Design support apparatus, design support method, and program

Abstract

To facilitate ensuring consistency of design information.SOLUTION: A design support apparatus 100 ensures consistency of design information based on item information obtained by subdividing design information of a product by item, to support design. The item information includes specification item information indicating specifications of the product, and unit item information indicating units constituting the product. The specification item information and the unit item information include update time and date at which the contents thereof are updated, and related item information indicating relationship with other item information. The design support apparatus 100 includes a restoration processing unit which restores item information selected from among the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information, to the previous state, based on the update time and date.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a design support device, a design support method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] When a product is designed, information such as a system simulation model that indicates a performance evaluation method and a 3D model of the unit (hereinafter collectively referred to as model information) is created for each unit that makes up the product. Model information is updated as the design progresses. Updated model information may also be returned to the original information (hereinafter referred to as restoration). If one piece of model information is updated or restored but the other is not updated or restored, an inconsistency will occur in the design information. However, ensuring the consistency of model information is not easy.

[0003] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that notifies a terminal that manages one piece of model information when the other piece is updated or restored. It also discloses that when one piece of model information is restored, the other piece of model information is restored.

[0004] However, design information contains a lot of information other than model information, and is frequently updated and restored. For this reason, ensuring consistency only within the model information is insufficient. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to easily ensure consistency across the entire design information. In particular, in the case of restoration, the information corresponding to the restored information has already been created, and it is desirable to utilize it appropriately to ensure consistency across the entire design information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-45978 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and aims to easily ensure consistency of design information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a design support device according to the present disclosure is a design support device that supports design by ensuring the consistency of design information based on item information obtained by breaking down product design information by item, wherein the item information includes specification item information that indicates product specifications and unit item information that indicates units that make up the product, and the specification item information and the unit item information include update dates and times when their contents were updated and related item information that indicates associations with other item information, and the design support device includes a restoration processing unit that restores item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update, based on the update dates and times. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the design support device restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time, thereby making it easier to ensure the consistency of the design information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a design support apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a graph output by a design support apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of specification item information stored in a design support apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of unit item information stored in a design support apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of system simulation model item information stored in a design support apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of three-dimensional model item information stored in a design support apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of history item information stored in the design support apparatus according to the embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a physical configuration of a design support apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating a design support process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart showing a graph generation process according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart showing a history item information creation process according to an embodiment; [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart showing a restoration process according to an embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A design support apparatus, a design support method, and a program according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The design support apparatus according to the present embodiments is incorporated into a design system for use, for example. The design support apparatus subdivides design information into item information, and when a certain item information is restored, automatically restores related item information, thereby ensuring the consistency of the design information. More specifically, the item information is updated as needed by the designer, and the update details are stored along with the date and time. When any item information is restored to past item information, the design support apparatus uses stored information to identify item information related to the restored item information and restores the identified item information to the corresponding past item information. This ensures the consistency of the design information as a whole, thereby supporting the design.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the design support device 100 according to this embodiment functionally includes a control unit 110 that executes design support processing, a storage unit 120 that stores design information, an input unit 130 that accepts input of various information, and an output unit 140 that outputs various information.

[0012] The design information handled by the design support device 100 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the design information is divided into item information, such as specifications and units. The term "specification" refers to the structure, content, and function of a product, and the term "unit" refers to the elements that make up the product. The item information includes specification item information 210 indicating the product specifications, unit item information 220 indicating the units that make up the product, system simulation model item information 230 indicating the performance evaluation method of the units, 3D model item information 240 indicating the 3D model of the units, and history item information 250 indicating a list of update dates and times of related item information. Hereinafter, the specification item information 210, unit item information 220, system simulation model item information 230, 3D model item information 240, and history item information 250 will be referred to simply as "item information" when not distinguished from one another, and as design information when each item information is collectively referred to. These item information define a product in terms of both specifications and configuration.

