1. A method for presenting a visualization of a quantitative overall result in a modeled domain, said result having a plurality of possible outcomes, wherein said domain is comprised of components and each component has a subresult, and said subresults may be aggregated to calculate said overall result, each component having a weight in relation to said result, comprising
representing each of said components in visual proportion to its weight, and
representing the outcome of said overall result as a function of said aggregation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said components has an initial, unweighted geometrical relation with respect to said domain, and wherein the representation of said component preserves one or more geometric aspects of said initial relation.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are represented as segments of a bar shape, each said segment having a width proportionate to the weight of the corresponding component.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are represented as upper and lower sets of substantially parallel, generally vertically aligned shapes, each shape emanating upward or downward from the general vicinity of a common baseline area, the size of each shape being in proportion to the weight of the corresponding component, and the upward or downward orientation of each shape being in accordance with whether the corresponding component contributes to said aggregation either for or against the represented outcome.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the viewer of said representation the option to select among the visualizations described in any of claims 2, 3 or 4.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of factors which may be measured with respect to each component, providing the ability to select one or more of said factors, and in which each subresult is a function of the measurements of the one or more selected factors.
7. The method of claim 6, in which said function of the measurements of the one or more selected factors comprises a correlation of each said factor with a quantity sought to be measured in said overall result.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein a distinguishing visual attribute is applied to those components whose subresults are within a specified range from the dividing point between one outcome or another.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a facility for the viewer of said visualization to alter selected ones of said subresults and recalculating said overall result based upon said alterations.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein each subresult has a breakdown of constituent subelements, further comprising visually representing within each component plurality of subareas whose sizes are proportionate to a quantification of said subelements.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting a series of said visualizations, each having more subresults represented therein than in the previous visualization.
12. The method of claim 3, wherein said segments are ordered in accordance with a rule selected from the following set of possibilities: (a) by weight, or (b) collation order of their respective identifiers.
13. The method of claim 4, wherein said shapes are arranged are in accordance with a rule selected from the following set of possibilities: (a) by weight, or (b) collation order of their respective identifiers.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said overall result is an election, said domain is the unit for which the election is being held, said components are voting subunits within said unit, said weights are respective weights of the subunits, said subresults are the outcome of the vote in each subunit, and said overall result is the outcome of said election.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said election is a U.S. presidential election, said domain is the United States, said components are states, said weights are electoral votes, said subresults are the outcome of the popular vote in each state, and said outcome is the winner of said election.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said visualization is presented in accordance with claim 2, and said states are visually represented as each having a shape similar to the shape it possesses in said initial, unweighted visual representation, while preserving the approximate overall arrangement of said states and keeping said states substantially contiguous in said arrangement, such the visual representation of the United States, while distorted by said weighting, remains recognizable.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein said overall result is the accumulated number of delegates in the U.S. presidential primaries, each component is a state, said weights are number of delegates for the state, and subresults are the candidate tallies for the state.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein each state is represented as a pie chart whose sectors represent the delegate breakdown for the state among candidates in accordance with said state’s primary.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Inputoutput channel control block that comprises a plurality of successive inputoutput modules, wherein the first module is an inputoutput control master module (100) and the subsequent modules constitute a plurality of inputoutput expansion slave modules (200), wherein
each expansion slave module comprises a processing logic unit (215) as well as a respective first signal port (211) and a respective equal number of second signal ports (212) and an equal number of third signal ports (213), wherein the first signal port is connected to the processing logic unit, to which at least one fourth signal port (214) for connecting an inputoutput bus terminal subscriber belongs, and a respective second signal port is connected to a third signal port, and wherein
the control master module likewise possesses a plurality of third signal ports (113) and a control logic unit (105) for data exchange with the data bus and for targeted driving of these third signal ports (113) and is connected to the plurality of expansion slave modules
in such a manner that the same port among the plurality of third signal ports of a prior module is connected to the first signal port of a subsequent module, and each additional signal port of the plurality of third signal ports is connected to a respective signal port of the plurality of second signal ports of the subsequent module.
2. Inputoutput control master module for driving inputoutput expansion slave modules for a compact inputoutput channel control block in which each expansion slave module (200) comprises a processing logic unit (215) as well as a respective first signal port (211) and a respective equal number of second signal ports (212) and an equal number of third signal ports (213), wherein the first signal port is connected to the processing logic unit, to which at least one fourth signal port (214) for connecting an inputoutput bus terminal subscriber belongs, and a respective second signal port is connected to a third signal port, wherein
control master module (100) likewise possesses a plurality of third signal ports (113) and a control logic unit (105) for data exchange with a data bus and for targeted driving of these third signal ports (113) and the connection to the plurality of expansion slave modules
is to be provided such that
a signal port from the plurality of third signal ports (113) of the control master module is connected to the first signal port (211) of a subsequent module, and each additional signal port of the plurality of third signal ports is connected to a respective signal port of the plurality of second signal ports of the subsequent module.
3. Expansion slave module for a control master module or a control block according to claim 1, which comprises a processing logic unit (215) as well as a respective first signal port (211) and a respective equal number of second signal ports (212) and an equal number of third signal ports (213), wherein the first signal port is connected to the processing logic unit, to which at least one fourth signal port (214) for connecting an inputoutput bus terminal subscriber belongs, and a respective second signal port is connected to a third signal port.
4. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third signal ports are adapted for signal transmission by means of point-to-point communication.
5. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the signal ports are constructed for cabled or cable-free signal transmission.
6. Control master module or control block according to claim 5, wherein the control logic unit possesses a unit for processing signals for point-to-point communications and for a bus communication.
7. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the processing logic unit possesses a unit for processing signals for point-to-point communication.
8. Module or control block according to claim 7, wherein the processing logic unit is constructed for processing digital or analog standard inputoutput channel signals.
9. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the fourth ports provide digital or analog standard inputoutput channel signals.
10. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of third signal ports is arranged in common on a first housing side and, if present, the first and second signal ports are arranged in common on a second housing side opposite the first.
11. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third signal ports are connected to or integrated into a plug-in or clamp component.
12. Control master module or control block according to claim 1 wherein the expansion slave module is connected to a first series of point-to-point communication ports (211, 212) and a second series of point-to-point communication ports (213), wherein the first port in the first series of ports is connected via a point-to-point communication link to a processing unit (215) coupled to at least one terminal port (214), and wherein the subsequent ports of the first series of ports are each connected in order via a point-to-point communication link to the ports of the second series of ports beginning with the first port in the second series.
13. Module or control block according to claim 1, wherein the point-to-point communication is based on a safety-oriented protocol that is suitable for the use of safety sensors and actuators.
14. Control block according to claim 1, wherein the expansion slave modules are arranged between the control master module and a voltage supply unit (500), and each module has voltage distribution units (501, 502) aligned with one another, so that all modules are operated by means of the voltage supplied via the voltage supply unit.