# US 10,488,844 B1 · Configuration mapping using a multi-dimensional rule space and rule consolidation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,488,844 B1 - Document ID: US10488844B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/174,480 - Filed: 2016-06-06 - Granted: 2019-11-26 - Earliest claimed: 2006-03-10 - Assignees: Trilogy Enterprises, Inc. - Applicants: Trilogy Enterprises, Inc. - Inventors: Aditya Kulkarni; Sourabh Kukreja - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10488844B1 ## CPC - G06F 12/0646: {Configuration or reconfiguration} - G05B 19/4097: characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) - G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD] - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G05B 2219/35061: From cad make drawing with text for dimensions, scan it and read dimensions - G06F 2111/20: Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules - G06N 5/022: Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition - G06N 5/025: Extracting rules from data - G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A configuration mapping system and method increase the effectiveness of mapping of information from an established product line to a new product offering. In at least one embodiment, the configuration mapping system herein uses configuration mapping rules to map individual product features and entire configurations from established products to a new product offering. The configuration mapping system also provides a way to appropriately map, for example, demand and sales information for the purpose of demand estimation and sales prediction. Conventionally, mapping can be ineffective because the configuration mapping rules usually focus on one part of the product at a time, and, if applied in isolation, the impact on other parts is missed. The systems and method herein provide a way to integrate configuration mapping rules across feature parts, time periods, and product lines into a unified, holistic view, allowing for new insights. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of using a computer system to map a first set of configuration rules to a second set of configuration rules, wherein each of the configuration rules includes a set of parts of a product, the first set of configuration rules includes a first configuration rule and the second set of configuration rules includes a second configuration rule, the method comprising: accessing, from a first memory, multiple, part-to-part mapping rules; combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule that maps parts in the first configuration rule to parts in the second configuration rule; storing the consolidated configuration mapping rule in a second memory; and applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: correlating predetermined data associated with the first configuration rule to the second configuration rule using the consolidated mapping rule to generate correlated data to allow use of the predetermined data with a product configured in accordance with at least the second configuration rule; and making the correlated data available to a computer system user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined data includes product demand for a product represented by the first configuration rule. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: chaining a first part-to-part mapping rule to a second part-to-part mapping rule to generate a third part-to-part mapping rule, wherein the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules combined into the consolidated configuration mapping rule include the third part-to-part mapping rule. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule further comprises: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules from multiple time periods into the consolidated configuration mapping rule. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into multiple consolidated configuration mapping rules that map multiple configuration rules in the first set of configuration rules to multiple configuration rules in the second set of configuration rules; and storing the consolidated configuration mapping rules in the second memory. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing the consolidated configuration mapping rule for display on a monitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the product features comprise product features or one or more vehicles and each configuration rule includes a plurality of parts and at least one relationship between the parts in the configuration rule. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: removing at least one part from the first configuration rule prior to combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first memory is the second memory. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, compute demand of feature mixes of the products, and generate a correlation of demand data for at least the product associated with a first model with a second model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second models are each a member of a group consisting of: (1) a product model and (2) a configuration model. ### Claim 14 A computer system to map a first set of configuration rules to a second set of configuration rules, wherein each of the configuration rules includes a set of parts of a product, the first set of configuration rules includes a first configuration rule and the second set of configuration rules includes a second configuration rule, the computer system comprising: a processor, and a memory, coupled to the processor, having code stored therein and executable by the processor for: accessing multiple, part-to-part mapping rules; combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule that maps parts in the first configuration rule to parts in the second configuration rule; storing the consolidated configuration mapping rule in a second memory; and applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: correlating predetermined data associated with the first configuration rule to the second configuration rule using the consolidated mapping rule to generate correlated data to allow use of the predetermined data with a product configured in accordance with at least the second configuration rule; and making the correlated data available to a computer system user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15 wherein the predetermined data includes product demand for a product represented by the first configuration rule. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: chaining a first part-to-part mapping rule to a second part-to-part mapping rule to generate a third part-to-part mapping rule, wherein the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules combined into the consolidated configuration mapping rule include the third part-to-part mapping rule. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code for combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules from multiple time periods into the consolidated configuration mapping rule. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into multiple consolidated configuration mapping rules that map multiple configuration rules in the first set of configuration rules to multiple configuration rules in the second set of configuration rules; and storing the consolidated configuration mapping rules in the second memory. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: providing the consolidated configuration mapping rule for display on a monitor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the product features comprise product features or one or more vehicles and each configuration rule includes a plurality of parts and at least one relationship between the parts in the configuration rule. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: removing at least one part from the first configuration rule prior to combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, compute demand of feature mixes of the products, and generate a correlation of demand data for at least the product associated with a first model with a second model. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The computer system of claim 24 wherein the first and second models are each a member of a group consisting of: (1) a product model and (2) a configuration model. ### Claim 26 A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium comprising code stored therein to map a first set of configuration rules to a second set of configuration rules, wherein each of the configuration rules includes a set of parts of a product, the first set of configuration rules includes a first configuration rule and the second set of configuration rules includes a second configuration rule, wherein the code is executable by a processor for: accessing multiple, part-to-part mapping rules; combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule that maps parts in the first configuration rule to parts in the second configuration rule; storing the consolidated configuration mapping rule in a second memory; and applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: correlating predetermined data associated with the first configuration rule to the second configuration rule using the consolidated mapping rule to generate correlated data to allow use of the predetermined data with a product configured in accordance with at least the second configuration rule; and making the correlated data available to a computer system user. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the predetermined data includes product demand for a product represented by the first configuration rule. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: chaining a first part-to-part mapping rule to a second part-to-part mapping rule to generate a third part-to-part mapping rule, wherein the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules combined into the consolidated configuration mapping rule include the third part-to-part mapping rule. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code for combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into a consolidated configuration mapping rule wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules from multiple time periods into the consolidated configuration mapping rule. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules into multiple consolidated configuration mapping rules that map multiple configuration rules in the first set of configuration rules to multiple configuration rules in the second set of configuration rules; and storing the consolidated configuration mapping rules in the second memory. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: providing the consolidated configuration mapping rule for display on a monitor. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the product features comprise product features or one or more vehicles and each configuration rule includes a plurality of parts and at least one relationship between the parts in the configuration rule. ### Claim 34 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: removing at least one part from the first configuration rule prior to combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules. ### Claim 35 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein the code is further executable by the processor for: removing at least one part from the first configuration rule prior to combining the multiple, part-to-part mapping rules. ### Claim 36 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, and compute demand of feature mixes of the products. ### Claim 37 (depends on 26) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule and compute demand of feature mixes of the products comprises: applying the consolidated configuration mapping rule by a product processing engine to produce mappings of end configurations of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, generate a configuration of the product associated with the consolidated configuration mapping rule, compute demand of feature mixes of the products, and generate a correlation of demand data for at least the product associated with a first model with a second model. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the first and second models are each a member of a group consisting of: (1) a product model and (2) a configuration model.