Traceability check device and traceability check program

Abstract

To enable the easy creation of appropriate rules according to the system development project. [Solution] The atomic rule receiving unit 211 receives input of multiple atomic rules that associate a set of original work, which is the original work in the standard design process, with a set of preceding work, which is the work performed based on the original work in the standard design process, with a set of original model, which is the design model in the standard format, with a preceding model derived from the original model. The rule definition unit 213 uses the multiple atomic rules to define a standard design rule that specifies the traceability rule for the design data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for checking the traceability of a design model, which is design data created using a model editor.

Background Art

[0002] When developing a system such as a software system or a composite system of machines, electronic components, and software, a plurality of work products such as various types of design documents are generated in the development process. In order to develop a high-quality system, appropriate work products need to be created in each development process. However, when developing a large-scale system, work products are created by many workers, making it difficult to manage the quality of the work products. At this time, in order to perform high-quality development without requirement omission, it is important to establish the traceability of the work products. When developing a large-scale system, it becomes difficult to appropriately establish the traceability of the work products.

[0003] There are techniques that define notations for the structure and behavior of systems such as UML and SysML. UML is an abbreviation for Unified Modeling Language. SysML is an abbreviation for Systems Modeling Language. The design data created using these notations is called a design model. There are a plurality of model editors for creating a design model in accordance with these notations (see Patent Document 1). Regarding the design model created using a model editor, it is necessary to appropriately establish traceability, similar to the work products created in text format or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] One approach to check the traceability of design models is to create rules that specify which design models should be associated with each other. By checking whether the design models were created according to these rules, it becomes possible to properly establish traceability. However, the rules that should be applied may differ depending on the system being developed, making it difficult to apply the same rules to all system development projects. On the other hand, creating rules for each individual system development project is time-consuming. Therefore, one might consider creating standard rules and then modifying those standard rules for each system development project to create rules tailored to each project. However, simply showing the design model to which the rules are mapped makes it difficult to understand the intent behind the mapping, and it becomes difficult to make appropriate modifications to the standard rules. This disclosure aims to enable the easy creation of appropriate rules according to system development projects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The traceability check device related to this disclosure is An atomic rule receiving unit that accepts input of multiple atomic rules, which associate a set of base work (the work that forms the basis of the standard design process) and a pre-work (the work performed based on the base work in the standard design process) with a set of base model (the design model in a standard format) and a pre-model derived from the base model. A rule definition unit defines a standard design rule that specifies traceability rules for design data using the plurality of atomic rules received by the atomic rule receiving unit. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure defines standard design rules using multiple atomic rules that associate pairs of source and preceding tasks in a standard design process with pairs of source and preceding models, which are design models in a standard format. The intent behind associating the source and preceding models can be inferred from the pairs of source and preceding tasks in the standard design process. This makes it easier to modify standard design rules according to system development projects and allows for the simple creation of appropriate rules for each system development project. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Configuration diagram of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] A flowchart showing the overall processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the overall processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Flowchart of the standard design rule creation process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram of the atomic rule 40 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the atomic rule acceptance process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Diagram illustrating the atomic rule acceptance process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Diagram illustrating the atomic rule acceptance process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Diagram illustrating the synthesis rule acceptance process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram of the configuration of the standard design rule 31 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram of the system development project according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] Configuration diagram of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 13]Flowchart showing the processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 14] Configuration diagram of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiment 1. ***Description of the Configuration*** Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The traceability check device 10 is a computer. The traceability check device 10 includes hardware such as a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage 13, and a communication interface 14. The processor 11 is connected to other hardware via signal lines and controls these other hardware.

[0010] The processor 11 is an IC that performs processing. IC is an abbreviation for Integrated Circuit. Specific examples of the processor 11 are a CPU, a DSP, and a GPU. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. DSP is an abbreviation for Digital Signal Processor. GPU is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit.

[0011] The memory 12 is a storage device that temporarily stores data. Specific examples of the memory 12 are SRAM and DRAM. SRAM is an abbreviation for Static Random Access Memory. DRAM is an abbreviation for Dynamic Random Access Memory.

[0012] Storage 13 is a storage device for storing data. A concrete example of storage 13 is an SSD. SSD stands for Solid State Drive. Alternatively, storage 13 may be a portable recording medium such as an SD® memory card, CompactFlash®, NAND flash, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, Blu-ray® disc, or DVD. SD stands for Secure Digital. DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disk.

