Product Definition Using Knowledge in Human Influence Representation

Abstract

Joining to a recent trend for including human defined active knowledge in product model to replace direct definition of product objects the authors of this chapter defined a new method for the representation of human participation in product model construction. This is one of the results authors achieved in the topic of human request driven product model definition. The proposed model representation applies human request based active knowledge and assists handling information for the lifecycle of product as a contribution to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technology. Current PLM technology represents well-proven engineering practice utilized at so many leading companies. Recognizing this situation, the authors proposed implementation of the proposed modeling in professional PLM environments using application programming interface tools. In this chapter, product model space and contextual engineering process are introduced. Outside affects on product definition, contextual chain for outside affects and connections with actual product definition are explained. Because current product modeling had not capabilities for description of human thinking process in the product model, a new solution was conceptualized that use knowledge based contextual chain for product definition. The authors introduced extended model space where extension spaces constitute a contextual chain and map content to product features in model space.