CAD information management system and CAD information management method

Abstract

Databases store therein CAD drawings which different manufacturers have. Other databases store therein equipment specifications. All the databases are connected to a user terminal via a communication line. Data stored-destination address information is inputted to designate information on the CAD drawing or the equipment specification, from a user terminal, and one of the databases is searched based on the data stored-destination address information, thereby selecting the information on the CAD drawing or the equipment specification is selected from one of the databases, corresponding to the data-stored destination address information, based on the search.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A CAD information management system comprising: 
 a plurality of databases for storing at least one of CAD drawing information and specification information on a specification of a component forming a CAD drawing, corresponding to stored-source address information; and    a terminal connected to said plurality of databases via a communication network, for receiving and transmitting information to/from said plurality of databases based on input information,    wherein when stored-destination address information indicating a stored destination of information is inputted as input information on the stored-source address information, said terminal searches for the stored-source address information of any of said plurality of databases in accordance with the stored-destination address information, selects information corresponding to the stored-source address information from any of said plurality of databases based on the search result, and outputs the selected information.    
     
     
         2 . A CAD information management system comprising: 
 a plurality of databases for storing at least one of CAD drawing information and specification information on a specification of a component forming a CAD drawing and update history information of said at least one of the information, corresponding to stored-source address information; and    a terminal connected to said plurality of databases via a communication network, for receiving and transmitting information to/from said plurality of databases based on input information,    wherein when stored-destination address information indicating a stored destination of information is inputted as input information on the stored-source address information, said terminal searches for the stored-source address information of any of said plurality of databases in accordance with the stored-destination address information, selects at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information, corresponding to the stored-source address information, from any of said plurality of databases, based on the search result, displays the selected information, and also displays update information of the selected information.    
     
     
         3 . A CAD information management system comprising: 
 a plurality of databases for storing at least one of CAD drawing information and specification information on a specification of a component forming a CAD drawing, together with update history information of said at least one of the information, corresponding to stored-source address information;    a server connected to said plurality of databases via a communication network, for receiving and transmitting information to/from said plurality of databases; and    a terminal connected to said server via an information transfer path, for receiving and transmitting information to/from said server based on input information,    wherein when information on a stored destination of information is inputted as input information on the stored-source address information, said terminal requests a search in accordance with the input information to said server and displays the search result of said server,    said server extracts the stored-destination address information corresponding to the information in response to the search request from said terminal, searches for the stored-source address information of any of said plurality of databases in accordance with the stored-destination address information, selects at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information, corresponding to the stored-source address information, from any of said plurality of databases, based on the search result, also selects update history information added to said at least one of the information, and transfers the selected information to said terminal.    
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 information management means for managing at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information,    wherein said plurality of databases are connected to said information management means,    said information management means outputs a result of determining whether or not the update request from said terminal is accepted, to said terminal, and    when receiving the result of determining that the update request is accepted from said information management means, said terminal updates at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information in said plurality of databases, and adds the update history information on the update to the update information.    
     
     
         5 . A system according to any of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information is overlappingly stored in said plurality of databases.  
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information is overlappingly stored in said plurality of databases.  
     
     
         7 . A CAD information management method comprising the steps of: 
 by an information management apparatus connected to a communication network, storing at least one of CAD drawing information and a specification of a component forming a CAD drawing to a plurality of databases, corresponding to stored-source address information, and connecting said databases to a terminal via the communication network; and    by said terminal, searching for the stored-source address information of any of said plurality of databases in accordance with stored-destination address information indicating a stored destination of information, selecting information corresponding to the stored-source address information from any of said databases based on the search, and displaying the selected information, when inputting the stored-destination address information to said terminal, as input information on the stored-source address information, in the case in which said information management apparatus manages the CAD drawing information and the specification information that are stored in said plurality of databases.    
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: 
 by said information management apparatus, outputting a result of determining whether or not an update request from said terminal is accepted, to said terminal, when the update request is inputted to said information management apparatus from said terminal; and    by said terminal, updating at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information in said plurality of databases, when receiving the result of determining that the update request from said information management apparatus is accepted, and adding update history information on update to the update information.    
     
     
         9 . A CAD information management method, comprising the steps of: 
 by an information management apparatus connected to a communication network, storing at least one of CAD drawing information and specification information on a specification of a component forming a CAD drawing and update history information of said at least one of the information, in a plurality of databases, corresponding to stored-source address information, connecting said plurality of databases to a server via the communication network, and connecting said server to a terminal via an information transfer path;    by said terminal, requesting a search in accordance with input information, to said server, and displaying the search result of said server; and    by said server, extracting stored-destination address information corresponding to said information in response to the search request from said terminal, searching for the stored-source address information of any of said plurality of databases based on the stored-destination address information, selecting at least one of the CAD drawing information and the specification information, corresponding to the stored-source address information, from any of said plurality of databases, selecting update history information added to the selected information, and transferring the selected information to said terminal, when information on a stored destination of information is inputted to said terminal as the input information on the stored-source address information in the case in which said information management apparatus manages the CAD drawing information and the specification information which are stored in said plurality of databases.