Intelligent object builder

• US 20020083076A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tririga LLC
• Original Assignee: Tririga LLC
• Inventors: Wucherer, Thomas A., Marnell, Anthony A. III, Nicastro, Cherisse M., Marnell, Anthony A. II
• Application Number:
  US10/021,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for linking computer aided design (CAD) elements with non-graphical information within a database. In one embodiment of the method the database receives and stores first CAD element data generated by a first computer system in data communication with the database. This first CAD element data represents a first CAD element displayable on a monitor of a computer system such as a CAD computer system. Thereafter, a link is created in the database between the stored first CAD element data and one of a plurality of component specifications stored in the database. Each of the plurality of component specifications comprises non-graphical descriptive data that may describe a component of a construction project. In one embodiment, the first computer system is coupled to the database via the Internet. In another embodiment, each of the component specifications include at least one database object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adding a first graphical element to an image displayed on a monitor of a first computer system;

displaying a graphical user interface on the monitor of the first computer system, wherein the graphical user interface is configured for receiving non-graphical information;

entering first non-graphical information into the graphical user interface;

the first computer system transmitting first element data to a database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the first element data represents the first graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting first non-graphical information data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the first non-graphical information data represents the first non-graphical information entered into the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first computer system comprises a CAD computer system and wherein the first graphical element comprises a first CAD graphical element.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a plurality of fields, wherein the first non-graphical information comprises a plurality of non-graphical information components, and wherein entering first non-graphical information into the graphical user interface comprises the plurality of non-graphical information components into the plurality of fields, respectively, of the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first computer system receiving, via internet communication, specification list data, wherein specification list data represents a list of specifications displayable on the monitor of the first computer system, wherein each specification of the list represents a data unit stored in the database in data communication with the first computer system, wherein each data unit contains data representing non-graphical information;

the first computer system displaying the list of specifications;

adding a second graphical element to the image displayed on the monitor of the first computer system;

the first computer system transmitting second graphical element data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the second graphical element data represents the second graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting link data to the database via internet communication, wherein the link data indicates that one of the data units stored in the database is to be linked within the database to the second graphical element data after the second graphical element data is stored in the database.

5. A method comprising:

a first computer system receiving, via internet communication, specification list data, wherein specification list data represents a list of specifications displayable on a monitor of the first computer system, wherein each specification of the list represents a data unit stored in a database in internet communication with the first computer system, wherein each data unit contains data representing non-graphical information;

the first computer system displaying the list of specifications;

adding a graphical element to an image displayed on the monitor of the first computer system;

the first computer system transmitting graphical element data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the graphical element data represents the graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting link data to the database via internet communication, wherein the link data indicates that one of the data units stored in the database is to be linked within the database to the graphical element data after the graphical element data is stored in the database.

6. A method comprising:

a computer system receiving a first graphical element data via internet communication from a first computer system, wherein the first element data represents a first graphical element which is displayable on a monitor of the first computer system;

the computer system storing the first graphical element data into a database in data communication with the computer system;

creating a link within the database between the first graphical element data and a first non-graphical data unit in the database after the first graphical element data is stored in the database, wherein the first non-graphical data unit stores first non-graphical information data.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

the computer system transmitting the first graphical element data to a second computer system via internet communication;

the computer system transmitting first non-graphical data to the second computer system via internet communication.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

a computer system receiving second graphical element data via internet communication from a second computer system, wherein the second element data represents a second graphical element which is displayable on a monitor of the second computer system;

the computer system storing the second graphical element data into the database;

creating a link within the database between the second graphical element data and the first data unit after the second graphical element data is stored in the database..

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the computer system sending, via internet communication, list data to the first computer system, wherein the list data represents a list of non-graphical data units in the database, wherein each non-graphical data unit stores non-graphical information data, wherein the list of non-graphical data units includes the first non-graphical data unit.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

the computer system receiving additional non-graphical information data from a second computer system via internet communication;

the computer system storing the additional non-graphical information data in the first non-graphical data unit.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the computer system storing the first graphical element data in a first graphical data unit in the database, wherein the first graphical data unit stores additional graphical element data.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the first non-graphical information data represents information displayable in fields of an interface, wherein the interface is displayable on a monitor of the first computer system.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the first non-graphical data unit is linked within the database to a second non-graphical data unit in the database.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

a computer system receiving first non-graphical information data via internet communication from a first computer system, wherein the first non-graphical information data represents first non-graphical information;

the computer system storing the first non-graphical information data in a first non-graphical data unit in a database, wherein the database is in data communication with the computer system, and wherein the first non-graphical data unit is linked within the database to first graphical element data stored in the database.

