building-blocks in said computer system, said attributes having values of any type, including but not limited to:
• character string, integer or real numbers, logical values, fuzzy values, or instances of parameters, variables, lists, arrays, images, or any other data structure, or pointers to other instances of any of said building-blocks, external files, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), database records, or any other objects, in said computer system or in a network accessible by said computer system;
• wherein each of said instances of product building-block(s) is to be linked to complementary instances of reactant building-block(s) on any number of other instances of process building-blocks, to represent that the represented output from a process provides the represented inputs to other processes, wherein any number of instances of product building-block(s) may be linked to any of said instances of reactant building-blocks;
• wherein virtual-models resulting from said linking comprise multidimensional networks where the functional nodes are alternating complementary instances of process building-blocks or their components enabling any level of complexity from the possible one to many, many to one, and many to many links, and from the possible forward and feedback loops;
• wherein any number of instances of said building-blocks representing components that provide input(s) to a reference component represented by a reference instance of said building-blocks or that may directly or indirectly influence said input(s) in one or more pathways are said to be upstream of said reference instance, and any number of instances of said building-blocks representing components that receive output(s) from said reference component or that directly or indirectly are influenced by said output(s) in one or more pathways are said to be downstream of said reference instance;
• and
• means for manipulating said building-blocks by domain experts and/or said program means, comprising:
• means to make said prototypes of building-blocks available, including visual means through menus or palettes, and/or programmatic means;
• means to instantiate said prototypes of building-blocks, including constructor means to create new instances from their definitions and/or means to clone semi-configured instances of said prototypes of building-blocks, interactively and/or programmatically;
• and
• means to establish directional output-input links between said complementary instances of building-blocks, including links between instances of said product building-block(s) and instances of said reactant building-block(s).

A method for representing virtual-models of complex-systems in a computer system comprising memory means, storage means, and program means, comprising the steps of:

• storing in said computer system program means defining prototypes of linkable building-blocks representing components characteristic of said complex-systems, said prototypes comprising:
• one or more types of reservoir building-blocks to represent one or more types of conceptual populations of entities characteristic of said complex-systems, wherein the units of each of said populations represented may be disperse among the units of other populations in said complex-systems, and
• one or more different types of process building-blocks to represent one or more different types of conceptual processes characteristic of said complex-system in which any number of units from one or more of said populations participate, wherein each of said processes represented may comprise any number of equivalent and cumulative actual processes wherein subpopulations of said populations participate,
• wherein said stored means define any number of attributes and/or components for said building-blocks, which values are either used to describe the characteristics of the types of components of said complex-systems that said types of building-blocks represent, or characteristics of said types of building-blocks in said computer system, or values or data structures used by said program at runtime, or are to be used to more specifically describe or point to characteristics of individual components of said complex-systems that each instance of said types of building-blocks is to represent, or characteristics of instances of said building-blocks in said computer system, said attributes having values of any type, including but not limited to:
• character string, integer or real numbers, logical values, fuzzy values, instances of parameters, variables, lists, arrays, images, or any other data structure, or pointers to other instances of any of said building-blocks, external files, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), database records, or any other objects, in said computer system or in a network accessible by said computer system;
• storing program means to make said definitions of building-blocks available to the program and/or user, including visual means through menus and/or palettes, and/or programmatic means;
• storing program means to instantiate said building blocks, including constructor means in conjunction with said definitions and/or cloning means in conjunction with semi-configured instances of said prototypes;
• storing program means to establish directional output-input links between instances of said two complementary kinds of building blocks;
• building the different components of a virtual model by instantiating the appropriate types of said building blocks and configuring said instances, wherein:
• each instance of said reservoir building-blocks is configured to represent one population of any number of units of entities or entity-complexes of one given type or in a given state or compartment, and
• each instance of said types of process building-blocks is configured to represent a conceptual process in which any number of units from one or more of said populations participate;
• and
• establishing output-input links between individual instances of said process building-blocks and any number of corresponding instances of said reservoir building-blocks to represent that output(s) of a represented process are input(s) to any number of corresponding represented population(s), and links between individual instances of said reservoir building-blocks and any number of instances of said process building-blocks to represent that output(s) of a represented population are input(s) to any number of corresponding represented processes, wherein:
• virtual-models resulting from said linking comprise multidimensional networks where the functional nodes are alternating complementary instances of reservoir building-blocks and process building-blocks, enabling any level of complexity from the possible one to many, many to one, or many to many links, and from the possible forward and feedback loops, and
• any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing populations or processes that provide input(s) to a reference population or process represented by a reference instance of said building-blocks or that directly or indirectly influence said inputs in one or more pathways are said to be upstream of said reference instance, and any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing populations or processes that receive output(s) from said reference population or process or that directly or indirectly are influenced by said output(s) in one or more pathways are said to be downstream of said reference.

