Method and system for automating product configuration
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and system for implementing an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) for creating a data file for product and process configuration. The data file could contain information relating to how a given product is to be made, such as a list of components and how they are to be assembled (“routings”). The GUI according to embodiments of the present invention reduces the amount of user manipulation required as compared with the prior art. According to the embodiments, a user is presented with a single screen display that lets the user maintain component lists and associated routings with simple, high-level input values.
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to computer-based product configuration systems.
BACKGROUND INFORMATIONComputer software tools have become indispensable to managing the complexity entailed in designing and manufacturing many modern products. Automobiles are one example of such products.
One aspect of the complexity involved in the design and manufacture of an automobile is the great number and variability of its constituent parts. Typically an automobile model is assembled from a catalogue of parts according to a particular set of design specifications. Because of the number and variability of parts, it can be difficult for designers to ensure that the combinations of the parts are correct.
An approach that uses a computer-based system and associated software to help manage this aspect of complexity is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,094 ('094). As described in the '094 patent, a complex product such as an automobile may be represented in terms of a hierarchical data structure. A top or highest node of the data structure represents the end product (e.g., a compact car), while lower or subordinate nodes represent the components of the end product and associated production processes. A data structure of this kind, used in conjunction with, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI) with various different views tailored to specific user needs, helps to simplify design and production.
More specifically, the GUI may enable users, e.g., designers, to specify particular values to design a desired end product. The values may act to select particular variants of components of the end product. That is, a component may be represented in terms of its function within a product or as an abstraction of materials that may be used for the component, and there may be a number of possible variants associated with the component. The variants may be actual concrete realizations of the function or abstraction of the component: for example, one concrete realization of a component abstracted as a “seat” could be a leather seat, while another might be a vinyl seat. Based on the desired end product, only one of these realizations might be suitable for inclusion in the end product.
Referring to
As the node structure 10 is traversed from high-level nodes to low-level nodes, the nodes may be viewed as representing components of the end product at progressively finer levels of granularity. For example, node 104 could represent, generically, “an engine” while nodes 105-107 represent specific components of the engine and associated variants thereof. For example, node 105 could represent a specific engine component, and associated variants 105.1 could represent three different possible concrete realizations of that specific engine component. Along similar lines, nodes 106 and 107 could represent components of component 105, and associated variants 106.1 and 107.1, respectively. There could be variants of variants 107.2 in the node structure 10.
As noted above, there are known GUIs that work with data corresponding to a hierarchical node structure as shown in
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a GUI for product configuration that reduces the amount of user manipulation required as compared with the prior art. According to the embodiments, high-level user inputs are processed by background functionality to automatically generate data corresponding to node structures, without the user having to manipulate data at the node and variant level. Instead, the user is presented with a single screen display comprising fields for entering simple, high-level input values.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an easy-to-use GUI for creating a “production version.” A production version is a data file containing information relating to how a given product is to be made. The production version could be used in a manufacturing facility, for example, to inform and guide the various processes involved in manufacturing the product. More specifically, the production version could comprise component information and routing information. The component information includes such things as a list of the components of a product, quantities of the components, and the like. The routing information relates the components to processes for making the product.
An example now follows of creating a production version using a GUI according to embodiments of the present invention.
Referring again to
Production versions may be created from scratch, or pre-existing production versions may be retrieved from a master database and used as a starting basis for a modified production version.
As noted earlier, an advantage of the present invention is that it allows a user to enter high-level inputs and frees the user from the low-level manipulation of node and variant data. The output product identifier 200.11 is an example of such a high-level input. The output product identifier 200.11 is analogous to a node as discussed in connection with
As further shown in
On the other hand, a new production version with its routing and component list could be created entirely from scratch, as noted earlier. In such a case, a new, unique output product identifier could be entered by a user into the corresponding field of the production version 200.1 (
The discussion now returns to the example, introduced above in connection with
After the component list and associated information have been entered, the corresponding routing may be defined in the routing field 200.3. This is illustrated in
After entering values in the display 200 as described in the preceding, a user may save the values. More processing of the values may be performed, and a modified data file corresponding to a changed JH_AUTO/JH_SCM41_LOCATION/VERSION 1 may be saved. The data file may be saved on a machine-readable medium such as disk.
In view of the foregoing example,
Values entered into the production version field may be processed to determine whether there are pre-existing production versions stored on a database that relate to the same output product. More specifically, as shown in block 801, it may be determined based on an output product identifier whether there are any pre-existing production versions on the database that relate to the same output product. If there are, the production version(s) may be presented in the form of a list for the selection of an existing component list corresponding to the output product. Alternatively, an entirely new production version may be constructed based on values entered in the fields.