[0013] Communication interface 14 is an interface for communicating with external devices. Specific examples of communication interface 14 include Ethernet®, USB, and HDMI® ports. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0014] The traceability check device 10 comprises a rule creation unit 21, a model acquisition unit 22, and a rule determination unit 23 as functional components. The rule creation unit 21 comprises an atomic rule receiving unit 211, a composite rule receiving unit 212, and a rule definition unit 213. The functions of each functional component of the traceability check device 10 are implemented by software. Storage 13 stores programs that implement the functions of each functional component of the traceability check device 10. These programs are loaded into memory 12 by the processor 11 and executed by the processor 11. This enables the functions of each functional component of the traceability check device 10 to be implemented.

[0015] In Figure 1, only one processor 11 was shown. However, there may be multiple processors 11, and multiple processors 11 may work together to execute programs that implement each function.

[0016] ***Explanation of operation*** The operation of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 11. The operating procedure of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 corresponds to the traceability check method according to Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the program that implements the operation of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 corresponds to the traceability check program according to Embodiment 1.

[0017] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the overall processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained. (S11: Standard design rule creation process) The rule creation unit 21 creates standard design rules 31 that define the traceability rules for the design model. Standard design rules 31 are standard traceability rules for the target organization, based on the standard design process of the target organization.

[0018] (S12: Individual design rule creation process) The rule creation unit 21 modifies the standard design rule 31 created in step S11 to correspond to the target system development project and creates an individual design rule 32 for the target system development project.

[0019] (S13: Model acquisition process) The model acquisition unit 22 acquires information on multiple design models created using a model editor in the target system development project. Here, the model acquisition unit 22 acquires a comparison model 33, which is a data representation of multiple design models converted into a standard format, as information about multiple design models. Possible standard formats include XML. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. The model editor is equipped with a function to convert and output design models in XML format or similar.

[0020] (S14: Rule determination process) The rule determination unit 23 compares the comparison model 33, which is information on multiple design models acquired in step S13, with the individual design rules 32 created in step S12 to determine whether the multiple design models comply with the traceability rules.

[0021] Referring to Figure 4, the standard design rule creation process according to Embodiment 1 (step S11 in Figure 2) will be explained. (Step S21: Atomic Rule Acceptance Processing) The atomic rule receiving unit 211 accepts input of multiple atomic rules 40. Specifically, the atomic rule receiving unit 211 displays an input format for the atomic rules 40 and prompts the user to enter information into each input field.

[0022] The atomic rule 40 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 5. In the table shown in Figure 5, each row represents one atomic rule 40. An atomic rule 40 is constructed by associating design process information 41 with traceability information 42 between design models. The design process information 41 and the traceability information 42 between design models have a many-to-one relationship.

[0023] Information 41 regarding the design process is a description of the design work in the standard design process. Information 41 regarding the design process includes design task information 411 and design traceability information 412. Design task information 411 is a description of the design work in the standard design process. Design task information 411 includes the design task name 4111 and the destination design task name 4112. Design task name 4111 is the name of the target design task. Deployment design task name 4112 is the name of a design task related to another system, which is related to the design work indicated by design task name 4111. Design traceability information 412 is information about the traceability of the task in question. Design traceability information 412 includes the design traceability name 4121, content description 4122, rationale for the design task 4123, and example 4124. Design traceability name 4121 indicates a pair of source work, which is the original work in the standard design process, and destination work, which is the work performed based on the source work in the standard design process. Here, a design task is assumed to consist of one or more work tasks. For the source work, the design work name and the trace source design information are shown. The design work name is the name of the source work. The trace source design information is the design name of the source work. For the destination work, the deployment destination work name and the trace destination design information are shown. The deployment destination work name is the name of the destination work. The trace destination design information is the design name of the destination work. Work performed based on the source work includes, for example, the work of determining interface information based on the information of the source work, and the work of refining the information of the source work. Content description 4122 explains the design significance of setting up traceability. Content description 4122, for example, explains the reasons or effects of ensuring traceability. Design task rationale 4123 is a link to materials that form the background for setting up traceability. Example 4124 is a link to sample modeling related to traceability.