A method for representing virtual-models of complex-systems in a computer system comprising memory means, storage means, and program means, comprising the steps of:

• storing in said computer system program means to define prototypes of building-blocks representing the components characteristic of said complex-systems, said prototypes comprising:
• one or more different type(s) of reactant building-blocks representing populations of entities that are input(s) to different types of processes as well as the different types of roles that the different inputs play in said types of processes;
• one or more different type(s) of product building-blocks representing populations of entities that are output(s) of different types in different types of processes;
• and
• one or more different types of composite prototypes of process building-blocks representing different types of processes characteristic of said complex-systems, each instance of said prototypes to be configured to represent a conceptual process in which one or more populations of entities participate, wherein each of said represented processes may comprise any number of equivalent and cumulative actual processes wherein subpopulations of said populations participate, each prototype comprising or enabled to comprise:
• any number of instances of one or more of said prototype(s) of reactant building-blocks representing the one or more inputs and the one or more different roles each of said inputs play in the represented type of process,
• any number of instances of one or more of said prototype(s) of product building-blocks representing the one or more output(s) and types of outputs from said type of process, and
• wherein each of said inputs and outputs implies a population of any number of units of entities or entity-complexes of a given type or in a given state or compartment;
• wherein said program means further define any number of attributes and/or components for said building-blocks, which values are either used to describe the characteristics of the types of components of said complex-systems that said types of building-blocks represent, -or characteristics of said types of building-blocks in said computer system, or values or data structures used by said program at runtime, or are to be used to more specifically describe or point to characteristics of individual components of said complex-systems that each instance of said types of building-blocks is to represent, or characteristics of instances of said building-blocks in said computer system, said attributes having values of any type, including but not limited to:
• character string, integer or real numbers, logical values, fuzzy values, instances of parameters, variables, lists, arrays, images, or any other data structure, or pointers to other instances of any of said building-blocks, external files, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), database records, or any other objects, in said computer system or in a network accessible by said computer system;
• storing program means to make said definitions of building-blocks available to the program and/or user, including visual means through menus and/or palettes, and/or programmatic means;
• storing program means to instantiate said building blocks, including constructor means in conjunction with said definitions and/or cloning means in conjunction with semi-configured instances of said prototypes, interactively and/or programmatically;
• storing program means to establish directional output-input links between instances of said product building-block(s) and instances of said reactant building-block(s);
• building the different components of a virtual model by instantiating the appropriate types of said building blocks and configuring said instances, wherein:
• each instance of said types of process building-blocks is configured to represent a conceptual process in which any number of populations of entities participate, and
• each instance of said reactant or product building-blocks are configured to represent one of the one or more input(s) or output(s), respectively of said process representing populations of any number of entities or entity-complexes of one given type or in a given state or compartment;
• establishing output-input links between any instance of product building-block and any number of complementary instances of reactant building-blocks to represent that the output from a process represented by said product building-block provides the input(s) to other processes represented by said linked instances of reactant building-blocks, wherein:
• any number of instances of product building-block(s) of different processes building-block(s) may be linked to each of said instances of reactant building-blocks, wherein:
• virtual-models resulting from said linking comprise multidimensional networks where the functional nodes are instances of process building-blocks or their reactant and product building-blocks, enabling any level of complexity from the possible one to many, many to one, and many to many links, and from the possible forward and feedback loops, and
• any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing components that provide input(s) to a reference component represented by a reference instance of said building-blocks or that may directly or indirectly influence said inputs in one or more pathways are said to be upstream of said reference instance, and any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing components that receive output(s) from said reference component or that directly or indirectly are influenced by said output(s) in one or more pathways are said to be downstream of said reference instance.

A method for utilizing virtual-models of complex-systems in a computer system comprising memory means, storage means, program means, and stored persistent data sets comprising instances of building-blocks representing the components of said complex-system(s), comprising the steps of:

