GUI-facilitated change management for vehicle electrical/electronic architecture design

• US 8,065,126 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Dong, Yibing, Momin, Salim
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu; Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US12/181,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/7, 710/1, 250/221, 701/1, 701/2, 701/29, 701/33, 705/50, 771/106
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

Disclosed herein are computer aided design (CAD) techniques to implement a unified data schema and graphical user interface (GUI) to link ECU/devices, in-vehicle communications, and vehicle harness information together with respect to architectural relation, performance relation, and cost relation, and to facilitate a designer'"'"'s understanding and manipulation of this information. The domain-specific information from each domain is converted to objects in this unified data schema and stored in a unified database that is accessible to every domain, so that the impact of the current state in the device domain can be accessed and analyzed by a designer from any domain. This approach enables design data sharing and real-time collaboration between different electrical/electronic (E/E) design domains, thereby facilitating the realization of design data collaboration, design change management, and product lifetime management (PLM) and product data management (PDM) implementation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a database comprising information representative of an electrical/electronic architecture of a vehicle, the information including information regarding relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture of the vehicle;

determining on a computer an impact status of a second aspect of a second component of the electrical/electronic architecture resulting from a modification to a first aspect of a first component based on the relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture as represented in the database, wherein determining the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprises at least one selected from;

determining whether the second aspect is added to the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

determining whether the second aspect is removed from the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component; and

determining whether the second aspect is changed from a first value to a second value as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

displaying, via a graphical user interface, a visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component of the electrical/electronic architecture; and

modifying, via the graphical user interface, the first aspect of the first component, wherein modifying the first aspect of first component comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of;

adding the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture;

removing the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture;

adding a function to the first component;

removing a function from the first component of the electrical/electronic architecture;

reassigning a function from another component of the architecture to the first component;

reassigning a function from the first component of the architecture to another component;

adding a performance parameter to the first component;

removing a performance parameter from the first component; and

modifying a performance parameter of the first component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a first graphical user interface associated with a first design domain, the method further comprising:

modifying, via second graphical user interface associated with a second design domain, the first aspect of the first component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprises:

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a first visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is added to the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a second visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is removed from the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a third visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is changed from a first value to a second value as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component; and

displaying, at the graphical user interface, a fourth visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is not impacted as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first visual indicator comprises displayed text representative of the second aspect of the second component and having a first color;

the second visual indicator comprises displayed text representative of the second aspect of the second component and having a second color;

the third visual indicator comprises displayed text representative of the second aspect of the second component and having a third color; and

the fourth visual indicator comprises displayed text representative of the second aspect of the second component and having a fourth color.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprises:

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a hierarchical list of components and aspects of the second component, the second aspect of the second component represented by a listed item of the hierarchical list; and

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a visual indicator in association with each item listed in the hierarchical list, the visual indicator identifying an impact status to the associated item resulting from one or more modifications to the electrical/electronic architecture, the one or more modifications including modifying the first aspect of the first component.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the graphical user interface, user input indicating whether to commit or remove the modification to the first aspect of the first component in response to displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component;

committing the modification to the first aspect of the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be committed; and

removing the modification to the first aspect of the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be removed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the database comprises a first database associated with a first design domain, the method further comprising:

synchronizing a second database associated with a second design domain in response to committing the modification to the first aspect of the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture.

8. A method comprising:

determining a electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture of a vehicle, E/E architecture including relationships and connections between a plurality of components of the E/E architecture;

determining an impact status to each component of the plurality of components resulting from modifying one or more aspects of the E/E architecture;

displaying, via a graphical user interface (GUI), a hierarchical list of the plurality of components and aspects of each component; and

displaying, via the GUI, a visual indicator in association with each item listed in the hierarchical list, the visual indicator identifying an impact status to the associated item resulting from modifying the one or more aspects of the E/E architecture.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator comprises a color associated with the corresponding impact status.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

modifying, via the GUI, the one or more aspects of the E/E architecture.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage device configured to store a database comprising information representative of an electrical/electronic architecture of a vehicle, the information including information regarding relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture of the vehicle; and

a computer readable memory configured to store executable instructions, the executable instructions comprising;

instructions to manipulate the one or more processors to provide a graphical user interface;

