JP2008033720A - Design data management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a design data management system which reports, when design data is changed, a change schedule prior to the actual change. <P>SOLUTION: A configuration data server 1 registers configuration data composed of attribute information of design data in linkage with the design data for each product. A drawing registration server 2 registers the design data. A registration terminal 3 registers the configuration data to the configuration data server 1, and registers the design data to the drawing registration server 2. A reference terminal 4 refers to the configuration data and the design data. When the configuration data is changed, the configuration data server 1 extracts change information for design data to be changed based on a difference of the configuration data before and after the change, and transmits the change information as a schedule announcement to the reference terminal 4 prior to the change of the design data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a design data management system, and more particularly to a design data management system that notifies a change schedule before an actual change when a change in design data occurs.

  In companies and the like, design data such as drawings created by a product design department is used by other departments such as a manufacturing department. For this purpose, a data management system is constructed by connecting a server provided in each department such as a design department via a network.

For example, a data management system is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network), and a part of design data stored in a drawing DB (database) of a design department server is transferred to a drawing DB of another department server Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-232313

  Until the product is actually put on the market, the design change of the product may be repeated a plurality of times due to various circumstances. When a design change occurs in this way, for example, each time the design department revises (changes) design data such as a drawing accompanying the design change, and registers the revised design data in the drawing DB of the server Then, notify other departments such as manufacturing departments.

  Other departments, such as the manufacturing department, know the revision of the design data only after receiving this notification. For this reason, in other departments such as the manufacturing department, after the design data such as the drawings are actually revised, the response to the revision is started. As a result, there is a problem that it takes time to complete the response for the revision in other departments such as the manufacturing department.

  This problem is not limited to design data. That is, there is a similar problem in the case where some electronic data (hereinafter referred to as design data) created for a product in any department is used in a department other than the department.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a design data management system that notifies a change schedule before an actual change when a change of the design data occurs.

  The design data management system of the present invention registers a design data, links a configuration data which is attribute information of the design data with the design data, and registers the data for each product, and the configuration data and the design data to the server A first terminal registered in the network, a second terminal referring to the configuration data and the design data, and a network connecting them. When the server detects that the configuration data has been changed by the first terminal, it extracts change information about the design data to be changed based on the difference between the configuration data before and after the change. The change information is transmitted as a schedule notification to the second terminal prior to the change of the design data.

  Preferably, in the design data management system of the present invention, the server includes destination information indicating a second terminal to which the schedule notification is to be transmitted when the configuration data is changed.

  Preferably, in the design data management system of the present invention, the design data includes drawings or materials, and the configuration data includes a version number of the drawings or materials.

  Preferably, in the design data management system of the present invention, the server includes a first server and a second server, the first server registers the configuration data, and the second server The design data is registered, and the first server detects that the configuration data has been changed, extracts the change information, and transmits it to the second terminal.

  According to the design data management system of the present invention, design data and configuration data are linked and registered, the configuration data is detected to be changed, and based on the difference between the configuration data, Prior to the change, the change information is transmitted to the second terminal. Thereby, when a change of design data occurs, it is possible to notify other departments where the second terminal exists that the design data is scheduled to be changed before the actual change of the design data. With this notification, the other departments can quickly respond to the change.

  For example, when a design change occurs, the design department changes configuration data, such as version information of a drawing or material, before changing the design data such as the drawing or material. The present invention pays attention to this point, and when the version number information is changed, the change is detected without any burden on the person who changes the design data, and the design data is changed based on the detection. Prior to this, the change can be notified to the manufacturing department. Upon receiving this notification, the manufacturing department can start various preparations for the change in advance prior to the change of design data (completion of registration), and promptly respond to the change. Can do.

  1 and 2 show an example of the configuration of the design data management system of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the design data management system includes a configuration data server 1, a drawing registration server 2, a registration terminal 3, a reference terminal 4, and a network 5 connecting them. The network 5 includes, for example, the Internet, an in-house LAN (Local Area Network), and the like.

  The configuration data server 1 is a computer that registers (holds) configuration data of the design data for each product and publishes it on, for example, the Web. The configuration data consists of attribute information of design data. The drawing registration server 2 is a computer that registers design data and publishes it on the web, for example. Design data consists of drawings or materials. The drawing is composed of image data such as a design drawing, for example, and the material is composed of text data such as a description of the design drawing.

  In this example, the server for registering (registering) design data and configuration data is composed of two servers (computers): the configuration data server 1 and the drawing registration server 2. In addition, the configuration data server 1 and the drawing registration server 2 may be a single server (computer).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the configuration data server 1 includes a database (DB) 11, and the DB 11 includes a product master table 12 and a configuration data table 13. The product master table 12 registers master data, which is basic data about products, for each product. The configuration data table 13 registers configuration data. The drawing registration server 2 may include a DB, and design data may be registered therein.