[0024] The traceability information 42 between design models is a rule concerning the traceability of design models created during the design process. The traceability information 42 between design models includes a TP identifier 421 and a grammatical expression 422. The TP identifier 421 is a rule identifier. The grammatical expression 422 shows the trace content when using a grammar designated as the standard format. Specific examples of the standard format include UML and SysML. In Embodiment 1, the standard format is assumed to be SysML. The grammatical expression 422 includes the source model information 4221, the destination model information 4222, the relationship type 4223, and the multiplicity 4224. The source model information 4221 contains information about the source model, which is the standard-format design model from which the model is traced. The source model information 4221 shows the model name and elements. The model name is the name of the standard-format design model from which the model is traced. The elements are the elements that make up the standard-format design model that can be placed in the diagram. The destination model information 4222 contains information about the destination model, which is the standard-format design model that is traced from the source model. The destination model information 4222 shows the model name and elements. The model name is the name of the standard-format design model that is traced. The elements are the elements that make up the standard-format design model that can be placed in the diagram. Relationship type 4223 is the type of relationship that connects the source design model to the destination design model. Multiplicity 4224 is the multiplicity between the source design model and the destination design model. Multiplicity refers to the number of design models that are associated with one design model.

[0025] The atomic rule receiving unit 211 displays, for example, an input format showing the items in the table shown in Figure 5 and the input fields for each item, and prompts the user to enter information into each input field. In this case, as shown in Figure 6, the atomic rule receiver 211 restricts the input of certain items in the traceability information 42 between design models so that only information defined in a standard format can be entered. Specifically, the atomic rule receiver 211 restricts the input of model names in the source model information 4221 and the destination model information 4222 so that only model names defined in the standard format, SysML, can be entered. Furthermore, the atomic rule receiver 211 restricts the input of elements in the source model information 4221 and the destination model information 4222 so that only internal block element names defined in the standard format, SysML, can be entered.

[0026] The atomic rule receiving unit 211 accepts only two operations whose sequence is defined in the process frame that indicates the order of operations in the standard design process, as a pair of source and destination operations indicated by the design traceability name 4121. As shown in Figure 7, the standard design process defines the execution order for multiple tasks. In Figure 7, each cell from A to I represents a task, and the arrows indicate the order of the tasks. The atomic rule receiver 211 accepts only two tasks whose sequence is defined in the standard design process as a set of source and destination tasks indicated by the design traceability name 4121. In other words, the atomic rule receiver 211 accepts only two tasks indicated by two adjacent cells with arrows set as a set of source and destination tasks indicated by the design traceability name 4121. To put it another way, the atomic rule receiver 211 accepts only the atomic rules 40 corresponding to the arrows in Figure 7. For example, the atomic rule receiving unit 211 accepts pairs where the operation indicated by cell C is the original operation and the operation indicated by cell B is the preceding operation. On the other hand, the atomic rule receiving unit 211 does not accept pairs where the operation indicated by cell B is the original operation and the operation indicated by cell I is the preceding operation.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, in the standard design process, one task may be further refined. In Figure 8, the task in cell G is refined. In some cases, the execution order is defined between the refined tasks. In this case, the atomic rule receiver 211 accepts not only the higher-level task, but also the two tasks whose sequence is defined in the refined task, as a pair of original and preceding tasks.

[0028] (Step S22: Processing of synthesis rule acceptance) The synthesis rule receiving unit 212 receives input for a synthesis rule 50 which is formed by combining at least some of the atomic rules 40 received in step S21 using logical conditions. In other words, as shown in Figure 9, the synthesis rule receiving unit 212 creates a synthesis rule 50 by combining two or more atomic rules 40 using logical conditions such as AND conditions, OR conditions, and XOR conditions. In this case, the composite rule receiving unit 212 combines atomic rules 40 that include a common operation in either the source operation or the destination operation indicated by the design traceability name 4121. In other words, the composite rule receiving unit 212 combines only atomic rules 40 corresponding to arrows where the starting points of the arrows overlap, the ending points of the arrows overlap, or the starting and ending points of the arrows overlap in Figure 7.

