PROGRESS MONITORING METHOD
First Claim
1. A computer software product that includes a storage medium readable by a processor, the storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions for performing monitoring of progress schedules, the instructions comprising:
- (a) a first set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to build a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule of a project;
(b) a second set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to map, during a planning stage of the project, pattern sets of cut-off dates of the project to the CPM schedule;
(c) a third set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to identify, during the planning stage, project cut-off date weeks corresponding to the pattern sets of the project cut-off dates;
(d) a fourth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to apply the pattern sets and corresponding project cut-off date weeks as inputs to a neural network pattern recognition model of a Hopfield network;
(e) a fifth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to use at least one of the generated patterns to train the neural network pattern recognition model to classify work planned at specified cut-off dates;
(f) a sixth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to use the remaining patterns to test the neural network pattern recognition model after it has been trained;
(g) a seventh set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to monitor the project, during the construction stage of the project, at the same cut-off dates;
(h) an eighth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to prepare, at any desired cut-off date, a corresponding descriptive pattern, the corresponding descriptive pattern describing actual work accomplishments during a time period defined by the desired cut-off date;
(i) a ninth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to input the descriptive pattern to the neural network pattern recognition model, the model declaring a week of convergence for the descriptive pattern input;
(j) a tenth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to compare the week of convergence declared by the neural network pattern recognition model to the cut-off date week of the associated cut-off date pattern set, thereby determining whether actual progress of the project is on schedule, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule;
(k) an eleventh set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to generate a progress monitoring report based upon the determined actual progress; and
(l) a twelfth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to display the progress monitoring report to a user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The progress monitoring method is based on a critical path method (CPM) and conducts comparisons against multiple possible outcomes utilizing neural networks that classify planned progress at specified cut-off dates during a planning stage. The classifications are used to monitor and evaluate actual progress during the construction stage. The pattern recognition techniques generalize a virtual benchmark to represent planned progress based on multiple possible outcomes generated at each cut-off date. The generalization feature overcomes the problem of variation in the quality of data collected. Patterns are constructed to encode planned and actual progress at different cut-off dates. Patterns are readily manipulated within computer programs and substitute for photographs, which are not comprehensive in representing the work status of interior and hidden parts of the under-construction facilities.
50 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer software product that includes a storage medium readable by a processor, the storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions for performing monitoring of progress schedules, the instructions comprising:
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(a) a first set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to build a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule of a project; (b) a second set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to map, during a planning stage of the project, pattern sets of cut-off dates of the project to the CPM schedule; (c) a third set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to identify, during the planning stage, project cut-off date weeks corresponding to the pattern sets of the project cut-off dates; (d) a fourth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to apply the pattern sets and corresponding project cut-off date weeks as inputs to a neural network pattern recognition model of a Hopfield network; (e) a fifth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to use at least one of the generated patterns to train the neural network pattern recognition model to classify work planned at specified cut-off dates; (f) a sixth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to use the remaining patterns to test the neural network pattern recognition model after it has been trained; (g) a seventh set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to monitor the project, during the construction stage of the project, at the same cut-off dates; (h) an eighth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to prepare, at any desired cut-off date, a corresponding descriptive pattern, the corresponding descriptive pattern describing actual work accomplishments during a time period defined by the desired cut-off date; (i) a ninth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to input the descriptive pattern to the neural network pattern recognition model, the model declaring a week of convergence for the descriptive pattern input; (j) a tenth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to compare the week of convergence declared by the neural network pattern recognition model to the cut-off date week of the associated cut-off date pattern set, thereby determining whether actual progress of the project is on schedule, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule; (k) an eleventh set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to generate a progress monitoring report based upon the determined actual progress; and (l) a twelfth set of instructions which, when loaded into main memory and executed by the processor, causes the processor to display the progress monitoring report to a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computerized progress monitoring method carried out on a computer programmed to implement a Hopfield neural network, comprising the steps of:
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building a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule of a project; mapping, during a planning stage of the project, pattern sets of cut-off dates of the project to the CPM schedule; identifying, during the planning stage, project cut-off date weeks corresponding to the pattern sets of the project cut-off dates; applying the pattern sets and corresponding project cut-off date weeks as inputs to a neural network pattern recognition model on the computer; using at least one of the generated patterns to train the neural network pattern recognition model on the computer to classify work planned at specified cut-off dates; using the remaining patterns to test the neural network pattern recognition model on the computer after it has been trained; monitoring the project, during the construction stage of the project, at the same cut-off dates; preparing, at any desired cut-off date, a corresponding descriptive pattern, the corresponding descriptive pattern describing actual work accomplishments during a time period defined by the desired cut-off date; inputting the descriptive pattern to the neural network pattern recognition model on the computer, the model declaring a week of convergence for the descriptive pattern input; and comparing the week of convergence declared by the neural network pattern recognition model to the cut-off date week of the associated cut-off date pattern set thereby, indicating whether actual progress of the project is on schedule, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification