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- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
- Sprachen: English
- Patent Number: 7,793,250
- Publication Date: September 07, 2010
- Appl. No: 11/305965
- Application Filed: December 19, 2005
- Assignees: The Boeing Company (Chicago, IL, US)
- Claim: 1. An apparatus for developing a wiring design for a complex system, the apparatus comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) configured to create a master wire harness network (MWHN) within pathway space reservations of a pathway space-reservation network of a complex system, wherein the MWHN comprises a model of possible wiring pathways between equipment of the complex system, wherein the MWHN includes a network of interconnected, unpopulated wire harness elements and termination device elements, wherein the CPU is configured to import a subsystems definition into the MWHN, the subsystems definition being represented by interconnections between the equipment, and wherein the CPU is configured to create one or more logical net harnesses (LNHs) based upon the MWHN and the subsystems definition, the LNH comprising a collection of interconnections routed within the MWHN.
- Claim: 2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is configured to create one or more LNHs including grouping the collection of interconnections into one or more compatible net family groups (CNFGs) and routing the CNFGs within the MWHN, the CNFGs including interconnections having at least one common attribute.
- Claim: 3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to provide a complex system architecture, the architecture including a pathway space-reservation network, the pathway space-reservation network including pathway space reservations for placement of wiring interconnecting equipment of the complex system.
- Claim: 4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to create one or more logical wire harnesses (LWHs) based upon the LNHs, the LWH comprising a collection of wiring elements and termination devices associated with a respective wire harness element of the MWHN.
- Claim: 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the CPU is further configured to derive one or more end-item configurations (EICs) for the complex system based upon the LWHs, the EIC comprising a unique collection of one or more wiring elements and termination devices of an LWH.
- Claim: 6. A method for developing a wiring design for a complex system, the method being performed by execution of computer-readable program code by at least one central processing unit (CPU) of at least one computer system, the method comprising: creating, using at least one of the CPUs, a master wire harness network (MWHN) within pathway space reservations of a pathway space-reservation network of a complex system, wherein the MWHN comprises a model of possible wiring pathways between equipment of the complex system, and wherein the MWHN includes a network of interconnected, unpopulated wire harness elements and termination device elements; importing, using at least one of the CPUs, a subsystems definition into the MWHN, the subsystems definition being represented by interconnections between the equipment; and creating, using at least one of the CPUs, one or more logical net harnesses (LNHs) based upon the MWHN and the subsystems definition, the LNH comprising a collection of interconnections routed within the MWHN.
- Claim: 7. The method of claim 6 , wherein creating one or more LNHs includes grouping the collection of interconnections into one or more compatible net family groups (CNFGs) and routing the CNFGs within the MWHN, the CNFGs including interconnections having at least one common attribute.
- Claim: 8. The method of claim 6 further comprising: providing a complex system architecture, the architecture including a pathway space-reservation network, the pathway space-reservation network including pathway space reservations for placement of wiring interconnecting equipment of the complex system.
- Claim: 9. The method of claim 6 further comprising: creating one or more logical wire harnesses (LWHs) based upon the LNHs, the LWH comprising a collection of wiring elements and termination devices associated with a respective wire harness element of the MWHN.
- Claim: 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: deriving one or more end-item configurations (EICs) for the complex system based upon the LWHs, the EIC comprising a unique collection of one or more wiring elements and termination devices of an LWH.
- Claim: 11. A computer program product for developing a wiring design for a complex system, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program portions comprising: a first executable portion for creating a master wire harness network (MWHN) within pathway space reservations of a pathway space-reservation network of a complex system, wherein the MWHN comprises a model of possible wiring pathways between equipment of the complex system, and wherein the MWHN includes a network of interconnected, unpopulated wire harness elements and termination device elements; a second executable portion for importing a subsystems definition into the MWHN, the subsystems definition being represented by interconnections between the equipment; and a third executable portion for creating one or more logical net harnesses (LNHs) based upon the MWHN and the subsystems definition, the LNH comprising a collection of interconnections routed within the MWHN.
- Claim: 12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the third executable portion is adapted to create one or more LNHs including grouping the collection of interconnections into one or more compatible net family groups (CNFGs) and routing the CNFGs within the MWHN, the CNFGs including interconnections having at least one common attribute.
- Claim: 13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising: a fourth executable portion for providing a complex system architecture, the architecture including a pathway space-reservation network, the pathway space-reservation network including pathway space reservations for placement of wiring interconnecting equipment of the complex system.
- Claim: 14. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising: a fourth executable portion for creating one or more logical wire harnesses (LWHs) based upon the LNHs, the LWH comprising a collection of wiring elements and termination devices associated with a respective wire harness element of the MWHN.
- Claim: 15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising: a fifth executable portion for deriving one or more end-item configurations (EICs) for the complex system based upon the LWHs, the EIC comprising a unique collection of one or more wiring elements and termination devices of an LWH.
- Current U.S. Class: 716/14
- Patent References Cited: 6484182 November 2002 Dunphy et al. ; 6606731 August 2003 Baum et al. ; 6813749 November 2004 Rassaian ; 6990649 January 2006 Claras ; 7024341 April 2006 Barrow et al. ; 7082590 July 2006 Kragh et al. ; 7135790 November 2006 Fondriest ; 7246328 July 2007 Boose et al. ; 7327869 February 2008 Boyer ; 7478352 January 2009 Chaplin et al. ; 7590496 September 2009 Blemel ; 2003/0101029 May 2003 Drumheller ; 2003/0237057 December 2003 Riedl et al. ; 2008/0304418 December 2008 Fournier et al.
- Primary Examiner: Rossoshek, Helen
- Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alston & Bird LLP
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