Computer-based method of structuring product configuration information and configuring a product
First Claim
1. A method of structuring product information used in a determination of a product configuration, using a computer system comprising a processor, memory, an input device, and a computer display device having a display area for displaying graphical symbols, the method comprising:
- (a) displaying a palette within said display area, said palette comprising a representation of a plurality of graphical product objects and at least one graphical logical relationship object, said at least one logical relationship object representing a disjunctive relationship between product options, said plurality of graphical product objects including;
(i) at least one graphical option object, wherein said graphical option object represents a product option and includes at least one attribute identifying said product option; and
(ii) at least one graphical module object, wherein said graphical module object represents a product module and includes at least one attribute identifying said product module;
(b) receiving a plurality of selection inputs from said computer input device, including a first selection input representing a first graphical product object, a second selection input representing a second graphical product object, and a third selection input representing one of said graphical logical relationship objects;
(c) receiving a plurality of coordinate inputs from said computer input device, each coordinate input corresponding to one of said selection inputs and representing a position in said display area of said computer display device;
(d) graphically representing said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object, each graphical product object being represented at a position corresponding to one of said coordinate inputs;
(e) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said first graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a first entry in a database;
(f) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said second graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a second entry in said database;
(g) creating a link between said second graphical product object and said graphical logical relationship object; and
(h) storing information pertaining to said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object in said database.
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Abstract
A computer based method of collecting, structuring, and displaying product configuration information, and using the product configuration information to produce a computer program that validates product option selections and configures a product, is disclosed. The computer based method is used to create a Knowledge Map that contains product information objects. A product information object can be one of: a product option object, representing a customer option; a product module object, representing a collection of product parts, plans, tools, functional tests, inspections, or software; a grouping object, grouping product options or modules; or a relational object representing a relation between product objects. An input device is used to select a plurality of product information objects and position the objects in a display area. Upon selection of the objects, an operator is prompted to input specific information pertaining to the selected object. Constraints limit the selections that an operator can make, the appearance of the objects, and the configurations that can be produced from selected objects. Information pertaining to selected objects and their configuration is stored in a database. Changes can be made directly to the information stored in the database, and these changes are reflected in a corresponding display of the product information. After producing a Knowledge Map, the information is retrieved from a database to produce a set of rules that is input to a rule-based program for validating a set of product option selections and configuring a final product defined by resulting modules. The information can also be retrieved to produce object-based information to be used in the creation of an object-based program for validating a set of product options and configuring a product.
163 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of structuring product information used in a determination of a product configuration, using a computer system comprising a processor, memory, an input device, and a computer display device having a display area for displaying graphical symbols, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying a palette within said display area, said palette comprising a representation of a plurality of graphical product objects and at least one graphical logical relationship object, said at least one logical relationship object representing a disjunctive relationship between product options, said plurality of graphical product objects including; (i) at least one graphical option object, wherein said graphical option object represents a product option and includes at least one attribute identifying said product option; and (ii) at least one graphical module object, wherein said graphical module object represents a product module and includes at least one attribute identifying said product module; (b) receiving a plurality of selection inputs from said computer input device, including a first selection input representing a first graphical product object, a second selection input representing a second graphical product object, and a third selection input representing one of said graphical logical relationship objects; (c) receiving a plurality of coordinate inputs from said computer input device, each coordinate input corresponding to one of said selection inputs and representing a position in said display area of said computer display device; (d) graphically representing said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object, each graphical product object being represented at a position corresponding to one of said coordinate inputs; (e) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said first graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a first entry in a database; (f) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said second graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a second entry in said database; (g) creating a link between said second graphical product object and said graphical logical relationship object; and (h) storing information pertaining to said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object in said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13)
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11. A method of structuring product information used in a determination of a product configuration, using a computer system comprising a processor, memory, an input device, and a computer display device having a display area for displaying graphical symbols, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying a palette within said display area, said palette comprising a representation of a plurality of graphical product objects and at least one graphical logical relationship object, said plurality of graphical product objects comprising; (i) at least one graphical option object, wherein said graphical option object represents a product option and includes at least one attribute identifying said product option wherein each of said graphical product option objects comprises; (aa) an option type field including information representative of the type of option; (bb) an option identifier field containing an identifier corresponding to a product option; (cc) a description field containing information indicative of a description of said graphical product option object; and (dd) wherein said method further comprises preventing an operator from deleting said fields included in said product option; and (ii) at least one graphical module object, wherein said graphical module object represents a product module and includes at least one attribute identifying said product module; (b) receiving a plurality of selection inputs from said computer input device, including a first selection input representing a first graphical product object, a second selection input representing a second graphical product object, and a third selection input representing one of said graphical logical relationship objects, wherein said graphical logical relationship represents a disjunctive relationship between product options; (c) receiving a plurality of coordinate inputs from said computer input device, each coordinate input corresponding to one of said selection inputs and representing a position in said display area of said computer display device; (d) graphically representing said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object, each graphical product object being represented at a position corresponding to one of said coordinate inputs; (e) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said first graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a first entry in a database; (f) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said second graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a second entry in said database; (g) creating a link between said second graphical product object and said graphical logical relationship object; and (h) storing information pertaining to said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object in said database.
