VCM Vehicle Specification with Constraint-Based Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The configuration of Vehicle-Corner-Module (VCM)-based vehicles is error-prone due to unknown or overlooked VCM-specific limiting factors, leading to the creation of electrically and mechanically non-compliant vehicles, especially when designed by unskilled personnel.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow users to manually and explicitly select vehicle and VCM characteristics, computing mechanical and electrical constraints to ensure compliance, and generating specifications for compliant configurations through a user interface and network-based system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manually configure VCM-based vehicles without constraint computation, then configuration flexibility is improved, but compliance reliability deteriorates due to unknown VCM-specific limiting factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation of mechanical and electrical constraints before the user makes configuration selections. By pre-calculating compatible VCM characteristics based on selected vehicle characteristics, the system ensures compliance is built into the configuration process from the start, preventing non-compliant configurations before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The constraint computation system acts as an intermediary between the user's configuration choices and the final vehicle specification. It mediates by filtering and validating selections against pre-computed constraints, ensuring that only compliant configurations are presented to the user while maintaining configuration flexibility.
2Reliability
If the system computes mechanical and electrical constraints for all VCM characteristics, then compliance reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the constraint computation process into distinct phases: first computing mechanical constraints separately from electrical constraints, and further dividing VCM characteristics into manageable subsets. This segmentation makes the complex computation more tractable and easier to implement while maintaining comprehensive compliance checking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system computes constraints for all VCM characteristics comprehensively (excessive action) to ensure complete compliance coverage. By performing full constraint computation across all characteristics rather than selective sampling, the system guarantees reliability even though it increases computational effort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system provides extensive user interface components for selecting multiple vehicle and VCM characteristics, then configuration versatility is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to the complexity of manual selections
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides immediate feedback to the user by dynamically updating the list of compatible VCM characteristics based on previous selections. As the user selects vehicle characteristics, the system feedbacks the constrained set of compatible VCM options, guiding the user through the configuration process and making extensive selections easier to manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary filtering of VCM characteristics based on selected vehicle characteristics before presenting options to the user. This preliminary action reduces the number of options the user must evaluate manually, making the extensive configuration process more manageable while preserving versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and networks for controlling design and manufacture of mechanically and electrically compliant VCM-based vehicles, in which a user manually and explicitly defines at least one vehicle characteristic and at least one VCM characteristic. User selection of one or more vehicle characteristics ensures that the selection of VCM characteristics will be that of VCM characteristics compatible with the selected vehicle characteristics. Similarly, user selection of one or more VCMs or VCM characteristics ensures that the selection of vehicle characteristics will be that of vehicle characteristics compatible with the selected VCM or VCM characteristics.