Patent US5765137A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5765137A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer system and computer-implemented process for correlating product requirements to manufacturing cost
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1996-03-04
•
Granted: 1998-06-09
•
Expires: 2016-03-04
Abstract
Abstract A computer system determines a quantitative measure of a manufacturer's capability to achieve a product requirement at an acceptable cost. This quantitative measure, called the manufacturer's capability curve, is a function relating a product requirement, such as a customer's need or a government regulation or other performance requirement of a component of the product, to a cost for achieving this product requirement. The use of the computer system is enhanced by following a methodology for identifying possible key characteristics as described below. This methodology allows for identification of the relationship of lower level features to higher level features of a product and identification of interaction between two or more features and their impact on product performance.
Inventors
- 👤 Don Joon Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 09:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/04; G06Q10/06; G06Q10/063; G06Q10/0631; G06Q10/06315; G06Q10/0637; G06Q10/06375; G06Q10/0639
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A computer system for analysis of manufacturing costs, comprising: means for receiving and storing an indication of an engineering specification of a product feature indicating a performance measure of the product corresponding to a plurality of feature values for the product feature; means for receiving and storing an indication of a manufacturing capability distribution for the product feature indicating a probability that a desired feature value is obtained with a manufacturing process; means for receiving and storing an indication of a unit cost of the product feature; and an analysis module having inputs for receiving the engineering specification, the manufacturing capability distribution and the unit cost of the product feature and an output providing an indication of an adjusted unit cost of the product feature as a function of the performance measure of the product corresponding to the product feature.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
A computer system for analysis of manufacturing costs, comprising: means for receiving and storing an indication of an engineering specification of a product feature indicating a performance measure of the product corresponding to a plurality of feature values for the product feature; means for receiving and storing an indication of a manufacturing capability distribution for the product feature indicating a probability that a desired feature value is obtained with a manufacturing process; means for receiving and storing an indication of a unit cost of the product feature; and an analysis module having inputs for receiving the engineering specification, the manufacturing capability distribution and the unit cost of the product feature and an output providing an indication of an adjusted unit cost of the product feature as a function of the performance measure of the product corresponding to the product feature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
The computer system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module comprises: a cost analyzer having an input for receiving the unit cost and the manufacturing capability distribution and an output providing an adjusted unit cost; and a capability analyzer having an input for receiving the engineering specification and a second input connected to the output of the cost analyzer to receive the adjusted unit cost, and an output providing the indication of the adjusted unit cost as a function of product performance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer system of claim 2, wherein the cost analyzer comprises: means for selecting a desired nominal value; means for determining the manufacturing capability distribution as a function of one variable; means for computing the adjusted unit cost by dividing the unit cost by the manufacturing capability distribution.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
The computer system of claim 3, wherein the capability analyzer comprises: means for selecting feature values of the product feature; means for determining a performance measure corresponding to the selected feature value from the engineering specification; means for determining an adjusted unit cost corresponding to the selected feature value; and means for determining manufacturing capability as a function of the performance measure according to the determined adjusted unit cost and the determined performance measure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
The computer system of claim 2, wherein the capability analyzer comprises: means for selecting feature values of the product feature; means for determining a performance measure corresponding to the selected feature value from the engineering specification; means for determining an adjusted unit cost corresponding to the selected feature value; and means for determining manufacturing capability as a function of the performance measure according to the determined adjusted unit cost and the determined performance measure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The computer system of claim 1, further comprising: means for receiving an indication of required performance of the product and acceptable cost of the product feature; and means for displaying an indication of the required performance and the acceptable cost in correspondence with the indication of the adjusted unit cost as a function of product performance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4598376A
Cited
US4646238A
Cited
US4875162A
Cited
US4887206A
Cited
US4887207A
Cited
US5260883A
Cited
US5128860A
Cited
US5093794A
Cited
US5189606A
Cited
US5233513A
Cited
US5121330A
Cited
US5357439A
Cited
US5465378A
Cited
US5208765A
Cited
US5047947A
Cited
US5280425A
Cited
US5229948A
Cited
US5249120A
Cited
US5216593A
Cited
US5307261A
Cited
US5311424A
Cited
US5278751A
Cited
US5406477A
Cited
US5260866A
Cited
US5369570A
Cited
US5381332A
Cited
US5291397A
Cited
US5311438A
Cited
US5315521A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-06-08 | 2001-12-08 | 2002-06-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-06-08 | 2005-12-08 | 2006-06-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-06-08 | 2009-12-08 | 2010-06-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |