Recording medium storing a design support program, design support method, and design support apparatus

A design support method providing information considering a range of similarity, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing feature associated information associating a plurality of pieces of design data that can be classified for each structure and feature data provided corresponding to each piece of the design data and representing features of the design data;
• extracting the feature data corresponding to the design data to be searched upon receiving the design data to be searched;
• checking the extracted feature data against the feature data associated with the feature associated information, ordering the design data associated with the feature associated information in descending order of similarity to the design data to be searched, retrieving at least one piece of the ordered design data;
• generating a classification hierarchy consisting of a plurality of pieces of classification data obtained by classifying a set of the retrieved design data based on a degree of feature similarity using the feature data associated with the feature associated information;
• calculating a cluster relevance ratio based on at least a number of pieces of the plurality of pieces of design data and a number of pieces of the retrieved design data;
• selecting the design information closely associated with the classification data by fetching the design information corresponding to the design data contained in the classification data from the design associated information associating the design data and the design information representing design know-how and skills, the calculated cluster relevance ratio of the selected design information being larger than a predetermined threshold in each cluster;
• and
• displaying the classification data in a predetermined form together with the selected design information.

A design support apparatus providing information considering a range of similarity, the apparatus comprising:

• a feature associated information storage unit for storing feature associated information associating a plurality of pieces of design data that can be classified for each structure and feature data provided corresponding to each piece of the design data and representing features of the design data;
• a feature extraction unit for extracting the feature data corresponding to the design data to be searched upon receiving the design data to be searched;
• a similarity search unit for checking the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit against the feature data associated with the feature associated information, ordering the design data associated with the feature associated information in descending order of similarity to the design data to be searched, retrieving at least one piece of the ordered design data;
• a classification hierarchy generation unit for generating a classification hierarchy consisting of a plurality of pieces of classification data obtained by classifying a set of the design data retrieved by the similarity search unit based on a degree of feature similarity using the feature data associated with the feature associated information;
• a cluster relevance ratio calculation unit for calculating a cluster relevance ratio based on at least a number of pieces of the plurality of pieces of design data and a number of pieces of the retrieved design data;
• a design information selection unit for selecting the design information closely associated with the classification data by fetching the design information corresponding to the design data contained in the classification data from the design associated information associating the design data and the design information representing design know-how and skills, the calculated cluster relevance ratio of the selected design information being larger than a predetermined threshold in each cluster;
• and
• a display control unit for displaying the classification data in a predetermined form together with the design information selected by the design information selection unit.