[0029] (Step S23: Standard design rule definition process) The rule definition unit 213 defines a set of multiple atomic rules 40 received in step S21 and one or more composite rules 50 received in step S22 as a standard design rule 31. In this case, the rule definition unit 213 defined the set of all atomic rules 40 and all composite rules 50 as the standard design rule 31. However, the rule definition unit 213 may also define the standard design rule 31 as at least one set of one or more atomic rules 40 selected from the atomic rules 40 received in step S21 and one or more composite rules 50 selected from the composite rules 50 received in step S22.

[0030] Referring to Figure 10, the configuration of the standard design rule 31 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained. A process, which is a higher-level conceptual task in a standard design process, is associated with multiple tasks, which are more detailed lower-level conceptual tasks. At least some of these tasks are associated with at least one of one or more atomic rules 40 and one or more composite rules 50. The atomic rules 40 include information on how the design is carried out 41 and information on traceability between design models 42. A composite rule 50 is composed of multiple atomic rules 40.

[0031] The process for creating individual design rules (step S12 in Figure 2) will be explained below. The rule definition unit 213 of the rule creation unit 21 modifies the standard design rule 31 to correspond to the target system development project and creates individual design rules 32 for the target system development project. Here, a project to develop separate systems is considered a single system development project. Similarly, a project to develop each of the multiple subsystems that make up a large-scale system is also considered a single system development project. In other words, as shown in Figure 11, Projects X, Y, and Z, which develop separate systems X, Y, and Z respectively, are each system development projects. Therefore, the rule definition unit 213 creates individual design rules 32 corresponding to each of Projects X, Y, and Z. System Y also has subsystems A, B, and C. Projects A, B, and C, which develop subsystems A, B, and C respectively, are each system development projects. Therefore, the rule definition unit 213 creates individual design rules 32 corresponding to each of Projects A, B, and C. Therefore, individual design rules 32 are created for each of Project X, Project Y, Project Z, Project A, Project B, and Project C. Each individual design rule 32 has the same configuration as the standard design rule 31, as shown in Figure 10.

[0032] The rule definition unit 213 displays the standard design rules 31 and allows the user to select whether or not to adopt each atomic rule 40 and each synthesis rule 50 that constitute the standard design rules 31 in the individual design rules 32 corresponding to the target system development project. This selection is made, for example, by the person in charge of the target system development project. The person in charge can refer to the design process information 41 included in the atomic rule 40, infer the intent of each atomic rule 40, and decide whether or not to adopt the atomic rule 40 and the composite rule 50.

[0033] For example, standard design rule 31 may specify detailed rules to ensure that even deliverables created by less experienced personnel maintain high quality. In this case, if an experienced person designs a subsystem, it would be inefficient to include unnecessary design information just to comply with these detailed rules. Therefore, in such cases, it may be advisable to omit the detailed rules in the individual design rule 32 for subsystems designed by experienced personnel. Furthermore, in the final system integrating the subsystems, traceability checks can be performed using individual design rules 32, which include even detailed rules. This makes it possible to eliminate inefficient intermediate steps while ensuring the quality of the final deliverable.

[0034] The rule determination process (step S14 in Figure 2) will now be explained. The rule determination unit 23 compares the comparison model 33, which is information on multiple design models acquired in step S13, with the individual design rules 32 created in step S12 to determine whether the multiple design models comply with the traceability rules.

[0035] Specifically, the rule determination unit 23 sets each atomic rule 40 included in the individual design rule 32 as the target atomic rule 40. The rule determination unit 23 determines that a design model conforms to the target atomic rule 40 if the connection relationships between design models shown in the comparison model 33 include connection relationships that satisfy all three of the following conditions: Condition 1: The connection relationship matches the relationship between the source model and the target model shown in the trace source model information 4221 in the target atomic rule 40. Condition 2: The connection relationship is the relationship shown in the relationship type 4223 in the target atomic rule 40. Condition 3: The connection relationship is the multiplicity shown in the multiplicity 4224 in the target atomic rule 40.

[0036] Furthermore, the rule determination unit 23 sets each composite rule 50 included in the individual design rule 32 as the target composite rule 50. The rule determination unit 23 sets each atomic rule 40 that constitutes the target composite rule 50 as the target atomic rule 40. The rule determination unit 23 uses the three conditions described above to determine whether or not the design conforms to the target atomic rule 40. Then, the rule determination unit 23 comprehensively evaluates the determination results for each atomic rule 40 that constitutes the target composite rule 50 to determine whether or not the design model conforms to the target composite rule 50.