[0013] Each piece of item information is associated with another piece of related information to form a graph. The item information corresponds to a node in the graph, and the relationship between the item information corresponds to an edge. In Figure 2, the item information connected by a line is related to each other. The contents of the specification item information 210, unit item information 220, system simulation model item information 230, and 3D model item information 240 are defined in advance by the designer.

[0014] The specification item information 210 has a hierarchical structure with specification item information 211A at the top. The specification item information 211A is further subdivided into specification item information 211B to 211L that indicate more specific specifications. The specification item information 211A indicates the most comprehensive specifications for the product to be designed. The specifications indicated by the specification item information 211 in a relatively higher layer are in a subsuming relationship with the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211 in a relatively lower layer, and the lower the layer, the more detailed the specifications are. For example, the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211C are subsumed by the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211A, and subsumes the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211H.

[0015] Furthermore, the unit item information 220 has a hierarchical structure with unit item information 221A at the top. The unit item information 221A is further subdivided into unit item information 221B to 221L that indicate smaller units. The unit indicated by the unit item information 221A is what is called a top assembly or top assy, ​​and corresponds to the product to be designed, and has as its components units indicated by unit item information 221B to 221L in lower layers. A unit indicated by unit item information 221 in a relatively higher layer is in a subsuming relationship with a unit indicated by unit item information 221 in a relatively lower layer, and the lower the layer, the more subdivided the units are. For example, a unit indicated by unit item information 221C is subsumed by a unit indicated by unit item information 221A, and subsumes a unit indicated by unit item information 221H.

[0016] The arrow pointing from the specification item information 210 to the unit item information 220 points to unit item information 221F-221L indicating units for specifically realizing the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211F-211L. For example, the units indicated by the unit item information 221F and 211G are used to realize the specifications indicated by the specification item information 211F.

[0017] The unit item information 221E is associated with system simulation model item information 230E indicating a system simulation model related to the unit, and three-dimensional model item information 240E indicating a three-dimensional model related to the unit. Although not shown, system simulation model item information 230 and three-dimensional model item information 240 are also associated with unit item information 220 other than the unit item information 221E as appropriate.

[0018] The system simulation model indicated by the system simulation model item information 230 indicates a method for evaluating a unit. Furthermore, a system simulation refers to a calculation that inputs information such as the size, material, and mass of a unit and outputs information indicating an evaluation of that unit. Furthermore, the three-dimensional model indicated by the three-dimensional model item information 240 refers to a representation of the three-dimensional shape, three-dimensional analysis information, etc. of the unit. Hereinafter, the system simulation model item information and the three-dimensional model item information will be collectively referred to as model information.

[0019] The unit item information 221E is further associated with history item information 250E-R. The history item information 250E-R is information that is created when the unit item information 221E is selected as a target for restoration, and is information that includes the update history of item information related to the unit item information 221E. Details will be described later. Furthermore, although not shown, history item information 250 is also associated as appropriate with the specification item information 210 and unit item information 220 other than the unit item information 221E.

