Virtual Room Use Simulator and Room Planning System

• US 20100211897A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Jason C., Tower, Theodore T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A room planning system for simulating the use of products during the performance of an activity in a room space is disclosed. The system includes a virtual room space comprising a virtual representation of an actual room space, an environment database having a collection of environment data defining attributes of the actual room space, and a product database having a collection of product data defining attributes of at least one product to be used for performing an activity in the room space. The system includes a user interface for selecting a virtual product and arranging the virtual product in the virtual room space. A simulation generator is programmed to simulate the performance of an activity in the virtual room space and to provide a feasibility analysis of the activity based at least in part on the arrangement of the virtual product in the virtual room space.

Claims

1. A nursery room planning system, the system comprising:

a virtual nursery room space comprising a virtual representation of an actual nursery room space,

an environment database comprising a collection of environment data, the environment data comprising attributes of the actual nursery room space;

a product database comprising a collection of virtual products, the virtual products comprising virtual representations of actual products used during a baby changing event;

a user interface for selecting a virtual product and arranging the virtual product in the virtual nursery room space; and

a simulation generator for providing a simulation of the baby changing event in the virtual nursery room space, the simulation generator being programmed to provide a feasibility analysis of the baby changing event based at least in part on the arrangement of the virtual product in the virtual room space.

2. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the feasibility analysis comprises a determination of whether the virtual product is located outside a safety zone surrounding the location adjacent the baby changing event.

3. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the feasibility analysis comprises a determination of the number of movements an individual will have to make during the baby changing event.

4. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the feasibility analysis comprises suggestions for alternative arrangements of the virtual products in the nursery room.

5. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the simulation is interactive.

6. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the environment database comprises a collection of virtual objects, the virtual objects comprising virtual representations of furniture, appliances, or fixtures placed in the actual nursery room.

7. The nursery room planning system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select a virtual object and arrange the virtual object in the virtual nursery room space, the simulation and feasibility analysis being based at least in part on the arrangement of the virtual object in the virtual nursery room space.

8. The nursery room planning system of claim 7, wherein the feasibility analysis comprises suggestions for alternative arrangements for the virtual object and the virtual product in the virtual nursery room space.

9. The nursery room planning system of claim 6, wherein the environment database or the product database is linked with a retail database.

10. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the virtual product comprises a virtual representation of a diaper, baby wipe, lotion, baby powder, or clothes.

11. The nursery room planning system of claim 6, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual representation of a crib, changing table, chair, closet space, dresser, end table, diaper pail or other item of furniture.

12. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the environment data further comprises user attribute data defining attributes of an anticipated user of the actual nursery room space, the feasibility analysis being based at least in part on the user attribute data.

13. The nursery room planning system of claim 1, wherein the simulation generator is configured to provide different feasibility analyses based at least in part on different stages of development for a baby.

14. A room use simulator for simulating the use of products during the performance of an activity in a room space, the simulator comprising:

a virtual room space comprising a virtual representation of an actual room space;

an environment database comprising a collection of environment data, the collection of environment data comprising attributes of the actual room space;

a product database comprising a collection of product data, the collection of product data comprising attributes of at least one product to be used for performing a activity in the actual room space;

a user interface for selecting a virtual product and arranging the virtual product in the virtual room space;

a simulation generator for simulating the activity in the virtual room space, the simulation generator adapted to provide a feasibility analysis of the simulated activity based at least in part on the arrangement of the virtual product in the virtual room space.

15. The room use simulator of claim 14, wherein the feasibility analysis is based at least in part on safety constraints associated with the activity.

16. The room use simulator of claim 14, wherein the feasibility analysis is based at least in part on efficiency constraints associated with the activity.

17. The room use simulator of claim 14, wherein the simulation is interactive.

18. The room use simulator of claim 14, wherein the environment database comprises a collection of virtual objects, the virtual objects comprising virtual representations of furniture, appliances, or fixtures located in the room space.

19. The room use simulator of claim 18, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select a virtual object and arrange the virtual object in the virtual nursery room space.

20. The room use simulator of claim 18, wherein the feasibility analysis comprises suggestions for alternative arrangements for the virtual object and the virtual product in the virtual room space.

21. The room use simulator of claim 14, wherein the environment database includes a collection of user attribute data defining attributes of an anticipated user of the actual room space, the feasibility analysis being based at least in part on the user attribute data.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the environment data comprises a collection of virtual objects, the virtual objects comprising virtual representations of furniture, appliances, or fixtures placed in the actual room space, the method comprising arranging the virtual objects in the virtual room space.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the environment data comprises user attribute data, the user attribute data defining attributes of an anticipated user of the actual room space, the method comprising generating the feasibility analysis of the activity based at least in part on the user attribute data.

22. A method for simulating use of a product during the performance of an activity in a room space, the method comprising:

receiving a collection of environment data to include in a virtual room use simulation, the collection of environment data comprising attributes of a room space;

receiving a collection of product data to include in a virtual room use simulation, the product data comprising attributes of products to be used for performing an activity in the room space;

generating a virtual room space based on the collection of environment data, the virtual room space comprising a virtual representation of an actual room space;

generating at least one virtual product based on the collection of product data, the virtual product comprising a virtual representation of an actual product used during the performance of the activity in the room space;

arranging the virtual products in the virtual room space;

generating a simulation of the activity; and

generating a feasibility analysis of the activity based at least in part on the arrangement of the virtual product in the virtual room space.