IP Library Granted Patent US 8,326,583
Granted Patent B2
US 8,326,583 · App. 12/617,184 · Granted Dec 4, 2012

CAD system and method for blend recognition and chain sorting in a Brep model

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,326,583
App. No.
12/617,184
Granted
Dec 4, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A CAD system, method, and computer readable medium. A method includes loading a CAD object including a plurality of faces, and identifying a plurality of candidate faces from the plurality of faces. The candidate faces can include candidate blends. The method includes combining multiple ones of the candidate faces into a candidate blend chain, including at least one candidate blend. The method includes replacing the candidate blends with accurate blends to produce a corrected blend chain, and storing the corrected blend chain with the accurate blends as part of the CAD object.

Claims (35)

1. A method for use in a CAD system, comprising:

loading a CAD object in a CAD system, the CAD object including a plurality of faces;

identifying, by the CAD system, a plurality of candidate faces from the plurality of faces, the candidate faces including candidate blends, multiple ones of the candidate blends having different blend radii;

combining, by the CAD system, multiple ones of the candidate faces into a candidate blend chain, including at least one candidate blend;

replacing, by the CAD system, the candidate blends with accurate blends to produce a corrected blend chain, the accurate blends having the same blend radii; and

storing the corrected blend chain with the accurate blends in the CAD system as part of the CAD object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each candidate face is one of a B-surface, partial cylinder, partial torus, partial sphere, blend, non-periodic extruded, or non-periodic revolved.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an accurate blend is a face having a cross section that is circular and of constant radius.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAD system identifies blend radii for each of the candidate blends, and groups the candidate faces according to the blend radii.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein groups of connected candidate faces are combined into a candidate chain.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAD system identifies at least one blend-like face in a candidate chain, finds a radius and construction face of each of the blend-like faces, and recognizes the blend-like face as a blend.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAD system uses radii and construction faces for each of the faces in the corrected blend chain to apply a blend process to the CAD object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CAD system performs a corner blends handling process to recognize and correct at least one candidate blend that forms a corner between at least three faces.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the CAD system categorizes at least one candidate blend as one of a triangle corner face, a triangle-like corner, a variable-radius corner face, and a four-sided corner face.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one candidate blend that forms a corner between at least three faces is combined in a single chain with the at least three faces.

11. A CAD system comprising a processor and accessible memory, the CAD system configured to perform the steps of:

loading a CAD object including a plurality of faces;

identifying a plurality of candidate faces from the plurality of faces, the candidate faces including candidate blends, multiple ones of the candidate blends having different blend radii;

combining multiple ones of the candidate faces into a candidate blend chain, including at least one candidate blend;

replacing the candidate blends with accurate blends to produce a corrected blend chain; and

storing the corrected blend chain with the accurate blends as part of the CAD object.

12. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein each candidate face is one of a B-surface, partial cylinder, partial torus, partial sphere, blend, non-periodic extruded, or non-periodic revolved.

13. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein an accurate blend is a face having a cross section that is circular and of constant radius.

14. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein the CAD system identifies blend radii for each of the candidate blends, and groups the candidate faces according to the blend radii.

15. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein the CAD system identifies at least one blend-like face in a candidate chain, finds a radius and construction face of each of the blend-like faces, and recognizes the blend-like face as a blend.

16. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein the CAD system uses radii and construction faces for each of the faces in the corrected blend chain to apply a blend process to the CAD object.

17. The CAD system of claim 11 , wherein the CAD system performs a corner blends handling process to recognize and correct at least one candidate blend that forms a corner between at least three faces.

18. The CAD system of claim 17 , wherein the CAD system categorizes at least one candidate blend as one of a triangle corner face, a triangle-like corner, a variable-radius corner face, and a four-sided corner face.

19. The CAD system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one candidate blend that forms a corner between at least three faces is combined in a single chain with the at least three faces.

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

loading a CAD object including a plurality of faces;

identifying a plurality of candidate faces from the plurality of faces, the candidate faces including candidate blends, multiple ones of the candidate blends having different blend radii;

combining multiple ones of the candidate faces into a candidate blend chain, including at least one candidate blend;

replacing the candidate blends with accurate blends to produce a corrected blend chain, the accurate blends having the same blend radii; and

storing the corrected blend chain with the accurate blends as part of the CAD object.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2019
From: SIEMENS PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INC.
To: SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 051171/0024 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2011
From: SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
To: SIEMENS PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 025649/0126 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING OF THE INVENTORS NAME: SHOULD BE FENG YU NOT FENG FU PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 025112 FRAME 0081. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECTION OF THE INVENTORS NAME TO BE LISTED AS FENG YU.. Recorded Oct 12, 2010
From: YU, FENG; MAWBY, ERIC
To: SIEMENS PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 025124/0910 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNEE FOR INVENTORS, YU PEGGY XIA AND YING TINA LIN (ASSIGNED TO THE WRONG SIEMENS COMPANY) PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 023742 FRAME 0287. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE INVENTORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.. Recorded Oct 8, 2010
From: XIA, YU (PEGGY); LIN, YING (TINA)
To: SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 025111/0499 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNMENT FOR INVENTORS, FENG YU AND ERIC MAWBY PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 023742 FRAME 0287. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECTION FOR THE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ASSIGNMENT; INVENTORS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RECORDED AND CONTAINED ON THE SAME ASSIGNMENT.. Recorded Oct 8, 2010
From: FU, FENG; MAWBY, ERIC
To: SIEMENS PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 025112/0081 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2010
From: YU, FENG; XIA, YU (PEGGY); LIN, YING (TINA); MAWBY, ERIC
To: SIEMENS PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 023742/0287 →