16. The method of claim 6 further comprising the computer system transmitting data representing the first component specification to a second computer system via internet communication, wherein the data representing the first component specification comprises data representing non-graphical information, wherein the data representing the first component specification is transmitted after the database link is created.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the computer system receiving modifying the non-graphical information displayed in the fields of the interface.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first computer system is coupled to the database via the Internet.

14. A method comprising:

a computer system receiving first non-graphical information data via internet communication from a first computer system, wherein the first non-graphical information data represents first non-graphical information;

the computer system storing the first non-graphical information data in a first non-graphical data unit in a database, wherein the database is in data communication with the computer system, and wherein the first non-graphical data unit is linked within the database to first graphical element data stored in the database.

18. A method comprising:

a database receiving and storing first CAD element data generated by a first computer system in data communication with the database, wherein the first CAD element data represents a first CAD element displayable on a monitor;

creating a link in the database between the stored first CAD element data and one of a plurality of component specifications stored in the database, wherein each of the plurality of component specifications comprises non-graphical descriptive data.

20. A memory for storing instructions executable by a first computer system to enable a method, the method comprising:

adding a first graphical element to an image displayed on a monitor of the first computer system;

the first computer system displaying a graphical user interface on a monitor of the first computer system, wherein the graphical user interface is configured for receiving non-graphical information;

entering first non-graphical information into the graphical user interface;

the first computer system transmitting first element data to a database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the first element data represents the first graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting first non-graphical information data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the first non-graphical information data represents the first non-graphical information entered into the graphical user interface.

21. The memory of claim 20 wherein the first computer system comprises a CAD computer system and wherein the first graphical element comprises a first CAD graphical element.

22. The memory of claim 20 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a plurality of fields, wherein the first non-graphical information comprises a plurality of non-graphical information components, and wherein entering first non-graphical information into the graphical user interface comprises the plurality of non-graphical information components into the plurality of fields, respectively, of the graphical user interface.

23. The memory of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises:

the first computer system receiving, via internet communication, specification list data, wherein specification list data represents a list of specifications displayable on the monitor of the first computer system, wherein each specification of the list represents a data unit stored in the database in data communication with the first computer system, wherein each data unit contains data representing non-graphical information;

the first computer system displaying the list of specifications;

adding a second graphical element to the image displayed on the monitor of the first computer system;

the first computer system transmitting second graphical element data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the second graphical element data represents the second graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting link data to the database via internet communication, wherein the link data indicates that one of the data units stored in the database is to be linked within the database to the second graphical element data after the second graphical element data is stored in the database.

24. A memory for storing instructions executable by a first computer system to enable a method, the method comprising:

the first computer system receiving, via internet communication, specification list data, wherein specification list data represents a list of specifications displayable on a monitor of the first computer system, wherein each specification of the list represents a data unit stored in a database in internet communication with the first computer system, wherein each data unit contains data representing non-graphical information;

the first computer system displaying the list of specifications;

adding a graphical element to an image displayed on the monitor of the first computer system;

the first computer system transmitting graphical element data to the database for storage therein via internet communication, wherein the graphical element data represents the graphical element;

the first computer system transmitting link data to the database via internet communication, wherein the link data indicates that one of the data units stored in the database is to be linked within the database to the graphical element data after the graphical element data is stored in the database.

25. A memory for storing instructions executable by a computer system to enable a method, the method comprising:

a computer system receiving a first graphical element data via internet communication from a first computer system, wherein the first element data represents a first graphical element which is displayable on a monitor of the first computer system;

the computer system storing the first graphical element data into a database in data communication with the computer system;

creating a link within the database between the first graphical element data and a first non-graphical data unit in the database after the first graphical element data is stored in the database, wherein the first non-graphical data unit stores first non-graphical information data.

26. A memory for storing instructions executable by a computer system to enable a method, the method comprising:

the database receiving and storing second CAD element data generated by a second computer system in data communication with the database, wherein the second CAD element data represents a second CAD element displayable on the monitor;

creating a link in the database between the stored second CAD element data and the one of the plurality of component specifications stored in the database.