System and method for determining a quantity mismatch report

1. A method of determining a quantity mismatch report in a data processing system so that a plurality of configured quantities for a plurality of product variants in a product lifecycle management system can be compared, comprising:

transforming a plurality of logical expressions by the data processing system, wherein the plurality of logical expressions relate a first plurality of quantity conditions from a first element of the product lifecycle management system to a second plurality of quantity conditions from a second element of the product lifecycle management system;

detecting a quantity mismatch report from the transformed logical expressions by the data processing system, wherein the quantity mismatch report indicates that whether a variant condition configuring a given instance quantity in a first product representation of a configuration is identical to a sum of instances in another product representation of the configuration; and

determining at least one product variant from the quantity mismatch report by the data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transforming a plurality of logical expressions comprises subtracting a first logical expression from a second logical expression using a truth table, whereby a combination of lines in the truth table having a true expression is translated into a minterm table.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein transforming a plurality of logical expressions further comprises minimizing the minterm table by calculating a plurality of prime implicants.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a quantity mismatch report utilizes a prime implicant table in positional cube notation to identify a plurality of equivalent primitives.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the prime implicant table in positional cube notation represents a full product variability.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transforming the plurality of logical expressions includes representing the logical expressions as a binary tree and recursively traversing the binary tree.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause a data processing system to perform the steps of:

transforming a plurality of logical expressions, wherein the plurality of logical expressions relate a first plurality of quantity conditions from a first element of the product lifecycle management system to a second plurality of quantity conditions from a second element of the product lifecycle management system;

detecting a quantity mismatch report from the transformed logical expressions, wherein the quantity mismatch report indicates that whether a variant condition configuring a given instance quantity in a first product representation of a configuration is identical to a sum of instances in another product representation of the configuration; and

determining at least one product variant from the quantity mismatch report.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions for transforming comprise instructions for subtracting a first logical expression from a second logical expression using a truth table, wherein a combination of lines in the truth table having a true expression is translated into a minterm table.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for transforming further comprise instructions for minimizing the minterm table by calculating a plurality of prime implicants.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the prime implicant table in positional cube notation represents a full product variability.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions for detecting utilize a prime implicant table in positional cube notation to identify a plurality of equivalent primitives.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein transforming the plurality of logical expressions includes representing the logical expressions as a binary tree and recursively traversing the binary tree.

13. A data processing system, comprising: a processor; and an accessible memory, the data processing system configured to implement a method to determine a quantity mismatch report in a product lifecycle management system by performing the steps of:

transforming a plurality of logical expressions, wherein the plurality of logical expressions relate a first plurality of quantity conditions from a first element of the product lifecycle management system to a second plurality of quantity conditions from a second element of the product lifecycle management system;

detecting a quantity mismatch report from the transformed logical expressions, wherein the quantity mismatch report indicates that whether a variant condition configuring a given instance quantity in a first product representation of a configuration is identical to a sum of instances in another product representation of the configuration; and

determining at least one product variant from the quantity mismatch report.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein transforming the plurality of logical expressions includes representing the logical expressions as a binary tree and recursively traversing the binary tree.

15. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the process of detecting uses a prime implicant table in positional cube notation to identify a plurality of equivalent primitives.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 , wherein the prime implicant table in positional cube notation represents a full product variability.

17. A method of determining a quantity mismatch report in a data processing system, comprising:

transforming a plurality of logical expressions by the data processing system, wherein the plurality of logical expressions relate a first plurality of quantity conditions from a first element of the product lifecycle management system to a second plurality of quantity conditions from a second element of the product lifecycle management system, by:

subtracting a first logical expression from a second logical expression using a truth table, whereby a combination of lines in the truth table having a true expression is translated into a minterm table, and

minimizing the minterm table by calculating a plurality of prime implicants;

detecting a quantity mismatch report from the transformed logical expressions using a prime implicant table in positional cube notation to identify a plurality of equivalent primitives, wherein the quantity mismatch report indicates that whether a variant condition configuring a given instance quantity in a first product representation of a configuration is identical to a sum of instances in another product representation of the configuration; and

determining at least one product variant from the quantity mismatch report.