APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EVALUATION OF DESIGN

• US 20110257942A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Maya Carni, Ran Ankory
• Original Assignee: Maya Carni, Ran Ankory
• Inventors: ANKORY, Ran, Carni, Maya
• Application Number:
  US13/170,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20110257942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

A method of evaluating a design model, including:

• • providing a design model;
  • simulating a behavior of at least one digital user in said model;
  • simulating at least one environmental effect modulated by said model and affecting or affected by at least one of said at least one digital user; and
  • evaluating said design model based on a result of said simulations.

Claims

1. A computerized method of evaluating a design model using a processor, comprising:

providing a design model representing a physical space;

simulating, using said processor, a behavior of at least one digital user in said design model, said behavior being set by a processing unit;

simulating at least one environmental effect modulated by said design model and affecting or affected by said at least one digital user; and

automatically evaluating said design model based on a result of said simulations.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one digital user comprises a plurality of digital users.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluating comprises interactive evaluation during modification of said design model.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said interactive evaluation comprises continuously changing at least one property of an object of said design model.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said object is at least one of an architectural object and an object movable in real world.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises simulating at least 100 digital users.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises simulating at least one of a non-emergency scenario for said at least one user and a queuing behavior of said at least one user.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises changing at least one of a goal and a goal priority of a user during said simulating.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein evaluating comprises showing an indication of presence of a digital user.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said indication comprises one or both of a track and a bubble of movement of said at least one user.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one user comprises a plurality of users and said evaluating comprises graphically showing statistics of said plurality of users coded, per user, by a primary task of said user.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said environmental effect comprises an effect from outside of said design model.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said environmental effect comprises an effect from inside of the design model;

said inside effect comprises one or more of internal gains, artificial lighting and heating and cooling.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said environmental effect comprises one or more of sunlight, temperature, noise, humidity, wind and daylight.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said environmental effect is affected by said at least one user.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one user acts different when affected by said environmental effect.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said simulations include a cascade effect caused by interaction between at least two of said design model, said at least one user and said environmental effect.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluating comprises automatically changing said design in response to said simulations.

19. Apparatus for model evaluation, embodied in a device, comprising:

a model editing module which creates and edits a design model representing a physical space;

a computing unit which simulates a behavior of at least one digital user;

a digital user simulation model which simulates the interaction of said at least one digital user with said model;

an environmental simulation module which simulates an effect of an environment on said model and on said at least one digital user;

an output module configured to generate an output reflecting an outcome of said effect.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, comprising a database storing therein model properties including environmental interaction properties and spatial properties.

21. A computerized method of evaluating a model design using a processor, comprising:

providing a model design representing a physical space;

providing at least one digital user simulation and an environmental simulation computed by a computing unit;

simulating, using said processor, an interaction of said model design with said at least one digital user simulation and an environmental simulation; and

immediate and automatic utilization of said simulation to modify said model design.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said immediate utilization comprises manual manipulation of said model design during said simulation.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said immediate utilization comprises automatic manipulation of said model during said simulation.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein said simulating comprises simulating the interaction between a digital user and an environmental effect.

25. Apparatus for model evaluation, embodied in a device, comprising:

a memory which stores a model design representing a physical space;

a model editing module which edits said model design;

a computing unit which computes at least one digital user simulation; and

a simulation module which simulates one or both of said at least one digital user in said model design and an environmental effect on said model design;

wherein said model editing module is configured to modify said model during said simulation.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25, comprising a design module configured to automatically modify said model design in response to said simulation.