[0020] The design information will now be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, each piece of item information is recorded in the design support device 100 in the form of a table. When any piece of item information is updated during the design process, a record of the updated item information is added to the end of the table. In this embodiment, the identifier (ID) of the item information is assumed to be the same before and after the update. For example, the unit item information with an ID of 211E shown in FIG. 4(a) includes three records and has therefore been updated twice. The ID of the three pieces of item information is also 221E. The item information identified by unit E of the last record is the latest item information and is the information used in the design of the product. On the other hand, the item information identified by units e and ee of the first and second records was used in the design of the product in the past, but has since been updated, and is therefore no longer being used in the design at the present time.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, specification item information 210 includes a self ID, which is a unique identifier for identifying the item information, an update date and time indicating the date and time the item information was set, an item name indicating the name of the item information, and related item information indicating related item information. The related item information includes an other ID indicating a list of identifiers for related item information and a level indicating the relative number of levels of related item information. Since the self ID and other IDs are associated with each other, the positional relationship of each item information in the graph is defined. FIG. 3 shows an example of specification item information 211K, where 211K is entered in the self ID field and "specification K" is entered in the item name field. Furthermore, in the graph of FIG. 2, with specification item information 211K as the base, specification item information 211E is located one level away, specification item information 211A is located two levels away, unit item information 221K is located one level away, unit item information 221E is located two levels away, and unit item information 221A is located three levels away. Therefore, the identifiers and hierarchical levels of these item information related to the specification item information 211K are entered in the Other ID field and the Hierarchical level field in the specification item information 210 of Fig. 3. Furthermore, if the date on which this specification item information 211K was set is, for example, 2024 / 1 / 1 13:00:00, that date and time is entered in the Update Date and Time field. The specification item information 210 also has the same ID before and after the update, and the item information of the last record is the latest and represents the product specifications. On the other hand, for the same ID, item information other than the last is information that was defined as a product specification in the past but has since been updated and is no longer used to define the specification at this time.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the unit item information 220 also includes a self ID, update date and time, item name, and related item information. The example in FIG. 4(a) relates to the unit item information 221E in the graph of FIG. 2, where the self ID field contains the ID 221E, and the related item information field contains other IDs and hierarchical values ​​related to the item information related to the unit item information 221E. Also, in the table of unit item information 221E, an update with the item name Unit e was performed on 2024 / 1 / 2 14:00:00, an update with the item name Unit ee was performed on 2024 / 1 / 15 10:00:00, and an update with the item name Unit E was performed on 2024 / 1 / 30 16:00:00. In this case, the update with the item name Unit E, which is the last record, is the currently valid data for the unit item information 221E.

[0023] The system simulation model item information 230 shown in FIG. 5 and the three-dimensional model item information 240 shown in FIG. 6 also include their own ID, update date and time, item name, and related item information. The example in FIG. 5 relates to system simulation model item information 230E related to unit item information 221E, and 230E is entered in the own ID field. Note that, instead of the item name, a path to the system simulation model, a link, etc. may be stored. The example in FIG. 6 relates to three-dimensional model item information 240E related to unit item information 221E, and 240E is entered in the own ID field. Note that, instead of the item name, a path to the three-dimensional model, a link, etc. may be stored. Regarding these item information, for the same ID, the last item information is the currently valid information.

[0024] The history item information 250 shown in Figure 7 includes a self ID, other IDs, update date and time, item name, and related history IDs that indicate the history item information of related item information. As will be described in detail later, when a restoration process is performed to restore updated item information to its state before the update, the designer selects the item information whose contents he or she wants to restore. The history item information 250 indicates a list of the item information selected by the designer at that time and the update date and time of item information related to the selected item information. The related history ID indicates a list of identifiers of the history item information 250 of the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information.

[0025] The example in Fig. 7 relates to the history item information 250E-R in the graph in Fig. 2. The history item information 250E-R shows a list of update dates and times of the unit item information 221E and item information related to the unit item information 221E when the unit item information 221E is selected by the designer as a restoration target.

[0026] The field of self ID in the table of Fig. 7 contains 250E-R, which is the ID of history item information 250E-R. Furthermore, the fields of other ID, update date and time, item name, and related history ID contain values ​​related to unit item information 221E and item information related to unit item information 221E. For example, if the identifier of unit item information 221K related to unit item information 221E is 221K, the update date and time is 2024 / 1 / 2 14:05:00, the item name is unit K, and the identifier of the history item information of unit item information 221K is 221K-R, then in the table of Fig. 7, 221K is entered in the field of other ID, 2024 / 1 / 2 14:05:00 is entered in the field of update date and time, unit K is entered in the field of item name, and 221K-R is entered in the field of related history ID. Furthermore, the related history ID of the unit item information 221E is the same as the own ID of the history item information 250E-R, and since there is no need to display it among the related history IDs of the history item information 250E-R, no value is entered. Furthermore, no value is entered in the related history ID field of a record related to item information for which history item information 250 has not been created.

