Virtual manufacturing system

• US 20030055619A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: George, Robert A., Dahl, Michael A., Aldrich, Gary L., Singarajan, Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A method and system for increasing standardization and reuse of feature driven design of automotive vehicles. An automotive vehicle is represented by a vehicle model, which includes a set of features defining vehicle functionality and information on how to implement each feature. A features database stores information on how a feature is implemented, including the physical parts it requires and the configuration of the parts. A parts database is also provided for maintaining information on vehicle parts. Coupled to the features database and the parts data base is a feature manager arranged to determine physical implementation information for each feature based on the implementation information. The physical implementation information is included in the vehicle model. A conflict manager is provided for resolving conflicts between implementations of separate features, and an optimizer for standardizing parts and implementations across multiple vehicle models.

Claims

1. A method of designing an automotive vehicle comprising:

specifying a set of desired features to include in the vehicle model, wherein each feature defines a discrete portion of the vehicle'"'"'s functionality, and wherein the features are stored in a database;

decomposing each feature into a set of functions;

decomposing each function into a set of parts and configuration information; and

outputting a first vehicle model representing the vehicle, wherein the first vehicle model includes part and configuration information for implementing the set of desired features.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying part and configuration conflicts;

resolving the conflicts; and

updating the first vehicle model with the results of the conflict resolution.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising decomposing each feature into a set of alternative implementations, wherein each implementation contains a set of distinct parts and configuration information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying part and configuration conflicts includes:

systematically analyzing combinations of function implementations; and

choosing a set of implementations for each feature such that no implementation of any feature conflicts with an implementation of another feature.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising optimizing the vehicle model, wherein optimizing includes inputting optimization parameters and using a computer to choose an optimal set of function alternatives.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the optimization parameters include cost information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second vehicle model;

specifying at least one feature for the second vehicle model that is included in the first vehicle model;

decomposing the feature into a set of functions, wherein at least one function is included in the first vehicle model; and

decomposing each function into a set of parts and configuration information, wherein at least one part is included in the first vehicle model.

8. A system for the feature driven design of an automotive vehicle so as to increase reusability, wherein the vehicle is represented by a vehicle model, the system including:

a feature database for storing feature records, wherein each feature record includes implementation information for a feature, and wherein a feature represents a piece of vehicle functionality;

a parts database including information on vehicle parts, wherein a part is a physical vehicle component, and vehicle functionality is implemented by parts; and

a feature manager coupled to the feature database and the parts database for;

(a) determining physical implementation information for each feature based on the feature record implementation information; and

(b) including the physical implementation information in the vehicle model.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a conflict manager coupled to the feature manager for identifying conflicts among implementations of a plurality of features in the vehicle model.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an input manager for inputting desired vehicle features; and

an output manager for managing the delivery of vehicle model information to a destination.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a browser, wherein the input manager and output manager interface with a user through the use of the browser.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the output manager manages the communication of vehicle model information to a vehicle release system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the output manager translates features centric information into parts centric information for use in the vehicle release system.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a model manager for managing a set of vehicle models; and

a vehicle database for storing a plurality of vehicle models.

15. A model for an automotive vehicle, the model comprising:

a set of features, wherein each feature includes a discrete set of vehicle functionality;

a set of functions corresponding to each feature, wherein each function defines a subset of the total feature functionality;

a set of parts corresponding to each function, wherein the parts can be used to implement the functions; and

a set of configuration information for each function, wherein the configuration information includes information on the placement and interaction of the parts;

wherein a vehicle can be implemented using the part and configuration information.

16. The model of claim 15, wherein the model is managed and stored using at least one computer.

17. A data record embodied in a computer readable medium for storing automotive vehicle design information, the data record comprising:

at least one feature data field, wherein each feature data field includes information representing a discrete set of vehicle functionality;

at least one function data field corresponding to each feature data field, wherein each function data field includes information defining a subset of the total feature functionality; and

at least one part data field corresponding to each function data field, wherein each part data field includes information on a physical part that can be used to implement the function.

18. The data record of claim 17, further comprising at least one implementation data field corresponding to each feature data field, wherein each implementation data field includes information on a unique implementation of the feature in the corresponding feature field, and each function data field corresponds to one of the at least one implementation fields.

19. The data record of claim 18, further comprising a configuration data field corresponding to each implementation data field, wherein the configuration data field includes information on the placement and interaction of the parts.

20. The data record of claim 18, wherein the feature data fields include information identifying vehicle subsystems.