Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David R Warn

Randall C Smith

Richard R Pawlicki

Charles W Wampler, Ii

Donn W Glander

Donald J McMillan

Disclosed is a system and a method for designing geometric shapes for automobiles or any other manufactured objects. The method of a vehicle design system is for analyzing constraints on parameters of a vehicle model, the vehicle design system including a catalog of exemplars from which a user may select exemplar input and at least one engineering criteria having a plurality of criteria values from which a user may select criteria values. The method includes providing a morphable vehicle model generated from exemplar input, selecting a first criteria, evaluating the morphable model with respect to the first criteria to determine the value, selecting a new target criteria value from the plurality of criteria values, and updating the morphable model shape to achieve this value.

System and method for morphable engineering criteria

A system, method, apparatus and product for designing, on a display device, a geometric shape is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of displaying an initial set of similarly structured model exemplars on a display device, selecting a chosen set of models from the initial set of similarly structured model exemplars to apply to a model mix, mixing the set of models consisting of a first portion and a second portion to form a currently displayed shape, providing on the display device at least one selectable feature for manipulating the currently displayed shape, and applying a constraint of the selectable feature to the displayed shape to update both the first portion and the second portion of the currently displayed shape into a new geometric shape design. In a particular implementation, the first portion of the geometric shape is an automobile and the second portion is a standardized human occupant representation.

System and method for morphable model design space definition

A method, system, and apparatus for preparing geometric models for use in a design tool are disclosed. The method comprises generating a first base shape model, separating the first base model into components, and characterizing the components. Further, the method provides for comparing the second base model, similarly prepared and characterized, to the first, and adjusting the features used to characterize the base model components until the two objects can be placed in correspondence. The system comprises a processor capable of processing instructions for generating base shape models wherein the processor is capable of processing instructions for separating a base model into components and further capable of processing instructions for characterizing base model components. Accordingly, the method may provide for defining a geometric model template by adjusting a base model to match a succession of input models.

A system, method, apparatus and product for designing, on a display device, a geometric shape is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of displaying an initial set of similarly structured model exemplars on a display device, selecting a chosen set of models from the initial set of similarly structured model exemplars to apply to a model mix, mixing the set of models to form a currently displayed shape, providing on the display device at least one selectable feature for manipulating the currently displayed shape, and applying at least one constraint of the selectable feature to the currently displayed shape to update the currently displayed shape into a new geometric shape design.

A human vehicle interface for vehicle secondary controls includes a housing, an actuator grounded to the housing and having at least one degree of freedom, a follower coupled to the actuator and having a degree of freedom in the z direction, and a reaction plate having a first spatial relationship with the follower and defining a position path for the follower, wherein the actuator is responsive to the reaction plate at the first spatial relationship. The actuator includes a body and a control knob.

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

David R Warn