Syndicated Configuration Rule Management System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing configuration systems face challenges in maintaining complex rules, especially when new components from different manufacturers are added, as they often lack necessary information and burden a single entity with rule management.
Innovation Solution
A system where multiple manufacturers syndicate their attributes and configuration rules, allowing a sales channel to receive and integrate these rules, enabling the creation of updated configurations without overwhelming any single entity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single entity maintains all configuration rules for complex systems, then rule consistency is ensured, but the maintenance burden and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration rule maintenance task by allowing each manufacturer to independently maintain their own component attributes and rules. Instead of one central entity managing all rules, the system divides rule ownership among multiple manufacturers, each responsible for their respective components. This segmentation reduces the maintenance burden on any single entity while the integration mechanism ensures overall consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary integration mechanism that combines rules from multiple manufacturers. This intermediary layer receives component attributes and rules from various manufacturers, integrates them into a coherent configuration system, and presents a unified view to end users. The intermediary ensures consistency across manufacturer-specific rules without requiring any single manufacturer to manage all rules.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new configuration options from different manufacturers are added to the system, then system versatility is improved, but the difficulty of maintaining rules increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each manufacturer independently manages and updates their own component attributes and configuration rules. When new components are introduced, only the relevant manufacturer needs to update their segment of the rule set, rather than requiring comprehensive updates across the entire system. This segmented approach enables versatile system expansion while keeping maintenance manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal integration framework that can accommodate rules and components from multiple manufacturers with different formats and specifications. The integration mechanism is designed to handle diverse input from various sources, allowing the system to maintain versatility across different manufacturers while providing a unified configuration experience through standardized integration processes.
3Manufacturing precision
If manufacturer-specific component attributes are used, then configuration accuracy is improved, but information availability to other manufacturers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary integration mechanism receives detailed manufacturer-specific component attributes and rules, processes them to maintain precision and accuracy, then integrates them into a unified configuration system. This intermediary layer ensures that specific attribute information is preserved and accurately applied while making it available to the overall system and other manufacturers through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions manufacturer-specific information from isolated silos into a multi-dimensional integrated structure. Component attributes and rules from different manufacturers are combined in a higher-dimensional configuration space where they can interact and be cross-referenced. This dimensional transformation allows specific manufacturer information to maintain its precision while becoming accessible and usable by other manufacturers in the integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for maintaining businesses rules in a configuration system are disclosed. The presently disclosed system allows systems to be configured using a plurality of rules that are syndicated by a plurality of different manufacturers. Each manufacturer syndicates a portion of the overall system attributes and/or configuration rule set for use by others. Configuration users, such as the sales channel, may then create additional rules and/or configure products with the most recent version of the component attributes and configuration rules, and no single entity is burdened with maintaining the entire attribute and/or rule set.