METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR WIRING SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND VERIFICATION

• US 20100146466A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hadley, Brent, Williams, Charles Mark, Sciarra, Michael Patrick, Eames, Patrick Jan
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A method for visually verifying an implementation of a design is described. The method includes integrating logical design data, physical design data, and physical implementation data into a common data format and graphically displaying the commonly formatted data to provide a visualization of the design, the visualization including a spatial context component associated with the physical implementation data.

Claims

1. A method for visually verifying an implementation of a design, said method comprising:

integrating logical design data, physical design data, and physical implementation data into a common data format; and

graphically displaying the commonly formatted data to provide a visualization of the design, the visualization including a spatial context component associated with the physical implementation data.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the physical implementation data includes one or both of two-dimensional schematic data and three dimensional physical implementation data.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein graphically displaying the commonly formatted data comprises depicting logical design data visually together with three dimensional data for an entire installation.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein integrating logical design data, physical design data, and physical implementation data comprises integrating wire bundle information and detail wire information with a three dimensional visualization of the design information generated from the wire bundle information and the detail wire information.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein integrating logical design data, physical design data, and physical implementation data comprises integrating two dimensional wiring diagrams and system schematics to generate three dimensional visualizations.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising including at least one of coloration and highlighting of missing design information and spatial requirement violations in the graphical display.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising validating routing and clearance provisions for the design.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein graphically displaying the commonly formatted data comprises presenting wire bundle information in a tree view.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein graphically displaying the commonly formatted data comprises providing a detail view of wiring bundle components and system connection characteristics including component detail relating to wires, connections, other bundle components, and connective equipment interfaces for a selected wiring bundle.

10. A computer programmed to:

receive physical implementation data, physical design data, and logical design data associated with a product design from a plurality of sources;

perform a spatial analysis on the physical implementation data, physical design data, and logical design data; and

generate a visualization of the spatial analysis for display on a user interface.

11. A computer according to claim 10 wherein the physical implementation data includes one or both of two-dimensional schematic data and three dimensional physical implementation data.

12. A computer according to claim 10 wherein said computer is programmed to depict logical design data visually together with three dimensional CAD data for an entire installation.

13. A computer according to claim 10 further programmed to convert multiple data representations for the logical design data, the physical design data, and the physical implementation data into a single data representation.

14. A system configured for visualization of design implementations, said system comprising:

a computer comprising a user interface; and

a logical data storage area communicatively coupled to said computer, said system configured to;

display, at said user interface, a listing of the logical designs stored within said logical data storage area;

collect, from said logical storage area, physical implementation data, physical design data, and logical design data associated with a logical design selected by a user via said user interface;

display, at the user interface, the physical implementation data, and the physical design data associated with the selected logical design; and

display, at the user interface, the logical design data associated with the selected logical design along with any logical design data associated with the physical implementation data.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein logical design data associated with the physical implementation data comprises at least one of logical design data within the logical data storage area and metadata associated with a three-dimensional model of the physical implementation.

16. A system according to claim 14 wherein:

logical design data comprises data associated with a wire system; and

physical design data comprises data associated with the wire system function, layout, location and implementation; and

physical implementation data comprises data associated with a wire system harness assembly related to the wire system as manufactured and assembled.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the data associated with the wire harness assembly includes at least one of wire length data and wire material type data.

18. A system according to claim 14 wherein to display the logical design data and display the physical implementation data, said system is configured to:

integrate the logical design data, physical design data, and the physical implementation data into a common data format; and

graphically display the commonly formatted data at said user interface to provide a visualization of the design, the visualization including a spatial context component associated with the physical implementation data.

19. A system according to claim 14 wherein said system is configured to present a plurality of proprietary logical design data representations in a single format at said user interface.

20. A system according to claim 14 wherein said system is configured to link the logical design data, physical design data, and the physical implementation data in said logical data storage area utilizing at least one of part numbers and revision data.