Method, computer program product, and system for performing automated linking between sheets of a drawing set

• US 20030025734A1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Baum, Lawrence S., Boose, Molly L., Chaplin, Carey, Boose, John H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method, computer program product and system are provided for performing automated linking between sheets of a drawing set depicting an electronic representation of an electrical wiring diagram. The method, computer program product, and system automatically transform drawings into a format that provides enriched electronic display and navigation among drawings. Connections and relationships among large sets of drawings are automatically discovered and extracted by utilizing complex graphical recognition and logical inference. Links are then created that represent the connections and relationships between common elements of the drawings. As such, the present invention automatically produces an interactive electronic representation of a drawing set that allows a user to quickly and accurately view, highlight and/or alter a portion of a drawing and all of the drawings that connect to or also depict that portion.

Claims

1. A method of linking a plurality of sheets of a drawing set depicting an electrical wiring diagram comprising:

providing an electronic representation of the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram;

automatically reviewing a source sheet selected from the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram, wherein automatically reviewing the source sheet comprises automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference depicted in the source sheet indicative of a continuation of a portion of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet; and

creating a link associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets that indicates that the respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source and target sheets are electrically connected.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a list of at least one symbol representative of off-sheet references and wherein automatically reviewing the source sheet further comprises automatically recognizing the off-sheet reference by identifying at least one symbol representative of the off-sheet reference.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein identifying at least one symbol representative of the off-sheet reference comprises identifying the target sheet based upon the symbol.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, wherein automatically reviewing the source sheet also comprises automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference associated with a part depicted in the source sheet indicative of the same part within the electronic representation of the parts catalog, and wherein the link depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets indicates that the part depicted in the source sheet is the same part depicted in the target sheet.

5. A computer program product for linking a plurality of sheets of a drawing set depicting an electrical wiring diagram, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of providing an electronic representation of the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram;

a second executable portion capable of automatically reviewing a source sheet selected from the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram, wherein said second executable portion is also capable of automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference depicted in the source sheet indicative of a continuation of a portion of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet; and

a third executable portion capable of creating a link associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets that indicates that the respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source and target sheets are electrically connected.

6. A computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of providing a list of at least one symbol representative of off-sheet references, and wherein said second executable portion is further capable of automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference by identifying at least one symbol representative of the off-sheet reference.

7. A computer program product according to claim 6, wherein said second executable portion is further capable of identifying the target sheet based upon the symbol.

8. A computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of providing an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, wherein said second executable portion is further capable of automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference associated with a part depicted in the source sheet indicative of the same part within the electronic representation of the parts catalog depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet, and wherein said third executable portion is also capable of creating a link associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets that indicates that the part depicted in the source sheet is the same part depicted in the target sheet.

9. A system for linking a plurality of sheets of a drawing set depicting an electrical wiring diagram, the system comprising:

a memory device for storing an electronic representation of the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram; and

a processing element capable of automatically reviewing a source sheet selected from the plurality of sheets of the drawing set depicting the electrical wiring diagram, said processing element also capable of automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference depicted in the source sheet indicative of a continuation of the a portion of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet, said processing element further capable of creating a link associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets that indicates that the respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the source and target sheets are electrically connected.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said memory device also stores a list of at least one symbol representative of off-sheet references and wherein said processing element is further capable of automatically recognizing the off-sheet reference by identifying at least one symbol representative of an off-sheet reference.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said processing element is further capable of identifying the target sheet based upon the symbol.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said memory device also stores an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, wherein said processing element is further capable of automatically recognizing an off-sheet reference associated with a part depicted in the source sheet indicative of the same part within the electronic representation of the parts catalog depicted by the source sheet upon a target sheet, and wherein said processing element is further capable of creating a link associated with the electronic representation of the source and target sheets that indicates that the part depicted in the source sheet is the same part depicted in the target sheet.