[0027] Note that each item information is set by, for example, a designer. For example, when creating specification item information 210 for the first time during the design process, a self ID is assigned, the content of the specification is set as the item name, and related item information is set taking into consideration the interrelationships between the item information. Note that the self ID may be assigned automatically. Also, when another ID in the related item information is identified, the design support device 100 may be configured to automatically count the layers from the self ID to the other ID and insert the counted number of layers into the relevant entry. Finally, when the designer specifies saving, the date and time are obtained from the clock, added as the update date and time, and saved in the storage device as a set of item information.

[0028] Furthermore, when updating item information, the designer takes over the contents of the previous item information as is, changes only the parts that need to be changed, and instructs the designer to save the information. The self-ID is assumed to be the same. Then, the date and time are obtained from the clock, the update date and time are added, and the new item information is added to the end of the table. In this way, the item information shown in Figures 3 to 7 is accumulated in the storage device during the design process.

[0029] 1, the storage unit 120 functionally comprises a specification item information storage unit 121 that stores specification item information 210, a unit item information storage unit 122 that stores unit item information 220, a system simulation model item information storage unit 123 that stores system simulation model item information 230, a three-dimensional model item information storage unit 124 that stores three-dimensional model item information 240, and a history item information storage unit 125 that stores history item information 250. Each item information is stored in each of the storage units 121 to 125 in a state where mutual association in the graph has been completed, that is, in a state where the definition of its own ID and related item information has been completed.

[0030] The control unit 110 functionally comprises a graph generating unit 111 that generates a graph, a history item information creating unit 112 that creates history item information, and a restoration processing unit 113 that restores item information.

[0031] The graph generation unit 111 acquires design information from the storage unit 120. More specifically, the graph generation unit 111 acquires, from the specification item information storage unit 121, the unit item information storage unit 122, the system simulation model item information storage unit 123, the three-dimensional model item information storage unit 124, and the history item information storage unit 125, the item information stored in the last record of the tables of specification item information 210, unit item information 220, system simulation model item information 230, three-dimensional model item information 240, and history item information 250, i.e., all of the item information currently being used in the design.

[0032] The graph generation unit 111 visualizes the acquired item information using a graph. More specifically, the graph generation unit 111 references the association between each item information from the acquired item information's own ID and related item information, and generates a graph. The graph generation unit 111 also transmits the generated graph to the output unit 140, which displays the graph. This allows the designer to select item information to be restored from the item information in the displayed graph. Furthermore, the designer can specify restoration range information that indicates how many levels of item information are to be restored based on the selected item information.

[0033] The history item information creating unit 112 creates history item information 250. More specifically, when a designer wants to restore arbitrary item information, for example, the designer displays a graph and selects arbitrary item information on the graph. The history item information creating unit 112 then searches the accumulated item information and creates history item information 250 including the history of the selected item information and the history of related item information. For example, if unit item information 221E is selected on the graph of FIG. 2, the history item information creating unit 112 references the item information illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 to extract the histories of the unit item information 221E itself, the unit item information 221A one level above, the unit item information 221K and 221L one level below, and the associated system simulation model item information 230E and three-dimensional model item information 240E. As shown in FIG. 7, the history item information creating unit 112 creates history item information 250E-R, associates it with the unit item information 221E, and stores it in the history item information storage unit 125. The history item information creating unit 112 then displays the created history item information 250.

[0034] The restoration processing unit 113 copies the item information identified by the acquired update date and time and adds it to the last row of the table for that item information. This restores the contents of that item information. For example, if 2024 / 1 / 15 10:00:00 is specified in FIG. 7, the item information for the item name "unit ee" from one generation ago is identified from the item information related to the unit item information 221E in FIG. 4(a), and this is added as is to the end of the table, as shown in FIG. 4(b). At this time, the update date and time are not changed, and the original item information is not deleted.

