System and method to automate equipment placement at remote sites

• US 6,169,987 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Knoblock, Terry, Carlson, Gregory G., Golobay, Paul Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US08/823,561
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/103, 707/10, 707/104, 707/223, 364/188, 364/282.1, 364/578, 364/478.01, 364/478.02, 364/488, 340/870.02, 395/200.49, 395/200.5, 521/256, 521/221, 52/791, 235/385, 345/339, 345/356, 345/961, 414/266, 414/267, 455/4.1, 709/223, 709/210, 709/217, 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for placing articles of manufacture or pieces of equipment at a remote site uses a central database and graphical representations. A site hierarchy, comprising a site, a building at the site, and a floor within the building, is created in the central database. The user can then create graphical objects on a floor at a building, which are also represented in the central database as sequences of points. Specifically, graphical objects are created for a floor within a structure, a zone within the floor, a planning unit within the zone, a row segment within the planning unit, and a footprint (where the article or piece of equipment is placed) within the row segment. The central database can also store tabular (non-graphical) data, regarding the physical characteristics of physical objects (such as the actual area of a row), as well as particular information for each footprint (such as an installation date, an activation date, etc.). Once the graphical objects are established in the hierarchy, a user can modify or view both the graphical data or the non-graphical data from the database.

Claims

1. A method for graphically placing an article or a piece of equipment on a floor space, comprising:

enabling a user to create one or more higher level hierarchically related data objects for storing non-graphical data;

enabling said user to create for display one or more hierarchically related graphical objects;

initially storing or updating said graphical objects in a non-graphical format in one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects; and

enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enabling said user to create one or more higher level hierarchical data objects further comprises:

enabling said user to establish a site data object to represent a site;

enabling said user to establish a structure data object to represent a structure located at said site;

enabling said user to establish a floor data object to represent a floor located at said structure.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enabling said user to create for display one or more hierarchically related graphical objects further comprises:

enabling said user to create a graphical floor object.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

enabling said user to create one or more additional graphical objects within said graphical floor object.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

enabling said user to create one or more footprint objects representing a union of a space within said graphical floor object and the article or the piece of equipment placed within said graphical floor object.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

enabling said user to create one or more graphical zone objects within said graphical floor objects;

enabling said user to create one or more graphical planning unit objects within said graphical zone objects;

enabling said user to create one or more graphical row segment objects within said graphical planning unit objects,

wherein said user can place said one or more footprints within said row segment objects.

7. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

enabling said user to use an architectural diagram in conjunction with said graphical floor object and said one or more additional graphical objects.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of initially storing or updating said graphical objects in a non-graphical format in one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

selecting a sequence of points traced out by said user using an input device;

storing said sequence of points in said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of selecting a sequence of points traced out by said user using an input device further comprises:

selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical floor object;

selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical zone object;

selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical planning unit object;

selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical row segment object; and

selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical footprint object;

wherein said step of storing said sequence of points in said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises;

storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical floor object in a floor points data object;

storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical zone object in a zone points data object;

storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical planning unit object in a planning unit points data object;

storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical row segment in a row segment data object;

storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical footprint object in a footprint data object.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

identifying relational information interrelating said one or more higher level hierarchically related data objects and said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects using a data object indexing system.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

calculating and storing dimensional information relating to physical dimensions of one or more physical objects represented by said one or more graphical objects.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of calculating and storing dimensional information further comprises:

calculating and storing dimensional information relating to one or more graphical floor objects, one or more graphical zone objects within said graphical floor objects, one or more graphical planning unit objects within said graphical zone objects, and one or more graphical row segment objects within said graphical planning unit objects.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

identifying said user and a date said user performed one of;

initially storing and updating said graphical date.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

enabling said user to identify specific information relating to said article or said piece of equipment.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step of identifying specific information relating to said article or said piece of equipment further comprises:

enabling said user to identify information relating to how said article or said piece of equipment is to be placed on said floor space;

enabling said user to identify information relating to a planned installation date, an actual installation date, a planned activation date, an actual activation date, a planned decommission date, an actual decommission date, a planned removal date, and an actual removal date for said article or said piece of equipment.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, wherein said computer program logic comprises:

means for enabling a user to create one or more higher level hierarchically related data objects for storing non-graphical data;

means for enabling said user to create for display one or more hierarchically related graphical objects;

means for initially storing or updating said graphical objects in a non-graphical format in one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects; and

means for enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to create one or more higher level hierarchical data objects further comprises:

means for enabling said user to establish a site data object to represent a site;

means for enabling said user to establish a structure data object to represent a structure located at said site;

means for enabling said user to establish a floor data object to represent a floor located at said structure.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to create for display one or more hierarchically related graphical objects further comprises:

means for enabling said user to create a graphical floor object.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

