Patent Document ID: 10049396
Application ID: 14069167
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for assembling a product using a valid product configuration, the method comprising: generating, by a computer processing system, an initial product model for the product, wherein the initial product model is generated using at least variables and rules, and wherein the variables and rules further comprise: variables, wherein each variable is associated with a set of values, and wherein at least one of the variables is defined as a scope variable, and rules representing inter-dependencies among the variables and values, wherein the variables and rules define a product configuration problem to be solved; restricting, by the computer processing system, the initial product model, further comprising: splitting at least one rule of the initial product model into a plurality of rules, the plurality of rules replacing the at least one rule, wherein each of the plurality of rules depends on fewer variables than the at least one rule, setting one value from the set of values of at least one scope variable, wherein the at least one scope variable is a variable that restricts one or more variables, one or more rules, or a combination thereof of the initial product model, and wherein setting the value of the at least one scope variable results in a simplification of the initial product model, and deleting rules of the initial product model which become redundant by setting the value of the at least one scope variable; generating, by the computer processing system, a simplified product model based on the restricted initial product model; iteratively setting values for other variables not being scope variables based on the simplified product model to generate a valid product configuration; and configuring, by the computer processing system, the product during manufacture of the product based on the valid product configuration; and assembling the product configured using the valid product configuration.