Automatic Design And Sale Of Complex Multi-Vendor Electronic And Mechanical Systems

• US 20100036776A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intangi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intangi, Inc.
• Inventors: Musharbash, Bill N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

The automation of design and sale of electronic and mechanical components is accomplished by allowing a user to design a plan for their electronic and mechanical component needs using specialized software. The software utilizes predefined models of components to aid the user in designing a system where all the components are compatible, even in cases where the components are made by different manufacturers. This is accomplished by creating a model for each proposed piece of equipment in the system, the model having properties and rules, wherein the rules define conditions and actions. Then an object is created for each piece of equipment in the system. Selections for values for the properties are received for each of the pieces of equipment. Any rules that have as a condition the properties for which value selections are received are executed. Finally, testing may be undertaken to determine if a proposed configuration is valid by examining results of the rule execution.

Claims

1. A method for encoding a smart part number into a configuration tree, the smart part number including a plurality of configuration codes embedded therein, the method comprising:

for each configuration code, determining that it is a valid configuration code;

for each valid configuration code, defining a branch of the configuration tree;

for each branch of the configuration tree, configuring at least one configuration point with the configuration code, the configuration code for the configuration point representing all valid configuration choices associated with the corresponding configuration point.

2. A method for processing a configuration tree to verify the validity of a smart part number, the smart part number including a plurality of configuration codes, the method comprising:

requiring the smart part number to include at least one configuration point corresponding to a branch of the configuration tree; and

requiring the smart part number to include at least one configuration code defined at that branch of the configuration tree.

3. A method for extracting part information from a configuration tree encoded with a smart part number, the smart part number including a plurality of configuration codes representing the part information embedded therein, the method comprising:

for each configuration code, determining that it is a valid configuration code;

for each valid configuration code, defining a branch of the configuration tree;

for each branch of the configuration tree, configuring at least one configuration point with the configuration code, the configuration code for the configuration point representing all valid configuration choices associated with the corresponding configuration point, wherein the configuring at least one configuration point includes encoding a character string representing the branch with a first code delimiter and encoding each configuration code into the character string at a location associated with the configuration point and separating the configuration codes with a second delimiter; and

sequentially concatenating configuration codes for each configuration point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the part information includes a part number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the part information includes a part description.

6. A method for extracting part price information for a selected product configuration from a configuration tree encoded with a smart part number, the smart part number including a plurality of configuration codes representing the part price information embedded therein, the method comprising:

for each configuration code, determining that it is a valid configuration code;

for each valid configuration code, defining a branch of the configuration tree;

for each branch of the configuration tree, configuring at least one configuration point with the configuration code, the configuration code for the configuration point representing all valid configuration choices and prices associated with the corresponding configuration point, wherein the configuring at least one configuration point includes encoding a character string representing the branch with a first code delimiter and encoding each configuration code into the character string at a location associated with the configuration point and separating the configuration codes with a second delimiter; and

for the selected product configuration, summing the prices of the corresponding configuration points on the corresponding branch to determine a final price for the selected product configuration.

7. A method for extracting part price information for a selected product configuration from a configuration tree encoded with a smart part number, the smart part number including a plurality of configuration codes representing the part price information embedded therein, the method comprising:

for each configuration code, determining that it is a valid configuration code;

for each valid configuration code, defining a branch of the configuration tree;

for each branch of the configuration tree, configuring at least one configuration point with the configuration code, the configuration code for the configuration point representing all valid configuration choices associated with the corresponding configuration point, wherein the configuring at least one configuration point includes encoding a character string representing the branch with a first code delimiter and encoding each configuration code into the character string at a location associated with the configuration point and separating the configuration codes with a second delimiter;

determining and configuring a product configuration price associated with each branch; and

for the selected product configuration, extracting the configured product configuration price to determine a final price for the selected product configuration.