Patent ID: 9489473
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A computer implemented method comprising: providing a square design structure matrix having a number of rows and a number of columns equal to the number of rows, wherein each row represents one of a plurality of elements, wherein each entry of the design structure matrix is a numerical quantity; providing a domain mapping matrix having a number of rows equal to the number of rows of the design structure matrix, each row having an identical representation of one of the plurality of elements as a corresponding row of the design structure matrix, the domain mapping matrix having any number of columns, wherein each entry of the domain mapping matrix is a numerical quantity, wherein each of the elements corresponds to a component of an apparatus, and wherein each column of the domain mapping matrix represents one of a plurality of product properties of the apparatus; using a computer processor to group one or more elements into a cluster arrangement, using a plurality of entries from each of the design structure matrix and the domain mapping matrix, wherein the plurality of elements is grouped into a plurality of clusters, and wherein none of the plurality of elements is grouped into more than one cluster, and wherein each entry of the design structure matrix corresponds to a strength of interaction between two of the plurality of elements; calculating a first objective function for the design structure matrix, wherein intracluster interactions between each pair elements of a first cluster are weighted by a value calculated based on a number of elements in the first cluster, and wherein intercluster interactions between pairs of elements of different clusters are weighted by a value calculated based on a total number of the plurality of elements; and using a modular product architecture to manufacture a corresponding product, wherein the modular product architecture is generated according to at least the first objective function, and wherein each cluster of the plurality of clusters in the cluster arrangement is treated as a subsystem in the modular product architecture.