Distributed simulation

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/884,528, filed Jun. 19, 2001, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/212,695, filed Jun. 19, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

This invention was made with Government support under Contract F33615-99-C-2911 awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The United States Government has certain rights in the invention.

The present invention relates to computer programs that simulate systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to simulation systems using a distributed computer network, wherein subsystems can be simulated independently, the subsystem simulations communicating the values of input/output variables to simulate subsystem interaction. Present methods of simulating complex systems suffer from limitations in security, interoperability, cross-platform communication, and other functional areas. Many simulation platforms fail to enable distributed simulation at all, limiting the complexity of systems that can be modeled as a function of the computing and storage capacity of a single device. Simulation of complex systems (those of a tank or aircraft, for example) in a reasonable time is extremely difficult, if not impossible, using widely available computing systems.

Furthermore, where multiple vendors are responsible for the various subsystems of a larger system, security and proprietary concerns may inhibit or prevent formation of cooperative simulation systems comprising simulation models of each subsystem provided by each vendor. In some contractual and/or regulatory scenarios, vendors may be forced against their preferences to disclose their simulation models to other vendors or authorities, so that simulations may be conducted of the whole system.

There is thus a need for further contributions and improvements to distributed simulation technology.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel simulation system. Another object is to provide a simulation system in which various subsystem simulations are written in different languages and executed by different programs running on different computing devices, yet the subsystem simulations communicate to simulate operation of the combination of subsystems. Yet another object is to provide a simulation system in which various parts of the simulation can be executed using different integration methods and/or parameters from other parts of the simulation.

These objects and others are achieved by various forms of the present invention. One form of the present invention is a unique distributed simulation system. Further forms include a system in which a plurality of processors each executes a separate program to independently simulate a different portion of a physical system. At various points in time, a first one of the processors communicates messages to a second one of the processors to convey information regarding the state of the simulated subsystem at a particular point in simulation time. The second processor uses the state-related information from the first processor to execute its model of the second portion of the system. In some embodiments of this form, the messages are sent at constant intervals in simulation time, while in other embodiments messages are sent at constant intervals in real time. In still other embodiments, the messages are sent at variable intervals depending on the circumstances, such as a function of one or more variables, the pattern of change in one or more variables, detected network congestion or delay, or the behavior of the other state variables (in the first model, second model, another model, or a combination thereof).

In another form of the invention, one program exposes an interface associated with a first model, while a second program exposes an interface associated with a second model. The first interface permits access by the second program to a program-controlled set of state-related information of the first model, while preventing access by the second model to a substantial portion of the first program or model. In some embodiments of this form, the second program\'s interface allows the first model to access a program-controlled set of state-related information of the second model, while preventing access by the first model to at least a substantial portion of the second program or model.

In yet another form of the invention, a system monitor application provides control and coordination of subsystem simulations. In some embodiments of this form, each subsystem model allows itself to be started, stopped, configured, and/or connected with other models by the system monitor application. In other embodiments, a model accepts and serves requests to periodically transmit certain state-related information to one or more data output applications, which may produce one or more graphs of those values (or of a function of those values). In some of these embodiments, a sequence of values of one or more state-related variables is broadcast to a plurality of possible recipients.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a distributed simulation system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of two embodiments of model host computers in a distributed simulation system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system monitor computer and a model host computer in a distributed simulation system.

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