Method and system for integrated analysis

• US 20100106674A1
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Quincey, Richard John, McLean, Donald John
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/026 using a predictor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system and method of analysis, including, but not limited to: receiving raw data related to at least one project; receiving user preferences in at least one workflow, wherein each step in the a workflow constitutes a single instance of a component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows; determining metrics related to the at least one project; analyzing the data & metrics to identify patterns; drawing conclusions from the data, metrics and patterns; and generating at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of analysis, including, but not limited to:

receiving, by at least one computer, raw data related to at least one building design;

receiving, at the at least one computer, user preferences in at least one workflow, wherein each step in the a workflow constitutes a single instance of a component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows;

determining, at the at least one computer, metrics related to the at least one building design, wherein the metrics comprise;

climate metrics, urban metrics, building form metrics, thermal metrics, day light metrics, light metrics, water metrics, or sustainability metrics, or any combination thereof;

analyzing, at the at least one computer, the data and metrics to identify patterns;

drawing conclusions, at the at least one computer, from the data, metrics and patterns; and

generating, at the at least one computer, at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the at least one report has context, hierarchy and multiple reinforcement of key messages using a number of methods tables, text, story, video, imagery &

graphical or any combination thereof.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the user preferences include, but are not limited to:

desired focus or expertise;

desired outcome;

desired delivery timescales;

design stage information;

desired complexivity;

or

any combination thereof.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein workflows may be operated upon in parallel.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein components of the at least one workflow:

are inputs, directions, actions or advice, or any combination thereof;

are capable of initiating at least one event and/or sequence;

or

are capable of being completed by at least one user and appended to with user data comprising date information, time, or notes, or any combination thereof;

or

any combination thereof.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the at least one workflow is used by or in any form of quality assurance process.

48. The method of claim 42, further comprising grouping spaces, wherein the grouping spaces includes, but is not limited to:

positional characteristics;

spatial characteristics;

activity characteristics;

functional characteristics;

metric data;

standards/benchmark comparisons;

results of analysis;

analyzed patterns;

or

derived conclusions;

or any combination thereof.

49. The method of claim 42, wherein data is reused from previous models and/or pre-made prototypes in order to achieve better productivity in modeling with fewer errors;

in order to allow user preferences regarding what data to use and how to implement the data;

or in order to implement the data automatically;

or any combination thereof.

50. The method of claim 42, wherein the data is described in categories, and for each category, a template can be chosen describing the category, the categories are in a hierarchy such that data can be applied at a number of scales and sub categories subsequently apply, and wherein the hierarchy is capable of being an urban zone, building, space, properties, elemental and/or any reasonable hierarchy that describes the built environment.

51. The method of claim 42, wherein the at least one workflow includes, but is not limited to, the following:

at least one complete or self-contained workflow;

at least one build task workflow;

at least one data task workflow;

at least one analysis task workflow;

at least one customized task workflow;

at least one tutorial workflow;

or

any combination thereof.

52. A system of analysis, including, but not limited to:

at least one server and/or at least one client coupled to a network;

at least one application coupled to the at least one server and/or the at least one client, the at least one application configured for;

receiving raw data related to at least one building design;

receiving user preferences in at least one workflow, wherein each step in the at least one workflow constitutes a single instance of a component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows, and wherein access to or state of at least one workflow component is able to be conditional upon at least one other component;

determining metrics related to the at least one building design, wherein the metrics comprise;

climate metrics, urban metrics, building form metrics, thermal metrics, day light metrics, light metrics, water metrics, or sustainability metrics, or any combination thereof;

analyzing the data and metrics to identify patterns;

drawing conclusions from the data, metrics and patterns; and

generating at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the at least one report has context, hierarchy and multiple reinforcement of key messages using a number of methods tables, text, story, video, imagery &

graphical or any combination thereof.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the user preferences include, but are not limited to:

desired focus or expertise;

desired outcome;

desired delivery timescales;

design stage information;

desired complexivity;

or

any combination thereof.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein workflows may be operated upon in parallel.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein components of the at least one workflow:

are inputs, directions, actions or advice, or any combination thereof;

are capable of initiating at least one event and/or sequence;

or

are capable of being completed by at least one user and appended to with user data comprising date information, time, or notes, or any combination thereof;

or

any combination thereof.

57. The system of claim 52, wherein the at least one workflow is used by or in any form of quality assurance process.

58. The system of claim 52, further comprising grouping spaces, wherein the grouping spaces includes, but is not limited to:

positional characteristics;

spatial characteristics;

activity characteristics;

functional characteristics;

metric data;

standards/benchmark comparisons;

results of analysis;

analyzed patterns;

or

derived conclusions;

or any combination thereof.

59. The system of claim 52, wherein data is reused from previous models and/or pre-made prototypes in order to achieve better productivity in modeling with fewer errors;

in order to allow user preferences regarding what data to use and how to implement the data;

or in order to implement the data automatically;

or any combination thereof.

60. The system of claim 52, wherein:

the data is described in categories, and for each category, a template can be chosen describing the category, the categories are in a hierarchy such that data can be applied at a number of scales and sub categories subsequently apply, and wherein the hierarchy is capable of being an urban zone, building, space, properties, elemental and/or any reasonable hierarchy that describes the built environment.

61. The method of claim 52, wherein the at least one workflow includes, but is not limited to, the following:

at least one complete or self-contained workflow;

at least one build task workflow;

at least one data task workflow;

at least one analysis task workflow;

at least one customized task workflow;

at least one tutorial workflow;

or

any combination thereof.