Multi-User CAx Entity Pairing for Concurrent Design Collaboration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current CAx software is restricted to a single user paradigm, preventing simultaneous editing and collaboration on component designs, which can lead to conflicts and inconsistencies.

Innovation Solution

A multi-user CAx environment with a synchronization module that allows entities to update based on pairing criteria, such as geometry, size, location, and orientation, enabling multiple users to collaborate by storing and displaying local copies of component designs and updating them according to predetermined conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If single-user paradigm is used to maintain design integrity, then conflicts are avoided, but collaboration efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign integrityVSAvoidcollaboration efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the component design into multiple entities that can be independently paired and synchronized. Each entity can be edited by different users simultaneously, with the synchronization module managing updates based on pairing criteria, thus enabling collaboration while maintaining design integrity through structured segmentation of editable units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The synchronization module acts as an intermediary between multiple users editing the same component design. It receives updates from different users, evaluates pairing criteria, and determines which updates to apply, thereby mediating between conflicting edits and maintaining design integrity while enabling simultaneous collaboration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If real-time synchronization is implemented to maintain design intent, then design consistency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign consistencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes pairing criteria between entities in advance, before conflicts occur. This preliminary configuration of relationships allows the synchronization module to automatically determine update propagation without complex real-time decision-making, reducing system complexity while maintaining design consistency through pre-defined rules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple users can edit simultaneously to improve collaboration, then productivity increases, but conflicts and inconsistencies increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoiddesign consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The synchronization module implements feedback mechanisms where updates from one user are evaluated against pairing criteria before being applied. This feedback loop ensures that conflicting changes are detected and resolved according to predefined rules, maintaining design consistency while allowing simultaneous editing by multiple users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10812573B2Entity pairing for a multi-user CAx environment

Publication Date: 2020.10.20 RTX CORP

AI summary

A system for collaborating on a component according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a computing device configured to execute a first multi-user CAx environment including a synchronization module. The synchronization module is configured to cause a first entity of a component design to update in the first multi-user CAx environment according to at least one pairing criterion. The at least one pairing criterion relates to a second entity of the component design. A method for collaborating on a component design is also disclosed.