PLCS Database Schema for Data Storage and Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing information related to complex assets across multiple participants and systems is challenging due to disparate data schemas, terminology, and naming conventions, leading to errors, inefficiencies, and increased costs in manufacturing and maintenance processes.
Innovation Solution
A database system that transforms and consolidates data from different schemas into a common format, using a PLCS database schema compliant with ISO 10303-239, allowing multiple users to interact and update a shared database without needing to know the common schema, ensuring accurate, extensive, and error-free data storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple participants use different local schemas, terminology, and naming conventions to manage asset information, then each participant can maintain their own data standards and systems, but information accuracy and consistency deteriorate due to regeneration, re-formatting, and manual re-entry errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central database system that acts as an intermediary between multiple participants with different schemas. This central system receives data in various local formats, transforms and standardizes it according to a common schema, and stores it centrally. Participants can continue using their own terminology and schemas locally while the central database ensures information consistency and accuracy across all participants, eliminating the need for manual re-entry and reducing errors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data is manually re-generated, re-formatted, or re-entered across different systems, then information can be adapted to different schemas, but time consumption and error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a central database that performs data standardization and transformation in advance, before data is needed by different participants. The system pre-processes incoming data from various sources, converts it to the common schema format, and stores it ready for retrieval. This preliminary action eliminates the need for each participant to manually re-format or re-enter data, significantly reducing time consumption while maintaining adaptability to different schemas.
3Reliability
If a common database schema is imposed on all participants, then information consistency improves, but ease of operation deteriorates as participants must learn and use the common schema
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the database system into two distinct layers: a central standardized database that maintains information consistency using a common schema, and local participant interfaces that allow users to interact using their own familiar schemas and terminology. The system automatically handles the transformation between these layers, so participants experience ease of operation with their local schemas while the central database ensures consistency. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing both standardized storage and user-friendly access.
4Device complexity
If information is incomplete or inaccurate due to access limitations, then data storage simplicity is maintained, but decision-making quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal central database system that serves multiple functions: it collects data from all participants in various formats, standardizes and validates the information, stores it centrally with complete access controls, and distributes it back to participants in their required formats. This multi-functional system maintains storage simplicity through centralized management while ensuring information completeness and accuracy for decision-making, as all participants access the same validated data rather than fragmented local copies.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory for maintaining a database for product life cycle support (PLCS database). A computer system receives data exchange packets comprising data fields and populated with data according to different respective database schema and selects optimal data from amongst the packets. A master data exchange packet is formed comprising common field headers and the optimal data in data fields of the master data exchange packet. The system maps the common field headers to corresponding field headers of the PLCS database schema, and loads the optimal data of the master data exchange packet into the PLCS database according to the mapped PLCS field headers.