Abstract:
A method and system for increasing standardization and reuse of feature driven design of automotive vehicles. An automotive vehicle is represented by a vehicle model, which includes a set of features defining vehicle functionality and information on how to implement each feature. A features database stores information on how a feature is implemented, including the physical parts it requires and the configuration of the parts. A parts database is also provided for maintaining information on vehicle parts. Coupled to the features database and the parts data base is a feature manager arranged to determine physical implementation information for each feature based on the implementation information. The physical implementation information is included in the vehicle model. A conflict manager is provided for resolving conflicts between implementations of separate features, and an optimizer for standardizing parts and implementations across multiple vehicle models.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/323,898, filed Sep. 20, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The following invention relates to systems and methods for designing automotive vehicles. 
     2. Background Art 
     Traditionally, automotive vehicles have been designed as a composition of mechanical and electrical parts. A manufacturer may represent a vehicle in its records as a bill of materials, or parts list, along with computer drawings. The vehicle can then be manufactured to the specifications set out in the bill of materials and drawings. 
     A typical design cycle may include a manufacturer&#39;s marketing department indicating a set of requirements to the engineering department, who determine what parts to use and how to configure them to meet the requirements. This may be an iterative process, with engineering responsibility often being divided across vehicle subsystems. For instance, a separate group of engineers may be assigned to work on the vehicle&#39;s powertrain. Those engineers&#39; responsibility could, in turn, be divided among vehicle engine and transmission. 
     Automobile manufacturers often design and manufacture multiple vehicles simultaneously. Because of volume discounts from suppliers, the cost of duplicative engineering efforts, and other efficiency concerns, it is advantageous for the manufacturer to standardize engineering knowledge, such as parts use and implementation, across different product offerings and thus leverage engineering efforts across different products. To achieve this, teams of engineers often work on more than one product offering, and are encouraged to drive this standardization. 
     However, the common parts-centric design scheme can prevent realizing the true potential of engineering standardization. It can be difficult to track the engineering knowledge behind the existing physical reuse, and thus may not be conducive to future reuse, especially as human talent migrates to different jobs. Thus it is desirable to have a system for and method of designing vehicles that better preserves engineering knowledge and promotes effective reuse and standardization. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided for increasing standardization of feature driven design of automotive vehicles. The vehicle is represented by a vehicle model. The system includes a database for storing vehicle features records. Each feature record includes information on how a feature, or piece of vehicle functionality, is implemented. The system further includes a parts database, which contains information on vehicle parts. A part is a physical vehicle component, and vehicle functionality is implemented by parts. Coupled to the features database and the parts data base is a feature manager. The feature manager determines physical implementation information for each feature based on the implementation information in the feature record and includes this physical implementation information in the vehicle model. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and subjoined claims and by referencing the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a vehicle model management system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a vehicle organizational hierarchy for an automotive vehicle manufacturer; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a vehicle platform management system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a vehicle model output subsystem in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a vehicle model record in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a feature record in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a computer implemented system for the management of vehicle models  20 . A vehicle model in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a computer representation of an automotive vehicle including information on the structure and fabrication of the vehicle. The model management system  20  includes a model manager  22  for managing a plurality of related vehicle models connected to a model database  24  for storing the vehicle models. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle model includes a plurality of vehicle features that define discrete portions of vehicle functionality. The model management system  20  includes a feature manager  26  connected to the model manager  22  for the management of the set of features included in the vehicle models. The feature manager  26  is connected to a features database  28  which includes a plurality of feature records  30  that represent vehicle features. The feature records  30  include information on the implementation of the functionality included in each feature, including the vehicle subsystems, physical parts and the part configurations necessary to implement each feature. The features represented in the feature records  30  may be common to a plurality of vehicle models. The feature manager is also connected to a parts database  32  which includes information on individual physical parts  34  used to implement vehicle features. 
     A user can interact with the model manager  22  and the feature manager  26  by using a network browser  36 . In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user, such as a vehicle designer, designs a vehicle through interaction with the model manager  22  and feature manager  26 . The designer, through the browser  36 , specifies a set of desired features to be included in the vehicle. The feature manager  26  generates implementations of the features specified by the user. Generating feature implementations includes determining which of a plurality of subsystems are necessary to implement each feature and determining which parts are necessary to implement each subsystem. After the feature manager  26  generates the feature implementations, the model manager  22  creates a vehicle model incorporating the set of features. 
     It is possible that a desired feature conflicts with another desired feature. For example, the feature of four-wheel drive may not be compatible with other desired features in a designing a sports coupe. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the model management system  20  further includes a conflict manager  38 . The conflict manager includes a parts conflict detector  40  which detects incompatibility between physical parts or subsystems. The conflict manager  38  further includes a configuration conflict detector  42 , which detects incompatibility between parts and subsystems due to their configurations. 