  The configuration data registered in the configuration data table 13 is linked to each drawing or document registered in the drawing registration server 2, as shown in FIG. In other words, the configuration data is linked with the corresponding design data, whereby the pair of configuration data and design data constitutes broad (upper) design data.

  One piece of configuration data is linked to one drawing. That is, the configuration data and the drawing have a one-to-one correspondence. On the other hand, there is a case where a link to one material is extended from a plurality of configuration data. That is, the configuration data and the material correspond to 1 to N (there may be cases). This is because, for example, it is necessary to revise a document (for example, a manual) created by combining instructions for a plurality of drawings every time the plurality of drawings are revised. This is because it is necessary to link from a plurality of configuration data.

  The registration terminal 3 registers configuration data in the configuration data table 13 of the configuration data server 1 and registers drawings or materials (that is, design data) in the drawing registration server 2 in accordance with an instruction input from the designer. The reference terminal 4 refers to the configuration data registered in the configuration data server 1 and the drawings or materials registered in the drawing registration server 2 in accordance with the instruction input of the manufacturing engineer. As described above, since these are published on the web, they are referred to through this.

  The registration terminal 3 and the reference terminal 4 are user terminals (or clients) provided corresponding to each process (department) such as product planning, design, drafting, and inspection. In this example, the registration terminal 3 for registering design data is provided in the design department, and the reference terminal 4 for referring to the design data is provided in the manufacturing department.

  The master data is created, for example, for each product from the user terminal (not shown) by the engineer in the planning department and registered in the product master table 12 of the configuration data server 1. An example of the configuration of the product master table 12 is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the product master table 12 stores individual master data for each product number and each (product) version number. For example, the master data of the product version number “second version” of the product with the product number “1” is stored. If one of these is different, the configuration data is different. The master data consists of information such as product name, product series, and related party G (group). Accordingly, master data including information such as a product name, a product series, and a related person G is stored for each product number and each version number.

  The party G is destination information indicating the reference terminal 4 to which a schedule notification for notifying that the corresponding design data is changed when the configuration data is changed is to be transmitted. Since the schedule notification is transmitted by electronic mail, the destination information is composed of an electronic mail address. The party G includes a plurality of e-mail addresses to which the schedule notification is to be sent.

  The designer creates the configuration data for each product from the registration terminal 3 according to the master data, and registers it in the configuration data table 13 of the configuration data server 1. An example of the configuration of the configuration data table 13 is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the configuration data table 13 stores individual configuration data for each product number (ie, product), each version number (product), each drawing number, and each drawing version number. For example, the configuration data is stored for the drawing version number “fourth version” of the drawing number “3” of the product version number “second version” of the product number “1”. If any one of these is different, the configuration data is different. The configuration data includes information such as serial numbers, drawing names, and registrants. As a result, configuration data including information such as serial numbers, drawing names, and registrants is stored for each product number, each version number, each drawing number, and each drawing version number.

  The product number, version number, drawing number, and drawing version number itself are also part of the configuration data. Therefore, the configuration data includes the drawing version number. The configuration data may include other information, for example, operation information of the drawing such as addition, correction, and deletion of the drawing.

  The configuration data includes an actual file path as shown in FIG. The entity file path indicates the location (address) on the drawing registration server 2 where the file storing the drawing or the document (design data) corresponding to the configuration data exists. That is, the entity file path is a link extended from the configuration data to the drawing or the material. Actually, the actual file path consists of data describing the path (route) to reach the file published on the web.

  The configuration data is changed as follows. For example, when a prototype of a product is completed, the design data and configuration data are created and released at that time. After reviewing this prototype, we will change the design data based on this and make a commercial product. Therefore, the designer changes the configuration data of the product from the registration terminal 3 prior to the change of the design data, registers it in the configuration data table 13 of the configuration data server 1, and publishes it.

  In response to this, when the configuration data is changed by the registration terminal 3, the configuration data server 1 is based on this change, based on the difference between the configuration data before and after the change, Extract change information about the material. Thereafter, the configuration data server 1 transmits a revision schedule notification including the change information to the reference terminal 4 by an electronic mail (a revision schedule notification mail) prior to the change of the drawing or document. As a result, the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed starts preparations for changing the product by receiving the revision schedule notification mail.

