Hierarchical Damage Vector Structure for Structural Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for processing damage information in structures, such as bridges and buildings, face difficulties in recognizing the connection relationships between damage vectors, making it hard to search, analyze, and evaluate damage effectively.

Innovation Solution

A damage information processing device and method that vectorizes damage information to generate hierarchical structure information, allowing easy recognition of connection relationships between damage vectors by determining upper or lower level relationships based on connection, branching, angle, time of occurrence, or other criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If damage information is vectorized to generate damage vectors, then damage can be represented in a structured format, but it becomes difficult to recognize the connection relationships between damage vectors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage information representationVSAvoidrecognition of connection relationships
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces hierarchical structure information that adds a new dimension to damage vector representation. By organizing damage vectors into hierarchical levels (parent-child relationships), the system transforms flat vector data into a multi-dimensional structure that explicitly encodes connection relationships, making them recognizable without losing the structured format benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces hierarchical structure information as an intermediary element between damage vectors. This intermediary structure serves as a mediator that explicitly represents connection relationships (parent-child, sibling relationships) between damage vectors, allowing the system to maintain both structured representation and clear relationship recognition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If hierarchical structure information is generated to represent connection relationships, then damage analysis becomes easier, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage analysisVSAvoidinformation processing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments damage information into hierarchical levels (parent damage vectors, child damage vectors, sibling damage vectors). This segmentation organizes the complex information into manageable units with clear relationships, making damage analysis easier while structuring the complexity in a systematic rather than chaotic way.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By adding the hierarchical dimension to damage vector representation, the patent transforms complex connection relationships into a structured multi-level format. This dimensional addition makes relationships explicit and analyzable, managing complexity through organized structure rather than increasing operational difficulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Loss of information

If multiple damage vectors are connected at end points, then comprehensive damage representation is achieved, but difficulty in searching and analyzing specific damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage connection representationVSAvoidsearch and analysis of specific damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent adds hierarchical level information as an additional dimension to damage vector data. Each damage vector is tagged with its hierarchical level (parent, child, sibling relationships), enabling systematic search and analysis by traversing the hierarchical structure rather than searching through all connections simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the interconnected damage vectors into hierarchical groups (parent-child-sibling relationships). This segmentation allows the system to analyze and search specific damage by focusing on particular hierarchical levels or relationships, rather than treating all connections as a single complex network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3396359B1Damage information processing device and damage information processing method
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP3396359B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3396359B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3396359B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a damage information processing device and a damage information processing method capable of easily recognizing a connection relationship between damage vectors. An information processing device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a damage information acquisition unit that acquires damage information on damage of a structure, a damage vector generation unit that vectorizes the acquired damage information to generate a damage vector, and a hierarchical structure information generation unit that generates hierarchical structure information that is information hierarchically representing a connection relationship between the damage vectors on the basis of the generated damage vector. Since the hierarchical structure information that is information hierarchically representing the connection relationship between damage vectors is generated, it is possible to easily recognize the connection relationship between the damage vectors and to easily perform analysis and/or search of the damage vector through the hierarchical structure information.