Construction tracking and payment method and system

• US 6,038,547 A
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robin L. Casto
• Original Assignee: Robin L. Casto
• Inventors: Casto, Robin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRECCA, MICHELE S
• Application Number:
  US09/003,807
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/30, 705/32, 705/40, 395/500.01, 700/97
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A computer-based tracking system and method for coordinating work done on a project and payment therefor. After a project has been partitioned by an architect, jobs are specified in terms of to which region or subregion each entry corresponds. The (sub)contractors submit monthly Application and Certificate for Payment requests which are organized by the system to enable all the work in a particular region to be consolidated listed on a reviewer'"'"'s card for ease of verification. Updates to the requests are made and authorized forms are generated to enable payment of the requests, thereby saving time and effort to perform manual correlation of subcontractor requests with a given area in a project. Requests also need not be monthly and may be made at any period, potentially varying. Other possible periods are quarterly, twice a month, or once every two months.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for controlling a central processor, the computer-implemented system comprising:

a first computer code mechanism for receiving information from at least two (sub)contractors in a (level-by-level, region-by-region) format specific to a construction job specified by an architect, wherein regions are subdivisions of levels;

a second computer code mechanism for consolidating the information from the at least two (sub)contractors using the (level-by-level, region-by-region) format; and

a third computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information using the (level-by-level region-by-region), format.

2. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a floppy disk drive, wherein the first computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for reading periodic updates from a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive.

3. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communications adapter, wherein the first computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for reading periodic updates from the communications adapter.

4. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for reading periodic updates from a database.

5. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for reading periodic updates from a file.

6. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fourth computer code mechanism for partitioning the construction job into plural regions.

7. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth computer code mechanism for receiving periodic updates; and

a fifth computer code mechanism for modifying the periodic updates based on a review of a corresponding region by a reviewer.

8. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fourth computer code device configured to consolidate the information consolidated by the second computer code device into information in (section-by-section, level-by-level, region-by-region) format, wherein the third computer code device includes a fifth computer code device configured to print out the information in the (section-by-section, level-by-level, region-by-region) format.

9. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information to a screen of a handheld computer.

10. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a GPS receiver; and

a fifth computer code device configured to receive information from the GPS receiver and determine in which region the handheld computer is located, wherein the fourth computer code device prints to the screen the consolidated information corresponding to the region in which the handheld computer is located.

11. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information to a screen of a portable computer.

12. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a GPS receiver; and

a fifth computer code device configured to receive information from the GPS receiver and determine in which region the portable computer is located, wherein the fourth computer code device prints to the screen the consolidated information corresponding to the region in which the portable computer is located.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and plural computer program code mechanisms embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to track progress on a construction project, the plural computer program code mechanisms comprising;

a first computer code mechanism for receiving information from at least two (sub)contractors in a (level-by-level, region-by-region) format specific to a construction job specified by an architect, wherein regions are subdivisions of levels;

a second computer code mechanism for consolidating the information from the at least two (sub)contractors using the (level-by-level, region-by-region) format; and

a third computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information using the (level-by-level, region-by-region) format.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a fourth computer code device configured to consolidate the information consolidated by the second computer code device into information in (section-by-section, level-by-level, region-by-region) format, wherein the third computer code device includes a fifth computer code device configured to print out the information in the (section-by-section, level-by-level, region-by-region) format.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for receiving periodic updates.

16. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the third computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information to a screen of a handheld computer.

17. The computer-implemented system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the third computer code mechanism comprises a fourth computer code mechanism for printing the consolidated information to a screen of a portable computer.