  FIG. 5A shows an example of a revision schedule notification mail. The revision schedule notification mail includes a schedule notification sentence shown in part A and a difference list shown in part B. The schedule notice sentence is composed of a sentence “Product: Drawing of XX… can be confirmed”. The difference list includes a drawing name, a drawing number, a version number of the old version, a version number of the new version, and a list of scheduled release dates. The schedule notification text notifies that the drawing of “product: XXX” is “scheduled to be revised”. Therefore, the schedule is notified together with the drawing name, the drawing number, the version number of the old version, the version number of the new version, and the scheduled release date. Further, the schedule notification sentence includes a URL that allows browsing of the configuration list shown in FIG.

  The configuration data server 1 includes a schedule notification sentence template (not shown) in advance, and searches the product master table 12 using the product number of the changed (registered) configuration data to obtain the product name. Then, a schedule notification sentence is created by embedding it in the template. The URL of the configuration list is predetermined for each product number and each version number (of the product number).

  In addition, the configuration data server 1 includes a difference list template (not shown) in advance, and based on the registered configuration data, a drawing name (drawing name), a drawing number, an old version number, and a new version number. The difference list is created by acquiring the scheduled release date and embedding it in the template. At this time, as the version number of the new version, the drawing version number of the configuration data (the version number of the version being created which will be described later) is used. Further, as the version number of the old version, for example, a value of (number of new version drawing version −1, that is, a registered latest version version number to be described later) is used.

  The revision schedule notification mail is notified on “June 12” earlier than “June 18” on the date when the revised drawing is released (scheduled release date). Therefore, the user who has seen this revision schedule notification e-mail can start preparation for the revision, and can know the range affected by the revision.

  The design data is changed as follows. For example, as described above, after the designer changes the configuration data of the product from the registration terminal 3 based on the examination of the prototype, the design data is changed according to the changed configuration data, and the drawing is registered. Register to the server 2 and make it public. As the change, for example, a drawing is added, modified, or deleted. The registration position of the design data is a URL indicated by the actual file path in the configuration data.

  When the drawing is registered in the drawing registration server 2, the configuration data server 1 sends a drawing registration notification mail to the reference terminal 4 set as a destination for the party G of the master data. Accordingly, the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed starts manufacturing the product by receiving the registration notification mail. For example, this completes the prototype.

  FIG. 5B shows an example of a drawing registration notification mail. The drawing registration notification mail includes a drawing registration notification sentence shown in part C and an additional drawing list shown in part D. The drawing registration notice is composed of the text “Product: The following drawings of XXX can be confirmed.” The additional drawing list includes a drawing name, a drawing number, a version number (new edition), and drawing details. The drawing registration notification sentence notifies that the drawing of “product: XXX” has been “revised” and “registered”. Therefore, the drawing registration is notified together with the drawing name, drawing number, and (new edition) version number. Further, the drawing registration notification text includes a URL where the configuration list shown in FIG. 6 can be browsed.

  Further, the drawing details are made up of the entity of the drawing in the additional drawing list, that is, a URL where the drawing can be viewed. Thereby, the reference terminal 4 can see the changed drawing itself. In the revision schedule notification e-mail, the actual design data to be notified (for example, a drawing) is not created, so data corresponding to the drawing details is omitted.

  The configuration data server 1 includes a drawing registration notification sentence template (not shown) in advance, and creates a drawing registration notification sentence in the same manner as the schedule notification sentence of the revision schedule notification mail. In addition, the configuration data server 1 is provided with a template (not shown) of an additional drawing list in advance, and creates an additional drawing list in the same manner as the difference list of the revision schedule notification mail. At this time, the drawing name (drawing name), the drawing number, and the (new edition) version number are acquired based on the registered configuration data (or difference list). Drawing details are acquired from the entity file path of the registered configuration data.

  At the time of receiving the drawing registration notification mail, the user has already started or completed preparation of the revision based on the revision schedule notification mail received earlier. Therefore, the user can immediately respond to the revision.

  Conventionally, the revision schedule notification email has not been transmitted to the reference terminal. Therefore, for example, the manufacturing department knows that the drawing has been revised only after receiving the drawing registration notification mail, and after receiving this, it has only had to start preparations for dealing with the revision.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of design data management of the present invention, and shows an example of a configuration list. When the URL displayed in the schedule notification text of FIG. 5A and the drawing registration notification text of FIG. 5B is selected (clicked) in the reference terminal 4, the configuration list is configured according to this. It is displayed on the reference terminal 4 by the data server 1.

  The configuration list displays a drawing name, a drawing number, and a version number (of the drawing) in a list format for each product code (product number). For example, “NEW07” indicates that the drawing name “parts table” has been revised (added registration) and “seventh version” has been created. Thereby, the registration status of drawings (or materials) can be displayed in a list. For this reason, the user (design department) of the registration terminal 3 can prevent registration omission, and the user (manufacturing department) of the reference terminal 4 can analogize the range of influence.