[0035] The restoration processing unit 113 also executes restoration processing for all item information in the restoration range indicated by the restoration range information. For example, suppose the restoration range information specifies the top n and bottom m (n and m are natural numbers). In this case, item information having related IDs in the top n layers and the bottom m layers or lower is extracted based on the related item information of the restored item information. Next, for each ID, item information with the latest update date and time that is earlier than the update date and time of the item information selected by the designer is identified, and the item information is added to the end of the table, thereby restoring the updated information. This processing is executed for all item information identified by the restoration range information. A specific example will be described. For example, suppose the item information "unit ee" is restored as shown in FIG. 4(b). Also, suppose restoration range information n=m=1 is input. In this case, for other ID=221A registered in the related item information, since there is only one level, the group of item information with ID=221A is extracted, and the most recent item information with an update date and time before its own update date and time, 2024 / 1 / 15 10:00:00, is identified and added to the end of the table of item information with ID=221A. The same process is performed for other IDs=221K, 221L, 230E, 250E. However, since these fall outside the range specified by the restoration range information, restoration processing is not performed for ID=211K... etc.

[0036] The input unit 130 shown in FIG. 1 is operated by a designer, and receives instructions such as instructions to create a graph, input of instructions such as specification of item information to be restored, and data such as restoration range information, and transmits the received information to the control unit 110.

[0037] The output unit 140 is configured by, for example, a display device, and displays various information such as the graph illustrated in FIG. 2 and history item information 250 illustrated in FIG.

[0038] Next, a description will be given of the physical configuration of the design support device 100 having the above-described functional configuration. As shown in Fig. 8, the design support device 100 includes a central processing unit 1, a main memory device 2, an auxiliary memory device 3, an input device 4, and an output device 5, which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 6.

[0039] The central processing unit 1 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The central processing unit 1 functions as a control unit 110 by executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 3. The main storage device 2 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The main storage device 2 temporarily stores data processed by the central processing unit 1. The auxiliary storage device 3 includes, for example, a HDD (Hard Disc Drive) or an SSD (Sold State Drive). The auxiliary storage device 3 stores programs executed by the central processing unit 1. The auxiliary storage device 3 also stores design information and functions as a storage unit 120. The auxiliary storage device 3 may be located in a remote location and connected via communication. The input device 4 includes, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The input device 4 functions as an input unit 130 by receiving various information input from a designer. The output device 5 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The output device 5 functions as an output device 5 by displaying the contents processed by the central processing unit 1.

[0040] Next, the flow of the design support process executed by the design support device 100 having the above configuration to support design by ensuring the consistency of design information will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 12. First, as a premise for the description, it is assumed that during the design process, item information such as that shown in Figures 3 to 6 is accumulated in the design support device 100, and that the design of the product currently being designed by the design system is determined using the item information at the end of the table of each item information. As shown in Figure 9, the design support process includes a graph generation process S100 that acquires item information and generates a graph, a history item information creation process S200 that creates history item information for item information to be updated, and a restoration process S300 that restores the design information to its pre-change state. Each of these processes will be described in order below.

[0041] When the designer wants to grasp the overall picture of the item information, when the designer wants to restore specific item information, or the like, the designer issues an instruction to create a graph from the input unit 13. This instruction is transmitted to the control unit 110. In response to the instruction, the graph generation unit 111 of the control unit 110 starts a graph generation process S100. As shown in FIG. 10 , when the graph generation process S100 starts, the graph generation unit 111 acquires the item information stored in the last record of the table identified by each ID from among the item information stored in the specification item information storage unit 121, the unit item information storage unit 122, the system simulation model item information storage unit 123, the three-dimensional model item information storage unit 124, and the history item information storage unit 125 of the memory unit 120, i.e., the design information currently being used in the design (step S101).

[0042] Next, the graph generating unit 111 references the association between each item information from the acquired item information's own ID and related item information, and generates a graph. The graph generating unit 111 also transmits the generated graph to the output unit 140, which displays the graph (step S102). In this way, the graph generating unit 111 visualizes the graph.

