Data processing: structural design – modeling – simulation – and em – Simulating electronic device or electrical system – Event-driven
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-08
2001-03-13
Teska, Kevin J. (Department: 2763)
Data processing: structural design, modeling, simulation, and em
Simulating electronic device or electrical system
Event-driven
C703S022000, C700S104000, C700S031000, C700S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202043
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to engineering problem solving and design tools and more particularly to computer based systems for aiding engineers, scientists and the like to have a greater understanding of the products, processes, or machines they wish to improve and the technical problems related thereto that they wish to solve.
Great advancements have been made in the fields commonly known as computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE). These computer based systems enable the designer to create detailed images and print-outs of the product or machine he/she is designing or improving. With CAD, the designer can try many new designs or modifications of subsystems and components quickly and view the modified products immediately on the monitor or print-out. The CAD system also generates virtual 3-D images of the product or machine, enables in-space rotation of the product image and zoom through the product image interior.
Although CAD systems are a great designer tool for trying design changes quickly, they do not otherwise aid the designer in the evaluation and solving of technical engineering problems or conceiving new products or processes that provide new functional performance or the same functional performance with completely different engineering approaches. Accordingly, there has arisen a relatively new area of computer based engineering tools known as concept engineering computer based systems. These systems serve to increase the designer's inventive and creative abilities in solving engineering and scientific operational or functional problems and, in the course of such problem solving, induce the designer to invent new structural and functional concepts applicable to his/her design goals.
One such concept engineering computer based system is the Invention Machine™ LAB™ Software sold by Invention Machine Corporation of Boston, Mass., that comprises a knowledge and logic based system that generates concepts and recommendations for solving engineering problems at the conceptual level. Various inventive rules or procedures are included and certain ones selected and presented to the user to consider in solving the user's current session problem. This system applies to all fields of physics and aid the engineer by solving engineering contradictions to reduce the tendency of user applied engineering trade-offs. In addition, this system includes a large data base of physical, geometric, and chemical effects used in the past to solve other engineering problems and selected ones of the effects are presented to the user to consider for a solution to his/her current problem session. Lastly, this system includes a technology evolution and prediction capability that aids the user in understanding the dynamics of his/her product evolution and the logical next or future generation of the product or its function. This stimulates the user to think forward and extrapolate the dynamics of the technology life cycle and originate the next generation of technology.
Although the above conceptual engineering system has experienced much acceptance by the technical community, there is still a need for a computer based systems that aid the user in understanding the nature and value aspects of the current product, machine, or process the engineer wishes to design or re-design. In addition, there is a need for the user to be aided in formulating the statement of the most important technical problems for elimination of components or harmful actions between components of the object system being analyzed.
SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION
One exemplary embodiment of the present invention pertains to a computer based conceptual engineering analysis software system and method (EAS) that satisfies the above described needs and provides other benefits described below. The EAS, according to the principles of the present invention, assists the user to input and displays a functional model of the object system under analysis, which functional model of an object, device, machine, or other engineering system (hereafter termed “object system”) includes the major components, supersystems, products and both useful and harmful interactions between them.
The EAS prompts the user to input data that enables the EAS to perform a parameter analysis of the various interactions. The EAS then analyzes the functional model elements, conducts an interaction parameter analysis, conducts an object system component function and problem and task significance ranking subroutine, and automatically displays recommendations of which components should be changed or eliminated from the object system to achieve the greatest redesign value and which functions should be transferred to the other remaining components.
The EAS includes an Initial Data routine that prompts the user to input analysis or session qualitative and quantitative objectives in re-designing an engineering system or object. After entering initial data, the EAS next prompts user to create an image of a functional model of the object system, learn what parts this object consists of, and how these parts interact with each other and with the environment. It is then possible to decide where the bottleneck is, what problems should be solved, and what is the urgency of the problems. Next a Functional Model routine displays an image of a functional model of the current session object and allows the user to edit it or complete the statement to generate the functional and interaction relationships of components of the current object system the user wishes to modify or redesign. The Functional Model routine includes three alternate modes to enable the user to build the functional model, namely, (i) a graph mode in which the user builds the functional model directly on the screen by entering boxes representing components, products and supersystems or (ii) an expert or table mode in which the user is prompted to enter each component, product and supersystem. With such data entered, the EAS will display automatically the graphic form of the functional model if desired by the user.
The EAS also prompts user to apply to the functional model or an interaction matrix the harmful effects and useful interactions between specific components and any supersystems affected by and products produced by the object system. The EAS also prompts user to input the actual, desired and ideal values of harmful and useful interactions and parameter dependencies. The EAS then analyzes the model components and interactions and formulates a list of specifically numbered problems and sorts them according to urgency or priority.
The EAS provides a Trimming routine during which the object system functional model is analyzed, evaluated, and the functions and problems of each object system component ranked in importance. The user checks results and enters the cost of each component. The system re-analyzes the object system and recommends the components that can or should be simplified or trimmed (omitted) and certain trimming conditions.
The EAS conducts each analysis on either of two levels of depth as selected by the user, namely express (short analysis level) or advanced (detailed analysis level), as described below. Different levels of analysis for different interactions of the same object can also be conducted. After analyses are completed, the system presents the engineering system characteristics before trimming and after trimming and the percent of improvement of each characteristic.
As can be seen below, the EAS, according to the present invention indicates to the user new and powerful information about the object, each component of the object, and each interaction between such components and each supersystem and any products produced or conveyed by the object. In addition, the EAS hereof in a Problem Management routine indicates to the user which components to try to modify or trim and eliminate their functions or transfer their functions to other components of the object system. The results also aid the user in identifying the core technical
Devoino Igor G.
Koshevoy Oleg E.
Litvin Simon S.
Tsourikov Valery
Choi Kyle J.
Dreyfus Edward
Invention Machine Corporation
Teska Kevin J.
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