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12. A method of structuring product information used in a determination of a product configuration, using a computer system comprising a processor, memory, an input device, and a computer display device having a display area for displaying graphical symbols, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying a palette within said display area, said palette comprising a representation of a plurality of graphical product objects and at least one graphical logical relationship object, said plurality of graphical product objects comprising; (i) at least one graphical option object, wherein said graphical option object represents a product option and includes at least one attribute identifying said product option; and (ii) at least one graphical module object, wherein said graphical module object represents a product module and includes at least one attribute identifying said product module; (b) receiving a plurality of selection inputs from said computer input device, including a first selection input representing a first graphical product object, a second selection input representing a second graphical product object, and a third selection input representing one of said graphical logical relationship objects; (c) receiving a plurality of coordinate inputs from said computer input device, each coordinate input corresponding to one of said selection inputs and representing a position in said display area of said computer display device; (d) graphically representing said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object, each graphical product object being represented at a position corresponding to one of said coordinate inputs; (e) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said first graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a first entry in a database; (f) receiving an input selection of an identifier corresponding to said second graphical product object, said identifier corresponding to a second entry in said database; (g) creating a link between said second graphical product object and said graphical logical relationship object; (h) storing information pertaining to said first graphical product object, said second graphical product object, and said graphical logical relationship object in said database; (i) receiving a drawing number; (j) verifying that said drawing number is valid; and (k) displaying a message if said drawing number is not valid.
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14. A method of creating a Knowledge Map containing graphical objects that represent product information used in a determination of a product configuration, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving a selection of two graphical product objects, including a first graphical product object and a second graphical product object, and displaying said graphical product objects; (b) receiving a selection of a graphical relation object representing a relationship between said graphical product objects, and displaying said graphical relation object; (c) storing, in a database, data specifying the position of said graphical product objects and said graphical relation object; (d) receiving, for each graphical product object, a selection of an associated option identifier, said option identifier corresponding to a predetermined list of option identifiers stored in said database; (e) verifying that said option identifier associated with said first graphical product object is different from said option identifier associated with said second graphical product object; and (f) in response to receiving an input to modify the Knowledge Map, repeating (a)-(e). - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A computer-based method of configuring a product on a computer system having a processor, a memory, an input device, and a display area;
- the method comprising;
(a) receiving at least two input selections indicative of a graphical product object representative of product configuration information; (b) receiving input representative of a disjunctive relationship between two of the graphical product objects indicated by the object input; (c) graphically representing the graphical product objects and the relationship between the graphical product objects within the display area; (d) storing information pertaining to the selected graphical product objects and the relationship between the graphical product objects; and (e) generating a set of rules for use by a rules-based computer program to produce product configuration data, the generation of rules based on the stored information. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
- the method comprising;
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20. A computer-based method of configuring a product on a computer system having a processor, a memory, an input device, and a display area;
- the method comprising;
(a) receiving at least two input selections indicative of a graphical product object representative of product configuration information; (b) receiving input representative of a disjunctive relationship between two of the graphical product objects indicated by the object input; (c) graphically representing the graphical product objects and the relationship between the graphical product objects within the display area; (d) storing information pertaining to the selected graphical product objects and the relationship between the graphical product objects;
(e) generating data for use in creating an object-based computer program, the generation of data based on the stored information; and(f) creating an object-based computer program based on the generated data, the object-based program operative for producing product configuration data. - View Dependent Claims (21)
- the method comprising;
Specification