System and method for tracking and managing construction projects

• US 7,283,975 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broughton W. Curtis
• Inventors: Broughton, W. Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US10/192,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 345/595, 715/502, 715/964, 715/965
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

System and methods are described for assisting a contractor in managing information associated with a construction project. The amount of information relating to labor, materials, scheduling and billing and the number of individuals accessing the information can be overwhelmingly large for even a simple construction project. As such, the system and methods described are particularly useful for gathering, maintaining and disseminating the voluminous amount of information associated with a construction project. In one method, a drawing from a construction project is provided that has one or more intelligent objects. Information is then gathered relating to labor, materials and schedules for the project. The information is associated with the respective intelligent object and visually represented on the drawing. The drawing is displayed and certain aspects associated with the intelligent objects can be quickly identified. In addition, reports may be generated that quickly and efficiently organize information according to any number of user selected criteria. In some embodiments, emissive tags, such as RFID tags, associated with construction items are used in the data gathering process.

Claims

1. A method of managing a construction project, comprising:

creating at least one electronic drawing, wherein the electronic drawing includes;

a plurality of selectable intelligent objects, including at least a first selectable intelligent object representing a first construction item comprised by the construction project; and

wherein the first selectable intelligent object is selectable to obtain construction status information relating to one or more categories of construction status information;

wherein the first selectable intelligent object comprises a visual indicator of the construction status information; and

wherein the electronic drawing further comprises at least one selection arrangement configured to specify a category of construction status information;

storing the electronic drawing on a computing system;

displaying the electronic drawing on a display device;

receiving a user selection of the first selectable intelligent object;

receiving a user selection of a category of construction status information; and

in response to the user selections of the first selectable intelligent object and the category of construction status information, displaying construction status information for the first selectable intelligent object relating to the selected category;

wherein a first category of construction status information relates to labor status information;

wherein the labor status category of construction information has labor tasks associated therewith and wherein the labor tasks are selected from a group consisting of;

material distributed;

hangers in place;

joint make-up;

items in place;

punch and identify; and

tested;

the method further comprising;

associating one of the labor tasks with the first construction item; and

setting the visual indicator for the first construction item based on the association;

wherein associating one of the labor tasks with the first construction item comprises;

at a site associated with the construction project at which site the first construction item is located, using a reader to obtain installation information from an RFID tag affixed to the first construction item; and

transmitting the installation information to the computing system, thereby associating one of the labor tasks with the first construction item;

wherein the first construction item is located at an elevation and wherein the elevation is included in the installation information and wherein the elevation is determinative of the labor task.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving estimated labor information relating to the first construction item;

setting the visual indictor for the first construction item based on the estimated labor information.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

receiving actual labor information relating to the first construction item;

setting the visual indicator for the first construction item based on the actual labor information.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising setting the visual indicator for the first construction item based on the actual labor in relation to the estimated labor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a second category of construction status information relates to material status information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the material status information is selected from a group consisting of:

not ordered;

released;

received;

damaged; and

back ordered.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to a user selection of an intelligent object, placing an order for a construction item represented by the intelligent object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a third category of construction status information relates to schedule information.