ATP Stack Generation Without Exploded Bucket Arrays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional product availability checks face computational performance issues due to the need for large amounts of data processing and storage, particularly when dealing with numerous product characteristics, versions, and sublocations, leading to high computing capacity and time requirements.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that generates ATP stacks directly from input data sets without creating intermediary exploded bucket arrays, focusing on relevant data for specific checking requirements and eliminating the need for category-related indices, allowing for faster and more efficient data processing with a tree-like storage structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional product availability checks are performed with numerous product characteristics, versions, and sublocations, then comprehensive availability information is obtained, but computational performance deteriorates with quadratic runtime behavior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability check comprehensivenessVSAvoidcomputational performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ATP check process into distinct phases: data reception, direct stack generation, and availability checking. By eliminating the intermediary exploded bucket array creation step, the system processes data more efficiently while maintaining comprehensive availability information across multiple product characteristics, versions, and sublocations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful intermediary step of creating exploded bucket arrays from the conventional process. By directly generating ATP stacks from input data sets without this intermediate expansion step, the system removes the source of quadratic computational complexity while preserving the ability to handle numerous product characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If detailed product information with multiple characteristics is processed, then accurate availability results are achieved, but data processing requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability check accuracyVSAvoiddata processing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary organization of data by directly structuring ATP stacks during the data reception phase, eliminating the need for subsequent data expansion. This preliminary action ensures that comprehensive product information across multiple characteristics is properly organized before availability checking begins, reducing the overall data processing volume required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If conventional methods with intermediary data structures are used, then complete product availability information is generated, but computing time increases with quadratic behavior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability information completenessVSAvoidcomputing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by directly generating ATP stacks from input data sets without creating intermediary exploded bucket arrays. This inversion eliminates the time-consuming data expansion step while using a tree-like storage structure to efficiently organize and retrieve complete availability information across all product dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the dimensional organization of data by implementing a tree-like storage structure for ATP stacks, which efficiently handles multi-dimensional product characteristics (category, sublocation, version, characteristics) without requiring the explosive expansion of conventional linear arrays. This dimensional reorganization reduces computing time while preserving information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS8639590B2Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for checking availability of products

Publication Date: 2014.01.28 SAP SE

AI summary

A computer-implemented method of checking the availability of products comprising deriving information on one or more second electronic data sets based on information received on a plurality of first data sets. Each first data set includes a first key, including a primary key element and secondary keys elements representative of product-related conditions, and a product quantity related to a single point of time or time period. Each second data set includes a second key, formed exclusively of the secondary key elements, and product quantities related to a series of points of time or time periods. Information on the availability of one or more products is derived by checking the information on the second data sets against one or more product-related checking requirements. Furthermore, the information on the second data sets is directly generated (i.e., with no intermediary linear array) based on the information on the first data sets.