Natural language user interface for computer-aided design systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11599086-B2
Application number	US-201815861490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A method for providing a natural language interface for a computer-aided design (CAD) system includes receiving a user voice input comprising a plurality of words, parsing the user voice input, determining a meaning for the parsed user voice input, the meaning including one or more words associated with an object and one or more words associated with a characteristic of the object, retrieving from a model descriptor database at least an object model descriptor and at least a characteristic descriptor, using the determined meaning, generating at least a graphical model of the object using the at least an object model descriptor, and generating at least a modified graphical model of the object, using the at least a characteristic descriptor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a natural language interface for a computer-aided design (CAD) system, the method performed by a computing device and comprising:
automatedly receiving, via the computing device, a user voice input comprising a plurality of words;
automatedly, via the computing device, parsing the user voice input;
automatedly, via the computing device, determining a meaning for the parsed user voice input, the meaning including one or more words associated with an object and one or more words associated with a characteristic of the object;
automatedly, via the computing device, retrieving from interrogating a CAD model at least an object model descriptor and at least a characteristic descriptor, using the determined meaning,
wherein the object model descriptor comprises:
at least a mathematical description of a three-dimensional object form of the object; and
at least a first parametric instruction for manufacturing the object using the three-dimensional object form;
and wherein the at least a characteristic descriptor refers to a second graphical model and the at least a characteristic descriptor comprises a modification to the mathematical description of the graphical model of the object;

automatedly, via the computing device, generating at least a graphical model of the object using the at least an object model descriptor;
determining, via the computing device, a mismatch between the at least a graphical model of the object and the second graphical model based upon a fit between the at least a graphical model of the object and the second graphical model;

automatedly, via the computing device, prompting the user for missing information determined as a function of the determination of the mismatch between the at least a graphical model of the object and the second graphical model being below a predetermined threshold;
automatedly, via the computing device, generating at least a modified graphical model of the object,
wherein generating the at least a modified graphical model of the object comprises:
modifying the at least a graphical model of the object, as a function of prompting the user for the missing information, based upon the fit between the at least a graphical model of the object and the second graphical model and the characteristic descriptor, the modifying the graphical model of the object further comprising modifying the graphical model of the object as a function of the modification to the mathematical description; and
including the second object model into the modified graphical model of the object as function of the characteristic descriptor by adding at least a part of the second graphical model to a particular location of the first graphical model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the object model further comprises retrieving, from the model descriptor database, at least a graphical model associated with the object model descriptor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the object model further comprises:
retrieving, from the model descriptor database, at least a modification to the at least a graphical model associated with the object model descriptor, the at least a modification associated with the object model descriptor; and
modifying the at least a graphical model using the at least a modification.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least an object model descriptor includes a plurality of object model descriptors, and wherein generating the at least a graphical model of the object further comprises generating a plurality of graphical models of the object, each of the plurality of graphical models of the object generated using an object model descriptor of the plurality of object model descriptors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein modifying the at least a graphical model of the object further comprises modifying each of the plurality of graphical models as a function of the at least a characteristic descriptor.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising ranking the plurality of graphical objects of the model according to relevance to a query.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least a characteristic descriptor includes a plurality of characteristic descriptors, and wherein modifying the at least a graphical model of the object further comprises generating a plurality of modified graphical models, the plurality of modified graphical models including a modified graphical model representing the object modified using each characteristic descriptor of the plurality of characteristic descriptors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic descriptor further comprises a descriptor associated with at least a geometrical model, and wherein modifying the graphical model of the object using the at least a characteristic descriptor further comprises adding the at least a geometric model to the graphical model of the object.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the characteristic descriptor further comprises:
at least a mathematical description of a three-dimensional characteristic form represented in the geometric model; and
at least a second parametric instruction for manufacturing the characteristic using the three-dimensional characteristic form.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the meaning further comprises determining one or more words associated with a specific location on the object, and wherein adding the at least a geometrical model to the graphical model of the object further comprises:
identifying, in the graphical model of the object, a representation of the specific location; and
adding the at least a geometric model at the representation of the specific location.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the second graphical model to be compatible with the at least a graphical model of the object.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the at least a graphical model of the object to be compatible with the second graphical model.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising excluding a combination of at least a part of the second graphical model and the at least a graphical model of the object from the at least a modified graphical model of the object.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatedly, via the computing device, and based on the determined meaning, identifying additional information describing the object in a CAD context database, and wherein retrieving the at least an object model descriptor further comprises retrieving at the at least an object model descriptor using the additional information.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the object model descriptor further comprises:
automatedly, via the computing device, assembling a query for additional information based on the determined meaning;
automatedly, via the computing device, providing the assembled query to a resource provider service;
automatedly, via the computing device, receiving the additional information from the resource provider service, the additional information comprising information regarding the object; and
retrieving the object model descriptor using the additional information.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the modified graphical model of the object to a user.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least a modified graphical model of the object includes a plurality of modified graphical models, and further comprising receiving, from the user, a selection of a modified graphical model from the plurality of modified graphical models.

18. The method

Assignees

• Desprez Llc

Inventors

• Jacobs Ii James L

Classifications

• G06F30/12

  characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G06F40/30

  Semantic analysis · CPC title

• G05B19/4093 Primary

  characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part program, for the NC machine · CPC title

• G05B2219/35453

  Voice announcement, oral, speech input · CPC title