Stephen R Mercer

US Patent:

7730450, Jun 1, 2010

Filed:

Jan 31, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/047198

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717120, 717113, 717116, 717105, 707683, 707684, 707702, 707695

Abstract:

System and method for automatic versioning and data mutation for user-defined data types. A program development environment may be operable to: create a first version of a data type definition in response to user input; instantiate and store an object of the first version of the data type, optionally including a version identifier indicating the version of the object; modify the first version of the data type definition in response to user input, thereby creating a second version of the data type definition; load the object from storage; and automatically (without user intervention) modify the object to conform to the second version of the data type definition. Successive modifications of the data type definition may generate successive versions of the data type. Objects instantiated and stored according to a previous version of the data type may be loaded from storage and automatically modified to conform to a specified subsequent version.

US Patent:

7793273, Sep 7, 2010

Filed:

Nov 8, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/269217

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Steven W. Rogers - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717141, 717126, 717143

Abstract:

System and method for implicit downcasting at compile time in a data flow program. A first data flow function in an object-oriented dataflow program is identified, where the first function includes an input of a parent data type and an output of the parent data type. The first function is analyzed to determine if the output preserves the run-time data type of the input. A second dataflow function in the object-oriented data flow program is identified, where the second function includes a program element that calls the first function, passing an input parameter of a child data type of the parent data type as input. If the analysis determines that an output parameter returned by the output of the first function will always be of the child data type, the program element is automatically configured at compile time to always downcast the output parameter from the parent data type to the child data type at run-time.

US Patent:

8356290, Jan 15, 2013

Filed:

Apr 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/430579

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Akash B. Bhakta - Austin TX, US
Matthew E. Novacek - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717144, 717132, 717133, 717156

Abstract:

System and method for converting a class oriented data flow program to a structure oriented data flow program. A first data flow program is received, where the first data flow program is an object oriented program comprising instances of one or more classes, and wherein the first data flow program is executable to perform a first function. The first data flow program is automatically converted to a second data flow program, where the second data flow program does not include the instances of the one or more classes, and where the second data flow program is executable to perform the first function. The second data flow program is stored on a computer memory, where the second data flow program is configured to be deployed to a device, e. g. , a programmable hardware element, and where the second data flow program is executable on the device to perform the first function.

US Patent:

8375355, Feb 12, 2013

Filed:

Apr 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/430157

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Akash B. Bhakta - Austin TX, US
Matthew E. Novacek - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717110, 717144, 717136, 717146

Abstract:

System and method for converting a class oriented data flow program to a structure oriented data flow program. A first data flow program is received, where the first data flow program is an object oriented program comprising instances of one or more classes, and wherein the first data flow program is executable to perform a first function. The first data flow program is automatically converted to a second data flow program, where the second data flow program does not include the instances of the one or more classes, and where the second data flow program is executable to perform the first function. The second data flow program is stored on a computer memory, where the second data flow program is configured to be deployed to a device, e. g. , a programmable hardware element, and where the second data flow program is executable on the device to perform the first function.

US Patent:

8423977, Apr 16, 2013

Filed:

Apr 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/430568

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Akash B. Bhakta - Austin TX, US
Matthew E. Novacek - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/45
G06F 9/455
G06F 17/50
G06F 11/22

US Classification:

717136, 717104, 717105, 717106, 717107, 717108, 717109, 717137, 717140, 717143, 717144, 717146, 717151, 717152, 717153, 717155, 717156, 716103, 716106, 716136

Abstract:

System and method for converting a class oriented data flow program to a structure oriented data flow program. A first data flow program is received, where the first data flow program is an object oriented program comprising instances of one or more classes, and wherein the first data flow program is executable to perform a first function. The first data flow program is automatically converted to a second data flow program, where the second data flow program does not include the instances of the one or more classes, and where the second data flow program is executable to perform the first function. The second data flow program is stored on a computer memory, where the second data flow program is configured to be deployed to a device, e. g. , a programmable hardware element, and where the second data flow program is executable on the device to perform the first function.

US Patent:

8438550, May 7, 2013

Filed:

May 13, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/779341

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Steven W. Rogers - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717141, 717126, 717140, 717143

Abstract:

System and method for implicit downcasting at compile time in a data flow program. A first data flow function in an object-oriented dataflow program is identified, where the first function includes an input of a parent data type and an output of the parent data type. The first function is analyzed to determine if the output preserves the run-time data type of the input. A second dataflow function in the object-oriented data flow program is identified, where the second function includes a program element that calls the first function, passing an input parameter of a child data type of the parent data type as input. If the analysis determines that an output parameter returned by the output of the first function will always be of the child data type, the program element is automatically configured at compile time to always downcast the output parameter from the parent data type to the child data type at run-time.

US Patent:

8458682, Jun 4, 2013

Filed:

Apr 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/430607

Inventors:

Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US
Akash B. Bhakta - Austin TX, US
Matthew E. Novacek - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717155, 717136, 717137, 717138, 717160, 717161

Abstract:

System and method for converting a class oriented data flow program to a structure oriented data flow program. A first data flow program is received, where the first data flow program is an object oriented program comprising instances of one or more classes, and wherein the first data flow program is executable to perform a first function. The first data flow program is automatically converted to a second data flow program, where the second data flow program does not include the instances of the one or more classes, and where the second data flow program is executable to perform the first function. The second data flow program is stored on a computer memory, where the second data flow program is configured to be deployed to a device, e. g. , a programmable hardware element, and where the second data flow program is executable on the device to perform the first function.

US Patent:

20140075419, Mar 13, 2014

Filed:

Sep 6, 2013

Appl. No.:

14/019963

Inventors:

Michael Mendler - Bamberg, DE
Stephen R. Mercer - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

National Instruments Corporation - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717131

Abstract:

System and method for validating a program under a specified model of computation. The model of computation may be related to the synchronous statechart model of computation. A program may be received that specifies a plurality of operations using a variable within a logical tick such that the variable has multiple values within the logical tick. The program may be statically analyzed according to a specified model of computation that specifies program execution based on logical ticks, which may include determining that the program has deterministic semantics that specify deterministic results for each logical tick during execution of the program, including specifying deterministic results of the plurality of operations performed within the logical tick. The program may be validated in accordance with the specified model of computation in response to the determining. Such techniques may allow validation of a larger set of programs than conventional models while maintaining deterministic results.