[0037] The rule determination unit 23 determines that the design model conforms to the individual design rules 32 if it conforms to all of the atomic rules 40 and all of the synthesis rules 50 included in the individual design rules 32. The rule determination unit 23 outputs information indicating that the design model conforms to the individual design rule 32 if it determines that the design model conforms to the individual design rule 32. On the other hand, if the rule determination unit 23 determines that the design model does not conform to the individual design rule 32, it outputs information indicating at least one of the atomic rule 40 and composite rule 50 that it determined does not conform to.

[0038] ***Effects of Embodiment 1*** As described above, the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 defines standard design rules using a plurality of atomic rules 40. The atomic rules 40 associate information 41 on the design process with information 42 on traceability between design models. By referring to the information 41 on the design process, the intent of the information 42 on traceability between design models can be inferred. This makes it easier to change the standard design rules 31 according to the system development project, and makes it possible to easily create appropriate individual design rules 32 corresponding to the system development project. For example, the relationships between tasks can be understood from the source and destination tasks in a standard design process. This reveals the reason for associating design models. Also, for example, suppose the design model indicated by the source model information 4221 includes a design model created in another system. In this case, the reason can be found by referring to the destination design task name 4112.

[0039] The traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 modifies the standard design rule 31 to create individual design rules 32, thereby preventing the creation of individual design rules 32 that deviate significantly from the standard design rule 31 used as the organization's standard. As a result, it becomes possible to create design models with a quality close to the organization's standard.

[0040] The traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 acquires a comparison model 33, which is a design model created using a model editor converted into data in a standard format, and performs a traceability check using the comparison model 33. It is difficult to check a design model created using a model editor in its original format. However, the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 1 makes it possible to perform a traceability check by using the comparison model 33.

[0041] Embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that it extracts model elements with duplicate names, separate from traceability. Embodiment 2 explains this difference, while omitting explanations of the similarities.

[0042] ***Explanation of the structure*** Referring to Figure 12, the configuration of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The traceability check device 10 differs from the traceability check device 10 shown in Figure 1 in that it includes a duplicate name extraction unit 24 as a functional component. The function of the duplicate name extraction unit 24 is implemented by software, similar to other functional components.

[0043] ***Explanation of operation*** Referring to Figure 13, the processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 2 will be explained. The processes from step S31 to step S34 are the same as the processes from step S11 to step S14 in Figure 2.

[0044] (Step S35: Duplicate name extraction process) The duplicate name extraction unit 24 extracts model elements that have the same name in the comparison model 33. In other words, the duplicate name extraction unit 24 extracts two or more model elements if they have the same name. In some cases, the model editor allows assigning the same name to multiple elements of the design model. There are two possible scenarios where two or more model elements have the same name: Case 1: They should have been given different names because they are different elements, but were mistakenly given the same name. Case 2: They are different elements, but should have been a single element. In either case, it is highly likely that correction is necessary.

[0045] The duplicate name extraction unit 24 outputs information about two or more model elements extracted in step S35. This information includes the name, the type of element, the ID of the element, and the name of the diagram containing the model element. ID stands for IDentifier. For example, the duplicate name extraction unit 24 displays the two or more model elements extracted in step S35 in the following order: name, type of element, ID of the element, and the name of the diagram containing the model element.

[0046] ***Effects of Embodiment 2*** As described above, the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 2 extracts model elements with duplicate names. Model elements with duplicate names are highly likely to require modification. Therefore, by extracting model elements with duplicate names, it becomes possible to encourage modification of model elements and improve the quality of the design model.

[0047] Embodiment 3. Embodiment 3 differs from Embodiments 1 and 2 in that it identifies the actual usage of each atomic rule 40 in the individual design rule 32. Embodiment 3 explains this difference, while omitting explanations of the same points. Embodiment 3 describes a case in which a modification has been made to Embodiment 1. However, it is also possible to modify Embodiment 2.

[0048] ***Explanation of the structure*** Referring to Figure 14, the configuration of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The traceability check device 10 differs from the traceability check device 10 shown in Figure 1 in that it includes a performance identification unit 25 as a functional component. The function of the performance identification unit 25 is implemented by software, similar to other functional components.

