Product Representation Alignment via Logical Expressions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The growing complexity of product configurations makes it difficult to determine whether instances are mapped between different product representations, such as CAD structures and part BOMs, leading to alignment mismatches.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies and aligns product representations by formulating logical expressions, intersecting variant expressions, and using bit arrays to represent prime implicants, ensuring variance completeness and consistency across domain-specific solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If product configurations become more complex to accommodate multiple domains (CAD, BOM, manufacturing), then the completeness of variant data improves, but the difficulty of determining alignment between different product representations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mapping relationship as an intermediary between different product representations (CAD structures, part BOMs, manufacturing data). This mapping explicitly connects instances across domains and includes alignment status information, making it easier to detect and measure alignment without losing variant data completeness. The mapping acts as a mediator that bridges the gap between complex domain-specific representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring and updating the alignment status of mapped instances. When variant data changes in any domain, the system detects these changes and re-evaluates alignment relationships, providing feedback about alignment status. This enables automatic detection of mismatches and maintains awareness of alignment state across complex product configurations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If domain-specific product representations include only relevant variance information, then the consistency within each domain improves, but the difficulty of determining cross-domain alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping relationship serves multiple functions simultaneously: it links instances across different domains, stores alignment status information, tracks variant data changes, and enables alignment determination. This universal structure handles both domain-specific consistency requirements and cross-domain alignment determination without requiring separate complex mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to product representation by introducing explicit mapping relationships that exist in a higher-level abstraction space. Rather than trying to directly compare complex multi-domain representations, the system operates in the mapping dimension where alignment can be determined more easily, then projects results back to the original domains.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple disciplines use different product representations with different levels of detail, then each discipline can work with relevant information, but mismatches between representations become harder to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the alignment determination process into discrete manageable units by creating individual mapping relationships for specific instance pairs across domains. Each mapping can be independently evaluated for alignment status, allowing precise measurement of alignment at the instance level rather than requiring holistic comparison of entire complex representations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer program for identifying a plurality of product representations; formulating a plurality of logical expressions from said plurality of product representations; and aligning each of said plurality of logical expressions with a variance completeness and a consistency and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.