Supplier Design Data Access With Geometry Confidentiality
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to provide potential suppliers with access to product design data while maintaining confidentiality of geometric data, especially during the component sampling process.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method divides design data into structural and geometric sets, allowing suppliers to access structural data via an intermediary's platform while geometry data is restricted to the supplier's system, using access codes and encrypted communication channels to ensure confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If design data is made accessible to potential suppliers via an intermediary platform, then information availability is improved, but data confidentiality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments design data into two distinct categories: structural data (made publicly accessible via intermediary platform) and geometric data (kept confidential and accessible only through direct supplier-system communication). This segmentation allows the system to satisfy both information availability and confidentiality requirements by distributing different data types through different channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary platform that mediates access to structural data while excluding access to geometric data. The intermediary serves as a controlled gateway that can provide necessary information to potential suppliers without exposing sensitive geometric information, thus resolving the contradiction between information sharing and confidentiality protection.
2Ease of operation
If geometric data is transmitted through the intermediary platform, then ease of access is improved, but security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts geometric data from the intermediary platform's data transmission path and creates a separate, direct transmission channel between the supplier's system and the potential supplier's system. This extraction removes the security vulnerability of transmitting sensitive geometric data through the intermediary while maintaining ease of access through automated electronic transmission.
3Productivity
If all design data is made available on the intermediary platform, then productivity is improved, but risk of data misuse increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting design data into structural and geometric components, the patent enables the sampling process to proceed efficiently with structural data available on the intermediary platform, while minimizing data misuse risk by restricting geometric data to authorized parties only through controlled direct access mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In the computer-implemented process for facilitating access to the design data of a product and/or its parts and/or components from a product supplier (14) to a potential supplier (12) who manufactures or procures the product for the product supplier (14), the design data is separated into structural data on the one hand and sensitive geometric data on the other. A supplier (12) requires both data sets for further processing. The supplier (12) can view the structural data via an internet platform provided by an intermediary (10). If the supplier then decides that they also wish to access the geometric data, this data is released by the intermediary (10), who does not possess the geometric data at any time and does not receive it from the product supplier (14) or even from the supplier (12).In this respect, the intermediary (10) provides the product supplier (14) with a typically software component that enables all procedural steps for the supplier (12) to access the product supplier's (14) geometry data (in encrypted form).