instructions to manipulate the one or more processor to receive, via the graphical user interface, user input representative of a modification to a first aspect of a first component, wherein the modification to the first aspect of the first component comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of;

adding the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture;

removing the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture;

adding a function to the first component;

removing a function from the first component of the electrical/electronic architecture;

reassigning a function from another component of the architecture to the first component;

reassigning a function from the first component of the architecture to another component;

adding a performance parameter to the first component;

removing a performance parameter from the first component; and

modifying a performance parameter of the first component

instructions to manipulate the one or more processors to determine an impact status of a second aspect of a second component of the electrical/electronic architecture resulting from the modification to the first aspect of the first component of the electrical/electronic architecture based on the relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture as represented in the database, wherein the instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to determine the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprise at least one selected from;

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to determine whether the second aspect is added to the second component as a result of the modification to the first aspect of the first component;

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to determine whether the second aspect is removed from the second component as a result of the modification to the first aspect of the first component; and

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to determine whether the second aspect is changed from a first value to a second value as a result of the modification to the first aspect of the first component; and

instructions to manipulate the one or more processors to display, via the graphical user interface, a visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component of the electrical/electronic architecture.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to display the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprise instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to:

display, via the graphical user interface, a first visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is added to the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

display, via the graphical user interface, a second visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is removed from the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

display, via the graphical user interface, a third visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is changed from a first value to a second value as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component; and

display, at the graphical user interface, a fourth visual indicator in association with the second aspect of the second component in response to determining the second aspect is not impacted as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to display the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprise instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to:

display, via the graphical user interface, a hierarchical list of components and aspects of the second component, the second aspect of the second component represented by a listed item of the hierarchical list; and

display, via the graphical user interface, a visual indicator in association with each item listed in the hierarchical list, the visual indicator identifying an impact status to the associated item resulting from one or more modifications to the electrical/electronic architecture, the one or more modifications including modifying the first aspect of the first component.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further comprise:

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to receive, via the graphical user interface, user input indicating whether to commit or remove the modification to the first aspect of the first component in response to displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component;

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to commit the modification to the first aspect of the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be committed; and

instructions configured to manipulate the one or more processors to remove the modification to the first aspect of the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be removed.

15. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising:

computer executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a set of operations; and

wherein the set of operations include;

providing a database comprising information representative of an electrical/electronic architecture of a vehicle, the information including information regarding relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture of the vehicle,

determining on a computer an impact status of a second aspect of a second component of the electrical/electronic architecture resulting from a modification to a first aspect of a first component based on the relationships and connections between components of the electrical/electronic architecture as represented in the database, wherein determining the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprises at least one selected from;

determining whether the second aspect is added to the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component;

determining whether the second aspect is removed from the second component as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component; and

determining whether the second aspect is changed from a first value to a second value as a result of modifying the first aspect of the first component,

displaying, via a graphical user interface, a visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component of the electrical/electronic architecture, and

modifying on the computer, via the graphical user interface, the first aspect of the first component, wherein modifying the first aspect of first component comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of;

adding the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture;

removing the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture;

adding a function to the first component;

removing a function from the first component of the electrical/electronic architecture;

reassigning a function from another component of the architecture to the first component;

reassigning a function from the first component of the architecture to another component;

adding a performance parameter to the first component;

removing a performance parameter from the first component; and

modifying a performance parameter of the first component.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 15, wherein displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component comprises:

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a hierarchical list of components and aspects of the second component, the second aspect of the second component represented by a listed item of the hierarchical list; and

displaying, via the graphical user interface, a visual indicator in association with each item listed in the hierarchical list, the visual indicator identifying an impact status to the associated item resulting from one or more modifications to the electrical/electronic architecture, the one or more modifications including modifying the first aspect of the first component.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 15, the operations further comprising:

receiving, via the graphical user interface, user input indicating whether to commit or remove the modification to the first aspect of the first component in response to displaying the visual representation of the impact status of the second aspect of the second component;

committing the modification to the first aspect of the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be committed; and

removing the modification to the first aspect of the first component from the electrical/electronic architecture in response to the user input indicating the modification is to be removed.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in claim 17, wherein the database comprises a first database associated with a first design domain, the method further comprising:

synchronizing a second database associated with a second design domain in response to committing the modification to the first aspect of the first component to the electrical/electronic architecture.