  When the configuration list is referred to from the URL in the schedule notification sentence in FIG. 5A, “NEW07” or the like is not displayed because the drawing has not been revised yet. On the other hand, when the configuration list is referred from the URL in the drawing registration notification sentence of FIG. 5B, for example, the configuration list of FIG. 6 is displayed.

  FIG. 7 is a design data management processing flow of the present invention, and shows a configuration data registration process executed by the design data management system of the present invention.

  When the registration terminal 3 inputs the product name and product part number in accordance with the instruction input by the designer (step S11), the configuration data server 1 searches for a version being created (held), which will be described later (held) accordingly. Then, it is checked whether or not the input product name is a new one (step S12). When the product name or the like is new, the configuration data server 1 displays a plurality of templates (not shown) of configuration data included in the configuration data server 1 on the registration terminal 3 and follows the designer's instruction input from the registration terminal 3. The configuration data to be used as the version being created is extracted from the template to create the version being created (step S13), and the process proceeds to step S18.

  Here, the version being created is the composition data of the version number that is the object of creation (change) but has not yet been registered (that is, not published on the web). Therefore, the version number of the version being created is a provisional version number and is not an official version number. The configuration data of the version being created is held in the configuration data server 1 until it is released.

  If the product name or the like is not new, the configuration data server 1 further checks whether or not the input product name or the like is that of the version being created (held) (step S14). If it is not in the middle of creation, the process proceeds to step S17. In the case of the version being created, the configuration data server 1 further displays the configuration data of the version being created on the registration terminal 3, and uses the configuration data of the version being created in accordance with the designer's instruction input from the registration terminal 3. It is checked whether or not to perform (step S15). When the composition data of the version being created is used, the process proceeds to step S18. When the configuration data of the version being created is not used, the configuration data server 1 deletes the configuration data of the version being created (step S16), and then the latest version of the configuration data having the same product name, etc. Is copied to the composition data of the version being created (step S17).

  Here, the latest version refers to the configuration data of the version number that has already been created, registered, and published on the web (thus, commonly used by the registration terminal 3 and the reference terminal 4). Therefore, the version number is an official version number. The latest version of the configuration data is held in the configuration data server 1 until it is deleted.

  Thereafter, the registration terminal 3 edits the configuration data using the configuration data of the version being created in accordance with the designer's instruction input (step S18), and registers the edited configuration data in the configuration data table 13 (step S19). ). In this state, the configuration data is not disclosed.

  Therefore, the configuration data server 1 detects that it has been registered (written) in the configuration data table 13 provided therein, and between the registered configuration data and the latest version of the configuration data corresponding thereto. It is checked whether there is a difference (step S110). If there is no difference, the process is terminated. When the configuration data is newly created, since the latest version does not exist, the configuration data is processed as having no difference (the processing may be performed assuming that there is a difference).

  When there is a difference, the configuration data server 1 increases (+1) the version number of the registered configuration data from the version number of the latest version up to that point (step S111), extracts the difference element, and performs the difference Create an element list (difference list) (step S112), search for the party G of the master data such as the product name, extract the e-mail address for notification (step S113), and notify the revision schedule notification A mail is created and transmitted (step S114), and the process ends.

  FIG. 8 is a design data management processing flow of the present invention, and shows a design data registration process executed by the design data management system of the present invention.

  When the registration terminal 3 inputs the product name and product number in accordance with the instruction input by the designer (step S21), the configuration data server 1 extracts the configuration data from the configuration data table 13 (step S22), and the configuration data can be extracted. Whether it is in the configuration data table 13 or not (step S23). If the configuration data does not exist in the configuration data table 13, the configuration data server 1 performs error processing such as displaying an error display such as “input error” on the registration terminal 3 (step S24), and ends the processing.

  When the configuration data is in the configuration data table 13, the configuration data server 1 displays the extracted configuration data on the registration terminal 3 and displays the configuration data of the displayed drawing or document according to the designer's instruction input from the registration terminal 3. Is selected as a registration element (registration target) (step S25). Thereafter, the registration terminal 3 creates (or changes) design data to be registered corresponding to the selected configuration data, that is, a drawing or a document, in accordance with an instruction input from the designer, and stores the file in the drawing registration server 2. Register (step S26).

