System and method for checking data stored in database system used for part management

• US 20030187534A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kazunori, Tanaka, Hideyuki, Yamamoto, Masataka
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A part management system used for part management of parts of an apparatus. The part management system is composed of a database system including one or more databases, and a data check computer system. The databases stores data on the parts, the data including an electronic parts list describing part numbers of the parts. The data check computer system checks whether the data stored in the at least one database complies with a predetermined rule and to produce a warning in response to the check.

Claims

1. A part management system used for part management of parts of an apparatus comprising:

a database system including at least one database, wherein said at least one database stores data on said parts, said data including an electronic parts list describing part numbers of said parts; and

a data check computer system which checks whether said data stored in said at least one database complies with a predetermined rule and to produce a warning in response to said check.

2. A part management system according to claim 1, wherein said data check computer system includes a part number regulation database describing a part number regulation, and

wherein said data check computer system determines whether said part numbers of said parts in said electronic parts list are described according to said part number regulation to produce said warning.

3. A part management system according to claim 1, wherein said parts are provided with ranks for hierarchical management,

wherein said database system includes an accessory management computer system for managing accessories of said apparatus,

wherein said accessory management computer system contains a variation-specific parts list which includes part numbers of variation-specific parts constituting a variation-specific accessory which is equipped for a variation of said apparatus to distinguish said variation from another variation of said apparatus, and

wherein said data check computer system looks up data on said variation-specific parts in said electronic parts list using said part numbers of said variation-specific parts as a query and determines whether said variation-specific parts is provided with the highest rank in said electronic part list to produce said warning.

4. The part management system according to claim 1, wherein each of said part numbers of said parts includes at least one kind-specifying digit representative of a kind thereof,

wherein said parts listed in said database system are packaged into a plurality of packages, and

wherein said data check computer system determines whether parts having part numbers including the same kind-specifying digit are included in different packages to produce said warning.

5. The part management according to claim 1, wherein said database system includes a CAD database storing drawings of specific one of said parts,

wherein said drawings are respectively provided with drawing numbers which includes a specific part number of said part number, and

wherein said data check computer system determines whether said database system contains a complete set of said drawings based on said drawing numbers to produce said warning.

6. The part management system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic parts list comprises:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts; and

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts, and

wherein said data check system determines whether said part number section includes each of said constituent part numbers to produce said warning.

7. The part management system according to claim 1, wherein said part numbers of said parts respectively include at least one version-specifying digit identifying a revised version of a specific part of said parts, and

wherein said data check computer system queries an old version part number that is identical to a latest version part number of the latest version of said specific part except said at least one version-specifying digit, and deletes data on an old version of said specific part associated to said old version part number from said electronic parts list.

8. The part management system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic parts list includes:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts;

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts,

wherein each of said parts is provided with ranks such that each of said parts are provided with higher ranks than said constituent parts thereof,

wherein said data check system produces a part number structure describing relations of said parts and said constituent parts thereof based on said part number section and said constituent part number section, and checks whether said part number structure correctly forms a tree to produce said warning.

9. The part management system according to claim 8, wherein said data check computer system traces said relations from each of said parts to determine whether each of said parts is associated through said relations to the highest rank part whose rank is the highest rank to produce said warning.

10. The part management system according to claim 8, wherein said data check computer system produces said warning when one of said parts is not associated to said highest rank part through a predetermined number or fewer of said relations.

11. A method for part management of parts of an apparatus comprising:

preparing at least one database storing data on said parts, wherein said data including an electronic parts list describing part numbers of said parts;

automatically checking whether said data stored in said at least one database complies with a predetermined rule by a data check computer system; and

producing a warning in response to said checking.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing a part number regulation database describing a part number regulation; and

determining whether said part numbers of said parts in said electronic parts list are described according to said part number regulation by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing said parts with ranks for hierarchical management;

providing a variation-specific parts list which includes part numbers of variation-specific parts constituting a variation-specific accessory which is equipped for a variation of said apparatus to distinguish said variation from another variation of said apparatus;

looking up data on said variation-specific parts in said electronic parts list using said part numbers of said variation-specific parts as a query by said data check computer system; and

determining whether said variation-specific parts is provided with the highest rank in said electronic part list by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of said part numbers of said parts includes at least one kind-specifying digit representative of a kind thereof,

wherein said parts listed in said database system are packaged into a plurality of packages, and

said method further comprising:

determining whether parts having part numbers including the same kind-specifying digit are included in different packages to produce said warning.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

preparing a CAD database storing drawings of specific one of said parts, wherein said drawings are respectively provided with drawing numbers which includes a specific part number of said part number, and

determining whether said database system contains a complete set of said drawings based on said drawing numbers by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said electronic parts list includes:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts, and