13. A method of viewing an electronic representation of an electrical wiring diagram depicted by a drawing set having a plurality of sheets comprising:

providing the electronic representation of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the drawing set, wherein providing the electronic representation of the electrical wiring diagram comprises providing a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by at least two sheets are electrically connected;

selecting a link on a source sheet chosen from the plurality of sheets depicting the electrical wiring diagram; and

automatically displaying at least a segment of a target sheet that is associated with the source sheet by the link, wherein automatically displaying at least a segment of the target sheet comprises representing elements that are common to both the source and target sheets in the same manner.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising setting a state of an element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, and wherein automatically displaying at least a segment of the target sheet further comprises depicting the element in the same state in the target sheet.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising highlighting a selected element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the selected element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, and wherein automatically displaying at least a segment of the target sheet further comprises similarly highlighting the selected element depicted by the target sheet.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising automatically identifying the target sheet based on the selection of the link.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein automatically displaying at least a segment of the target sheet further comprises automatically displaying a magnified view of a part of the electrical wiring diagram having elements associated with the link that are common to both the source and target sheets.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising providing an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, and wherein providing the electronic representation of the electrical wiring diagram comprises providing a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram and the parts catalog depict the same part.

19. A computer program product for viewing an electronic representation of an electrical wiring diagram depicted by a drawing set having a plurality of sheets, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of providing the electronic representation of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the drawing set, wherein said first executable portion is also capable of providing a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by at least two sheets are electrically connected;

a second executable portion capable of selecting a link on a source sheet chosen from the plurality of sheets depicting the electrical wiring diagram; and

a third executable portion capable of automatically displaying at least a segment of a target sheet that is associated with the source sheet by the link, wherein said third executable portion is also capable of representing elements that are common to both the source and target sheets in the same manner.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of setting a state of an element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, and wherein said third executable portion is further capable of depicting the element in the same state in the target sheet.

21. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of highlighting a selected element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the selected element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, and wherein said third executable portion is further capable of similarly highlighting the selected element depicted by the target sheet.

22. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of automatically identifying the target sheet based on the selection of the link.

23. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said third executable portion is further capable of automatically displaying a magnified view of a part of the electrical wiring diagram having elements associated with the link that are common to both the source and target sheets.

24. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising a fourth executable portion capable of providing an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, and wherein said first executable portion is further capable of providing a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram and the parts catalog depict the same part.

25. A system for viewing an electronic representation of an electrical wiring diagram depicted by a drawing set having a plurality of sheets, the system comprising:

a memory device for storing the electronic representation of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by the drawing set, said memory device also for storing a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by at least two sheets are electrically connected;

a user interface capable of indicating that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram depicted by at least two sheets are electrically connected, said user interface also capable of indicating that a link on a source sheet chosen from the plurality of sheets depicting the electrical wiring diagram is selected; and

a processing element responsive to selecting the link on the source sheet chosen from the plurality of sheets depicting the electrical wiring diagram, said processing element capable of automatically displaying at least the segment of the target sheet that is associated with the source sheet by the link, said processing element further capable of representing elements that are common to both the source and target sheets in the same manner.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said user interface is further capable of indicating setting a state of an element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, wherein said processing element is further responsive to setting the state of the element, and wherein said processing element is further capable of depicting the element in the same state in the target sheet.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein said user interface is further capable of indicating highlighting a selected element of the electrical wiring diagram in a display of the source sheet, wherein the element is associated with the selected link and is common to both the source and target sheet, wherein said processing element is further responsive to highlighting a selected element, and wherein said processing element is further capable of similarly highlighting the selected element depicted by the target sheet.

28. A system according to claim 25, wherein said processing element is further capable of automatically identifying the target sheet based on the selection of the link.

29. A system according to claim 25, wherein said processing element is further capable of automatically displaying a magnified view of a part of the electrical wiring diagram having elements associated with the link that are common to both the source and target sheets.

30. A system according to claim 25, wherein said memory device also stores an electronic representation of graphics and text of a parts catalog, and wherein said memory device further stores a plurality of links that indicate that respective portions of the electrical wiring diagram and the parts catalog depict the same part.