  Thereafter, the configuration data server 1 inquires whether or not the design data is to be continuously registered in the registration terminal 3, and whether the design data is to be continuously registered based on an instruction input of the designer from the registration terminal 3 in response thereto. It is checked whether or not (step S27), and when registering continuously, step S25 and subsequent steps are repeated. If the registration is not continued, the configuration data server 1 further checks whether or not to release the registered drawing or document in the same manner (step S28). If it is not disclosed, the process is terminated. This is a case where the design data is incomplete and will not be disclosed. When publishing, the configuration data server 1 registers the publication of the design data (step S29), extracts additional drawings to create an additional drawing list (step S210), and stores the master data such as the product name. The related party G is searched to extract the e-mail address of the e-mail for notification (step S211), a drawing registration notification e-mail is created and transmitted (step S212), and the process ends.

  For example, the designer creates configuration data of “product: OO” to be newly developed from the registration terminal 3 and registers it in the configuration data table 13 of the configuration data server 1. At this time, since the product name (product: XXX) is new (step S12), the configuration data is created and registered using the template (steps S13, S18, S19), and there is no difference from the latest version. Therefore (step S110), the revision schedule notification mail is not transmitted.

  Thereafter, the designer inputs the product name from the registration terminal 3 (step S21), selects the configuration data (step S25), creates the design data, and registers it in the drawing registration server 2. (Step S26), publish on the web (Step S29).

  In response to this registration, the configuration data server 1 sends a drawing registration notification mail including an additional drawing list to the reference terminal 4 set as a destination for the party G of the master data (step S212). By receiving the registration notification mail, the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed starts manufacturing the product. As a result, for example, a prototype is completed.

  After this, the prototype is repeatedly examined, and based on this, the design data is changed to produce a commercial product. Therefore, when the designer inputs the product name (product: XXX) from the registration terminal 3 (step S11), it is not new and is not being created (steps S12 and S14), so the latest version (ie, the trial version). The composition data of the work is copied (step S17), and the composition data of the product is changed (edited) and registered (steps S18 and S19).

  In response to this, the configuration data server 1 detects that the configuration data has been changed by the registration terminal 3, and based on this detection, based on the difference between the configuration data before and after the change (step S110), Change information about the drawing or material to be changed is extracted (step S112). Thereafter, the configuration data server 1 transmits a revision schedule notification including the change information to the reference terminal 4 by e-mail prior to the change of the drawing or document (step S114). By receiving the revision schedule notification mail shown in FIG. 5A, the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed starts preparation for the change of the product.

  Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the designer selects the changed (and registered) configuration data from the registration terminal 3 (step S25), creates and registers the design data (step S26), on the web. (Step S29).

  In response to this registration, the configuration data server 1 sends a drawing registration notification mail as shown in FIG. 5 (B) to the reference terminal 4 set as the party G in the same manner as described above (step S212). . By receiving the registration notification mail, the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed starts manufacturing the product. As a result, for example, a commercial product is completed. At this time, since the manufacturing department in which the reference terminal 4 is installed has started preparing for the change of the product by receiving the previous revision schedule notification mail, the design change can be promptly dealt with.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a design data change occurs in the design data management system, it is detected that the design data is scheduled to be changed prior to the actual change of the design data. The change schedule can be notified by e-mail. Thereby, the change schedule of design data can be detected without the burden of the person who changes design data, and the notification of a change schedule can be edited. On the other hand, by receiving this notification, the other departments can start preparation for the change prior to the actual change of the design data, and can quickly respond to the change.

It is a block diagram of the design data management system of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the design data management of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the design data management of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the design data management of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the design data management of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the design data management of this invention. It is a design data management processing flow of the present invention. It is a design data management processing flow of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1. Configuration data server (first server)
2 Drawing registration server (second server)
3 Registration terminal (first terminal)
4 Reference terminal (second terminal)
5 Network 11 Database (DB)
12 Product Master Table 13 Configuration Data Table

Claims (4)

A server for registering design data, linking configuration data, which is attribute information of the design data, with the design data, and registering each product;
A first terminal for registering the configuration data and design data in the server;
A second terminal that references the configuration data and design data;
A network that connects them,
When the server detects that the configuration data has been changed by the first terminal, it extracts change information about the design data to be changed based on the difference between the configuration data before and after the change. And transmitting the change information as a schedule notification to the second terminal prior to the change of the design data. The design data management system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes destination information indicating a second terminal to which the schedule notification is to be transmitted when the configuration data is changed. The design data management system according to claim 1, wherein the design data includes drawings or materials, and the configuration data includes a version number of the drawings or materials. The server comprises a first server and a second server;
The first server registers the configuration data;
The second server registers the design data;
The design data management system according to claim 1, wherein the first server detects that the configuration data has been changed, extracts the change information, and transmits the change information to the second terminal.

Images