US 12,591,853 B2Granted

Method for collaborative design on context boundaries in model-based tools

AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.

InventorsMelinda G. Refford, Loris Dal Lago, Luigi Di Guglielmo

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Abstract

A method for collaborative design of a system of interest (SoI) in a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) framework models the system into an artifact including customer-owned and supplier-owned portions. The customer system identifies a collaborative portion within the artifact, shared by both customer and supplier, wherein data exchanges and modifications to the SoI will take place, the collaborative portion defined by a context boundary. The customer and supplier package their respective shareable portions of the SoI into bundles including the customer-initiated collaborative portion and a supplier-owned copy. Further modifications to the SoI may be implemented via cadenced synchronization of the customer-owned and supplier-owned copies of the collaborative portion to exchange, accept, and propagate successive changes initiated by either party.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method collaborative sharing of context boundary information in a model-based environment, the method comprising:

modelling, via a customer, at least one system of interest (SoI) artifact compatible with at least one model-based systems engineering (MBSE) framework and modelled according to at least one model-based tool, the SoI artifact comprising:
a customer portion owned by the customer, the customer portion comprising 1) a shared portion and 2) a private portion accessible only to the customer;
the shared portion of the customer portion including a collaborative portion defined by the customer, the collaborative portion comprising at least one context boundary block and one or more interface specifications associated with data exchange between the customer and a supplier portion of the SoI artifact, the supplier portion owned by a supplier;
defining, via the collaborative portion, a collaborative perimeter delineating the collaborative portion within the shared portion of the customer and supplier portions;
providing, via the customer portion, the collaborative portion to the supplier portion;
organizing, via the customer, the at least one modelled SoI artifact into at least:
1) A customer model based on the shared portion of the customer portion;
2) A set of shared interfaces configured for use by the customer model to communicate with the supplier portion, the set of shared interfaces including the one or more interface specifications;
and
3) The collaborative portion;
initiating, via the customer, one or more changes to the SoI artifact by modifying the collaborative portion, each customer-initiated change associated with at least one of an addition to the collaborative portion, a deletion from the collaborative portion, or a modification of the collaborative portion;
and
synchronizing the customer-modified collaborative portion with a supplier-copied collaborative portion received from the supplier.

10 more elements

A computer-implemented method for collaborative sharing of context boundary information in a model-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving from a customer, via a supplier, a modelled system of interest (SoI) artifact compatible with at least one model-based systems engineering (MBSE) framework and modelled according to at least one model-based tool, the SoI artifact comprising:
a customer portion owned by the customer and shareable between the customer and the supplier;
a supplier portion owned by the supplier, the supplier portion comprising 1) a shared portion and 2) a private portion accessible only to the supplier;
the shared portion of the supplier portion including at least one copy of a collaborative portion defined by the customer, the collaborative portion including at least one of a context boundary block and one or more interface specifications associated with data exchange between the customer and supplier portions, the collaborative portion delineated within the shared portion of the customer and supplier portions via a customer-defined collaborative perimeter;
organizing, via the supplier, the modeled supplier artifacts into at least:
1) A supplier model;
2) A set of shared interfaces;
and
3) A supplier shared exchange bundle comprising a) the supplier model;
b) the set of shared interfaces;
and c) the copied collaborative portion;
initiating, via the supplier shared exchange bundle, one or more changes to the SoI artifact by modifying the copied collaborative portion, each change associated with at least one of an addition to the copied collaborative portion, a deletion from the copied collaborative portion, or a modification of the copied collaborative portion;
and
synchronizing the modified copied collaborative portion with the customer-defined collaborative portion via the supplier shared exchange bundle.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/756,509Filed 27 Jun 2024
Published: US 2025/0209423 A126 Jun 2025
Granted: 31 Mar 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G06Q 10/103
Office automation; Time management: workflow collaboration or project management
G06Q 10/101
Office automation; Time management: collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial