Dynamic Layout Box Grouping for Aircraft Wiring Diagrams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dynamic layout systems for complex electrical systems, such as aircraft wiring diagrams, lack the ability to represent groupings of related components, making it difficult for maintenance personnel to navigate and understand the connections between components across multiple sheets.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Box Internal Layout Methodology that allows for the creation of dynamic layouts with boxes containing groupings of components, connectors, and sub-boxes within a canvas, enabling better representation and clarity of complex wiring systems by organizing components into hierarchical structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional hard copy schematic diagrams are used, then components can be illustrated in detail, but users must manually locate components across multiple sheets and trace connections, making the system difficult to use and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the schematic diagram into hierarchical groupings called 'boxes,' where each box contains a specific subset of related components. This segmentation allows users to focus on specific functional groups rather than searching through entire multi-sheet diagrams, directly addressing the time-consuming nature of locating components in traditional schematics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested boxes within boxes, creating a hierarchical structure where boxes can contain other boxes. This nesting mechanism allows for organization of components at multiple levels of detail, enabling users to drill down into specific component groups without having to review the entire schematic, thus improving ease of operation and reducing time to locate connections.
2Loss of information
If dynamic layout systems use simple grid canvases without groupings, then the layout process is simple, but the system cannot represent groupings of related components, reducing clarity of complex wiring systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the canvas into multiple boxes, each representing a grouping of related components. This segmentation provides visual organization that enhances clarity of component relationships and functional groupings, directly addressing the loss of information in traditional grid layouts without requiring overly complex layout mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the traditional two-dimensional grid canvas by introducing boxes that can contain other boxes. This dimensional change allows for representation of component groupings and hierarchical relationships, improving clarity of complex wiring systems while maintaining manageable layout complexity through structured organization.
3Ease of operation
If components are distributed across multiple sheets in traditional schematics, then detailed illustrations can be provided, but users must manually reference multiple sheets to understand connections, increasing difficulty of use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges related components into single boxes that can be displayed on a single canvas. This merging reduces the number of separate sheets or views required to understand connections, as components that would traditionally be distributed across multiple sheets are now grouped together in a single organized structure, directly improving ease of referencing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses nested boxes to organize components hierarchically, allowing related components to be grouped together at different levels. This nesting structure enables users to reference components within the same box or parent box without needing to navigate through multiple separate sheets, reducing the complexity of the overall structure while maintaining detailed illustrations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for automatically generating a dynamic layout of a top-level canvas with an internal box layout structure providing a storage element, and a processing element capable of receiving requests to assign a plurality of components within the canvas; assessing both component data and associated connectivity data component related to components having associated parent and child data, and for components without a parent component; connectivity data associated with the component data; and automatically laying out the canvas. Boxes are created inside the top-level canvas diagram, which are sub-canvases to the top-level canvas. Each of these sub-canvases provides components, connectivity elements, and sub-canvases. The methodology is recursive so the diagram can have many levels of boxes inside of boxes. The canvases are positioned with the lowest level of sub-canvas and progressing outward to the next level of sub-canvas until the top-level canvas is displayed.