Method and system for modeling a mechanical system
AssigneeThe MathWorks, Inc.
InventorGiles D. Wood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and methods are disclosed herein for modeling a mechanical system having body elements movable in at least two dimensions in a graphical modeling environment. The system and methods described herein allow constraints on body elements movable in at least two dimensions in the mechanical system to be generalized and represented by a single block in the graphical modeling environment. The system and methods described herein simplify the modeling of a mechanical system by allowing a user to construct a definition of generalized constraints through a connectivity table. Thus, it is possible to model a mechanical system in a graphical modeling environment with less than all the body elements represented by blocks in a graphical model.
Claims51
In a computational device providing a graphical modeling environment, a method for modeling a mechanical system having body elements movable in at least two dimensions, the method comprising:
- representing a first body element of mass of the mechanical system with a first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the first body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing a second body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the second body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing a third body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the third body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing, with a single constraint block of a second block type in the graphical modeling environment, one or more constraints having associated constraint equations between each of the first, second and third body elements relative to one another, the constraint block including a configurable number of ports;
- and
- simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the constraint equations of the one or more constraints represented by the single constraint block to simulate behavior of the mechanical system.
A device readable medium holding device readable instructions for modeling a mechanical system having body elements movable in at least two dimensions in a computational device providing a graphical modeling environment, the instructions comprising:
- representing a first body element of mass of the mechanical system with a first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the first body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing a second body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the second body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing a third body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, the third body element being capable of moving in at least two dimensions;
- representing, with a single constraint block of a second block type, one or more constraints having associated constraint equations between each of the first, second and third body elements relative to one another, the constraint block including a configurable number of ports;
- and
- simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the constraint equations of the one or more constraints represented by the single constraint block to simulate behavior of the mechanical system.
A computational device for use in practicing a graphical modeling environment, the graphical modeling environment for developing and performing engineering and scientific related functions, the computational device comprising,
- an input device for use by a user;
- a modeling facility responsive to inputs from the user for representing a first body element of mass of a mechanical system with a first block type in the graphical modeling environment, representing a second body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, representing a third body element of mass of the mechanical system with the first block type in the graphical modeling environment, representing, with a single constraint block of a second block type in the graphical modeling environment, one or more constraints having associated constraint equations between each of the first, second and third body elements relative to one another, the first, second and third body elements each being capable of moving in at least two dimensions, the constraint block including a configurable number of ports and simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the constraint equations of the one or more constraints represented by the single constrain block to simulate behavior of the mechanical system.
In a computer providing a graphical modeling environment, a method for modeling a physical system, the method comprising:
- selecting, using the computer, a block type representing one or more restrictions on variables between at least three elements relative to one another;
- changing, using the computer, a number of ports on the selected block type;
- automatically changing, using the computer, a set of constraint equations associated with the selected block type based on the change in the number of ports to reflect the change in the number of ports;
- and
- simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the set of constraint equations associated with the selected block type to simulate behavior of the physical system.
A non-transitory device readable medium holding device readable instructions for modeling a physical system, the instructions comprising:
- selecting a block type representing one or more restrictions on variables between at least three elements relative to one another;
- changing a number of ports on the selected block type;
- and
- automatically changing a set of constraint equations associated with the selected block type based on the change in the number of ports to reflect the change in the number of ports;
- and
- simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the set of constraint equations associated with the selected block type to simulate behavior of the physical system.
A computational device for use in practicing a graphical modeling environment, the graphical modeling environment for developing and performing engineering and scientific related functions, the computational device comprising:
- an input device for use by a user;
- and
- a modeling facility responsive to inputs from the user for changing a number of ports on a block type representing one or more restrictions on variables between at least three elements forming a portion of a physical system, automatically changing a set of constraint equations associated with the block type based on the change in the number of ports to reflect the change in the number of ports, the modeling facility in response to the inputs from the user changing a graphical representation of the block type to reflect the change in the number of ports and the set of constraint equations and simulating behavior of the mechanical system, the simulating including solving the set of constraint equations associated with the block type to simulate behavior of the physical system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.