Transforming airplane configuration requirements into intelligent spatial geometry

• US 8,060,345 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lee, David J., Taboada, Margaret J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saxena; Akash
• Application Number:
  US11/802,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/2, 703/7, 703/8, 700/98, 700/103, 700119-120, 715/771, 345/419, 345/420, 345/958, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/04 Galleys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/958 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A system and method for knowledge based development of interior models for configurable spaces, including storing a digital definition of the interior section of the passenger vehicle and parameters related to the objects, storing a digital definition of a plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of the objects, defining one or more collision rules between a first three dimensional stay-out space and a second three dimensional stay-out space, the rules define whether the first three dimensional stay-out space and the second three dimensional stay-out space may overlap, and designing the interior section to accommodate objects based on the defined collision rules and object parameters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for designing an interior section of an aircraft to accommodate objects for said interior section of said aircraft, comprising:

storing a digital definition of said objects as three dimensional volumes;

storing a digital definition of said interior section of said aircraft within which said objects are to be placed, said digital definition including parameters related to said objects;

storing a digital definition of a plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects, at least one of said stay-out spaces comprising non-physical geometry associated with one of said objects, said non-physical geometry having intelligent data attached to said non-physical geometry, said intelligent data comprising requirements, at least one of said objects having at least two different non-physical geometries at least partially overlapping one another and having different intelligent data;

defining one or more collision rules between a first three dimensional stay-out space of one of said objects and a second three dimensional stay-out space of a different one of said objects, wherein said collision rules define whether said first three dimensional stay-out space and said second three dimensional stay-out space may overlap; and

determining the three dimensional spatial placement of said objects relative to one another and relative to said interior section such that said objects are in compliance with said defined collision rules, said object parameters, and said intelligent data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining at least one collision rule between said three dimensional stay-out spaces and said interior section and parameters related to said objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces comprises a plurality of data objects representing different aspects of said interior.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces are displayed and manipulated visually, and designing said interior section being displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said stay-out spaces are defined according to a plurality of predefined constraints.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital definition of said interior section includes physical constraints of said objects.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said collision rules are between a plurality of digital definitions of said interior section and a plurality of digital definitions of said three dimensional stay-out spaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said collision rules include between said digital definition of said interior section and parameters related to said objects and the digital definition of said plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements comprise at least one of regulatory requirements, company requirements, and manufacturer requirements.

10. A system for a computer-implemented method for designing an interior section of an aircraft to accommodate objects for said interior section of said aircraft, comprising:

a memory unit storing a digital definition of said objects as three dimensional volumes, and said memory unit storing a digital definition of said interior section of said aircraft within which said objects are to be placed, said digital definition including parameters related to said objects, said memory unit storing a digital definition of a plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects, at least one of said stay-out spaces comprising non-physical geometry associated with one of said objects, said non-physical geometry having intelligent data attached to said non-physical geometry, said intelligent data comprising requirements, at least one of said objects having at least two different non-physical geometries at least partially overlapping one another and having different intelligent data; and

a processor connected to said memory unit, defining one or more collision rules between a first three dimensional stay-out space of one of said objects and a second three dimensional stay-out space of a different one of said objects, wherein said collision rules define whether said first three dimensional stay-out space and said second three dimensional stay-out space may overlap; and

said processor with said memory unit determining the three dimensional spatial placement of said objects relative to one another and relative to said interior section such that said objects are in compliance with said defined collision rules, said object parameters, and said intelligent data.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising defining at least one collision rule between said three dimensional stay-out spaces and said interior section and parameters related to said objects.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces comprises a plurality of data objects representing different aspects of said interior.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces are displayed and manipulated visually, and designing said interior section being displayed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said stay-out spaces are defined according to a plurality of predefined constraints.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said digital definition of said interior section includes physical constraints of said objects.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said collision rules are between a plurality of digital definitions of said interior section and a plurality of digital definitions of said three dimensional stay-out spaces.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said collision rules include between said digital definition of said interior section and parameters related to said objects and said digital definition of said plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the requirements comprise at least one of regulatory requirements, company requirements, and manufacturer requirements.

19. A computer-implemented system for designing an interior section of an aircraft to accommodate objects for said interior section of said aircraft, comprising:

a means for storing a digital definition of said objects as three dimensional volumes;

a means for storing a digital definition of said interior section of said aircraft within which said objects are to be placed, said digital definition including parameters related to said objects;

a means for storing a digital definition of a plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects, at least one of said stay-out spaces comprising non-physical geometry associated with one of said objects, said non-physical geometry having intelligent data attached to said non-physical geometry, said intelligent data comprising requirements, at least one of said objects having at least two different non-physical geometries at least partially overlapping one another and having different intelligent data;

a means for defining one or more collision rules between a first three dimensional stay-out space and a second three dimensional stay-out space, wherein said collision rules define whether said first three dimensional stay-out space and said second three dimensional stay-out space may overlap; and

a means for determining the three dimensional spatial placement of said objects relative to one another and relative to said interior section such that said objects are in compliance with said defined collision rules, said object parameters, and said intelligent data.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising defining at least one collision rule between said three dimensional stay-out spaces and said interior section and parameters related to said objects.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces comprises a plurality of data objects representing different aspects of said interior.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said digital definition of said interior section and said digital definition of said three dimensional stay-out spaces are displayed and manipulated visually, and designing said interior section being displayed.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said stay-out spaces are defined according to a plurality of predefined constraints.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein said digital definition of said interior section includes physical constraints of said objects.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said collision rules are between a plurality of digital definitions of said interior section and a plurality of digital definitions of said three dimensional stay-out spaces.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein said collision rules include between said digital definition of said interior section and parameters related to said objects and said digital definition of said plurality of three dimensional stay-out spaces associated with one or more of said objects.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein said digital definitions are stored in extensible markup language format.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the requirements comprise at least one of regulatory requirements, company requirements, and manufacturer requirements.