[0043] When a designer wants to restore certain item information to item information designed in the past, the designer operates the input unit 130 to select the item information to be restored on the graph and input restoration range information indicating the restoration range. The graph makes it possible to understand at a glance the relationships and hierarchies between item information, and is therefore extremely effective for identifying item information to be restored and specifying restoration range information. However, it is not necessary to display a graph for input; any input method can be used as long as it allows the designer to identify item information to be restored and input restoration range information. In response to an instruction from the input unit 130, the history item information creation unit 112 executes history item information creation processing S200. As shown in FIG. 11, when the history item information creation unit 112 starts the history item information creation processing S200, it first identifies the own ID of the selected item information (step S201).

[0044] Next, the history item information creating unit 112 extracts all the item information that has the same own ID as the own ID of the selected item information (step S202), in other words, reads out the corresponding table.

[0045] Next, the history item information creation unit 112 references the related item information of the selected item information, and acquires the own ID, update date and time, and item name of the related item information. Furthermore, the history item information creation unit 112 enters the acquired own ID in the other ID field of the newly created history item information 250, enters the acquired update date and time in the update date and time field, and enters the acquired item name in the item name field. Furthermore, if history item information 250 has already been created for the related item information, the history item information creation unit 112 enters the own ID of the already created history item information 250 in the related history ID field. If history item information 250 has not been created for the related item information, the history item information creation unit 112 does not enter a value in the related history ID field.

[0046] The history item information creation unit 112 also generates a unique identifier, enters the generated identifier in the own ID field of the history item information 250, and completes the history item information 250 (step S203). The history item information creation unit 112 adds the own ID of the completed history item information 250 as another ID to the related item information of the selected item information, and also adds 1 as the layer. This associates the created history item information 250 with other item information in the graph.

[0047] The history item information creation unit 112 then displays the created history item information 250 on the output unit 140 (step S204). This completes the history item information creation process S200 by the history item information creation unit 112, and the process proceeds to restoration process S300 by the restoration processing unit 113.

[0048] The designer selects the item information to be restored from the displayed history item information 250. Specifically, for example, assume that history item information 250E-R related to unit item information 221E is displayed as shown in FIG. 7. If the designer wants to restore the unit item information 221E from the item information with the item name unit E shown in FIG. 4(a) to the item information with the item name unit ee of the previous generation, the designer operates the input unit 130 to select the record for unit ee. The restoration processing unit 113 accepts this selection and starts the restoration processing shown in FIG. 12 (step S300). When the processing starts, the restoration processing unit 113 identifies the item information to be restored according to the designer's instructions on the history item information in FIG. 7 (step S301). Note that restoration range information may be input at this stage.

[0049] As described with reference to Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the restoration processing unit 113 copies the identified item information and adds it to the end of the table of that item information, i.e., restores the contents of that item information (step S302).

[0050] Next, the restoration processing unit 113 identifies the item information located within the range defined by the restoration range information (step S303).

[0051] Next, the restoration processing unit 113 extracts all the item information that has the same ID as each of the identified item information (step S304). In other words, it extracts past item information of each of the identified item information.

[0052] Next, the restoration processing unit 113 identifies the update date and time (hereinafter, reference date and time) of the restored item information in order to identify the item information associated with the restored item information (step S305).

[0053] The item information associated with the restored item information should have existed and been the latest at the reference date and time. Therefore, the restoration processing unit 113 selects one ID (step S306), compares the update date and time of each item information having that ID with the reference date and time, and identifies the item information having the latest update date and time that is before the reference date and time as the item to be restored for that ID (step S307).

[0054] The restoration processing unit 113 determines whether processing has been completed for all IDs (step S308), and if unprocessed IDs remain and processing is incomplete (step S308: No), the process returns to step S306. On the other hand, if the restoration processing unit 113 determines that no unprocessed IDs remain and processing of all IDs has been completed (step S308: YES), it copies each item of information identified in step S307, writes it to the end of the corresponding table, restores it (step S309), and ends processing. The modified content may be saved in the storage unit 120.

