JP2746174B2 - Concurrent design system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CAD (Computer Aided Design) system, and more particularly to a parallel design system in which a plurality of designers design the whole system in parallel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a drawing editing operation in a CAD system, it is general that one drawing database is edited by one terminal. However, a plurality of terminals as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-362783 are usually used. A system has also been proposed in which the operator of each terminal can edit at the same time.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a conventional system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-362784.

In FIG. 1, terminals 31a and 31b are C
The task manager 32 is a terminal used for an editing operation of the AD screen and the like, and manages a CAD drawing editing result in each of the terminals 31a and 31b. The task manager 32 is provided, for example, in a host device (not shown). CAD drawing database (hereinafter, CAD drawing DB)
) 33 is for storing a CAD screen (CAD drawing data) and includes a work database (hereinafter, referred to as a work database).
The work DB 34 is used for CAD drawing editing. CAD drawing DB33 and work DB3
4 is accessed by the task manager 32. The display handlers 35a and 35b are responsible for displaying CAD drawings and the like on the terminals 31a and 31b, and the CAD modules 36a and 36b have CAD drawing editing processing functions realized by a CAD drawing editing application program. The handlers 37a and 37b are connected to the task manager 32, the CAD module 36a in the terminal 31a, and the CAD module 36b in the terminal 31b.
And an input / output interface between the two. The input / output handlers 37a and 37b inform the task manager 32 of the CAD drawing editing results at the terminals 31a and 31b, and send the CAD
The CAD module 36a corresponding to the AD drawing editing result
36b. The display handler 35a,
35b, the CAD modules 36a and 36b, and the input / output handlers 37a and 37b are built in the terminals 31a and 31b.

According to this method, the editing result for the same CAD drawing in each of a plurality of terminals is managed,
A management means for updating the drawing database according to the editing result at each terminal is provided, and an input / output means for receiving the editing result at another terminal from the managing means and notifying the corresponding terminal is provided, so that the CAD The same drawing can be simultaneously operated from a plurality of terminals, and the design period can be shortened.

However, this method has the following problems.

[0007]

In the above-mentioned conventional system, a plurality of designers are required to edit a certain designer if the editing result of one designer is an obstacle to the design of another designer. There is a possibility that other designers may perform inconsistent editing operations, such as drilling holes for screws in the space where they are trying to wire. As described above, in the conventional method, since all the design terminals are treated equally, contradictory design operations are accepted. For this reason, interference occurs between designers, and another designer destroys the design goal of one designer, or the efficiency of editing work is reduced as a whole.

As a method for preventing this while using the conventional method, a rule that does not cause interference between designers (for example, a part in charge of design is determined for each designer)
May be set. However, such a rule may impair the merit of designing the entire design in parallel, and may not be the same as a simple divided design.

[0009]

A parallel design system according to the present invention comprises: a first notifying means for notifying another terminal of an editing operation on a CAD drawing in each terminal; Receiving means for receiving the design operation notified from the terminal; setting means for setting a priority for each terminal; determining means for receiving the receiving operation and determining the priority of the design operation set by the setting means; A plurality of independent CAD terminals comprising second notification means for reflecting the design operation of the other terminal on its own terminal according to the priority determined by the means and notifying the other terminal not performing the operation of the own terminal; It is characterized by comprising a network connecting CAD terminals.

The parallel design system of the present invention includes an external input device 1 for an operator to input a design operation, an operation execution unit 2 for processing design data according to the operation, and a design data for storing the processed design data. A storage unit 3, a display unit 4 and a display device 5 for displaying the state of the design object, an execution operation notification unit 6 for notifying the design operation performed by the operation execution unit 2 to the outside, and participating in the same design. An operation receiving unit 7 for receiving notification information on an operation performed by the CAD of
An inconsistency operation notifying unit 8 for notifying other terminals of an inconsistency operation; an operation received by the operation reception unit 7 and detecting inconsistency between the operation received by the operation reception unit 7 and the design data stored in the design data storage unit 3 and judging the priority order When priority is given, the operation execution unit 2 executes this operation, and when the received operation is ignored, the inconsistency operation notification unit 8 notifies the outside that the operation has been ignored. And a concurrent design management unit for judging which of the notification information received when an inconsistency occurs and the current design data to be prioritized and notifying the priority to the operation inconsistency detection unit. A plurality of independent CADs,. . . And the plurality of CADs,. . . Network 11 to connect
It is characterized by being comprised from.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a parallel design system according to the present invention.

In the case of FIG. 1, CAD, CAD, CA
D is doing a parallel design. Although these three CADs have the same configuration, depending on the setting of the parallel design management unit 10,
One is registered as a parent CAD having a higher priority and the other CAD is registered as a child CAD having a lower priority. However, at the level more detailed than this block diagram, each CAD does not need to be the same, and for example, different types of CADs whose operation execution units and the like correspond to the design field may be mixed.

The external input device 1 is an input device for performing CAD design operations such as a mouse and a keyboard. Operation execution unit 2
Accesses the design data storage unit 3 and reflects the design operation on the design data. When this terminal is a child CAD, the parent CAD is inquired to the concurrent design management unit 10 at the same time, and the design operation performed to the parent CAD is notified through the execution operation notification unit 6 and the network 11. The contents of the data storage unit 3 are displayed through a display unit 4 for displaying data and a display device 5 including a cathode ray tube or the like.

The operation receiving unit 7 receives a notification from another terminal from the network 11 and notifies the operation inconsistency detecting unit 9. The operation inconsistency detecting unit 9 refers to the concurrent design management unit 10 and compares the priorities of the operation notification source terminal and its own terminal.
Furthermore, the presence or absence of inconsistency with the data of the own terminal is detected, and according to this, the following operation is performed.