     Because of the complexity involved in designing automotive vehicles, there are often multiple ways of implementing a single feature. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each feature record  30  can include a plurality of implementations for the feature it represents, with each implementation including part and configuration information. The feature manager  26  determines the most appropriate feature implementation based on the user input. Furthermore, the feature manager  26  and the conflict manager  38  interact such that if conflicts are found within one set of features, new implementations can be chosen by the feature manager  26  with conflict manager  38  input for some or all of the features. Thus, a set of features that does not create conflicts will be generated by the feature manager  26  if such a set is possible. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , it is possible for a vehicle manufacturer to hierarchically organize its product offerings to leverage commonality and reusability. A typical structure for a manufacturer  44  includes multiple high-level platforms  46 , with each platform including several vehicle offerings  48 . Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, vehicle design is also managed at a platform level. With reference to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a platform management system  50  for managing a plurality of vehicle platforms and the vehicle offerings associated with them. Each vehicle offering is represented by a vehicle model. 
     The platform management system  50  includes a platform manager  52  connected to the model management system  20 . The platform manager  52  manages the vehicle models and their associations as it relates to product organization at the platform level. This platform and associated vehicle information is stored in a platform database  54  connected to the platform manager  52 . The platform manager  52  restricts design freedom by limiting feature and implementation selection within a platform. This increases commonality and reuse. The designer interacts with the platform management system using the network browser  36 . 
     Thus in designing a vehicle, a designer first chooses a platform  46  in which the vehicle will be categorized. The platform manager  52  restricts the availability of features and implementations. The designer then chooses features from the restricted list. The feature manager  26  selects from the available implementations contained in the features database  28  and not restricted by the platform manager  52  and generates the most appropriate vehicle model based on the designer input and platform restrictions. The conflict manager  38  analyzes the vehicle model for parts and configuration conflicts. The feature manager  26  then selects new implementations from the features database  28  to avoid any detected conflicts. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, commonality and reusability are increased through the use of an optimizer  56  connected to the platform manager  52 . The optimizer  56  standardizes parts, subsystems, and configurations within and among platforms by suggesting or substituting alternate parts, subsystems, or configurations such that a plurality of vehicles include identical or similar implementations for a given feature. The optimizer  56  accesses vehicle models in the platforms database  54  to determine which parts and subsystems to standardize. In one mode of operation, the optimizer  56  is invoked after an initial vehicle model is created. The optimizer  56  performs initial optimization. After this first level of optimization, the feature manager  26 , in conjunction with the conflict manager  38 , detects and avoids any parts and configuration conflicts caused by the optimization. Successive iterations of optimization and conflict avoidance may be performed as necessary to generate a final vehicle model. 
     The optimization process described changes implementations, subsystems, parts, and configurations by the records available in the features database  28  and the parts database  32 . In a preferred embodiment, engineering intervention supplements the optimization process. Possible engineering intervention includes adding, removing, or replacing parts in the parts database,  32 . Also, engineering intervention could include redesigning existing feature implementations or adding new features or implementations and modifying the features database  28  accordingly. 
     In one mode of operation, a vehicle designer or engineer interacts with the platform manager  52  and optimizer  56  using the browser  36  during the optimization stage. In another mode of operation, the platform manager  52  interacts with an engineering subsystem  58 , allowing an engineering department to define the timing and scope of the intervention. 
     Once a vehicle has been designed, it is necessary to bring the vehicle to market. Typically, with reference to  FIG. 4 , this takes place through a vehicle releasing system  60 , which manages the manufacturing of the vehicle. A typical releasing system will process information concerning each part on a vehicle, part placement information, and other configuration information. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the model management system  20  and platform management system  50  interact with an existing vehicle releasing system  60  through an output subsystem  62 . The output subsystem  62  includes an output manager  64  connected to the model management system  20 , platform management system  50 , and vehicle releasing system  60  for translating vehicle models into information useable by the vehicle releasing system  60 . In one mode of operation, the output manager  64  translates the vehicle model from a features-centric design, composed of a set of features, to parts-centric information, such as a vehicle model representing a vehicle as a set of physical parts. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, vehicle models are represented in the vehicle model database as vehicle model data records  66 . A vehicle model data record  66  includes a plurality of feature data fields  68  representing discrete pieces of vehicle functionality. Each feature data field  68  includes a plurality of subsystem data fields  70 , which include the subsystems necessary to implement the system. Each feature data field  68  also includes at least one configuration data field  72 , including information on how the subsystems and parts are configured to implement the feature. Each subsystem data field  70  includes at least one part data field  74 , which includes information on a physical part that will be used to implement the subsystem. 
     In another preferred embodiment, each subsystem data field  70  can include a part configuration data field, including information on how each part in a subsystem is configured in implementing the subsystem. More than one feature data field  68  may include the same subsystem data field  70  and more than one subsystem data field  70  may contain the same part data field  74 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each feature is represented in the features database  28  as a feature data record  78 . Each feature data record  78  includes at least one implementation data field  80 , which includes information on a particular way to implement the feature. Each implementation data field  80  includes at least one subsystem data field  82 , which includes information on a subsystem that will be included in implementing the feature. Each feature data field further contains a configuration data field  84 , including information on how each subsystem is configured in implementing the feature. Each subsystem data field  82  contains at least one part data field  86 , including information on a physical part used to implement the subsystem. In another preferred embodiment, the subsystem data field  82  also contains a parts configuration data field, which includes information on how the parts are configured within a subsystem. 
     Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and following claims.