Patent ID: 7383092

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for displaying models representing shapes to assist design of a device having a plurality of functions, said information processing apparatus comprising: first extracting means for extracting (1) device identifying data, (2) function identifying data, and (3) core part identifying data for each function of the plurality of functions of said device to be designed, from configuration information indicating a configuration of the plurality of functions of said device to be designed, the configuration information including said device identifying data identifying another device already designed, said function identifying data identifying a function of said other device corresponding to each of the functions of said device, and said core part identifying data identifying a core part as a core of a function of said device to be designed, wherein the configuration information is organized based on the plurality of functions of the device; second extracting means for extracting area data corresponding to the extracted device identifying data and the extracted function identifying data for each function of said device to be designed, from parts information representing information on parts of said other device, the parts information including said area data indicating an area necessary to mount said parts in correspondence with said device identifying data and said function identifying data; third extracting means for extracting part shape data representing a three-dimensional shape of said core part identified by the extracted core part identifying data for each function of said device to be designed, from a set of part shape data representing three-dimensional shapes of said parts; generating means for generating, for each function of said device to be designed, mounting surface shape data representing a shape of a surface on which said parts of the function of said device are mounted on a basis of the extracted area data; and display controlling means for controlling display of a model representing the three-dimensional shape of said core part and a model representing the shape of the surface on which said parts are mounted on a basis of said part shape data and said mounting surface shape data.