Automated method for a takeoff estimate of construction drawings

• US 6,324,508 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fastlane Construction Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastlane Construction Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Finney, Samuel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): {haeck over (S)}mits, Ta̅livaldis Ivars
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US09/575,005
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/246, 704/251, 704/271, 704/272, 704/225, 704/275, 705/400, 364/479.06
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/923 Construction

Abstract

A method for performing a construction quantity takeoff estimate of a drawing representative of a construction project having a plurality of items includes applying first vocal indicia representative of a selected item of the plurality of items to a voice recognition system and producing and first electrical signals representative of the first vocal indicia by the voice recognition system. The selected item is first determined by the voice recognition system in accordance with the first electrical signals. Second vocal indicia representative of a quantity of the selected item are applied to the voice recognition system and second electrical signals representative of the quantity of the selected item are produced. The quantity of the selected item is second determined by the voice recognition system in accordance with the second electrical signals. The takeoff estimate is performed in accordance with the first and second determining.

Claims

1. A method for performing a construction quantity takeoff estimate of a drawing representative of a construction project having a plurality of construction items, comprising the steps of:

(1) applying first vocal indicia representative of a selected construction item of said plurality of construction items to a voice recognition system;

(2) producing first electrical signals representative of said first vocal indicia by said voice recognition system;

(3) first determining said selected construction item by said voice recognition system in accordance with said first electrical signals;

(4) applying second vocal indicia representative of a quantity of said selected construction item to said voice recognition system;

(5) producing second electrical signals representative of said quantity of said selected construction item;

(6) second determining said quantity of said selected construction item by said voice recognition system in accordance with said second electrical signals; and

(7) performing said takeoff estimate in accordance with said first and second determining.

2. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 1, comprising the step of performing said takeoff estimate independently of the location of said selected item within said drawing.

3. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

(1) applying further second vocal indicia representative of a further quantity of said selected construction item to said voice recognition device;

(2) producing third electrical signals representative of said further quantity of said selected construction item; and

(3) further determining said quantity of said selected construction item by said voice recognition system in accordance with said second electrical signals.

4. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second determining steps comprises the step of performing voice filtering operations.

5. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 4, comprising the step of determining a string value in accordance with said voice filtering operations.

6. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 5, comprising the step of determining whether said string value contains unknown text.

7. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 5, wherein said string value has operands comprising the step of determining a format of said operands.

8. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 7, comprising the step of determining a processing error in accordance with said format of said operands.

9. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 5, wherein said string value has operands comprising the steps of determining the order of said operands and determining whether said order of said operands corresponds to a predetermined order.

10. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 9, comprising the step of determining a processing error in accordance with said order of said operands.

11. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 4, wherein said voice filtering operations comprise the step of determining whether said string value evaluates to a number.

12. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 11, comprising the step of determining whether said string value evaluates to a reasonable number.

13. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 4, comprising the step of performing said voice filtering operations in accordance with context specific filter determinations.

14. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 4, comprising the step of providing feedback to an estimator in accordance with said voice filtering operations.

15. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second determining steps comprises the step of performing arithmetic operations in accordance with numeric information and control information applied to said voice recognition system.

16. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 1, comprising the step of indexing corresponding input information of a construction item and storing said indexed input information to provide an indexed takeoff database.

17. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 16, comprising the step of scheduling said construction project in accordance with said indexed information of said indexed takeoff database.

18. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 17, comprising the step of scheduling said construction project in accordance with a scheduling template.

19. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 16, comprising the step of providing image data representative of said drawing and indexing said image data with said corresponding input information for storing said image data in said indexed database.

20. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 16, comprising the step of distributing said indexed takeoff database to provide a distributed takeoff database.

21. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 20, comprising the step of collecting a fee in exchange for permitting access to said distributed takeoff database.

22. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 20, comprising the step of submitting a construction project bid in accordance with said distributed takeoff database.

23. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 22, wherein said indexed takeoff database includes geographic information comprising the step of submitting said bid in accordance with said geographic information.

24. The method for performing a quantity takeoff estimate of claim 16, comprising the step of performing a labor content determination of said construction project in accordance with said indexed takeoff database.