Automated Wiring Diagram Generation via Entity Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagram generation software for wiring and plumbing diagrams is semi-automated, requiring manual rearrangement and connection of icons, which is inefficient and time-consuming, especially when dealing with complex layouts and relationships.
Innovation Solution
An automated method for generating diagrams that involves inputting entity descriptions and connectivity relationships, assigning entities to groups and columns, determining layouts, and outputting representations that include symbols for wires, devices, and ports, using a graphical user interface or parsing files from control systems to create optimized layouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual rearrangement and connection of icons is used in semi-automated diagram generation software, then users have control over diagram creation, but the process becomes inefficient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically assigning entities to groups and columns, determining layouts, and positioning icons before the user sees the final diagram. This pre-computation of optimal arrangements eliminates the need for manual rearrangement while maintaining design quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The diagram generation system serves itself by automatically processing entity descriptions and connectivity relationships to produce complete, properly laid out diagrams without requiring user intervention for positioning or connection drawing. The system independently resolves layout optimization and icon placement.
2Ease of operation
If automated layout determination is implemented, then manual effort is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system segments the diagram generation process into distinct phases: entity assignment to groups, column assignment, layout determination, and connectivity relationship assignment. Each segment handles a specific aspect of the problem, making the overall complex task manageable through modular processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary data structures and processing layers between the input entity descriptions and the final diagram output. These intermediaries (groups, columns, lanes) serve as mediation mechanisms that translate raw data into optimized visual layouts automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides, in some aspects, a method of automated diagram generation that includes inputting a description of a plurality of entities and connectivity relationships in which those entities participate with one another; assigning the entities to each of one or more groups groups; assigning the entities to each of one or more columns, each of which has one or more lanes; determining a candidate layout of columns for placement into one or more workspaces based on widths assigned to those columns; assigning connectivity relationships of one or more entities in at least one column to each of one or more lanes based on the column(s) to which entities participating in those connectivity relationships are assigned; assigning widths to at least one of the columns as a function of those lane assignments; and outputting a representation of that candidate layout.