Product Configurator with Persistent Component Association
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current product configurators fail to maintain stability and consistency in user configurations when choices are revised, often leading to arbitrary changes in component associations, which can disrupt the configuration process and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A constraint-based product configurator that automatically associates components with structures through inferences, records arbitrary associations, and maintains these associations even when user choices are revised, ensuring stability and consistency in the configuration process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a constraint-based product configurator automatically associates components with structures, then the configuration process becomes more automated and efficient, but the associations may change arbitrarily when user choices are revised, reducing configuration stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing the association between user choices and component associations before revisions occur. When a user makes a choice, the system proactively determines and records the resulting component associations, creating a stable record that can be referenced later. This allows the system to maintain stable associations even when users revise their choices, as the pre-established associations provide a consistent foundation for the configuration.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the configurator maintains stable component associations when user choices are revised, then configuration stability improves, but the system complexity increases due to the need to track and maintain arbitrary associations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a choice record that mediates between user choices and component associations. This intermediary structure stores the arbitrary associations that result from user choices, acting as a buffer that decouples the user interface from the underlying configuration logic. When users revise choices, the intermediary record allows the system to maintain stable associations while managing the complexity of tracking multiple possible associations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the configurator generates component association choices for user selection, then user control and customization improve, but the number of possible configurations increases, making the interface more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by breaking down the configuration process into distinct segments: user choices, arbitrary associations, and component associations. Each segment is handled separately and independently, allowing users to customize at the choice level while the system manages associations in the background. This segmentation reduces interface complexity by hiding the complexity of multiple possible configurations behind a simplified user interface that presents only the necessary choices.
Data Source
AI summary
A constraint based product configurator determines a structure that is adapted to be associated with one or more components and determines if an arbitrary association is possible for the structure. If an arbitrary association is possible, the configurator associates a component with the structure and generates a component association choice for the association. The component association choice is an identity of the structure and the corresponding first component.