US 8,302,078 B2Granted

Lazy evaluation of geometric definitions of objects within procedural programming environments

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsPaul Zack Thunemann, Thomas A. Grandine, Jan H. Vandenbrande, Gregory Mikel Anderson

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Abstract

This description provides tools for lazy evaluation of geometric definitions of objects within procedural programming environments. Computer-based methods provided by these tools may parse input program code that includes statements that are syntactically consistent with a procedural programming language. These statements may also include defined functions that are not syntactically consistent with the procedural programming language. The defined functions may be associated with a given function that is defined according to the procedural programming language. The given function may relate to a geometric design of an object. The methods may identify inputs and outputs to this given function, and may build a dependency graph that relates this given function to other functions, based on the inputs and/or outputs of the given function. The methods may delay evaluating the given function until a triggering event occurs, at which time the methods may evaluate the given function to produce the output.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A vehicle design system comprising at least:

at least one processor;
at least one computer readable storage medium coupled to communicate with the processor, the computer readable storage medium including at least one design application, wherein the design application includes:
at least one lazy evaluation component adapted to:
evaluate input program code that includes at least one statement that is syntactically consistent with a procedural programming language, and that includes at least one defined function that is associated with a function defined by the procedural programming language;
identify at least one input and at least one output to the function;
build a dependency graph that relates the function to at least a second function, based on the input or the output to the function;
delay evaluation of the function, in response to the defined function, until an occurrence of at least one triggering event;
and
evaluate at least the function to produce the output in response to the triggering event, wherein at least the function relates to a geometric design of least one object;
at least one imperative language component adapted to receive and process the least one statement;
and
at least one functional language component adapted to receive and process the defined function and the function.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.