Patent ID: 7433748

Claim:
A computerized system for controlling a manufacturing design process including a first design sub-process and a second design sub-process, outcomes of one of the first and second design sub-processes being linked to outcomes of the other of the first and second design sub-processes and vice versa by a relationship between one or more first design sub-process variables (A) and one or more second design sub-process variables (B), the system comprising: a processor programmed to provide a configurable interface between said first and second design sub-processes, said configurable interface allowing inputs to said system to control the manufacturing design process by specifying which of the one or more variables (A,B) are active variables, each of which can have its domain modified by at least one process within the sub-process to which the each active variable belongs, and which of the one or more variables (A,B) are passive variables, each of which has its domain determined within allowable values by domains of the other variable or variables in the relationship but not by any process within the sub-process to which the each passive variable belongs, and to determine a manner of evaluation of the relationship and a dominance of a sub-process in the manufacturing design process from the specifying of which of the variables are active variables and which are passive variables.