US 7,890,924 B2Granted

System and method for simulating product design and development

AssigneeState of Oregon acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on behalf of Portland State University

InventorDavid M. Raffo

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A generalized software process simulation model is utilized to simulate software engineering processes and support project management and control. The simulation model takes advantage of generic software modeling blocks which represent differing stages or activities in a software development process and are represented in modeling environment. The generic software modeling blocks are also used to represent sub-processes and activities within higher-level processes. The blocks also provide dialog boxes which allow entering and adjustment of data and equations. Through manipulation of blocks and comparisons of simulations, a project manager can simulate and observe the outcome of different process decisions. Additional simulation capabilities are possible, as software engineering is one example of the technology. Similar techniques are also applied to simulation of hardware and systems development, and other product or technology development which follows design and development characteristics similar to software engineering.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A method of modeling a software engineering process, executed by a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks, the blocks displayed within simulation software;
selecting at least one generic building block within the simulation software, the generic building block simulating a process which comprises multiple activities and comprising multiple generic building blocks which each simulate an activity in the process;
selecting at least one of the generic building blocks which simulate an activity from the generic building block which simulates a process, wherein said at least one generic building block simulates a stage of a software engineering process life cycle according to one or more equations relating at least one of time and unit cost of staff to at least the following product engineering metrics:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate and feature count;
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks support a base set of attributes comprising:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate, staff turnover, productivity, and man-hour cost;
and
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks are configurable using, at least in part, the base set of attributes to implement block types comprising:
development blocks, which simulate software product development and inject defects;
inspection and testing blocks, which detect defects;
rework blocks, which correct and inject defects;
and
joint review blocks, which detect and correct defects;
and
manipulating the selected at least one generic building block which simulates an activity within the simulation software to create a model of a software engineering process.

12 more elements

A method of modeling a software engineering process, executed by a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising:

accessing a software engineering process model comprising a plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks implemented within simulation software;
and
creating a new software engineering process model by manipulating at least one generic software engineering building block which represents a software engineering activity and is contained in another generic software engineering block within the simulation software;
wherein the at least one generic software engineering building block simulates a stage of a software product engineering life cycle according to one or more equations relating at least one of time and unit cost of staff to at least the following product engineering metrics:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate and feature count;
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks support a base set of attributes comprising:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate, staff turnover, productivity, and man-hour cost;
and
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks are configurable using, at least in part, the base set of attributes to implement block types comprising:
development blocks, which simulate software product development and inject defects;
inspection and testing blocks, which detect defects;
rework blocks, which correct and inject defects;
and
joint review blocks, which detect and correct defects.

11 more elements

A computer system for estimating combinations of time, cost, quality, or functionality metrics of engineering a product through modeling a software product engineering process, the computer system comprising:

a memory storing a library comprising a plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks (hereafter “blocks”) to be displayed in a graphical user interface of simulation software, the blocks configured to process product engineering data, and to allow direct manipulation of the blocks while displayed in a modeling environment provided by the simulation software, wherein at least one block out of the blocks is configured to allow direct manipulation of a modeled product engineering activity which is contained in the modeled software product engineering process, wherein at least one block out of the blocks simulates a stage of a software product engineering life cycle according to one or more equations relating at least one of time and unit cost of staff to at least the following product engineering metrics:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate and feature count;
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks support a base set of attributes comprising:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate, staff turnover, productivity, and man-hour cost;
and
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks are configurable using, at least in part, the base set of attributes to implement block types comprising:
development blocks, which simulate software product development and inject defects;
inspection and testing blocks, which detect defects;
rework blocks, which correct and inject defects;
and
joint review blocks, which detect and correct defects;
and
a display for displaying the graphical user interface of the simulation software for the modeling environment;
and
a processor configured to execute the simulation software to model the software product engineering process as an arrangement constructed of plural of the generic software engineering building blocks from the library, and present the graphical user interface on the display having user manipulable controls to effect said direct manipulation of the blocks in the modeling environment displayed in the graphical user interface.

12 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium containing software data structures which, when read by a computer, describe a plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks (hereafter “blocks”), which, when read by simulation software, cause the simulation software to simulate a software product engineering process defined by the blocks and which are able to be manipulated within a graphical user interface of the simulation software by a user, wherein the blocks describe processes measured by cost, time, quality or functionality;

wherein at least one software engineering building block contains a different software engineering building sub-block, the sub-block comprising an application-customizable generic software engineering building block and representing a product engineering activity, the sub-block causing the simulation software to simulate a stage of a software product engineering life cycle according to one or more equations relating at least one of time and unit cost of staff to at least the following product engineering metrics:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate and feature count;
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks support a base set of attributes comprising:
defect introduction rate, defect detection rate, staff turnover, productivity, and man-hour cost;
and
wherein the plurality of application-customizable generic software engineering building blocks are configurable using, at least in part, the base set of attributes to implement block types comprising:
development blocks, which simulate software product development and inject defects;
inspection and testing blocks, which detect defects;
rework blocks, which correct and inject defects;
and
joint review blocks, which detect and correct defects.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/838,494Filed 3 May 2004 · us provisional application
Priority: 20 Jan 2004
Published: US 2005/0160103 A121 Jul 2005
Granted: 15 Feb 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06Q 10/06
Administration; Management: resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation…
G06F 30/20
Computer-aided design [CAD]: design optimisation, verification or simulation
G06F 8/20
Arrangements for software engineering: software design
G06F 2117/08
Details relating to the type or aim of the circuit design: hW-SW co-design, e.g. HW-SW partitioning