[0049] ***Explanation of operation*** Referring to Figure 15, the processing flow of the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 3 will be explained. The processes from step S41 to step S44 are the same as the processes from step S11 to step S14 in Figure 2.

[0050] (Step S45: Performance Identification Process) The performance identification unit 25 identifies the project characteristics used in the definition of the individual design rule 32 for each of the multiple atomic rules 40. Specifically, the performance identification unit 25 records the characteristics of the target system development project for each of the multiple atomic rules 40 used to constitute the individual design rule 32 created in step S12. The multiple atomic rules 40 used to constitute the individual design rule 32 are the atomic rules 40 included in the individual design rule 32 and the atomic rules 40 that constitute the synthesis rule 50 included in the individual design rule 32. The characteristics of the system development project are the project name, the design process scope, the multi-domain nature, the number of design layers, the number of models created, etc. The design process scope is the scope determined by selecting one or more from requirements analysis, functional analysis, logical architecture, physical architecture, and lower-level requirements definition, etc. The multi-domain nature is the scope determined by selecting one or more from systems, mechanics, electronics, and software, etc.

[0051] When the processes from step S42 to step S45 are performed for multiple system development projects, the characteristics of the system development projects used are accumulated for each atomic rule 40. The performance identification unit 25 may, in response to a user request, display a histogram of the characteristics of the system development projects used for each atomic rule 40.

[0052] ***Effects of Embodiment 3*** As described above, the traceability check device 10 according to Embodiment 3 accumulates the characteristics of the system development projects in which each atomic rule 40 was used. This makes it possible to analyze the usage status of each atomic rule 40. For example, it is possible to create new atomic rules 40 by referring to which atomic rules 40 are used the most, or to determine which atomic rules 40 to use when creating individual design rules 32.

[0053] ***Other configurations*** <Example 1> In the embodiments described above, each functional component was implemented in software. However, in Modification 1, each functional component may be implemented in hardware. The differences between this Modification 1 and the embodiments described above will be explained.

[0054] When each functional component is implemented in hardware, the traceability check device 10 includes an electronic circuit 15 instead of the processor 11, memory 12, and storage 13. The electronic circuit 15 is a dedicated circuit that implements the functions of each functional component, as well as the functions of the memory 12 and storage 13.

[0055] Electronic circuits 15 can include single circuits, complex circuits, programmed processors, parallel programmed processors, logic ICs, GAs, ASICs, and FPGAs. GA stands for Gate Array. ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. FPGA stands for Field-Programmable Gate Array. Each functional component may be implemented in a single electronic circuit 15, or each functional component may be implemented by distributing them across multiple electronic circuits 15.

[0056] <Modification 2> As a second variation, some of the functional components may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in software.

[0057] The processor 11, memory 12, storage 13, and electronic circuit 15 are collectively referred to as the processing circuit. In other words, the function of each functional component is realized by the processing circuit.

[0058] Furthermore, the term "part" in the above explanation may be replaced with "circuit," "process," "procedure," "processing," or "processing circuit."

