Intelligent wiring diagram system

• US 6,606,731 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Baum, Lawrence S., Boose, Molly L., Post, Michael D., Boose, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levin, Naum B
• Application Number:
  US09/615,499
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 716/3, 716/4, 703/14.2, 382/141, 382/145
• US Class Current: 716/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps

Abstract

An intelligent wiring diagram system for automatically converting electronic wiring diagrams into intelligent wiring diagrams for display on a computer terminal, the intelligent wiring diagram system primarily for use as an interactive tool for trouble-shooting electrical problems.

Claims

1. A method for converting legacy wiring diagrams into intelligent wiring diagrams comprising:

utilizing an intelligent graphics viewer for comprehending complex electrical circuitry;

utilizing said intelligent graphics viewer to simulate changes in electrical continuity; and

further

utilizing said intelligent graphics viewer to access critical component information.

2. An intelligent wiring diagram system comprising in combination:

an intelligent component recognizer for searching through graphical primitives in a wiring diagram and applying heuristics in order to identify components;

a wirenet recognizer for determining;

which lines in the diagram represent individual wires and to infer the electrical continuity;

a nomenclature recognizer for scanning text elements in said wiring diagram and finding text elements which match generic patterns for wire numbers, wire bundles, grounds, terminals and other equipment numbers;

extensible markup language (XML) generator for producing the XML markup of all objects discovered by a plurality of recognizers, said XML markup including the geometry for each object hotspot and the relationships between objects and between objects and hotspots, and,

an output device comprising and intelligent graphics viewer for providing the wiring diagram in its original form, said intelligent graphics viewer further utilizing the output of the XML generator for providing visual identification of objects and user-driven interactively with said wiring diagrams.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said wire numbers each consist of a wire bundle identifier and a wire id.

4. The invention according to claim 3 including means for determining which wire bundle identifier belongs with which wire id.

5. In combination:

an XML generator;

an intelligent graphics viewer for illustrating a wiring diagram in original format

An XML representation for wirenets, electrical components and their states; and

,

said intelligent graphics viewer further providing visual identification of objects and user-driven interactivity with said wiring diagrams.

6. In combination:

an electrical component recognizer for searching through the graphical primitives in a wiring diagram and applying heuristics in order to identify components; and

,

a wirenet recognizer for utilizing the electrical symbols provided by said electrical component recognizer and determining which lines in the wiring diagram represent individual wires conferring electrical continuity.

7. In combination in an intelligent wiring diagram system:

an electrical component recognizer for searching through graphical primitives in a wiring diagram and applying heuristics to identifying components; and

a wirenet recognizer utilizing electrical symbols formed by said electrical component recognizer and finding which lines in said wiring diagram represent individual wires.

8. In combination:

an extensible markup language generator (XML);

an intelligent graphics viewer responsive to the output of said XML generator for providing visual identification of objects and user-driven interactivity with a wiring diagram; and

said intelligent graphics viewer further displaying the wiring diagram.

9. In combination in an intelligent wiring diagram system having an intelligent wiring diagram recognizer for converting a wiring diagram into an intelligent wiring diagram comprising the steps of:

parsing an input file and storing graphical primitives in separate lists of circles, circular arcs, text elements, horizontal lines, vertical lines, oblique lines and rectangles;

applying pattern matching rules to said graphical primitives for recognizing electrical components;

applying an attachment point algorithm for building wire networks connecting said electrical components; and

, then

generating output files for providing intelligent wiring diagrams in a viewing system.