Visual pathfinder for product structure recursions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836707-B2
Application number	US-84956210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2010
Priority date	Aug 3, 2010
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A system and method to identify recursion in a virtual product structure. Initially, the virtual product structure is analyzed to identify the existence of a recursion. Once a recursion is identified, a graphical representation of the virtual product structure is generated and displayed to graphically exposure the recursion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
analyzing, in a computer, a virtual product structure, the virtual product structure corresponding to a physical product, to identify a recursion in the product structure, a recursion existing when a lower level item in the product structure is the same as a higher level item in the product structure, wherein analyzing comprises:
identifying a relation that causes the recursion;

generating a graphical representation of the product structure exposing the recursion;
displaying the graphical representation within a graphical user interface on an electronic display;
severing the relation that causes the recursion in the graphical user interface; and
propagating the severing to a persistent storage of the virtual product structure.

2. A method comprising:
analyzing, in a computer, a virtual product structure, the virtual product structure corresponding to a physical product, to identify a recursion in the product structure, a recursion existing when a lower level item in the product structure is the same as a higher level item in the product structure;
generating a graphical representation of the product structure exposing the recursion, wherein generating comprises:
defining a distinct representation for each source type of data contributing to the virtual product structure; and

displaying the graphical representation within a graphical user interface on electronic display.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the distinct representation is distinct in at least one of shape and color.

4. A system comprising:
a processor;
a recursion analysis module to execute on the processor to identify a recursion in a virtual product structure;
an electronic display coupled to the processor;
a graphical user interface (GUI) to create a representation of a virtual product structure exposing a source of the recursion, wherein the GUI distinctly represents each source type that contributes data to the virtual product structure, and wherein the GUI comprises:
a tool to severe a relationship within the representation of the virtual product that causes the recursion in the graphical user interface; and
a tool to propagate the severing to a persistent storage unit of the virtual product structure; and

the persistent storage unit.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
analyze, in a computer, a virtual product structure to identify a recursion;
generate a graphical representation of the product structure exposing the recursion;
display the graphical representation within a graphical user interface on an electronic display;
sever a relation that causes the recursion in the graphical user interface; and
propagate the severing to a persistent storage of the virtual product structure.

Assignees

• Welker Gerhard
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Welker Gerhard

Classifications

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title