Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-16
2004-05-25
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S090000, C700S091000, C700S095000, C700S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06741900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design support apparatus, a design support method, and a program for realizing these apparatus and method in a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been proposed design support methods using computers, such as CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) systems, etc. When designing apparatuses constituted by various components, whether those components and apparatuses made of those components satisfy requirements must be fully checked. Computer supports are demanded also in such situations.
Further, it is difficult for man to predict with ease at the time of designing whether the designed product will cause any problem when it is actually manufactured. It requires years of experience and sense to acquire knowledge for such prediction.
However, today's situation where products to be designed are becoming more varied and complex requires a design support environment with a computer which does not simply count on engineers' experience and sense, but shares their experience and sense as “knowledge” and utilizes the knowledge at the time of designing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above described problems. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a design support apparatus and design support method suitable for discovering at the time of designing, possibility of causing any problem in a product (including any kind of parts of a commodity, components and designed items) to be designed, and a program for controlling a computer to realize such apparatus and method.
To achieve the above object, the following invention is disclosed in accordance with the principle of the present invention.
A design support apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises an input reception unit, a strength calculation unit, a stress calculation unit, and a comparison report unit. The design support apparatus is structured as follows:
the input reception unit receives an input of a parameter name of a product to be designed and a parameter value associated with the parameter name;
the strength calculation unit calculates a strength value of the product to be designed using the parameter name and the parameter value whose input has been received, in accordance with a predetermined calculation procedure;
the stress calculation unit calculates a value (stress value) of a stress which is applied to the product to be designed using the parameter name and the parameter value whose input has been received, in accordance with a predetermined calculation procedure; and
the comparison report unit compares the calculated strength value with the calculated stress value, and reports report information which is associated with the comparison in a case where the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition.
According to this invention, a strength value corresponding to the strength of a product to be designed and a stress value corresponding to a stress imposed on the product to be designed are automatically estimated and compared with each other at the time of designing. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain various report information including information regarding a problem to be caused.
A design support apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a definition attribute dictionary unit, a strength dictionary unit, a stress dictionary unit, a comparison report dictionary unit, an input reception unit, a definition attribute obtaining unit, a strength obtaining unit, a stress obtaining unit, a report information obtaining unit, a strength calculation unit, a stress calculation unit, and a comparison report unit. The design support apparatus is structured as follows:
the definition attribute dictionary unit stores a definition attribute name, parameter names which relate to the definition attribute name, and remarks about whether the respective parameter names are a control attribute or a stress attribute, in association with one another;
the strength dictionary unit stores a strength name, a parameter name of a control attribute which is necessary for calculating the strength name, and a procedure for calculating a value (strength value) associated with the strength name using a value (parameter value) of the parameter name;
the stress dictionary unit stores a stress name, a parameter name which relates to the stress name, and a procedure for calculating a value (stress value) associated with the stress name using a value (parameter value) associated with the parameter name;
the comparison report dictionary unit stores a strength name, a stress name, comparison means for comparing the strength name and the stress name, and report information to be reported in a case where a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition, in association with one another;
the input reception unit receives an input of definition attribute names of a product to be designed;
the definition attribute obtaining unit obtains a definition attribute name which is stored in the definition attribute dictionary unit from among the input definition attribute names, parameter names which relate to the obtained definition attribute name, and remarks about whether the respective parameter names are a control attribute or a stress attribute;
the strength obtaining unit obtains a strength name which can be calculated using any of the obtained parameter names that is a control attribute, and a procedure for calculating a strength value associated with the strength name, from the strength dictionary unit;
the stress obtaining unit obtains a stress name which can be calculated using any of the obtained parameter names that is a stress attribute, and a procedure for calculating a stress value associated with the stress name, from the stress dictionary unit;
in a case where the obtained strength name which can be calculated and the obtained stress name which can be calculated are stored in association with each other in the comparison report dictionary unit, the report information obtaining unit obtains a comparison procedure which is stored in association with those strength name and stress name, and report information to be reported in a case where a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition;
in a case where the comparison procedure and the report information are obtained by the report information obtaining unit, the input reception unit further receives an input of a parameter value associated with any of the obtained parameter names that is a control attribute and a parameter value associated with any of the obtained parameter names that is a stress attribute;
the strength calculation unit calculates a strength value in accordance with the obtained procedure for calculating a strength value, using the input parameter value associated with any of the obtained parameter names that is a control attribute;
the stress calculation unit calculates a stress value in accordance with the obtained procedure for calculating a stress value, using the input parameter value associated with any of the obtained parameter names that is a stress attribute; and
the comparison report unit compares the calculated strength value with the calculated stress value in accordance with the obtained comparison procedure, and reports the obtained report information in a case where a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition.
According to this invention, it is possible to receive an input of a definition attribute, a control attribute, and stress of a product to be designed from a user, calculate a strength value and stress value, and present report information to the user.
The design support apparatus according to the second aspect may further comprise a control attribute dictionary unit and a substitution relation obtaining unit. The design support apparatus may be structured as follows:
the control attribute dictionary unit stores, in a case where a parameter valu
Iizuka Yoshinori
Tamura Yasuhiko
Justsystem Corporation
Kasenge Charles
Picard Leo
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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