Method and system for ensuring completeness and quality of a multi-component project

• US 6,493,693 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, Aubrey E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/474,022
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46, 706/59, 706/50, 706/10, 706/45, 706/47, 703/6
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

A method for ensuring completeness and quality of a project or proposed change to a complex system including modeling the system as a plurality of nodes and storing the nodes in a database, each node being representative of a component or sub-system of the complex system, identifying relationships among the nodes, loading each node with a plurality of questions relating to the component represented by each node, and generating a listing including the questions, answers thereto and a time associated with accomplishing the proposed change or project. An apparatus for implementing the method is also described.

Claims

1. A requirements generating apparatus for establishing requirements for implementing changes to a system, the apparatus comprising:

a relational database programmed to operate as a network of interconnected nodes, each of said nodes being capable of storing query information related to a distinct component of the system;

a query engine associated with said relational database, said query engine being capable of querying a user based on stored query information; and

a summing circuit, in communication with said relational database and query engine, being capable of summing periods of time associated with specific actions for implementing the changes to the system, said specific actions being determined by responses received by said query engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said responses received by said query engine are stored and output as a requirements document.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said relational database is capable of listing all nodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an acronym query engine and an ambiguous word query engine.