Ontology-Based Artifact Linking for Engineering Traceability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current engineering systems face challenges in managing and maintaining traceability of complex, multi-domain physical systems, particularly in ensuring compliance with safety standards like ISO 26262 and IEC 61508, due to the complexity and distribution of engineering information across different tools and stakeholders.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using annotation trees and ontologies to determine similarity values between engineering artifacts, generating connectors to link related artifacts, and ensuring consistency, thereby facilitating traceability and compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If engineering information is distributed across different tools and stakeholders to support complex multi-domain systems, then the system's functionality and coverage are improved, but traceability and compliance verification become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments engineering information into structured annotation trees with hierarchical nodes representing different artifacts (requirements, design elements, test cases). Each node contains metadata and relationships, allowing distributed information to be organized into manageable segments that can be individually tracked while maintaining overall traceability through the hierarchical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that automatically analyzes annotation trees from different engineering tools, extracts relationships between artifacts, and generates traceability links. This intermediary layer reconciles distributed information without requiring direct integration between all tools, maintaining traceability while preserving tool independence.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual methods are used to establish traceability links between engineering artifacts, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but time consumption and error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically extracts artifact information from annotation trees, identifies relationships based on predefined rules and ontologies, and generates traceability links without manual intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously maintaining traceability while allowing manual override when needed, significantly reducing time while preserving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the automated traceability system continuously verifies links against safety standards and compliance requirements, providing feedback for correction or refinement. This feedback loop ensures automated processes maintain flexibility by adapting to compliance changes while reducing overall time investment compared to purely manual methods.
3Reliability
If comprehensive traceability links are established between all engineering artifacts, then compliance with safety standards is improved, but system complexity and data management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments comprehensive traceability into hierarchical annotation trees where relationships are organized by artifact type and compliance requirement. This segmentation allows the system to manage complex traceability data in structured segments rather than as an unmanageable web of links, maintaining compliance verification while reducing data management complexity through organized hierarchy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal annotation tree structures and standardized relationship types that can be applied across different engineering domains and compliance standards. This universality allows the same data structure to serve multiple compliance verification purposes simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity by avoiding domain-specific customizations while maintaining comprehensive traceability.
Data Source
AI summary
For improved engineering of a physical system, a computer-implemented method includes providing a set of first engineering artifacts and a set of second engineering artifacts of engineering information of the physical system. A first annotation tree including first nodes representing the set of first engineering artifacts and a second annotation tree including second nodes representing the set of second engineering artifacts are determined. At least one ontology relating to the engineering information is provided. A respective similarity value of the respective first node and the respective second node is determined using the respective ontology. At least one of the first nodes that is related to at least one of the second nodes is determined using the respective similarity value, and a respective connector linking the respective first engineering artifact corresponding to the respective first node with the respective second engineering artifact corresponding to the related, respective second node is generated.