[0055] The above processing ensures consistency among the design information, which consists of the specification item information 210, the unit item information 220, the system simulation model item information 230, and the three-dimensional model item information 240. In other words, consistency among the design information as a whole can be ensured even when any of the information is restored.

[0056] In particular, the designer can ensure consistency between the item information to be restored and related item information simply by specifying the item information to be restored and the range to be restored. Furthermore, since the graph is automatically created and displayed and item information to be restored can be selected on the graph, the selection is easy and the range of restoration can be easily determined.

[0057] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the configuration can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the specification item information 210 and the unit item information 220 have a three-level hierarchical structure, but the present invention is not limited to this. The degree of subdivision and the number of levels can be adjusted depending on the characteristics of the product to be designed, the level of detail of the design information, etc.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the item information itself includes related item information, and graphs can be generated and mutual relationships and hierarchies can be grasped based on the related item information. However, this is not limited to this. Such information may not be included in the item information, and the relationships between items of information may be managed outside the item information.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the same ID is assigned to each item of information before and after an update. However, this is not limited to this. Any ID numbering method may be adopted as long as the relevance or identity can be identified before and after an update.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiment, an example was shown in which the item information of the record located at the end of the table for each ID is valid as design information. However, this is not limited to this. As long as the item information and update history can be identified as valid at that time, any method can be used to identify whether the item information is valid or invalid. For example, for multiple item information with the same ID, the currently valid item information can be represented by a flag.

[0062] In the embodiment, the item information to be updated is selected on the displayed graph, and the item information to be restored is selected on the displayed history item information 250. However, this is not limited to this. If the target item information can be identified, the ID of the item information may be directly input and specified. The method of identifying the item information itself is arbitrary.

[0063] In this disclosure, the update date and time is a broad concept, and any information that can identify the timing before and after on the system is sufficient; it does not need to include information that identifies the year, month, day, hour, minute, second, etc.; any information that can identify a point on the time axis is sufficient.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the content of the item information is updated by the designer, but this is not limiting. For example, part of the item information may be updated automatically by the control unit 110.

[0065] The following are appendices to this disclosure.

[0066] (Appendix 1) A design support device that supports design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; a restoration processing unit that restores item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time. (Appendix 2) The design support device a graph generation unit that generates a graph based on the specification item information and the unit item information; a history item information creation unit that acquires update dates and times of item information selected from the item information of the graph generated by the graph generation unit and update dates and times of item information related to the selected item information, and creates history item information indicating a list of the update dates and times in association with the selected item information; a restoration processing unit that restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on an update date and time selected from the history item information created by the history item information creating unit; 2. The design support device according to claim 1, further comprising: (Appendix 3) the restoration processing unit restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information, which have the same update date and time as the selected update date and time, to a state before the update. Attachment 1 or 2: A design support device according to any one of the preceding claims. (Appendix 4) The restoration processing unit further restores the content of the item information related to the selected item information based on restoration range information indicating the item information. 4. The design support device according to claim 1. (Appendix 5) the design support device further includes a storage unit that stores the design information, the graph generation unit acquires the design information from the storage unit, and generates a graph based on the acquired design information; the history item information creation unit stores the created history item information in the storage unit; 5. The design support device according to any one of appendices 2 to 4. (Appendix 6) the design support device further includes an input unit that accepts input; the input unit receives input of history creation instruction information indicating which item of information from the graph has been selected; the history item information creation unit acquires update dates and times of the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information based on the history creation instruction information received by the input unit, and creates the history item information in association with the selected item information; The input unit further receives input of the selected update date and time, the restoration processing unit restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time received by the input unit. 6. A design support device according to any one of appendices 2 to 5. (Appendix 7) the design support device further includes an output unit that outputs various types of information; the output unit outputs the graph generated by the graph generation unit. 7. A design support device according to any one of appendices 2 to 6. (Appendix 8) the item information further includes system simulation model item information indicating a method for evaluating the performance of the unit, and three-dimensional model item information indicating a three-dimensional model of the unit; the system simulation model item information and the three-dimensional model item information include update dates and times when their contents were updated, and related item information indicating relevance with other item information; the restoration processing unit restores item information selected from the specification item information, the unit item information, the system simulation model item information, or the three-dimensional model item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time. 8. A design support device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7. (Appendix 9) A design support method executed by a computer for supporting design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the method comprising: the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; A design support method including a restoration processing step of restoring item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time. (Appendix 10) A program that causes a computer to function as a design support device that supports design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; Computer, A program that functions as a restoration processing unit that restores item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to the state before the update based on the update date and time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 100 design support device, 110 control unit, 111 graph generation unit, 112 history item information creation unit, 113 restoration processing unit, 120 memory unit, 121 specification item information storage unit, 122 unit item information storage unit, 123 system simulation model item information storage unit, 124 three-dimensional model item information storage unit, 125 history item information storage unit, 130 input unit, 140 output unit, 210, 211 specification item information, 220, 221 unit item information, 230, 230E system simulation model item information, 240, 240E three-dimensional model item information, 250, 250E-R history item information, 1 central processing unit, 2 main memory unit, 3 auxiliary memory unit, 4 input device, 5 output device, 6 bus.

