Three-dimensional display of specifications in a scalable feed forward network

• US 8,581,904 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Grose, David Lee, Sherer, Thomas E., Button, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Sing-Wai
• Application Number:
  US12/872,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/005 Tree description, e.g. octree, quadtree
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for generating a three-dimensional display. Some technologies are adapted to retrieve a model defining a feed-forward network related to a development process. The technologies generate a first three-dimensional shape representing each internal product according to the model. The technologies also generate a second three-dimensional shape representing each dependency of each internal product corresponding to each first three-dimensional shape. The technologies further generate a third three-dimensional shape representing each component of each dependency corresponding to each second three-dimensional shape.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a three-dimensional display, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

retrieving a model defining a feed-forward network related to a development process;

generating a first three-dimensional shape representing each internal product according to the model;

generating a second three-dimensional shape representing each dependency of each internal product corresponding to each first three-dimensional shape;

generating a third three-dimensional shape representing each component of each dependency corresponding to each second three-dimensional shape; and

generating a layout of the three-dimensional display by

determining dimensions of each first three-dimensional shape,

arranging the first three-dimensional shapes representing aggregated products within the first three-dimensional shape representing the product aggregate,

arranging the second three-dimensional shapes and the third three-dimensional shapes associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products for each corresponding first three-dimensional shape,

arranging the second three-dimensional shapes and the third three-dimensional shapes associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products for each corresponding first three-dimensional shape,

arranging the second three-dimensional shapes and the third three-dimensional shapes with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs for each corresponding first three-dimensional shape, and

arranging the first three-dimensional shapes representing product aggregates by suspending the first three-dimensional shapes representing aggregated products within an interior space of the first three-dimensional shape representing the product aggregate.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional shape comprises a rectangular cuboid.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each internal product comprises a product aggregate or a aggregated product.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second three-dimensional shape comprises a cone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third three-dimensional shape comprises a disk-shaped cylinder.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising computer-implemented operations for:

generating first lines connecting each second three-dimensional shape to the corresponding third three-dimensional shapes;

generating second lines connecting the first three-dimensional shapes representing product aggregates;

generating third lines connecting the first three-dimensional shapes representing aggregated products; and

generating fourth lines connecting the first three-dimensional shapes to the third three-dimensional shapes.

7. A system for generating a three-dimensional display, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, causes the system to generate the three-dimensional display by

retrieving a model defining a feed-forward network related to a development process;

generating a rectangular cuboid representing each internal product according to the model;

generating a cone representing each dependency of each internal product corresponding to each rectangular cuboid;

generating a disk-shaped cylinder representing each component of each dependency corresponding to each cone; and

generating a layout of the three-dimensional display by

determining dimensions of each rectangular cuboid,

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products within the rectangular cuboid representing the product aggregate,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs for each corresponding rectangular cuboid, and

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing product aggregates by suspending the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products within an interior space of the rectangular cuboids representing the product aggregate.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each internal product comprises a product aggregate or an aggregated product.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the system to generate the three-dimensional display by

generating first lines connecting each cone to the corresponding disk-shaped cylinders;

generating second lines connecting the rectangular cuboids representing product aggregates;

generating third lines connecting the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products; and

generating fourth lines connecting the rectangular cuboids to the disk-shaped cylinders.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid comprises arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products on a first face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid;

wherein arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid comprises arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products on a second face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid; and

wherein arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs for each corresponding rectangular cuboid comprises arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs on a third face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein arranging the rectangular cuboids representing aggregates comprises arranging the rectangular cuboids representing product aggregates in a sequential order.

12. A system for generating a three-dimensional display, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, causes the system to generate the three-dimensional display by

retrieving a model defining a feed-forward network related to a development process;

generating a rectangular cuboid representing each internal product according to the model;

generating a cone representing each dependency of each internal product corresponding to each rectangular cuboid;

generating a disk-shaped cylinder representing each component of each dependency corresponding to each cone; and

generating a layout of the three-dimensional display by

determining dimensions of each rectangular cuboid;

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products within the rectangular cuboid representing the product aggregate;

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid by arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with internal products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products on a first face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid;

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid by arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products on a second face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid;

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs for each corresponding rectangular cuboid by arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs on a third face of each corresponding rectangular cuboid; and

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing product aggregates.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to generate a three-dimensional display by:

retrieving a model defining a feed-forward network related to a development process;

generating a rectangular cuboid representing each internal product according to the model, each internal product comprising a product aggregate or an aggregated product;

generating a cone representing each dependency of each internal product corresponding to each rectangular cuboid;

generating a disk-shaped cylinder representing each component of each dependency corresponding to each cone; and

generating a layout of the three-dimensional display by

determining dimensions of each rectangular cuboid,

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products within the rectangular cuboid representing the product aggregate,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with inter products and internal components utilized in production of the internal products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders associated with external products and external components utilized in production of the external products for each corresponding rectangular cuboid,

arranging the cones and the disk-shaped cylinders with component inputs and component products utilized in production of the component inputs for each corresponding rectangular cuboid, and

arranging the rectangular cuboids representing product aggregates by suspending the rectangular cuboids representing aggregated products within an interior space of the rectangular cuboid representing the product aggregate.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to generate a three-dimensional display by:

generating first lines connecting each cone to the corresponding disk-shaped cylinders;

generating second lines connecting the rectangular cuboids representing the product aggregates;

generating third lines connecting the rectangular cuboids representing the aggregated products; and

generating fourth lines connecting the rectangular cuboids to the disk-shaped cylinders.