Computerized system for network-based management of engineering projects

• US 20040193679A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Atesoglu, Osman E., Oh, Kong Ping, Tecco, Thomas C., Bejcek, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer system used for carrying out engineering tasks as a part of an engineering project. The system includes a plurality of client computers and one or more server computers accessible by the client computers via a communications network. Distributed across these computers is a multi-tiered software system that includes system programs, application programs, and database programs. The system programs include a system objects module, a job manager module, an event manager module, and a workbook module. The system objects module provides security and authentication services. The application programs carry out at least some of the engineering tasks. The job manager module manages use of the application programs. The event manager module receives and distributes notifications between at least some of the modules. The workbook module provides a user of the application programs with engineering information related to one or more of the engineering tasks.

Claims

1. A computer system for carrying out engineering tasks as part of an engineering project, comprising:

a plurality of client computers;

at least one server computer accessible by the client computers via a communications network;

a multi-tiered software system that includes system programs, application programs, and database programs, each of which is stored on one of the computers;

wherein the system programs include a system objects module, a job manager module, an event manager module, and a work book module; and

wherein the system objects module is operable to provide security and authentication services, the application programs are operable to carry out at least some of the engineering tasks, the job manager module is operable to manage use of the application programs, the event manager module is operable to receive and distribute notifications between at least some of the modules, and the work book module is operable to provide a user of the application programs with engineering information related to one or more of the engineering tasks.

2. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system programs further include a job control module that interfaces to the job manager module and the application programs, with the job control module being operable to control execution of individual engineering tasks using the application programs.

3. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system programs further include a workflow module operable to provide a display depicting an ordered sequence of engineering tasks involved in the engineering project.

4. A computer system as defined in claim 3, wherein engineering information generated at various stages of the sequence of engineering tasks is made available to the user via the workbook module.

5. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the application programs further include a business activities module that is operable to provide resource-planning information.

6. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the application programs further include a virtual review module operable to generate presentations and screen displays of status information concerning the engineering project.

7. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of the application programs comprise computer aided software tools used to carry out engineering tasks using data accessed via the database program.

8. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the programs are accessible as objects having predefined input and output protocols.

9. A computer system as defined in claim 8, wherein the application client program communicates with the database client program using XML.

10. A computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein communication between at least some of the programs is, carried out using a Java remote method invocation bus.

11. A computer system for carrying out engineering tasks, comprising:

a plurality of client computers;

at least one server accessible by the client computers via a communications network;

a set of client programs stored on one or more of the client computers, the client programs including a system client program, an application client program, and a database client program;

a set of server programs stored on the server(s), the server programs including a system server program, an application server program, and a database server program, wherein the system server program provides services to the system client program, the application server program provides services to the application client program, and the database server program provides services to the database client program; and

a database containing engineering data accessible by the database client program via the database server program;

wherein the client programs are accessible as objects having predefined input and output protocols; and

wherein the system client program is operable to provide user access to the application client program, with the application client program being operable to access the engineering data from the database via communication between the application client program and the database client program using the predefined input and output protocols, and wherein the application client program is further operable in response to user input to perform one or more engineering tasks using the accessed engineering data.

12. A computer system as defined in claim 11, wherein the application client program communicates with the database client program using XML.

13. A computer system as defined in claim 11, wherein communication between at least some of the programs is carried out using a Java remote method invocation bus.

14. A computer system as defined in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of application client programs.

15. A computer system as defined in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of system client programs.

16. A computer system as defined in claim 11, wherein the application program comprises a computer aided software tool used to carry out at least some of the engineering tasks using data from the database.