Product variable optimization for manufacture or supply of designed products
First Claim
1. A method of assisting a user with specifying product attributes for a structure defined in a 3D computer model of the structure to be manufactured via a computer-implemented user interface, the method performed by one or more computing devices and comprising:
- presenting to the user, via the user interface, a plurality of first product variable attributes;
automatedly interrogating the 3D computer model, via the one or more computing devices, wherein interrogating further comprises;
identifying at least a discrete shape represented in the 3D computer model;
determining that the at least a discrete shape represents a shape to be manufactured; and
retrieving, from a characteristics database, one or more aspects of the structure, wherein the one or more aspects further comprise at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a manufacturing method suitable for manufacturing the shape and at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a material suitable for manufacturing the shape; and
retrieving, from the characteristics database, one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure;
receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes from the user via the user interface wherein the selection further comprises at least one of a selection of a material and a selection of a manufacturing method;
in response to the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes, determining, via the one or more computing devices, one or more second product variable attributes that are compatible with the selected at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes and the at least one of the one or more aspects of the structure identified by said interrogating, wherein determining further comprises;
comparing the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes to the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure; and
selecting the one or more second product variable attributes from the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure as a function of the comparison; and
modifying the user interface as a function of the determination of the one or more second product variable attributes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method carried out on a computer system for receiving information corresponding to a plurality of variables that can be applied to the manufacture of a designed product. When a user selects from a menu of first attributes, related ones of a second set of attributes are presented for selection. In an embodiment, the set of possible manufacturing attributes is initially compared to attributes of the designed product to eliminate from consideration those manufacturing attributes that are not compatible with the attributes of the product.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of assisting a user with specifying product attributes for a structure defined in a 3D computer model of the structure to be manufactured via a computer-implemented user interface, the method performed by one or more computing devices and comprising:
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presenting to the user, via the user interface, a plurality of first product variable attributes; automatedly interrogating the 3D computer model, via the one or more computing devices, wherein interrogating further comprises; identifying at least a discrete shape represented in the 3D computer model; determining that the at least a discrete shape represents a shape to be manufactured; and retrieving, from a characteristics database, one or more aspects of the structure, wherein the one or more aspects further comprise at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a manufacturing method suitable for manufacturing the shape and at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a material suitable for manufacturing the shape; and retrieving, from the characteristics database, one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure; receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes from the user via the user interface wherein the selection further comprises at least one of a selection of a material and a selection of a manufacturing method; in response to the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes, determining, via the one or more computing devices, one or more second product variable attributes that are compatible with the selected at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes and the at least one of the one or more aspects of the structure identified by said interrogating, wherein determining further comprises; comparing the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes to the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure; and selecting the one or more second product variable attributes from the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure as a function of the comparison; and modifying the user interface as a function of the determination of the one or more second product variable attributes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A machine-readable storage medium containing machine-executable instructions for performing method of assisting a user with specifying product attributes for a structure defined in a 3D computer model via a computer-implemented user interface, the machine-executable instructions comprising:
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presenting to the user, via the user interface, a plurality of first product variable attributes; automatedly interrogating the 3D computer model, via the one or more computing devices, determining that the at least a discrete shape represents a shape to be manufactured; and
retrieving, from a characteristics database, one or more aspects of the structure, wherein the one or more aspects further comprise at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a manufacturing method suitable for manufacturing the shape and at least a relation between the shape to be manufactured and a material suitable for manufacturing the shape; and
retrieving, from the characteristics database, one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure;receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes from the user via the user interface wherein the selection further comprises at least one of a selection of material and a selection of a manufacturing method; in response to the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes, determining, via the one or more computing devices, one or more second product variable attributes that are compatible with the selected at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes and the at least one of the one or more aspects of the structure identified by said interrogating, wherein determining further comprises comparing the at least one of the plurality of first product variable attributes to the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure and selecting the one or more second product variable attributes from the one or more product variable attributes associated with the one or more aspects of the structure as a function of the comparison; and modifying the user interface as a function of the determination of the one or more second product variable attributes. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification