Bentley Systems, Inc.

Samuel W Wilson

Keith A Bentley

John Gooding

Earlin Lutz

James Bartlett

Casey Mullen

Shaun Sewall

Raymond B Bentley

Barry J Bentley

Shaun C Sewall

In one embodiment, techniques are provided for aligning source infrastructure data to be compatible with a conceptual schema (e.g., BIS) implemented through an underlying database schema (e.g., DgnDb). Data aligned according to the conceptual schema may serve as a 'digital twin' of real-world infrastructure usable throughout various phases of an infrastructure project, with physical information serving as a “backbone”, and non-physical information maintained relative thereto, forming a cohesive whole, while avoiding unwanted data redundancies. Source-format-specific bridge software processes may be provided that that know how to read and interpret source data of a respective source format, and express it in terms of the conceptual schema. The aligned data may be sent to an update agent that interprets the aligned data and computes a changeset therefrom, which may be stored for eventual application to a particular instance of a database maintained according to an underlying database schema of the conceptual schema.

Techniques for alignment of source infrastructure data with a BIS conceptual schema

In example embodiments, techniques are provided for decoupling user access to infrastructure models from proprietary software that maintains and updates the infrastructure models. A backend application may include an infrastructure modeling backend module that, among other functions, handles communication with an infrastructure modeling frontend module of a frontend application that provides user access to the infrastructure model, infrastructure modeling hub services that maintain repositories for the infrastructure model, and an infrastructure modeling native module that creates, performs operations upon, and updates local instances of a database that stores the infrastructure model. While the infrastructure modeling backend module may pass information obtained from the infrastructure modeling frontend module and infrastructure modeling hub services to the infrastructure modeling native module, it may be functionally separated from the software of the infrastructure modeling native module that understands how to maintain and update infrastructure models, including interacting with local instances of the database.

Techniques for decoupling access to infrastructure models

Endotracheal tube

In one embodiment, techniques are provided for aligning source infrastructure data to be compatible with a conceptual schema (e.g., BIS) implemented through an underlying database schema (e.g., DgnDb). Data aligned according to the conceptual schema may serve as a 'digital twin' of real-world infrastructure usable throughout various phases of an infrastructure project, with physical information serving as a 'backbone', and non-physical information maintained relative thereto, forming a cohesive whole, while avoiding unwanted data redundancies. Source-format-specific bridge software processes may be provided that that know how to read and interpret source data of a respective source format, and express it in terms of the conceptual schema. The aligned data may be sent to an update agent that interprets the aligned data and computes a changeset therefrom, which may be stored for eventual application to a particular instance of a database maintained according to an underlying database schema of the conceptual schema.

In example embodiments, techniques are provided to implement changeset conflict rebasing when performing conflict-detection and merging in an infrastructure modeling software architecture that uses an optimistic concurrency policy. Changeset conflict rebasing involves adjusting the pre-change values in a local changeset so they match post-change values of a remote version, rather an original base version, or removing changes from the local changeset entirely.

Changeset conflict rebasing

In one embodiment, techniques are provided for converting data items of a source repository that maintains a CAD description according to a first storage format to data items of an output repository that maintains the CAD description according to a second storage format. A converter gathers data items of the source repository and compares current condition information for them with condition information as of a last successful conversion maintained by a synchronization information record separate from the source repository. The converter determines one or more new or changed data items in the source repository since the last successful conversion, converts new or changed data items to the second storage format of the output repository, and stores them in the output repository, while skipping any unchanged data items. The converter further updates the synchronization information record to include the current condition information for data items in the source repository.

Incremental data conversion using a synchronization information record

In one embodiment, techniques are provided for converting a CAD description maintained in a first storage format (e.g., a file-based storage format) of a source repository to a second storage format (e.g., a relational database-based storage format) of an output repository. The techniques may, generate a single, coherent representation from spatially ambiguous 'fragments' by generating an acyclic model graph for each graphical view, and then storing models of the acyclic model graph in the second storage format (e.g., the relational database-based storage format). The techniques may further produce a post-conversion CAD description that preserves human-readable names and information relationships related to levels by examining attachment specific copies of level structures (i.e. levels and attached levels) referenced from attachments, and generating from these categories and subcategories in the second storage format (e.g., the relational database-based storage format).

Techniques for conversion of CAD descriptions

Conventional file-based engineering design data for an engineering model are represented by a plurality of components. Each component has a unique identifier, a set of fields, each field having a data type and a data value, and a program which interprets and modifies the fields. The plurality of components are stored in a repository of a server. The repository also stores a history of any changes made to the components. A plurality of client computers are bidirectionally connected to the server. Each client computer may obtain the current version of the components and may send locally edited versions of the components back to the server to replace the current versions in the repository. At the client computer, the user interacts with the components using conventional file-based software. Before locally edited versions of the components are committed to the server to replace the current versions, a synchronization and merging process occurs whereby the latest version of the components are downloaded to the client computer and are compared to the locally edited version of the components to detect resolvable (compatible) and unresolvable (incompatible) conflicts therebetween. The commit process is performed only if no unresolvable conflicts exist between the two versions of the components. To facilitate translation between file-based data and components, a schema is written to &ldquo;wrap&rdquo; each of the engineering file formats. Each schema is a set of classes that capture all of the information in the file-based data.

System for collaborative engineering using component and file-oriented tools

A computer system for modeling is disclosed, where the computer system has a storage device, first and second platforms, a portable persistent model, and first and second platform-dependent computerized modeling systems (CMS). Each platform is interfaced to the storage device and provides system-dependent services. The first platform has a first type of operating system and a first type of computer hardware including a first memory, and the second platform has a second type of operating system and a second type of computer hardware including a second memory. The model resides in the storage device in a platform-independent format and includes persistent component objects. The first CMS resides in the first platform memory and the second platform-dependent CMS resides in the second platform memory. Each CMS provides CMS services including retrieving the model from the storage device, manipulating the model, changing the model by adding and removing persistent objects, and persistently saving the model to the storage device. Each CMS includes a static kernel and a dynamic framework. The kernel executes on the platform and interfaces to the operating system and the computer hardware, and provides services necessary to load and execute CMS services and to interface to the platform services. The framework executes on the platform and interfaces to the kernel, provides a platform-independent visual interface between the CMS and a CMS user, and employs the services of the kernel.

Growing community of inventors

Downingtown, PA, United States of America

Samuel W Wilson