Simultaneous manufacturing and product engineering integrated with knowledge networking

• US 6,230,066 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sferro, Peter Richard, Burek, Gregory John, O'Reilly, Sean Bogue
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/149,749
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 700/48-50, 700/95, 700/96, 700/97, 700/98, 700/99, 700/100, 700/101-105, 700/118, 700/163, 700/183, 700/184, 700/185, 703/1, 703/13, 703/14, 716/1-4, 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 345/427, 359/458, 382/154
• US Class Current: 700/104
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/04 Constraint-based CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Method of simultaneously carrying out manufacturing and product engineering integrated with knowledge networking. The method comprises: (a) creating a logic modeller by (i) identifying elements of an engineering project and syntactically arranging such elements in a logic sequence based on engineering functions, (ii) ascertaining uniform meaning for such elements and engineering functions to allow for interdisciplinary communication, (iii) gathering existing knowledge pertinent to such elements and engineering functions, and encoding such gathered knowledge into terms according to uniform meanings, and (iv) programming a computer memory template with such logic sequence and with attached data bases of such encoded existing knowledge; and (b) operating said logic modeller through a direct engineer that: (i) requests review of initial input specifications of an inchoate design that results in an analysis by the modeller to indicate rule or constraint violations of the gathered knowledge, and (ii) interacts with the analysis in response to such indications to converge on acceptable or improved engineering design functions.

Claims

1. Method of simultaneously carrying out manufacturing and product engineering integrated with knowledge networking comprising:

(a) creating a logic modeller by

(i) identifying elements of an engineering project and syntactically arranging such elements in a logic sequence based on engineering functions;

(ii) ascertaining uniform meaning for such elements and engineering functions to allow for interdisciplinary communication;

(iii) gathering existing knowledge pertinent to such elements and engineering functions and encoding such gathered knowledge into terms according to uniform meanings; and

(iv) programming a computer memory template with said logic sequence and with attached data bases of said encoded existing knowledge;

(b) operating said logic modeller through a direct engineer that;

(i) requests review of initial input specifications of an inchoate design that results in an analysis by said modeller to indicate rule or constraint violations of the gathered knowledge; and

(ii) interacts with the analysis in response to said indications to converge on acceptable and improved definitions of engineering design functions.

2. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(iii), the knowledge includes scientific and engineering rules, business information and prior engineering design history.

3. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(iii), the gathering of knowledge is effective to capture a total engineering environment for the project to present a collective intellect of the related user and engineering community.

4. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(i), identification is carried out by heuristic dialog between members of differing engineering and business disciplines allowing for reoriented conventional thinking and the introduction of innovative elements or engineering functions.

5. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(i), the logic sequence may include consideration of backward scheduling.

6. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(iii), encoding is carried out to the lowest level understood by production plant personnel and allow for uniform capture of logic and information.

7. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(iii), the gathering of existing knowledge includes associativity knowledge.

8. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (a)(iii), the gathered knowledge is taken from remote sources, such as suppliers, assembly plants, dealerships and repair shops.

9. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b)(i), the direct engineer inputs the initial specifications which may be routing points centerline, along with element on the centerline, or other elemental solids outline.

10. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b)(i), the analysis presents alternatives or suggested ways to overcome rule or constraint violations.

11. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b)(i), the analysis provides for reuse of prior designs and reuse of knowledge unique to the plant of an organization to thereby eliminate errors.

12. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b(ii), the interaction may result in a definition that further includes visual display of manufacturing sequence, capacity or gauging.

13. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b)(ii), the direct engineer can overcome default selections by the modeller based upon the knowledge of the direct engineer.

14. The method as in claim 1, in which, in step (b)(ii), the definition of the engineering design function may further include virtual testing of the engineering design functions.

15. The method as in claim 1, in which the method further comprises a step (c), wherein reports are automatically created from the design definition which may include materials, lists, costs, labor and design or rule violations.