Integrated system-of-systems modeling environment and related methods

• US 20050204333A1
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Denby, Philip M., Bahrami, Ali, Hamidzadeh, Babak, O'Connell, Don M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method of modeling operational and/or logical aspects of a system in a system-of-systems environment. Modeling components of generic structure are used to obtain a logical model of the system. The logical model and the modeling components of generic structure are used to obtain related models targeted toward the aspects. The related models are implemented to determine effects of the aspects on the system and/or system-of-systems.

Claims

1. A method of modeling one or more operational and/or logical aspects of a system, the method comprising:

using a plurality of modeling components of generic structure to obtain a logical model of the system;

using the logical model and one or more of the modeling components of generic structure to obtain a plurality of related models targeted toward the one or more aspects; and

implementing the related models to determine one or more effects of the one or more aspects on the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the related models include at least one of the following:

an operational model, a performance model, a system component model, and a discrete event model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system includes a system-of-systems (SoS).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising extending one or more commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) modeling tools to obtain the modeling components of generic structure.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising integrating a plurality of COTS design tools to obtain the modeling components of generic structure, the integrating performed based on at least one of the following:

model description commonality among the tools, and view description commonality among the tools.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more COTS tools include a discrete event simulation tool, and the components of generic structure include components describing architectural components of the system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the one or more determined effects, adjusting at least one of the following:

the logical model, the system, and a system-of-systems (SoS) including the system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the related models include at least one of the following:

a model of a hardware component of the system and a model of a software component of the system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein to obtain a logical model comprises to obtain a system architecture.

10. A method of modeling one or more systems in a system-of-systems (SoS), the method comprising:

using a plurality of modeling components of generic structure to obtain a system architecture for the SoS;

using the system architecture and one or more of the modeling components of generic structure to obtain a plurality of related models targeted toward the one or more systems;

integrating a plurality of modeling tools based on at least one of the following;

model description commonality among the tools, and view description commonality among the tools; and

implementing the related models using the integrated tools.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein configuring a modeling component of generic structure comprises adding an extension to a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) modeling tool.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more systems include a plurality of subsystems, the method further comprising configuring the modeling components of generic structure to model one or more aspects across two or more of the subsystems.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more systems include a plurality of subsystems, the method further comprising using a plurality of the modeling components of generic structure to model at least one of an impact of a subsystem on the one or more systems, an impact of the one or more systems on a subsystem, an impact of the one or more systems on the SoS, and an impact of the SoS on the one or more systems.

14. An apparatus for modeling a system, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory configured to use a plurality of components of generic structure (COGSs) to represent the system as a plurality of architectural components;

the apparatus further comprising at least one COTS modeling tool, the processor and memory further configured to;

provide user runtime input to the COGSs that modifies the system representation; and

execute the at least one COTS modeling tool to model the modified system representation using the COGSs and the user input.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the system includes a system-of-systems (SoS).

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one COTS tool includes a discrete event modeling tool.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a COGS represents one or more of the following:

a server node, a HMI node, an I/O channel device, a transport, a process, and a resource.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user runtime input includes one or more spreadsheets.