Virtual Components Simplify Robot Software Connection Topology

The patent introduces a virtual component as an intermediary element that mediates between multiple real components. The virtual component can connect to multiple real components simultaneously, acting as a hub that simplifies the connection topology. Instead of having numerous direct connections between real components, the virtual component serves as a central point that manages and organizes these connections, thereby reducing the overall complexity of the system architecture while maintaining full functionality.

The patent creates a virtual copy or representation of component groups through the virtual component. This virtual component replicates the functional interface and connection points of multiple real components in a simplified manner. By copying the essential connection capabilities into a single virtual entity, the system reduces the visual and structural complexity of the application diagram while preserving the underlying functional relationships between components.

The virtual component serves as a mediator that consolidates multiple connection points into a single location in the application diagram. Instead of having connection lines stretch across the diagram between distant components, all connections converge at the virtual component, which acts as a central hub. This improves system understandability by creating a more compact and organized visual representation while maintaining reliable connections between all components.

The virtual component introduces an additional organizational dimension to the application diagram. Rather than arranging components in a flat two-dimensional space where connection lines may intersect, the virtual component creates a hierarchical or radial structure where all connections radiate from a central point. This dimensional reorganization reduces line intersections and improves the overall readability and understandability of the system configuration.

The virtual component acts as an organizational intermediary that groups and manages multiple real components. By placing the virtual component at the center of the application diagram and connecting all real components to it, the patent creates a hub-and-spoke topology that reduces line intersections and improves readability. This allows the system to maintain a large number of components and services while keeping the overall configuration easy to understand through the centralized organizational structure.

The patent segments the system into two distinct layers: virtual components that provide organizational structure and real components that provide functional capabilities. This segmentation allows the complex functional components to be managed through a simplified virtual interface, separating the concerns of system organization from system functionality. The virtual component layer handles the complexity of interconnections, while the real component layer focuses on providing robot services, thereby improving overall system understandability.