Infrastructure Model Access Decoupling for Secure Distributed Use

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing infrastructure modeling systems face challenges in enabling distributed user access while ensuring high performance and security, particularly due to data silos and inefficiencies in network bandwidth and processing load.

Innovation Solution

A software architecture is introduced that decouples user access from proprietary software maintaining infrastructure models, utilizing a backend application with separate modules for communication and infrastructure management, allowing for customized backend applications that reduce network consumption and enhance security through functional separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If proprietary software maintains and updates infrastructure models directly, then model maintenance capability is ensured, but network bandwidth consumption increases and security is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodel maintenance capabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the infrastructure modeling functionality into separate modules: a backend application module that handles model maintenance and update operations, and frontend application modules that provide user access. This segmentation allows the backend to process model operations locally without requiring continuous network communication, reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining model maintenance capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary backend application module that acts as a mediator between the proprietary infrastructure modeling software and multiple frontend applications. This intermediary handles model maintenance and update operations, preventing direct network access to the model data and thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while preserving the ability to maintain and update models.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If proprietary software maintains and updates infrastructure models directly, then model maintenance capability is ensured, but security is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodel maintenance capabilityVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If distributed user access is enabled to infrastructure models, then user accessibility is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser accessibilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a copying mechanism where local instances of the infrastructure model are created and maintained on backend servers. Frontend applications access these local copies rather than querying the central model continuously, enabling distributed user access while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple backend applications access infrastructure models, then functionality is improved, but processing load increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidprocessing load

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where each backend application maintains its own local instance of the infrastructure model and processes operations independently. This eliminates the need for multiple applications to compete for access to a central model, reducing processing load while preserving functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3864503B1Techniques for decoupling access to infrastructure models

Publication Date: 2025.12.10 BENTLEY SYSTEMS INC

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

In example embodiments, techniques are provided for decoupling user access to infrastructure models from proprietary software that maintains and updates the infrastructure models. A backend application may include an infrastructure modeling backend module that, among other functions, handles communication with an infrastructure modeling frontend module of a frontend application that provides user access to the infrastructure model, infrastructure modeling hub services that maintain repositories for the infrastructure model, and an infrastructure modeling native module that creates, performs operations upon, and updates local instances of a database that stores the infrastructure model. While the infrastructure modeling backend module may pass information obtained from the infrastructure modeling frontend module and infrastructure modeling hub services to the infrastructure modeling native module, it may be functionally separated from the software of the infrastructure modeling native module that understands how to maintain and update infrastructure models, including interacting with local instances of the database.