The Patent Search:
The following keywords were used at http://www.patents.ibm.com/ to retrieve patents related to this project:
 

	Keywords	Results
	embedded control	19
	embedded software	8
	embedded develop	0
	embedded	12970
	control development	4
	control system	30855

The final set of search keywords proved most useful. Although the keywords produced a very broad set of results, the results are ranked in order of relevancy, so the first results reported were most useful.

Patent US4796179, "Multirate real time control system code generator", was directly related to this project. The list of fifteen patents that referenced US4796179 provided a wealth of relevant patents. The relevant patents are as follows:
 

	Number	Description
	US3652942	Feedback control systems
	US4839800	Data processing system with a fast interrupt
	US4975865	Method and apparatus for real-time control
	US5133045	Method for operating a real-time expert system in a graphical programming environment
	US5287511	Architectures and methods for dividing processing tasks into tasks for a programmable real time signal processor and tasks for a decision making microprocessor interfacing therewith
	US5481716	Process for machine generation of a control process program
	US5612866	Code generation system to construct an asynchronous real-time controller for a real-time system

 

First Claim of US4796179 - Multirate real time control system code generator

1. An automatic computer software code generator for multirate real time control systems, comprising:

• (a) functional library means for defining a multiplicity of functional blocks, including means for defining for each functional block a software template for generating a set of software statements for performing one or more logical and/or mathematical computations each time the software associated with said functional block is executed, and parametric variables to be used in said computations;
• (b) catalog means coupled to said functional library means, for describing a specified multirate real time control system having specified external input signals and specified external output signals, including a first database for representing computational relationships between said external input signals and said external output signals of said specified multirate real time control system;
  • said computational relationships being defined by specified combinations of said functional blocks, specified parametric values for said specified functional blocks, and specified computation initiation conditions; said computation initiation conditions including computational trigger conditions for asynchronous computations, and computational repetition rates and computational skew periods for periodic computations;
• (c) linking means coupled to said catalog means for organizing said first database into a plurality of separate subsystems, each said subsystem including all the specified functional blocks with a given specified computation initiation condition, a separate subsystem being used for each unique specified computation initiation condition; and
• (d) code generation means coupled to said catalog means for generating software for use in said specified control system, including means for generating:
  • a subsystem software routine for each said subsystem for performing computations corresponding to said computational relationships specified in said first database for said subsystem;
  • a scheduler program for initiating execution of said subsystem software routines in accordance with the specified computation initiation condition for each corresponding subsystem; and
  • software interface means for holding input, output and temporary data values for said specified multirate real time control system, including
    • zero order hold means for each said subsystem, for holding output values generated by said subsystem during each execution of said subsystem for use as input signals to other ones of said subsystems; and
    • sample and hold means for each said subsystem, including a sample and hold buffer and sampling means for copying into said sample and hold buffer specified input data signals to said subsystem from other ones of said subsystems and specified ones of said specified external input data signals.

Relevant Standards
The following is a list of standards relevant to the project:

	Standard	Description
	IEEE 996.1 Draft	PC/104 Draft Standard
	ANSI/ISO 9899 - 1990	C Language Standard

 

Relevancy of Standards
The IEEE 996.1 Draft defines a standard for a platform based on the PC/104 architecutre. PC/104 is an architecture dervied from IBM-compatible personal computers, utilizing a modified bus architecutre to enhance compactness and power usage factors. The AC-104 platform uses PC/104 technology (hence the '104' in the name).

The second applicable standard is the ANSI/ISO standard for the C programming language, since the AutoCode feature of MATRIXx generates ANSI-standard C code.
 

References

Anakwa, Dr. Winfred K. Electrical & Computer Engineering and Technology Professor. Bradley University, Peoria, IL. Schertz, Dr. Donald R. Electrical & Computer Engineering and Technology Professor. Bradley University, Peoria, IL. Integrated Systems, Inc. Vendor of MATRIXx software and AC-104 platform, and supplier of respective product literature. 201 Moffett Park Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Standards information. 445 Hoes Lane, PO box 1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855. Motorola, Inc. Vendor of modular microcontroller system to be used, and supplier of respective product literature. P.O. Box 5405, Denver, CO 80217. IBM Intellectual Property Web Site. Patents research. URL: http://www.patents.ibm.com/ .

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