[0059] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix. (Note 1) An atomic rule receiving unit that accepts input of multiple atomic rules, which associate a set of base work (the work that forms the basis of the standard design process) and a pre-work (the work performed based on the base work in the standard design process) with a set of base model (the design model in a standard format) and a pre-model derived from the base model. A rule definition unit defines a standard design rule that specifies traceability rules for a design model using the plurality of atomic rules received by the atomic rule receiving unit. A traceability check device equipped with [a specific feature / feature]. (Note 2) The aforementioned traceability check device further, A synthesis rule receiving unit that accepts input of a synthesis rule formed by combining at least some of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules using logical conditions. Equipped with, The rule definition unit uses the composite rule received by the composite rule receiving unit to define the standard design rule. The traceability check device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The aforementioned synthesis rule is a combination of atomic rules that include a common operation in either the source operation or the destination operation. The traceability check device described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The atomic rule receiving unit accepts only two tasks whose sequence is defined in the process frame indicating the sequence of tasks in the standard design process, as a pair of the original task and the preceding task. A traceability checking device as described in any one of the items 1 to 3 in the appendix. (Note 5) The atomic rule receiving unit displays the process frame and allows the user to select the sequence of operations shown in the process frame, thereby specifying the pair of the source operation and the destination operation. The traceability check device described in Appendix 4. (Note 6) The aforementioned traceability check device further, A model acquisition unit that acquires a comparison model in which a design model created using a model editor is converted into data in a standard format, A rule determination unit determines whether the design model conforms to the traceability rules by comparing the comparison model acquired by the model acquisition unit with individual design rules created from the standard design rules defined by the rule definition unit. A traceability checking device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, comprising: (Note 7) The aforementioned traceability check device further, Duplicate name extraction unit extracts model elements with the same name in the aforementioned comparison model. A traceability check device as described in Appendix 6, comprising the following: (Note 8) The rule definition unit defines individual design rules from the standard design rules for each project. The aforementioned traceability check device further, For each of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules, the performance identification unit identifies the characteristics of the project used in defining the individual design rule. A traceability checking device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7, comprising: (Note 9) An atomic rule reception process that accepts input of multiple atomic rules that associate a set of base work, which is the original work in a standard design process, with a set of preceding work, which is the work performed based on the base work in the standard design process, with a set of base model, which is the design model in a standard format, with a preceding model derived from the base model. A rule definition process that uses the multiple atomic rules received by the atomic rule acceptance process to define a standard design rule that specifies the traceability rule of the design model, and A traceability check program that enables a computer to function as a traceability check device. (Note 10) The aforementioned traceability check program further, A synthesis rule acceptance process that accepts input of a synthesis rule formed by combining at least some of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules using logical conditions. The computer is used as a traceability check device to perform this check. The rule definition process uses the composite rule received by the composite rule acceptance process to define the standard design rule. The traceability check program described in Appendix 9. (Note 11) The aforementioned synthesis rule is a combination of atomic rules that include a common operation in either the source operation or the destination operation. The traceability check program described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) The atomic rule acceptance process accepts only two tasks whose sequence is defined in the process frame indicating the sequence of tasks in the standard design process, as a pair of the original task and the preceding task. A traceability check program as described in any one of the items 9 through 11 of the appendix. (Note 13) The atomic rule acceptance process displays the process frame and allows the user to select the sequence of operations shown in the process frame, thereby specifying the pair of the source operation and the destination operation. The traceability check program described in Appendix 12. (Note 14) The aforementioned traceability check program further, The model acquisition process involves obtaining a comparison model in which the design model created using the model editor has been converted into a standard data format. A rule determination process determines whether the design model conforms to the traceability rules by comparing the comparison model obtained by the model acquisition process with the individual design rules created from the standard design rules defined by the rule definition process. A traceability check program as described in any one of the appendices 9 to 13, which causes a computer to function as a traceability check device for performing the following. (Note 15) The aforementioned traceability check program further, Duplicate name extraction process: Extracts model elements with the same name in the aforementioned comparison model. A traceability check program as described in Appendix 14, which uses a computer to function as a traceability check device. (Note 16) The aforementioned rule definition process defines individual design rules from the standard design rules for each project. The aforementioned traceability check program further, For each of the aforementioned atomic rules, a performance identification process is performed to identify the characteristics of the project used in defining the individual design rule. A traceability check program as described in any one of the appendices 9 to 15, which causes a computer to function as a traceability check device for performing the following.

[0060] The embodiments and variations of this disclosure have been described above. Some of these embodiments and variations may be implemented in combination. Alternatively, some or all of them may be implemented in part. However, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and variations described above, and various modifications are possible as needed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 Traceability check device, 11 Processor, 12 Memory, 13 Storage, 14 Communication interface, 21 Rule creation unit, 211 Atomic rule reception unit, 212 Synthesis rule reception unit, 213 Rule definition unit, 22 Model acquisition unit, 23 Rule judgment unit, 24 Duplicate name extraction unit, 25 Performance identification unit, 31 Standard design rules, 32 Individual design rules, 33 Comparison model, 40 Atomic rules, 41 Information on how to proceed with design, 411 Design task information, 4111 Design task name, 4112 Deployment destination design task name, 412 Design traceability information, 4121 Design traceability name, 4122 Content description, 4123 Basis for design task, 4124 Examples, 42 Traceability information between design models, 421 TP identifier, 422 Grammar expression, 4221 Trace source model information, 4222 Trace target model information, 4223 Relationship type, 4224 Multiplicity, 50 Synthesis rule.