As shown in block 802, the component field may be set editable to receive inputs defining the component list. In view of the above, the inputs could be modifications or additions to pre-existing information, or could be newly entered.
The routing field may be set editable to receive routing information associating activities and operations with components in the component list, as shown in block 803. The routing information could be modifications or additions to pre-existing information, or could be newly entered.
As shown in block 804, a production version data file comprising the component list and associated routing information as defined by the inputs entered in the GUI may be saved to a database.
A computer program or collection of programs comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a method according to embodiments of the present invention may be stored and transported on machine-readable media such as diskette 901, CD-ROM 902, magnetic tape 903 and fixed disk 904. To perform the embodiments, computer instructions may be retrieved from the machine-readable media 901-904 using their respective drives 905-908 into memory 900, and executed by a processor 910. The functionality disclosed hereinabove for performing the embodiments may find specific implementations in a variety of forms, which are considered to be within the abilities of a programmer of ordinary skill in the art after having reviewed the specification.
Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A method comprising:
- presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for computer-assisted product and process configuration, wherein in a single screen display of the GUI, data is enterable for completely defining a production version data file to guide the construction of a product, the single screen display comprising a production version selection field to select a pre-existing production version data file or create a new production version data file, a component field to hold an editable pre-existing component list or receive data defining a new component list, and a routing field to hold editable pre-existing routing data or receive new routing data, the routing data relating to activities and operations to be performed with the components defined in the component list to construct the product; and
- based on data entered in the single screen display, generating the production version data file.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component field comprises sub-fields for the definition of a quantity and units of a component.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing field comprises sub-fields for the definition of operations, activities and modes to be associated with the components in the component list.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein an order of the lines in the routing field corresponds to an order of the activities and operations.
5. A method comprising:
- generating a single-screen display of a GUI;
- based on a product identifier of a product entered into a production version field of the single-screen display, retrieving a corresponding component list from a component database and displaying the component list in the single-screen display;
- setting fields in a component field of the single-screen display editable to receive input relating to components in the component list;
- based on routing information entered into a routing field of the single-screen display, associating activities and operations with components in the component list; and
- based on the component list and related input, and the associated routing information entered into the single-screen display, generating a production version data file to guide manufacturing of the product.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the single-screen display is formatted such that component information is enterable in the routing field, and routing information is enterable in the component field.
7. A system comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory coupled to the processor to hold instructions executable by the processor to: present a graphical user interface (GUI) for automated product configuration, wherein in a single screen display of the GUI, data is enterable for completely defining a production version data file to guide the construction of a product, the single screen display comprising a production version selection field to select a pre-existing production version data file or create a new production version data file, a component field to hold an editable pre-existing component list or receive data defining a new component list, and a routing field to hold editable pre-existing routing data or receive new routing data, the routing data relating to activities and operations to be performed with the components defined in the component list to construct the product; and based on data entered in the single screen display, generate the production version data file.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the component field comprises sub-fields for the definition of a quantity and units of a component.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the routing field comprises sub-fields for the definition of operations and activities to be associated with the components in the component list.
10. A machine-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed by a computer implementing a method comprising:
- generating a single-screen display of a GUI;
- based on a product identifier of a product entered into a production version field of the single-screen display, retrieving a corresponding component list from a component database and displaying the component list in the single-screen display;
- setting fields in a component field of the single-screen display editable to receive input relating to components in the component list;
- based on routing information entered into a routing field of the single-screen display, associating activities and operations with components in the component list; and
- based on the component list and related input, and the associated routing information entered into the single-screen display, generating a production version data file to guide manufacturing of the product.
11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the single-screen display is formatted such that component information is enterable in the routing field, and routing information is enterable in the component field.
12. A machine-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed by a computer implementing a method comprising:
- presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for computer assisted product and process configuration, wherein in a single screen display of the GUI, data is enterable for completely defining a production version data file to guide the construction of a product, the single screen display comprising a production version selection field to select a pre-existing production version data file or create a new production version data file, a component field to hold an editable pre-existing component list or receive data defining a new component list, and a routing field to hold editable pre-existing routing data or receive new routing data, the routing data relating to activities and operations to be performed with the components defined in the component list to construct the product; and
- based on data entered in the single screen display, generating the production version data file.
13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the component field comprises sub-fields for the definition of a quantity and units of a component.
14. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the routing field comprises sub-fields for the definition of operations and activities to be associated with the components in the component list.
Type: Application
Filed: May 26, 2004
Publication Date: Dec 1, 2005
Inventors: Jan Hrastnik (Burscheid), Jens Griessman (Wiesloch), Dirk Giebel (Walldorf), Tim Gaiser (Sinsheim), Muhammad Alam (Santa Clara, CA)
Application Number: 10/853,191