System for three-dimensional rendering of electrical test and measurement signals

Abstract

The system for three-dimensional rendering of signals has a computer system having acquired, streaming, or previously stored data in its memory representing multiple channels of signals in which each channel has a value which varies over a domain, e.g., time or frequency, and a display coupled to the computer. For each channel, the computer system segments the data of the channel into segments, orders the segments, renders on the display each of the segments, in which each of the rendered segments are aligned in such order along a three-dimensional perspective with gaps between adjacently rendered segments, and lines are rendered extending from each line of each one of the rendered segments to form a three-dimensional plane in the gap to the next successive one of the rendered ordered segments to form a three-dimensional continuous or discontinuous surface characterizing the channel. The surfaces of each of the channels are aligned on the display, and may be of different color, shading, and translucency, whereby channels of overlaid surfaces are viewable on the display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for displaying a visual and three-dimensional representation of signal data including:
 a data input component for acquiring a first set of signal values that each represent a measurement of at least a first signal measured at a set of associated time values; and   a computing component for segmenting said set of signal values into one or more signal segments, and for generating a three dimensional representation of said signal segments; and   wherein for each of said signal segments, said three dimensional representation is generated by constructing a set of one or more renderable planes in a series to form at least one ribbon; and   wherein each of said planes having a surface that is oriented parallel to a (Z) axis, and wherein an (X) axis location represents a location of each of said time values and a (Y) axis location represents a signal amplitude value occurring at each of said time values for a portion of a signal residing within each of said signal segments; and further including:   a display component for visual display of said at least one ribbon.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said signal values are of a digital signal. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus is a logic analyzer. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a location of each of said signal segments advances in time in a direction parallel to said (Z) axis in response to a newly displayed signal segment. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein signal segments of one signal are displayed as ribbons within a layer that resides within a separate range located along said (Y) axis. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein multiple signals are each displayed as a layer including one or more ribbons, and wherein each said layer is rendered within a separate and different range located along said (Y) axis. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said planes of at least one said ribbon are further extended along said (Z) axis to abut at least one another adjacent ribbon to form a contiguous surface representing multiple adjacent ribbons. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said different signals are each represented by ribbons having a different color or translucency. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a first signal is represented by a first color that is a translucent color and wherein a second signal is represented by a second color that is displayed behind said first signal, and wherein said second signal is visible through said first signal when viewed from a virtual viewing position. 
     
     
         10 . A system for displaying a visual and three-dimensional representation of signal data including:
 a data input component for acquiring a first set of signal values that each represent a measurement of at least a first signal measured at a set of associated time values; and   a computing component for segmenting said set of signal values into one or more signal segments, and for generating a three dimensional representation of said signal segments; and   wherein for each of said signal segments, said three dimensional representation is generated by constructing a set of one or more renderable planes in a series to form at least one ribbon; and   wherein each of said planes having a surface that is oriented parallel to a (Z) axis, and wherein an (X) axis location represents a location of each of said time values and a (Y) axis location represents a signal amplitude Value occurring at each of said time values for a portion of a signal residing within each of said signal segments; and further including:   a display component for visual display of said at least one ribbon.   
     
     
         11 . A method for displaying a visual and three-dimensional representation of signal data Including the steps of:
 acquiring a first set of signal values that each represent a measurement of at least a first signal measured at a set of associated time values; and   segmenting said set of signal values into one or more signal segments, and for generating a three dimensional representation of said signal segments; and   wherein for each of said signal segments, said three dimensional representation is generated by constructing a set of one or more renderable planes in a series to form at least one ribbon; and   wherein each of said planes having a surface that is oriented parallel to a (Z) axis, and wherein an (X) axis location represents a location of each of said time values and a (Y) axis location represents a signal amplitude value occurring at: each of said time values for a portion of a signal residing within each of said signal segments; and further including   displaying of said at least one ribbon.