Idempotent Token Management for Digital Engineering Execution Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital engineering tools face challenges in interoperability, require specialized skill sets, lack seamless sharing and reuse of models, and necessitate physical testing, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs in product development and certification.
Innovation Solution
An interconnected digital engineering and certification ecosystem with a centralized computing system that enables interoperability through APIs, includes digitized regulatory standards, and provides a single user interface, allowing for digital certification and model sharing while maintaining security and intellectual property protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple digital engineering tools are integrated directly with one another, then interoperability between tools is improved, but the complexity and cost of integration increases significantly (N2 complexity)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (API gateway, message broker, or integration platform) that mediates between multiple digital engineering tools. This intermediary standardizes data exchange protocols and manages tool-to-tool communication, reducing integration complexity from N2 to approximately N relationships, where N is the number of tools connected to the intermediary rather than each other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal interface layer or common data model that multiple digital engineering tools can adopt. This universal interface enables tools from different vendors to communicate through standardized protocols and data formats, improving interoperability without requiring custom integration for each tool pair.
2Measurement precision
If digital engineering tools require specialized skill sets for operation, then tool functionality and precision are improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary user interface or abstraction layer that sits between the user and the complex digital engineering tools. This intermediary provides simplified workflows, automated guidance, and standardized interaction patterns, allowing users with less specialized training to operate sophisticated engineering tools while maintaining precision through the tool's underlying capabilities.
3Measurement precision
If physical testing is conducted for certification, then certification accuracy is improved, but time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital copies or virtual representations of physical testing processes through digital twins, simulation models, or virtual validation environments. These digital copies replicate the behavior and characteristics of physical systems, enabling certification activities to be performed in the digital domain. This approach maintains the accuracy of physical testing while eliminating the time and resource constraints of physical prototypes and test setups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary digital validation and verification activities before physical testing. By conducting simulations, virtual validations, and digital assessments beforehand, the patent identifies and resolves issues in the digital domain, reducing the need for iterative physical testing and accelerating the overall certification process while maintaining accuracy.
4Productivity
If model sharing and reuse are enabled across the ecosystem, then productivity is improved, but security and intellectual property protection become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments models and data into modular components with granular access controls. Instead of sharing entire models or datasets, the system allows selective sharing of specific model components, parameters, or data elements. This segmentation enables productivity improvements through reuse while maintaining security by limiting exposure to only the necessary portions of proprietary information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements secure copying mechanisms where models can be replicated and shared in controlled environments. Digital copies of models can be distributed to authorized users or systems with embedded security measures, usage rights management, and traceability. This enables widespread reuse for productivity while maintaining the original owner's security controls and intellectual property protection.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for security of a digital engineering ecosystem. In some implementations, a digital platform receives a request to execute an operation on a digital model. The digital platform generates a fungible idempotent token that uniquely identifies the request. The digital platform selects data that identifies one or more tools for executing the operation. The digital platform generates one or more nonfungible idempotent tokens associated with the data that identifies the one or more selected tools. The digital platform executes the operation on the digital model using the tools. While executing the operation, the digital platform determines whether to additionally execute the operation on the digital model based on a subsequent request. In response to determining that the additional execution of the operation has been requested while the operation is being executed, the digital platform prevents the additional execution.