• loading into said memory means one or more of said stored data sets comprising:
• any number of instances of one or more different types of reservoir building-blocks, each instance configured to represent a conceptual population of any number of units of entities or entity-complexes of one given type or in a given state or compartment wherein the units of each of said populations represented may be disperse among the units of other populations in said complex-systems, and
• any number of instances of one or more different types of process building-blocks, each instance configured to represent a conceptual process of one or more different types characteristic of said complex-systems in which any number of units from one or more of said populations participate, wherein each of said processes represented may comprise any number of equivalent and cumulative actual processes wherein subpopulations of said populations participate;
• wherein individual instances of said building-blocks have directional output-input links to instances of complementary building-blocks, including links from any number of instances of said reservoir building-blocks to an instance of said process building-blocks representing that output(s) of the represented population(s), provide input(s) to the represented process, and links from said instance to any number of instances of reservoir building-block(s), representing that output(s) of said process provide input(s) to the represented population(s), wherein said instance(s) of reservoir building-blocks also have any number of output-input links from and to any number of instances of said process building-blocks;
• and
• wherein said building-blocks comprise any number of attributes which values are either used to describe the characteristics of the types of components of said complex-systems that said types of building-blocks represent, or characteristics of said types or individual instances of building-blocks in said computer system, or values or data structures used by said program at runtime, or more specifically to describe or point to characteristics of individual components of said complex-systems that each instance of said types of building-blocks represents, said attributes having values of any type, including but not limited to:
• character string, integer or real numbers, logical values, fuzzy values, instances of parameters, variables, lists, arrays, images, or any other data structure, or pointers to other instances of any of said building-blocks, external files, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), database records, or any other structures, in said computer system or in a network accessible by said computer system;
• integrating by said program means said individually linked instances of building-blocks into a multidimensional network of pathways wherein:
• the modes of said network are alternative said instances of reservoir and process building-blocks, each of said nodes being comprised in one or more of said pathways,
• different pathways merge at any of said nodes with multiple input links, and where different pathways branch at any of said nodes with multiple output links,
• any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing processes or populations that provide input(s) to a reference process or population represented by a reference instance of said building-blocks or that directly or indirectly may influence said input(s) are said to be upstream of said reference instance and any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing processes or populations that receive output(s) from said reference process or population or that directly or indirectly may be influenced by said output(s) are said to be downstream of said reference instance;
• and
• executing by said program means one or more stored functions associated with to said types of building-blocks for any instances of said types of building-blocks selected by a user or by said program.

A method for utilizing virtual-models of complex-systems in a computer system comprising processor means, memory means, storage means, program means, and stored persistent data sets comprising instances of building-blocks representing the components of said complex-system(s), comprising the steps of:

• loading into said memory means one or more of said stored datasets comprising any number of instances of one or more different types of composite process building-blocks, each representing a conceptual process in which one or more populations of entities participate, the different type(s) of process building-blocks representing one or more different types of processes characteristic of said complex-system, wherein:
• each of said represented processes may comprise any number of equivalent and cumulative actual processes where subpopulations of said populations participate;
• each instance comprises as components:
• any number of instances of one or more different type(s)of reactant building-blocks representing one or more different populations of entities that are input(s) to the represented process as well as different types of roles that said inputs play in said process, and any number of instances of one or more different type(s)of product building-blocks representing one or more different populations of entities that are output(s) from the represented process, wherein each of said populations comprise any number of units of entities or entity-complexes of a given type or in a given state or compartment;
• individual instances of said product building-blocks have output-input links to one or more instance(s) of said reactant building-blocks of different instances of process building-blocks, representing that an output of a represented process provides input(s) to other processes, wherein an instance of said reactant building-blocks may have output-input links from any number of instance(s) of said product building-blocks;
• and
• said building-blocks comprise any number of attributes which values are either used to describe the characteristics of the types of components of said complex-systems that said types of building-blocks represent, or characteristics of said types or individual instances of building-blocks in said computer system, or values or data structures used by said program at runtime, or more specifically to describe or point to characteristics of individual components of said complex-systems that each instance of said types of building-blocks represents, said attributes having values of any type, including but not limited to:
• character string, integer or real numbers, logical values, fuzzy values, instances of parameters, variables, lists, arrays, images, or any other data structure, or pointers to other instances of any of said building-blocks, external files, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), database records, or any other structures, in said computer system or in a network accessible by said computer system;
• synthesizing said virtual-model(s) by said program means by integrating said individually linked instances of building-blocks into a multidimensional network of pathways wherein:
• the nodes of said network are said instances of process building-blocks or their reactant and product building-blocks, each of said nodes being comprised in one or more of said pathways;
• different pathways merge at any of said nodes with multiple linked reactants and different pathways branch at any of said nodes with multiple linked products;
• said networks may be of many level of complexity due to the possible one to many, many to one, and many to many links, and from the possible forward and feedback loops;
• and
• any instance(s) of said building-blocks representing components that provide input(s) to a reference component represented by a reference instance of said building-blocks or that directly or indirectly may influence said input(s) in one or more pathways are said to be upstream of said reference instance, and any instance(s) of said building-blocks that representing components that receive output(s) from said reference component or that directly or indirectly may be influenced by said output(s) in one or more pathways are said to be downstream of said reference instance;
• and
• executing by said program means one or more stored means providing functions associated with said types of building-blocks for any instances of said types of building-blocks selected by a user or by said program.