Intelligent cabling and connection instruction refinement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11557221-B2
Application number	US-202016837344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A method is disclosed to ensure that components in a complex system are correctly connected together. In one embodiment, such a method provides a library of previous configurations of a system. The system includes multiple components connected together with cables. The method generates, from the library, instructions for assembling the system by connecting components of the system together with cables. The method receives feedback generated in the course of using the instructions to assemble the system and uses the feedback to refine the instructions. In certain embodiments, a configuration associated with the assembled system is then added to the library. This process may be repeated to further refine the instructions and increase a number of configurations in the library. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to ensure that components in a complex system are correctly connected together, the method comprising:
generating, using artificial intelligence, a library of previous configurations of a system, the system comprising a plurality of components connected together with cables;
generating, from the library, instructions for assembling the system by connecting components of the system together with cables;
receiving feedback generated in the course of using the instructions to assemble the system; and
using the feedback to refine the instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the assembled system against the previous configurations of the system.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating alerts in response to detecting differences between the assembled system and the previous configurations of the system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise at least one of written instructions and visual diagrams.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving feedback regarding connection step success when executing the instructions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving feedback regarding connection step complexity when executing the instructions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving at least one of (1) feedback regarding connection step variation when executing the instructions; and (2) feedback regarding subsequent step impact when executing the instructions.

8. A computer program product to ensure that components in a complex system are correctly connected together, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code configured to perform the following when executed by at least one processor:
generate, using artificial intelligence, a library of previous configurations of a system, the system comprising a plurality of components connected together with cables;
generate, from the library, instructions for assembling the system by connecting components of the system together with cables;
receive feedback generated in the course of using the instructions to assemble the system; and
use the feedback to refine the instructions.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer-usable program code is further configured to validate the assembled system against the previous configurations of the system.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer-usable program code is further configured to generate alerts in response to detecting differences between the assembled system and the previous configurations of the system.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions comprise at least one of written instructions and visual diagrams.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving feedback regarding connection step success when executing the instructions.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving feedback regarding connection step complexity when executing the instructions.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving at least one of (1) feedback regarding connection step variation when executing the instructions; and (2) feedback regarding subsequent step impact when executing the instructions.

15. An apparatus to ensure that components in a complex system are correctly connected together, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one memory device coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions causing the at least one processor to:
generate, using artificial intelligence, a library of previous configurations of a system, the system comprising a plurality of components connected together with cables;
generate, from the library, instructions for assembling the system by connecting components of the system together with cables;
receive feedback generated in the course of using the instructions to assemble the system; and
use the feedback to refine the instructions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to validate the assembled system against the previous configurations of the system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to generate alerts in response to detecting differences between the assembled system and the previous configurations of the system.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions comprise at least one of written instructions and visual diagrams.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving at least one of (1) feedback regarding connection step success when executing the instructions; and (2) feedback regarding connection step complexity when executing the instructions.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving at least one of (1) feedback regarding connection step variation when executing the instructions; and (2) feedback regarding subsequent step impact when executing the instructions.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Peterson Beth Ann
• Acevedo Paulina
• Reeves-Voeltner Veronica A
• Utter Samantha A

Classifications

• G09B23/18 Primary

  for electricity or magnetism · CPC title

• G09B19/003 Primary

  Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements · CPC title

• G06F16/245

  Query processing · CPC title

• G09B5/02

  with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip · CPC title