Claims

1. An atomic rule receiving unit that accepts input of multiple atomic rules, which associate a set of base work (the work that forms the basis of the standard design process) and a pre-work (the work performed based on the base work in the standard design process) with a set of base model (the design model in a standard format) and a pre-model derived from the base model. A rule definition unit defines a standard design rule that specifies traceability rules for a design model using the plurality of atomic rules received by the atomic rule receiving unit. A traceability check device equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The aforementioned traceability check device further, A synthesis rule receiving unit that accepts input of a synthesis rule formed by combining at least some of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules using logical conditions. Equipped with, The rule definition unit uses the composite rule received by the composite rule receiving unit to define the standard design rule. The traceability checking device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned synthesis rule is a combination of atomic rules that include a common operation in either the source operation or the destination operation. The traceability checking device according to claim 2.

4. The atomic rule receiving unit accepts only two tasks whose sequence is defined in the process frame indicating the sequence of tasks in the standard design process, as a pair of the original task and the preceding task. The traceability checking device according to claim 1.

5. The atomic rule receiving unit displays the process frame and allows the user to select the sequence of operations shown in the process frame, thereby specifying the pair of the source operation and the destination operation. The traceability checking device according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned traceability check device further, A model acquisition unit that acquires a comparison model in which a design model created using a model editor is converted into data in a standard format, A rule determination unit determines whether the design model conforms to the traceability rules by comparing the comparison model acquired by the model acquisition unit with individual design rules created from the standard design rules defined by the rule definition unit. A traceability check device according to claim 1, comprising:

7. The aforementioned traceability check device further, Duplicate name extraction unit extracts model elements with the same name in the aforementioned comparison model. The traceability check device according to claim 6, comprising:

8. The rule definition unit defines individual design rules from the standard design rules for each project. The aforementioned traceability check device further, For each of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules, the performance identification unit identifies the characteristics of the project used in defining the individual design rule. A traceability check device according to claim 1, comprising:

9. An atomic rule reception process that accepts input of multiple atomic rules that associate a set of base work, which is the original work in a standard design process, with a set of preceding work, which is the work performed based on the base work in the standard design process, with a set of base model, which is the design model in a standard format, with a preceding model derived from the base model. A rule definition process that uses the multiple atomic rules received by the atomic rule acceptance process to define a standard design rule that specifies the traceability rule of the design model, and A traceability check program that enables a computer to function as a traceability check device.

10. The aforementioned traceability check program further, A synthesis rule acceptance process that accepts input of a synthesis rule formed by combining at least some of the aforementioned multiple atomic rules using logical conditions. The computer is used as a traceability check device to perform this check. The rule definition process uses the composite rule received by the composite rule acceptance process to define the standard design rule. The traceability check program according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned synthesis rule is a combination of atomic rules that include a common operation in either the source operation or the destination operation. The traceability check program according to claim 10.

12. The atomic rule acceptance process accepts only two tasks whose sequence is defined in the process frame indicating the sequence of tasks in the standard design process, as a pair of the original task and the preceding task. The traceability check program according to claim 9.

13. The atomic rule acceptance process displays the process frame and allows the user to select the sequence of operations shown in the process frame, thereby specifying the pair of the source operation and the destination operation. The traceability check program according to claim 12.

14. The aforementioned traceability check program further, The model acquisition process involves obtaining a comparison model in which the design model created using the model editor has been converted into a standard data format. A rule determination process determines whether the design model conforms to the traceability rules by comparing the comparison model obtained by the model acquisition process with the individual design rules created from the standard design rules defined by the rule definition process. A traceability check program according to claim 9, which causes a computer to function as a traceability check device for performing the following.

15. The aforementioned traceability check program further, Duplicate name extraction process: Extracts model elements with the same name in the aforementioned comparison model. A traceability check program according to claim 14, which causes a computer to function as a traceability check device for performing the following.

16. The aforementioned rule definition process defines individual design rules from the standard design rules for each project. The aforementioned traceability check program further, For each of the aforementioned atomic rules, a performance identification process is performed to identify the characteristics of the project used in defining the individual design rule. A traceability check program according to claim 9, which causes a computer to function as a traceability check device for performing the following.

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