Method and Apparatus for Quantifying Aesthetic Preferences in Product Design Using Production Rules

• US 20090228328A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Inventors: Boatwright, Peter, Orsborn, Seth D., Cagan, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/226,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228328A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/08 Probabilistic or stochastic CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes performing a statistical analysis on a database of product shape information and identifying product characteristics based on statistical relationships among the shapes in the product database. A plurality of production rules that express the allowable variations of shapes defining the product characteristics is generated, and the generated rules are saved in a database for use in generating product designs according to the application of the rules. Another aspect of the invention is directed to a method which includes enabling a plurality of characteristic software agents to control the application of production rules to that agent'"'"'s assigned characteristic so that each characteristic software agent generates a portion of a candidate design; determining if each of the portions of a candidate design is to be saved; saving a plurality of completed candidate designs; soliciting consumer responses to the plurality of candidate designs; and performing an analysis of the consumer responses to identify consumer preferences.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing a statistical analysis on product shape information;

identifying product characteristics based on statistical relationships among shapes in the product shape information;

generating a plurality of production rules that express the allowable variations of shapes defining the product characteristics; and

saving the generated rules for use in generating product designs according to the application of the rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said performing a statistical analysis comprises performing one of a multi-dimensional scaling of normalized product shape information, decision tree analysis, factor analysis, or multi-variant analysis of shape information of the associations among the shapes.

3. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising using said statistical analysis to generate an initial preference function.

4. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

controlling the application of the production rules through a plurality of characteristic software agents whereby each characteristic software agent controls the application of the production rules to its assigned characteristic to generate a portion of a candidate design.

5. The method of claim 4 additionally comprising:

defining an initial preference function; and

using the production rules, with said initial preference function, to generate a plurality of candidate designs.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said defining an initial preference function comprises defining one of an initial utility function, value function, or preference ordering.

7. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising:

obtaining consumer responses to said plurality of candidate designs.

8. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising:

inferring consumer preference based on said consumer responses.

9. The method of claim 8 additionally comprising;

using said consumer preference to update said initial preference function.

10. A method, comprising:

performing a statistical analysis on product shape information;

identifying product characteristics based on statistical relationships among shapes in the product shape information;

generating a plurality of shape grammar rules that express the allowable transformations for shapes defining the product characteristics; and

saving the generated shape grammar rules for use in generating product designs according to the application of the rules.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said performing a statistical analysis comprises performing one of a multi-dimensional scaling of normalized product shape information, decision tree analysis, factor analysis, or multi-variant analysis of shape information of the associations among shapes.

12. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising using said statistical analysis to generate an initial preference function.

13. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising:

controlling the application of the shape grammar rules through a plurality of characteristic software agents whereby each characteristic software agent controls the application of the shape grammar rules to its assigned characteristic to generate a portion of a candidate design.

14. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising:

defining an initial preference function; and

using the shape grammar rules, with said initial preference function, to generate a plurality of candidate designs.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said defining an initial preference function comprises defining one of an initial utility function, value function, or preference ordering.

16. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising:

obtaining consumer responses to said plurality of candidate designs.

17. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising:

inferring consumer preference based on said consumer responses.

18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising;

using said consumer preference to update said initial preference function.

19. A computer implemented method, comprising:

enabling a plurality of characteristic software agents to control the application of production rules to that agent'"'"'s assigned characteristic so that each characteristic software agent generates a portion of a candidate design;

determining if each of said portions of a candidate design is to be saved;

saving a plurality of completed candidate designs;

obtaining consumer responses to said plurality of candidate designs; and

identifying consumer preferences from said consumer responses.

20. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising:

defining an initial preference function,

using said initial preference function to determine an objective function for each of said characteristics, said objective functions being used to determine if portions of a candidate design are to be saved.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said defining an initial preference function comprises defining one of an initial utility function, value function, or preference ordering.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said application of production rules includes the application of shape grammar rules.

23. The method of claim 20 additionally comprising updating said initial preference function based on said consumer preferences.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said identifying consumer preferences comprises performing a statistical analysis.

25. A computer readable medium carrying a set of instructions which, when implemented, perform a method, comprising:

performing a statistical analysis on a database of product shape information;

identifying product characteristics based on statistical relationships among the shapes in the product database;

generating a plurality of production rules that express the allowable variations of shapes defining the product characteristics; and

saving the generated rules in a database for use in generating product designs according to the application of the rules.

26. The medium of claim 25 wherein said production rules are shape grammar rules