Patent ID: 6505204
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for coordinating engineering services, said services being provided using a plurality of computer-aided engineering (CAE) application programs, each of said CAE application programs having one of a plurality of CAE application libraries, each of said CAE application libraries containing a plurality of CAE application records, and each of said CAE application records instantiating one of a plurality of components, said method comprising:creating a hyperdatabase; constructing, within said hyperdatabase, a link table having a plurality of link records; generating, within said hyperdatabase, a program database associated with one of said CAE application programs; populating said program database with a plurality of component datasets, wherein each of said component datasets instantiates one of said components; generating, within said link table, a link between one of said component datasets instantiating one of said components in one of said program databases and others of said component datasets instantiating said one component in another of said program databases; repeating said database-generating operation, said database-populating operation, and said link-generating operation for others of said CAE application libraries; and engineering a product utilizing data contained in selected ones of said component datasets, said product-engineering operation being coordinated through said links in said hyperdatabase.