1. A method for monitoring and controlling, from a host computer, the real-time logic state of a plurality of target devices in a boundary scan chain, comprising:
(a) displaying graphical representations of said target devices on a graphical display device connected to said host computer,
(b) running boundary scan operations on said target devices to collect information about said target devices and storing said information in said host computer for said displaying of graphical representation,
(c) updating said graphical representations with said information to visually indicate a current real-time logic state of said target devices,
(d) initiating and running boundary scan operations via a method that frees the user from generating, preparing, or otherwise creating test vectors,
(e) initiating and running boundary scan operations via a method that frees the user from supplying test executives, and
(f) whereby a human can view and manipulate a boundary scan enabled device via a graphical user interface.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the attributes of said graphical representations to help organize and simplify monitoring of said boundary scan chain.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of virtual indicators to augment and simplify the display of boundary scan information.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said indicators are graphical representations of light emitting diodes.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of virtual controls to augment and simplify the control of data in a boundary scan chain.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said indicators appear as graphical representations of mechanical switches.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical representation of an input-output port on said host computer used to perform boundary scan operations, whereby said input-output port graphical representation serves to visually remind the user which port is controlling the scan chain.
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. A computer-based method for providing an electronic service in a service environment of clients and electronic service providers for performing work via computer applications or devices comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving an electronic request message for electronic service at a client specified price, said request message containing at least one data field representing an electronic service level desired by said client;
(b) at an electronic service provider, generating a digital subsumption hierarchy of multiple service levels of said electronic service expressed in digital notation, wherein at least one of said service levels subsumes at least another one of said service levels provided that said at least one of said service levels offers at least the same quality of service as said at least another one of said service levels,
(c) testing a first service level, comprising a first conjunction of features, and a second service level, comprising a second conjunction of features, for subsumption hierarchy;
(d) determining if each feature in said first conjunction subsumes a corresponding feature in said second conjunction, if each said feature in said first conjunction subsumes said corresponding feature in said second conjunction, said first service level subsumes said second service level, otherwise said first service level does not subsume said second service level, wherein each of said features consist of a name and a value, and an arithmetic comparison or a negation;
(e) determining a given service level price by deriving a numerical quality value from quality factors associated with each of said features;
(f) generating an electronic quote message in response to said request, said quote message containing data representing the highest one of said service levels of which an associated one of said service providers is capable of delivering at said specified price and at no less than said service level desired by said client;
(g) sending said quote message to said client;
(h) receiving one of either a positive or negative notification message from said client in response to said quote message; and
(i) providing said electronic service upon receipt of said positive notification message.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of adding a service definition to define a service either dynamically or when the system is initialized.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of providing said electronic service comprises prioritizing depending on the level of service requested in said electronic request message.
4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of excluding a particular service level from said electronic quote when a capacity is reached.
5. A computer-based method for providing an electronic service quote in a service environment of clients and electronic service providers for performing work via computer applications or devices comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving an electronic request message for electronic service at a client specified price, said request message containing at least one data field representing an electronic service level desired by said client;
(b) at an electronic service provider, generating a digital subsumption hierarchy of multiple service levels of said electronic service expressed in digital notation, wherein at least one of said service levels subsumes at least another one of said service levels provided that said at least one of said service levels offers at least the same quality of service as said at least another one of said service levels,
(c) testing a first service level, comprising a first conjunction of features, and a second service level, comprising a second conjunction of features, for subsumption hierarchy;
(d) determining if each feature in said first conjunction subsumes a corresponding feature in said second conjunction, if each said feature in said first conjunction subsumes said corresponding feature in said second conjunction, said first service level subsumes said second service level, otherwise said first service level does not subsume said second service level, wherein each of said features consist of a name and a value, and an arithmetic comparison or a negation;
(e) determining a given service level price by deriving a numerical quality value from quality factors associated with each of said features;
(f) generating an electronic quote message in response to said request, said quote message containing data representing the highest one of said service levels of which an associated one of said service providers is capable of delivering at said specified price and at no less than said service level desired by said client; and
(g) sending said quote message to said client.
6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
(h) receiving one of either a positive or negative notification message from said client in response to said quote message; and
(i) providing said electronic service upon receipt of said positive notification message.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said service provider generates said quote message only if the data representing said highest one of said service levels capable of being delivered by said service provider is at least as high as said service level desired by said client.