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts, and

said method further comprising;

determining whether said part number section includes each of said constituent part numbers by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said part numbers of said parts respectively include at least one version-specifying digit identifying a revised version of a specific part of said parts, and

said method further comprising:

querying an old version part number which is identical to a latest version part number of the latest version of said specific part except said at least one version-specifying digit; and

deleting data on an old version of said specific part associated to said old version part number from said electronic parts list.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said electronic parts list includes:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts;

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts, and

wherein each of said parts is provided with ranks such that each of said parts are provided with higher ranks than said constituent parts thereof, and

said method further comprising;

producing a part number structure describing relations of said parts and said constituent parts thereof based on said part number section and said constituent part number section, and

checking whether said part number structure correctly forms a tree to produce said warning.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

tracing said relations from each of said parts, and

determining whether each of said parts is associated through said relations to the highest rank part whose rank is the highest rank to produce said warning.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said producing is executed when one of said parts is not associated to said highest rank part through a predetermined number or fewer of said relations.

21. A computer-readable program comprising:

preparing at least one database storing data on said parts, wherein said data including an electronic parts list describing part numbers of said parts;

automatically checking whether said data stored in said at least one database complies with a predetermined rule; and

producing a warning in response to said checking.

22. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, further comprising:

providing a part number regulation database describing a part number regulation; and

determining whether said part numbers of said parts in said electronic parts list are described according to said part number regulation to produce said warning.

23. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, further comprising:

providing said parts with ranks for hierarchical management;

providing a variation-specific parts list which includes part numbers of variation-specific parts constituting a variation-specific accessory which is equipped for a variation of said apparatus to distinguish said variation from another variation of said apparatus;

looking up data on said variation-specific parts in said electronic parts list using said part numbers of said variation-specific parts as a query by said data check computer system; and

determining whether said variation-specific parts is provided with the highest rank in said electronic part list by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

24. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, wherein each of said part numbers of said parts includes at least one kind-specifying digit representative of a kind thereof,

wherein said parts listed in said database system are packaged into a plurality of packages, and

said computer-readable program further comprising:

determining whether parts having part numbers including the same kind-specifying digit are included in different packages to produce said warning.

25. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, further comprising:

preparing a CAD database storing drawings of specific one of said parts, wherein said drawings are respectively provided with drawing numbers which includes a specific part number of said part number, and

determining whether said database system contains a complete set of said drawings based on said drawing numbers by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

26. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, wherein said electronic parts list includes:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts, and

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts, and

said computer-readable program further comprising;

determining whether said part number section includes each of said constituent part numbers by said data check computer system to produce said warning.

27. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, wherein said part numbers of said parts respectively include at least one version-specifying digit identifying a revised version of a specific part of said parts, and

said computer-readable program further comprising:

querying an old version part number which is identical to a latest version part number of the latest version of said specific part except said at least one version-specifying digit; and

deleting data on an old version of said specific part associated to said old version part number from said electronic parts list.

28. The computer-readable program according to claim 21, wherein said electronic parts list includes:

a part number section describing part numbers of said parts;

a constituent part number section describing constituent part numbers of constituent parts of said parts, and

wherein each of said parts is provided with ranks such that each of said parts are provided with higher ranks than said constituent parts thereof, and

said method further comprising;

producing a part number structure describing relations of said parts and said constituent parts thereof based on said part number section and said constituent part number section, and

checking whether said part number structure correctly forms a tree to produce said warning.

29. The computer-readable program according to claim 28, further comprising:

tracing said relations from each of said parts, and

determining whether each of said parts is associated through said relations to the highest rank part whose rank is the highest rank to produce said warning.

30. The computer-readable program according to claim 28, wherein said producing is executed when one of said parts is not associated to said highest rank part through a predetermined number or fewer of said relations.