Structure placement using prior design location identification and feedback

• US 9,679,102 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lindgren, Lawrence Stimson, Baublitz, Len M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLL, NITHYA JANAKIRAMAN
• Application Number:
  US13/860,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A system and method for placing a structure in a design for an interior of an aircraft. An initial placement for the structure is received by a processor unit. A suggested placement for the structure is identified by the processor unit from a number of structure placement engineering designs in an engineering design database for the aircraft using the initial placement. The suggested placement for the structure is displayed by the processor unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an engineering design database comprising a number of structure placement engineering designs, wherein each structure placement engineering design comprises information identifying a placement position for a structure in a platform;

a user interface configured to display a number of graphical icons representing various types of structures and a structure to be placed, and receive an initial placement based on a desired initial position for the structure in a design, and to display a plurality of suggested placements for the structure;

a suggested placement identifier configured to determine the plurality of suggested placements for the structure from the number of structure placement engineering designs by using the design and the initial placement for the structure; and

a value identifier configured to identify a value for each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements, wherein each value indicates an amount of savings relative to a value of the initial placement, and wherein the user interface is configured to display value indicators indicating the value for each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements;

wherein each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements correspond to prior placements in designs for an interior for which structure placement engineering designs have already been developed; and

wherein the design is implemented using a suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements for the structure to manufacture the platform.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the initial placement comprises a location for the structure identified in the initial position;

the suggested placement identifier is configured to identify the plurality of suggested placements as a number of alternative suggested placements for the structure corresponding to prior engineering designs for structures similar to the identified structure having a design location similar to the initial placement location; and

the suggested placement comprises a suggested location for the structure identified in the identified initial placement.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the initial placement comprises the location in an area of the design;

the suggested placement identifier is configured to identify the number of structure placement engineering designs for the area; and

the amount of savings represents an amount of engineering time that is saved and a cost of the platform that is reduced by using the suggested placement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the suggested placement identifier is configured to identify the number of structure placement engineering designs for a similar structure to the structure; and

the suggested placement comprises a suggested substitute structure for the structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the structure is defined by a type of the structure; and

the suggested placement identifier is configured to identify the number of structure placement engineering designs for the type of the structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform is an aircraft, and wherein the structure is in the design for an interior of the aircraft and is selected from a lavatory, a galley, a closet, a bar unit, seats, a wall, a divider, and a partition.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical icons represent a lavatory, a galley, a closet, a bar unit, a seat, a wall, a divider, and a partition.

8. A method for placing a structure in a design in a platform, comprising:

using a processor unit to perform the steps of;

displaying a number of graphical icons representing various types of structures;

receiving a user selection, from the graphical icons, of a structure to be placed at a desired initial location;

receiving an initial placement for the structure comprising a location for the structure in the design based on the initial location;

identifying a number of structure placement engineering designs in an engineering design database for a similar structure to the structure and with a similar location to the location;

displaying a plurality of suggested placements for the structure comprising suggested locations for the structure and a suggested substitute structure for the structure corresponding to the number of structure placement engineering designs, wherein each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements corresponds to a prior placement in a design for an interior for which structure placement engineering designs have already been developed; and

displaying value indicators configured to display a value for each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements, wherein each value indicates an amount of savings relative to a value of the initial placement; and

implementing the design using a suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements for the structure to manufacture the platform.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the initial placement comprises the location in an area of the design for an interior of an aircraft;

identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs with the similar location to the location comprises identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for the area; and

the amount of savings represents an amount of engineering time that is saved and a cost of the platform that is reduced by using the suggested placement.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the structure comprises a type of the structure; and

identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for the similar structure to the structure comprises identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for the type of the structure.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the structure is in the design for an interior of an aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the structure is selected from a lavatory, a galley, a closet, a bar unit, seats, a wall, a divider, and a partition.

13. A method for placing a structure in a design for an interior of an aircraft, comprising:

using a processor unit to perform the steps of;

displaying a number of graphical icons representing various types of structures;

receiving a user selection, from the graphical icons, of a structure to be placed at a desired initial location;

receiving an initial placement for the structure based on the initial location;

identifying a plurality of suggested placements for the structure from a number of structure placement engineering designs in an engineering design database for the aircraft using the initial placement, wherein each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements corresponds to a prior placement in a design for an interior for which structure placement engineering designs have already been developed;

displaying the plurality of suggested placements for the structure; and

displaying value indicators configured to display a value for each suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements, wherein each value indicates an amount of savings relative to a value of the initial placement; and

implementing the design using a suggested placement in the plurality of suggested placements for the structure to manufacture the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the initial placement comprises a location for the structure identified in the initial placement; and

identifying the plurality of suggested placements as alternative suggested placements for the structure corresponding to prior engineering designs for structures similar to the identified structure having a design location similar to the initial placement location, and the suggested placement comprises a suggested location for the structure identified in the initial placement.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the initial placement comprises the location in an area of the design for the interior of the aircraft;

identifying the suggested placement for the structure comprises identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for the area; and

wherein the amount of savings represents an amount of engineering time that is saved and a cost of the platform that is reduced by using the suggested placement.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

identifying the suggested placement for the structure comprises identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for a similar structure to the structure; and

displaying the suggested placement for the structure comprises displaying a suggested substitute structure for the structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the structure comprises a type of the structure; and

identifying the suggested placement for the structure comprises identifying the number of structure placement engineering designs for the type of the structure.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the structure is selected from a lavatory, a galley, a closet, a bar unit, seats, a wall, a divider, and a partition.