If the own terminal is the child CAD and the notification source is the parent CAD, the operation execution unit 2 performs the notified operation on the data in the design data storage unit 3. If the notification source is another child CAD, the notification content is ignored.

If the own terminal is the parent CAD, the operation inconsistency detecting unit 9 refers to the design data storage unit 3 of the own terminal and detects inconsistency with the design target. If no inconsistency is detected here, the operation is executed by the operation execution unit 2. Furthermore, other Cs who have not yet performed this operation through the execution operation notification unit 6
Notify AD. As a result, this operation is performed in all CAD. When an inconsistency is detected by the inter-operation inconsistency detection unit 9, the inconsistency operation notification unit 8 notifies the child CAD of the notification.
This operation is ignored and is not reflected in the design data storage unit 3.

The operation inconsistency detecting section 9 of the child CAD which has been notified from the inconsistent operation notifying section of the parent CAD outputs an instruction to cancel the operation performed unconditionally to the operation executing section 2 and the design data storing section 3. Is returned to the state before the operation.

As a result of the above operations, operations performed in each CAD are transmitted to other CADs as follows. Operations performed in the parent CAD are also performed in all child CADs. The operations performed in the child CAD are checked once for any inconsistencies in the parent CAD, and then the operations that are not inconsistent are determined in the parent CAD and all other child CAs.
Executed at D. If there is an inconsistency, the parent CAD notifies the executed child CAD to cancel this operation,
The child CAD data is returned to the state before the operation.

Next, a more specific example of the above parallel design system will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the parallel design system of FIG.

This parallel design system comprises a CAD system 21, CAD data 22, a keyboard 23,
D screen 24 and a plurality of independent CADs,. . . And these multiple CAs
D ,,,. . . And a network 26 for connecting.

Here, the CAD system 21 operates as shown in FIG. 1 by the operation execution unit 2, the design data storage unit 3, the display unit 4, the implemented operation notification unit 6, the operation reception unit 7, the inconsistent operation notification unit 8, and the inconsistency detection between operations. The unit 9, the parallel design management unit 10, the CAD data 22 corresponds to the design data storage unit 3, the keyboard 23 corresponds to the external input device 1, the CAD screen 24 corresponds to the display device 5, and the network 26 corresponds to the network 11. Then, notification information by an operation from another terminal is received by the CAD system 21 (the operation receiving unit 7 in FIG. 1), and information obtained when the designer operates the keyboard 23 and the mouse 25 is
It is transmitted from the CAD system 21 (the execution operation notification unit 6 and the contradiction operation notification unit 8 in FIG. 1) as notification information for operating another terminal.

In this manner, a series of operations described with reference to FIG. 1 are performed in this specific parallel design system.

[0025]

As described above, in the parallel design system of the present invention, all operations performed in the child CAD are checked for inconsistency in the parent CAD, and only those having no inconsistency are notified to all CADs. It is guaranteed that the design goals of the parent CAD are achieved in all CADs, and the design goals of each child CAD may interfere with the operation of the parent CAD. By achieving the goals, all the design goals can be achieved as a whole. As a result, the parallel design system of the present invention eliminates the need for each designer to consider a large number of targets at the same time, and has the effect of preventing a reduction in design efficiency and a design error due to interference between targets.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a parallel design system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the parallel design system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a conventional system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-362793.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 external input device 2 operation execution unit 3 design data storage unit 4 display unit 5 display device 6 implemented operation notification unit 7 operation reception unit 8 inconsistent operation notification unit 9 operation inconsistency detection unit 10 concurrent design management unit 11 network 21 CAD system 22 CAD data 23 Keyboard 24 CAD screen 25 Mouse 26 Network 31a, 31b Terminal 32 Task manager 33 CAD drawing DB 34 Work DB 35a, 35b Display handler 36a, 36b CAD module 37a, 37b Input / output handler

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first notifying means for notifying another terminal of an editing operation on a CAD drawing in each terminal,
Receiving means for receiving the design operation notified from the corresponding other terminal by the first notifying means, setting means for setting a priority order for each terminal, setting by the receiving means and setting by the setting means Determining means for determining the priority of the designed operation, and second notifying means for reflecting the design operation of the other terminal to the own terminal according to the priority determined by the determining means and notifying the other terminal that has not performed the operation. A parallel design system comprising: a plurality of independent CAD terminals; and a network connecting the plurality of CAD terminals. 2. An external input device 1 for an operator to input a design operation, an operation execution unit 2 for processing design data according to the operation, a design data storage unit 3 for storing the processed design data, A display unit 4 and a display device 5 for displaying the state of the design, an execution operation notification unit 6 for notifying the design operation performed by the operation execution unit 2 to the outside, and execution of another CAD participating in the same design The operation receiving unit 7 that receives the notification information regarding the performed operation, the inconsistent operation notifying unit 8 that notifies the other terminal of the inconsistent operation, the operation received by the operation receiving unit 7, and the operation stored in the design data storage unit 3. When the inconsistency with the design data is detected and the received operation is prioritized in accordance with the priority order determination, the operation execution unit 2 executes the operation. When the received operation is ignored, the operation is notified to the inconsistent operation notification unit 8. Nothing An inter-operation inconsistency detecting unit 9 for notifying the user that the operation has been viewed, and determining whether to prioritize the notification information or the current design data received when an inconsistency occurs in the inter-operation inconsistency detecting unit 9. A plurality of independent CAD units, each comprising a parallel design management unit 10 for notifying the priority level to the operation inconsistency detection unit 9. . . And the plurality of CADs,. . . A parallel design system, comprising: a network 11 connecting between the two.