Feature recognition in engineering methods and systems

• US 10,331,808 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Inc (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: MSC Software Corp.
• Inventors: Kanthasamy, Kunaseelan, Hunt, Herbert Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis, Andre Pierre
• Application Number:
  US13/479,211
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1, 703 2, 700 96, 700 98, 700104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/27 using machine learning, e.g. artificial intelligence, neural networks, support vector machines [SVM] or training a model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/3323 using formal methods, e.g. equivalence checking or property checking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods

Abstract

A system or method that includes determining a plurality of physical characteristics of a first simulated object. The system or method includes comparing the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to a plurality of characteristics of a plurality of objects stored on a storage medium. The system or method includes identifying at least one matching object from the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium. The system or method includes comparing at least one physical property of the at least one matching object to at lease one desired physical property of the first simulated object and generating a list of matching objects that meet the at least one desired physical property.

Claims

1. A method of suggesting a substitute object for a first simulated object for a Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool or in a Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tool, comprising:

improving suggestion of the substitute object for the first simulated object for the CAD tool or the CAE tool by;

storing, with a processor of a computer system, a plurality of objects on a storage medium, each of the plurality of objects is a part of a model and is associated with a plurality of physical characteristics;

determining, with the processor of the computer system, a plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object define physical properties of a physical object represented by the first simulated object;

comparing, with the processor, the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

based on comparing the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects, identifying, with the processor, at least one matching object from the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

comparing, with the processor, at least one physical property of the at least one matching object to at least one user-specified physical property of the first simulated object to identify one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property;

generating, with the processor, a list of the one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property as the substitute object for the first simulated object, wherein generating the list comprises;

simulating the first simulated object with a plurality of components;

arranging the plurality of components in a hierarchical graph to form the first simulated object; and

generating redesign recommendations for one of the plurality of components based on redesign recommendation rules; and

displaying the list with a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object and the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects comprise at least one of number of faces, type of face, protrusion or depression.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical property of the at least one matching object comprises at least one of, a material, tensile strength, weight of the first simulated object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of objects have already been optimized to meet the at least one user-specified physical property.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, with the processor, a product in which each of the one or more of the at least one matching object was used in.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the processor, objects that are connected to the first simulated object;

determining, with the processor, objects that are connected to the at least one matching object;

determining, with the processor, similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object; and

including the at least one matching object as a match based on a result of determining the similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user-specified physical property is one or more of strength, weight, length, or width.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising substituting an entirety of the first simulated object with an entirety of one object of the at least one matching objects.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein a material of the first simulated object is associated with physical property that is at least one of a boiling point, melting point, maximum stress-strain loan, strength, or malleability.

10. A system for suggesting a substitute object for a first simulated object in a Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool or in a Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tool, comprising:

a storage medium;

a processor in communication with a non-transitory storage media, the processor configured to improve suggestion of the substitute object for the first simulated object for the CAD tool or the CAE tool by being configured to;

store a plurality of objects on the storage medium, each of the plurality of objects is a part of a model and is associated with a plurality of physical characteristics;

determine a plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object define physical properties of a physical object represented by the first simulated object;

compare the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

based on comparing the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects, identify at least one matching object from the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

compare at least one physical property of the at least one matching object to at least one user-specified physical property of the first simulated object to identify one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property; and

generate a list of the one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property as the substitute object for the first simulated object by;

simulating the first simulated object with a plurality of components;

arranging the plurality of components in a hierarchical graph to form the first simulated object; and

generating redesign recommendations for one of the plurality of components based on redesign recommendation rules; and

a user interface configured to display the list.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object and the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects comprises at least one of, number of faces, type of face, number of edges, protrusion or depression.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one physical property of the first simulated object and the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects comprises at least one of, a material, tensile strength, weight of the first simulated object.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of objects have been optimized for at the least one user-specified physical property.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising identifying a product that used each of the one or more of the at least one matching object.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to:

determine objects that are connected to the first simulated object;

determine objects that are connected to the at least one matching object;

determine similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object; and

include the at least one matching object as a match based on a result of determining the similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object.

16. A non-transitory processor readable storage media storing a program that when executed in a processor of a device causes the processor to perform a method for a Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool or in a Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tool, the method of suggesting a substitute object for a first simulated object, comprising:

improving suggestion of the substitute object for the first simulated object for the CAD tool or the CAE tool by;

storing a plurality of objects on a storage medium, each of the plurality of objects is a part of a model and is associated with a plurality of physical characteristics determining a plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object define physical properties of a physical object represented by the first simulated object;

comparing the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

based on comparing the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object to the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects, identifying at least one matching object from the plurality of objects stored on the storage medium;

comparing at least one physical property of the at least one matching object to at least one user-specified physical property of the first simulated object to identify one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property;

generating a list of the one or more of the at least one matching object that meet the at least one user-specified physical property as the substitute object for the first simulated object, wherein generating the list comprises;

simulating the first simulated object with a plurality of components;

arranging the plurality of components in a hierarchical graph to form the first simulated object; and

generating redesign recommendations for one of the plurality of components based on redesign recommendation rules; and

displaying the list with a user interface.

17. The non-transitory processor readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics of the first simulated object and the plurality of physical characteristics of the plurality of objects comprises at least one of, number of faces, type of face, number of edges, protrusion or depression.

18. The non-transitory processor readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the at least one physical property of the at least one matching object comprises at least one of, a material, tensile strength, weight of the first simulated object.

19. The non-transitory processor readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of objects have been optimized for the at least one user-specified physical property.

20. The non-transitory processor readable storage media of claim 16, the method further comprising identifying a product that used each of the one or more of the at least one matching object.

21. The non-transitory processor readable storage media of claim 16,

the method further comprising:

determining objects that are connected to the first simulated object;

determining objects that are connected to the at least one matching object;

determining similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object; and

including the at least one matching object as a match based on a result of determining the similarity between the objects connected to the first simulated object and the objects connected to the at least one matching object.