Program Call Visualization for Debugging Industrial Machinery

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the field of industrial machinery, programmers face difficulties in visually recognizing and understanding the complex call relationships within programs, which hinders the debugging process and efficiency of program creation.

Innovation Solution

A programing support device and system that includes a program analysis unit, simulation unit, call relationship determination unit, and data creation unit to analyze and visualize the call relationships and execution times of programs, creating programing support data to display the call structure and execution times on a screen.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If programs are simulated to debug and find bugs, then program correctness is improved, but the time required for debugging increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogram correctnessVSAvoiddebugging time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of program call relationships and execution times before actual debugging simulation. By pre-processing program structures and identifying potential issue areas, the system reduces the scope and time required for subsequent debugging simulations while maintaining comprehensive bug detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces an intermediary visualization interface that displays call relationships and execution times between programs. This intermediary representation allows programmers to quickly understand program flow and identify potential bugs without performing exhaustive simulations, thereby reducing debugging time while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If conventional program listing screens are used to display program files, then file management is simple, but program call relationships are difficult to visually recognize

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefile management simplicityVSAvoidprogram structure visibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a one-dimensional flat file listing to a two-dimensional visualization that displays both the hierarchical call relationships (vertical dimension) and temporal execution sequence (horizontal dimension). This dimensional transformation enables programmers to visually recognize program structures and call relationships that are invisible in conventional linear listings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The visualization employs a nested structure where main programs contain subprograms, which may themselves contain further subprograms. This nested display format mirrors the actual program hierarchy while maintaining visual clarity, allowing programmers to see both the overall structure and detailed call relationships without losing file management simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11442723B2Programing support device, programing support system, and programing support method

Publication Date: 2022.09.13 FANUC LTD

AI summary

The programing support system creates programing support data. The programing support system analyzes a program for simulating and determines the call relationship of the program on the basis of the analysis result and a call time and an execution time on the basis of the analysis result and simulation result. The programing support system displays a programing support screen which visually express the programing support data.