Claims

1. A design support device that supports design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; a restoration processing unit that restores item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time.

2. The design support device a graph generation unit that generates a graph based on the specification item information and the unit item information; a history item information creation unit that acquires update dates and times of item information selected from the item information of the graph generated by the graph generation unit and update dates and times of item information related to the selected item information, and creates history item information indicating a list of the update dates and times in association with the selected item information; a restoration processing unit that restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on an update date and time selected from the history item information created by the history item information creating unit; The design support system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. the restoration processing unit restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information, which have the same update date and time as the selected update date and time, to a state before the update. The design support device according to claim 1 .

4. The restoration processing unit further restores the content of the item information related to the selected item information based on restoration range information indicating the item information. The design support device according to claim 1 .

5. the design support device further includes a storage unit that stores the design information, the graph generation unit acquires the design information from the storage unit, and generates a graph based on the acquired design information; the history item information creation unit stores the created history item information in the storage unit; The design support device according to claim 2.

6. the design support device further includes an input unit that accepts input; the input unit receives input of history creation instruction information indicating which item of information from the graph has been selected; the history item information creation unit acquires update dates and times of the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information based on the history creation instruction information received by the input unit, and creates the history item information in association with the selected item information; The input unit further receives input of the selected update date and time, the restoration processing unit restores the selected item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time received by the input unit. The design support device according to claim 2.

7. the design support device further includes an output unit that outputs various types of information; the output unit outputs the graph generated by the graph generation unit. The design support device according to claim 2.

8. the item information further includes system simulation model item information indicating a method for evaluating the performance of the unit, and three-dimensional model item information indicating a three-dimensional model of the unit; the system simulation model item information and the three-dimensional model item information include update dates and times when their contents were updated, and related item information indicating relevance with other item information; the restoration processing unit restores item information selected from the specification item information, the unit item information, the system simulation model item information, or the three-dimensional model item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time. The design support device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A design support method executed by a computer for supporting design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the method comprising: the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; A design support method including a restoration processing step of restoring item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to a state before the update based on the update date and time.

10. A program that causes a computer to function as a design support device that supports design by ensuring consistency of design information based on item information obtained by dividing product design information into items, the item information includes specification item information indicating product specifications and unit item information indicating units constituting the product; the specification item information and the unit item information include an update date and time when the content of the specification item information and the unit item information is updated, and related item information indicating a relationship with other item information; Computer, A program that functions as a restoration processing unit that restores item information selected from the specification item information and the unit item information and item information related to the selected item information to the state before the update based on the update date and time.

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