Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6542937?dq=6,233,389
Timestamp: 2015-11-28 20:31:20
Document Index: 334488319

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n6', 'art.\n7', 'art.\n8', 'art.\n9', 'art.\n10', 'art.\n17', 'art.\n19']

Patent US6542937 - Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn apparatus and method are disclosed for transferring part data, such as sheet metal part data, between computer-based application or CAD environments and for editing such part data. The application environments may include a 2-D CAD program environment and an object oriented bend model program environment....http://www.google.com/patents/US6542937?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6542937 - Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part dataAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6542937 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/031,666Publication dateApr 1, 2003Filing dateFeb 27, 1998Priority dateFeb 27, 1998Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1193311C, CN1292105A, DE69907157D1, DE69907157T2, EP1057084A1, EP1057084B1, WO1999044107A1Publication number031666, 09031666, US 6542937 B1, US 6542937B1, US-B1-6542937, US6542937 B1, US6542937B1InventorsKalev Kask, Dmitry Leshchiner, Liang HuangOriginal AssigneeAmada Company, LimitedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (20), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (72), Classifications (19), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetApparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data
US 6542937 B1Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for transferring part data, such as sheet metal part data, between computer-based application or CAD environments and for editing such part data. The application environments may include a 2-D CAD program environment and an object oriented bend model program environment. An interface is provided through which a 2-D CAD system may access data from the object oriented bend model system and by which data may be transferred between the systems to permit editing and updating of the part model within and from both applications. The interface may be implemented through a library or set of application program interface (API) functions and a message-based protocol (such as dynamic data exchange (DDE)) to facilitate the exchange of sheet metal part data. Various editing capabilities or tools may also be provided to enable, for example, the attachment of faces of the part or the shifting of one face relative to another face of the part.
What is claimed: 1. An interface for transferring part data between two application environments, one of said application environments including a computer-aided design (CAD) program that processes 2-D part data and the other of said application environments including an object oriented bend model program that is capable of processing 2-D part data and 3-D part data, said interface comprising:
an inter-process communication system that establishes an inter-process communication path between said CAD program and said object oriented bend model program; and a library of application program interface (API) functions that may be called by said CAD program and said object oriented bend model program to transfer and exchange part data through said inter-process communication path. 2. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 1, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part including a plurality of faces, said library of API functions comprising a Send_Faces function for transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a collection of attached faces.
3. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein the data that is transferred with said Send_Faces function is provided in a buffer that comprises a part name, a set of face data, and bending parameter data.
4. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 3, wherein the set of face data comprises loop data for each face of said sheet metal part, said loop data including data defining a bounding loop of each face.
5. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises an Add_Face function for transferring face data defining a face that is to be added to the data defining the sheet metal part.
6. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 5, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Add_Face function includes a part name, a face name, and the face data, the face data including loop data defining a bounding loop of the face to be added to the sheet metal part.
7. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Delete_Face function for transferring face data defining a face that is to be deleted from the data defining the sheet metal part.
8. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 7, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Delete_Face function includes a part name and a face name of the face to be deleted from the sheet metal part.
9. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Delete_Bendline function for transferring data defining a bendline that is to be deleted from the sheet metal part.
10. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 9, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Delete_Bendline function includes a part name, a name of a first face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted, and a name of a second face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted.
11. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises an Attach_Faces function for transferring data defining faces of the sheet metal part that are to be attached.
12. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 11, wherein the data transferred by the Attach_Faces function includes a buffer comprising a part name, a set of edge names of a first face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, a set of edges names of a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, and attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces.
13. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Set_Bending_Parameters function for transferring data defining bending parameters that are to be set for a bendline of the sheet metal part that is defined between a first adjacent face and a second adjacent face.
14. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 13, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Set_Bending_Parameters function includes a part name, a name of the first adjacent face, a name of the second adjacent face, and the bending parameters that are to be set for the bendline.
15. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 14, wherein the bending parameters that are transferred with said Set_Bending_Parameters function comprises one of a bending angle, a bend type, a bend deduction amount, and an inside radius of the bend.
16. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Shift_Face function for transferring data defining a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be shifted with respect to a first face of the sheet metal part.
17. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 16, wherein the data transferred by the Shift_Face function includes a buffer comprising a part name, a name of the first face, a name of the second face, and a shift amount indicating the amount by which the second face is to be shifted with respect to the first face.
18. The interface for transferring part data according to claim 1, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part, said library of API functions comprising a Send_Flat function for transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a flat version of the part.
19. The interface for transferring part data according to