Methods and apparatus for creating and utilizing templates in connection with information modeling

• US 8,402,007 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Callahan, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/266,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/829, 707/999.1, 707/999.101, 707/999.006, 707/803, 707/999.102, 715/243
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for information modeling, such as product modeling, are described. In one specific embodiment, a system for capturing product information includes a product definition tree representing permitted elements of a generalized product structure, a plurality of template trees and a plurality of configuration trees. Each template tree represents a product design structure variant which represents a subset of said product definition tree. Each configuration tree represents a particular design configuration, which is constrained to implement the structure of its associated template tree.

Claims

1. A method of creating product design model instances comprising the steps of:

creating, within non-transitory computer readable storage medium based on instructions executed by a processing device, a product definition tree that represents permitted elements of a generalized product structure the product definition tree including;

a plurality of root definition nodes;

at least one child definition node that is a child of one of said root definition nodes or another said child definition node;

at least one usage node, each said usage node being a child of one of said root definition nodes or one of said child definition nodes, each said usage node having a reference link to one other of said root definition nodes;

a plurality of occurrence nodes, each said occurrence node being a child of a respective said usage node or a child of one other of said occurrence nodes;

at least one usage subtree, each said usage subtree formed by each said usage node and said occurrence nodes that are direct or indirect children of the respective said usage node;

a plurality of definition trees, each definition tree comprising one of said root definition nodes and all said usage subtrees that are children of the respective said root definition node and all child definition trees that are children of the respective said root definition node, each said usage subtree having a same structure as the definition tree associated with another of said root definition nodes to which said usage node has the reference link, each said child definition tree comprising one of said child definition nodes and all said usage subtrees that are children of the respective one of said child definition nodes and all child definition trees that are children of the respective one of said child definition nodes;

creating, within the non-transitory computer readable storage medium and based on instructions executed by the processing device, a template tree representing a product design structure variant which represents a subset of the product definition tree, the template tree including;

a plurality of root definition template nodes;

at least one child definition template node that is a child of at least one of said root definition template nodes or of at least one of said child definition template nodes;

at least one usage template node, each said usage template node being the child of at least one of said root definition template nodes or one of said child definition template nodes, each said usage template node having a reference link to one other of said root definition template nodes;

a plurality of occurrence template nodes, each said occurrence template node being a child of one or more respective said usage template nodes or a child of one or more other of said occurrence template nodes;

at least one usage template subtree, each said usage template subtree formed by each said usage template node and said occurrence template nodes that are direct or indirect children of the respective said usage template nodes; and

a plurality of definition template trees, each definition template tree comprising one of said root definition template nodes and all said usage template subtrees that are children of the respective said root definition template node and all child definition trees that are children of the respective said root definition template node, each said usage template subtree having a same structure as the definition template tree associated with one other of said root definition template nodes to which said usage template node has the reference link, each child definition template tree comprising one of said child definition template nodes and all said usage template subtrees that are children of the respective one of said child definition template nodes and all child definition template trees that are children of the respective one of said child definition template nodes; and

storing, using the processing device and into the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the product definition tree and the template tree.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product definition tree represents permitted elements of a generalized product structure, and the template tree defines permitted structures of configuration trees, and said method further comprises creating a plurality of configuration trees, each configuration tree associated with one of said template trees and including:

a plurality of root definition configuration nodes;

at least one child definition configuration node that is a child of at least one of said root definition configuration nodes or at least one of said child definition configuration nodes;

at least one usage configuration node, each said usage configuration node being a child of at least one of said root definition configuration nodes or one of said child definition configuration nodes, each said usage configuration node having the reference link to one other of said root definition configuration nodes;

a plurality of occurrence configuration nodes, each said occurrence configuration node being a child of one or more respective said usage configuration nodes or a child of one or more other of said occurrence configuration nodes;

at least one usage configuration subtree, each said usage configuration subtree formed by each said usage configuration node and said occurrence configuration nodes that are direct or indirect children of the respective said usage configuration nodes; and

a plurality of definition configuration trees, each definition configuration tree comprising one of said root definition configuration nodes and all said usage configuration subtrees that are children of the respective said root definition configuration node and all child configuration definition trees that are children of the respective said root definition configuration node, each said usage configuration subtree having a same structure as the definition configuration tree associated with one other of said root definition configuration nodes to which said usage configuration node has the reference link, each said child definition configuration tree comprising one of said child definition configuration nodes and all said usage configuration subtrees that are children of the respective one of said child definition configuration nodes and all child definition configuration trees that are children of the respective one of said child definition configuration nodes.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least two template trees share at least one of a usage template node, a template, an occurrence template node, and a child definition template node.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least two configuration trees share at least one of a usage configuration node and a child definition configuration node, and wherein said at least two configuration trees further share at least one occurrence configuration node.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of creating a first template tree structure, by defining a root template definition node having multiple child nodes.