means for enabling said user to create one or more additional graphical objects within said graphical floor object.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling said user to create one or more footprint objects representing a union of a space within said graphical floor object and the article or the piece of equipment placed within said graphical floor object.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling said user to create one or more graphical zone objects within said graphical floor objects;

means for enabling said user to create one or more graphical planning unit objects within said graphical zone objects;

means for enabling said user to create one or more graphical row segment objects within said graphical planning unit objects,

wherein said means for enabling said user to create one or more footprint objects further comprises;

means for enabling said user to place said one or more footprints within said row segment objects.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling said user to use an architectural diagram in conjunction with said graphical floor object and said one or more additional graphical objects.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for initially storing or updating said graphical objects in a non-graphical format in one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

means for selecting a sequence of points traced out by said user using an input device;

means for storing said sequence of points in said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said means for selecting a sequence of points traced out by said user using said input device further comprises:

means for selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical floor object;

means for selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical zone object;

means for selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical planning unit object;

means for selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical row segment object; and

means for selecting a sequence of points relating to a graphical footprint object;

wherein said means for storing said sequence of points in said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises;

means for storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical floor object in a floor points data object;

means for storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical zone object in a zone points data object;

means for storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical planning unit object in a planning unit points data object;

means for storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical row segment in a row segment data object;

means for storing said sequence of points relating to a graphical footprint object in a footprint data object.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

means for identifying relational information interrelating said one or more higher level hierarchically related data objects and said one or more lower level hierarchically related data objects using a data object indexing system.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

means for calculating and storing dimensional information relating to physical dimensions of one or more physical objects represented by said one or more graphical objects.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein said means for calculating and storing dimensional information further comprises:

means for calculating and storing dimensional information relating to one or more graphical floor objects, one or more graphical zone objects within said graphical floor objects, one or more graphical planning unit objects within said graphical zone objects, and one or more graphical row segment objects within said graphical planning unit objects.

28. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

means for identifying said user and a date said user performed one of;

initially storing and updating said graphical date.

29. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said means for enabling said user to initially store or update non-graphical data relating to said one or more graphical objects in one of said higher level hierarchically related data objects and said lower level hierarchically related data objects further comprises:

means for enabling said user to identify specific information relating to said article or said piece of equipment.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said means for enabling said user to identify specific information relating to said article or said piece of equipment further comprises:

means for enabling said user to identify information relating to how said article or said piece of equipment is to be placed on said floor space;

means for enabling said user to identify information relating to a planned installation date, an actual installation date, a planned activation date, an actual activation date, a planned decommission date, an actual decommission date, a planned removal date, and an actual removal date for said article or said piece of equipment.

31. A method for symbolically placing equipment at a site through the use of a graphical display device where the equipment, and any structures at the site are hierarchically related comprising:

enabling a user to create at leas one data object at a given hierarchical level for storing non-graphical data where said at least one data object represents at least one of hierarchically related items comprising site, structure at a site and floor of a structure at a site;

enabling a user to create for display a plurality of hierarchically related graphical objects, said objects being lower in hierarchical level than said hierarchical level of said at least one object;

enabling a user to initially store any of said plurality of graphical objects in a non-graphical format in a plurality of hierarchically related data objects;

enabling a user to update any of said plurality of graphical objects from the stored data objects; and

enabling said user to store or update non-graphical data relating to each of said plurality of graphical objects in a hierarchically next layer related data object.

32. A method of hierarchically storing and displaying graphical representations of equipment and its placement relative to a given surface at a given site comprising:

creating a data object for storing non-graphical data where said data object represents said given surface at said given site;

creating for display a plurality of graphical objects hierarchically related to but lower in hierarchical level than said given surface;

storing or updating any of said plurality of graphical objects in a non-graphical format in a plurality of hierarchically related data objects; and

storing or updating non-graphical data relating to each of said plurality of graphical objects in a hierarchically different but related data object.

33. A method of symbolically placing at least one article relative to a floor space through the use of graphical display device where the article is hierarchically related to the floor space comprising:

enabling a user to create a floor space data object for storing non-graphical data where said data object represents floor space of a structure at a site;

enabling a user to create for display a plurality of hierarchically related graphical objects, said objects being lower in hierarchical level than said floor space;

enabling a user to initially store any of said plurality of graphical objects in a non-graphical format in a plurality of hierarchically related data objects;

enabling a user to update any of said plurality of graphical objects from the stored data objects; and

enabling said user to store or update non-graphical data relating to each of said plurality of graphical objects in a hierarchically different but related data object.

34. A method of placing hierarchically related graphical representations of articles relative to a given surface at a given site comprising:

creating a plurality of data objects at least of which represents a given surface at a given site, said data objects being capable of storing hierarchically next lower level object related non-graphical data;

creating for display and storing a plurality of graphical objects in a non-graphical format, hierarchically related to but lower in hierarchical level than said given surface; and

enabling a user to store and retrieve for update, any of the plurality of stored graphical objects in a non-graphical format, in a hierarchically different related data object.