Discovering Structure in Design Databases Through Functional and Surface Based Mapping

This work presents a methodology for discovering structure in design repository databases, toward the ultimate goal of stimulating designers through design-by-analogy. Using a Bayesian model combined with Latent Semantic Analysis for discovering structural form in data, an exploration of inherent structural forms, based on the content and similarity of design data, is undertaken to gain useful insights into the nature of the design space. In this work, the approach is applied to uncover structure in the U.S. patent database. More specifically, the functional content and surface content of the patents are processed and mapped separately, yielding structures that have the potential to develop a better understanding of the functional and surface similarity of patents. These results may provide a basis for automated discovery of cross domain analogy, among other implications for creating a computational design stimulation tool.Copyright © 2011 by ASME