Graphical Process Programming for Multi-Appliance Control Code
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of household appliances requires systems that allow process engineering developers without software development knowledge to intuitively and reliably create and modify programs for controlling these appliances, while ensuring the described procedural processes can be autonomously checked and converted into executable code.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a graphical editor for creating process representations using graphical elements, a translation unit to convert these into meta-language instructions, and an interpreter to generate appliance-specific code, along with a checking unit using AI for ensuring functionality and reliability, allowing for the creation of code for various appliances using a uniform meta-language.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a system allows process engineering developers without software development knowledge to create programs for controlling household appliances, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for graphical editors, translation units, and checking units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a graphical editor as an intermediary tool that allows process engineering developers to create control programs using graphical process representations instead of traditional software coding. This intermediary layer translates user-friendly graphical inputs into executable control code, resolving the contradiction by improving ease of operation while managing system complexity through automated translation mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical/software process of manual code writing with an automated graphical interface and translation unit. The translation unit automatically converts graphical process representations into control code, eliminating the need for developers to manually write software and reducing the complexity burden on users
2Reliability
If the system provides autonomous checking of procedural processes for functionality and reliability, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to the checking process
Solution Approach 1:
The checking unit performs autonomous verification of procedural processes during the creation phase, before the programs are deployed to household appliances. This preliminary checking ensures functionality and reliability are validated in advance, preventing errors from reaching the deployment stage and reducing the need for time-consuming debugging and testing after deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service checking where the checking unit automatically validates procedural processes without requiring manual intervention. The system checks its own work for consistency, completeness, and reliability, improving trust in the generated code while minimizing the time investment required from developers
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (100) is described for implementing a technical process on a domestic appliance (400). The system (100) comprises a graphical editor (101), which allows the technical process to be described using graphical elements (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) in order to create a graphical representation of the technical process. The system (100) also comprises a translator unit (103), which is designed to convert the individual graphical elements (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) of the graphical representation of the technical process into instructions (302) in a metalanguage in order to create a metalanguage file (402) which describes the technical process in the metalanguage. The metalanguage is designed such that technical processes of many types of domestic appliances (400) can be described using the metalanguage. The system (100) further comprises an interpreter (104, 404), which is located in a hardware module (410, 420) of the domestic appliance (400) and is designed to convert the instructions (302) of the metalanguage file (402) into software code, specific to the type of domestic appliance, for executing the technical process on the domestic appliance (400). The interpreter (104, 404) depends on the type of domestic appliance (400) among the many types of domestic appliances (400).