Variant Manager for Graphical Modeling Hierarchy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing large-scale models in a technical computing environment (TCE) with multiple variants becomes complex due to high variant permutations, leading to difficulties in development speed and model integrity, as existing systems lack effective methods for navigating and ensuring compatibility between variant selections.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a variant manager component that determines a hierarchy of variants, defines modes, control variables, and constraints, generating a variant manager tool to display and navigate these elements, ensuring incompatible selections are identified and preventing conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple variants are used to enable different implementations of model blocks, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to high variant permutations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex variant management problem into hierarchical levels (model level, block level, variant level). The variant manager component divides the navigation task into discrete steps: identifying variant points, determining permutations, and managing selections at each level independently. This segmentation reduces the perceived complexity by breaking down the overwhelming number of permutations into manageable segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The variant manager component acts as an intermediary between the user and the complex variant system. It automatically calculates variant permutations, identifies compatible selections, and manages the hierarchy of variants. This intermediary handles the complexity internally while presenting a simplified interface to users, allowing adaptability without requiring users to directly manage the complexity of multiple variants.
2Adaptability or versatility
If variant permutations are allowed to be high for comprehensive modeling options, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically identifying all variant points and calculating possible permutations before user interaction. The variant manager pre-processes the model to determine the complete variant hierarchy and compatibility constraints, so users don't need to manually navigate through permutations. This preliminary calculation enables comprehensive adaptability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The variant manager provides feedback to users about compatible variant selections and the current state of variant permutations. It automatically identifies which variants are compatible with existing selections and guides users through valid configuration paths. This feedback mechanism eliminates the need for users to manually check compatibility, maintaining ease of operation even with high adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive variant options are provided for large-scale models, then adaptability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to slower model development
Solution Approach 1:
The variant manager enables self-service by automatically managing variant permutations and compatibility without requiring manual intervention. It autonomously identifies variant points, calculates permutations, and validates selections, freeing users from time-consuming manual configuration tasks. This automation maintains comprehensive adaptability while significantly improving productivity by eliminating manual variant management overhead.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple variants are used to represent different implementations, then adaptability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential incompatible selections
Solution Approach 1:
The variant manager implements continuous feedback validation to ensure compatibility among variant selections. It automatically checks selected variants against defined constraints and compatibility rules, providing immediate feedback when incompatible selections are made. This feedback mechanism maintains reliability by preventing invalid configurations while preserving adaptability through comprehensive variant options.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by pre-defining compatibility constraints and validation rules for variant selections. Before users can make incompatible selections, the system has already established the rules that prevent such errors. This preliminary setup ensures that only compatible variant combinations are possible, maintaining reliability while allowing comprehensive adaptability within those constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A device receives variants associated with a model generated in a graphical modeling environment, and determines a hierarchy of the variants based on a hierarchy of the model. The device receives mode information for the variants, where the mode information includes a subset of a number of variant permutations. For each mode, the device receives control variables for the variants and optional constraints for the variants in the mode. The control variables define which variants are active, and the optional constraints ensure modeling correctness by enabling identification of conflicts between the variants. The device generates a variant manager tool based on the hierarchy of the variants, the mode information, the control variables, and the optional constraints, and outputs or stores variant information via the variant manager tool.