Automated method and system for object configuration

• US 7,869,981 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syndigo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edgenet, Inc. (Syndigo, LLC)
• Inventors: Riggs, Roy, Pendyala, Chandra, Broadhead, Robert, Rajbhandari, Rajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERRE LOUIS, ANDRE
• Application Number:
  US10/991,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 434/79, 434/80, 705/29, 700/103, 700/104, 700/106, 700/107, 345/619
• US Class Current: 703/1
• 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: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

An automated system and method is provided for configuring an object (e.g., a room). In accordance with a preferred embodiment, configuration is facilitated through the use of layering functionality and frame-based inferences to evaluate stored knowledge of object attributes. The frame-based inferences may be supplemented by a rules-based inference system. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a graphics-based user interface may be used to permit interactive configuration using two-dimensional and three-dimensional models of the object, and incorporating engineering specifications, as well as functional and physical attributes.

Claims

1. A configuration method for a room, the method comprising:

selecting from a client device a pre-configured consumer application from a plurality of pre-configured consumer applications accessible from the client device, the consumer applications respectively reflecting different decorating styles that may be selected for the room, with each pre-configured consumer application having an associated plurality of room components;

storing in a memory module data defining a plurality of attributes for each of the plurality of components associated with the room for the selected pre-configured consumer application, wherein the data are organized in a frame/slot hierarchy, wherein the plurality of components are each represented as a first and second set of frames and the plurality of attributes are each represented as slots of the first and second set of frames, respectively;

selecting a user-specified attribute for at least one of the plurality of the room components, wherein selection of invalid attributes is prevented, comprising;

performing in a processor-based system an attribute-based inference operation that identifies within the frame/slot hierarchy available attributes and invalid attributes for the at least one of the plurality of room components, wherein the available attributes are identified based on the selected pre-configured consumer application and the at least one of the plurality of room components;

providing the available attributes for selection; and

selecting the user-specified attribute from the available attributes provided; and

generating an image comprising the at least one of the plurality of room components with the user-specified attribute within the room.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating computer-aided-design (CAD) data for facilitating installation of the inferred set of components.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the frame/slot hierarchy is organized such that the available attributes are defined as being in accordance with a style of the selected pre-configured consumer application and the invalid attributes are defined as not being in accordance with the style of the selected pre-configured consumer application.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a second user-specified attribute for the at least one of the plurality of the room components, wherein selection of invalid attributes is prevented, comprising;

performing in a processor-based system an inference operation that identifies a second set of available attributes within the frame/slot hierarchy for the at least one of the plurality of the room components, wherein the second set of available attributes are identified based on at least the user-specified attribute;

providing the second set of available attributes for selection; and

selecting the second user-specified attribute from the second set of available attributes provided; and

generating an image comprising the at least one of the plurality of room components with the user-specified attribute and the second user-specified attribute.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input data at a user interface from a user in the form of computer-aided-design (CAD) data.

6. A configuration method for a room, the method comprising the steps of:

separating in a processor-based system an image of a pre-configured and user-configurable room into a plurality of layers, each of the layers being respectively associated with one of a plurality of different components of the configurable room;

storing data in a memory module, wherein the data include a respective plurality of different options for each of the layers, wherein the layers and options are organized in a frame/slot hierarchy that defines for each option for a first layer of the plurality of layers valid and invalid options for a second layer of the plurality of layers wherein the plurality of layers are each represented in a first and second set of frames and the plurality of different options are represented as slots of the first and second set of frames, respectively;

selecting a user-specified attribute for at least one of a plurality of room components, wherein selection of invalid attributes is prevented, comprising;

performing in a processor-based system an attribute-based inference operation that identifies within the frame/slot hierarchy available attributes and invalid attributes for the at least one of the plurality of room components, wherein the available attributes are identified based on a selected pre-configured consumer application and at least one of the plurality of room components; and

specifying options for the first layer and the second layer, wherein specifying a combination of a first option for the first layer with an invalid option for the second layer is prevented by the frame/slot hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the options are related to at least one of size, type, pattern color, material, texture, finish, and price.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of separating comprises:

generating two-dimensional data of the image; and

adding three-dimensional reference data to the two-dimensional data of the image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of adding comprises:

generating data of at least one of the location of a camera, and the location and intensity of a light source.

10. A method of configuring a room, the method comprising:

receiving in a processor-based system a pre-configured style selection of the room to be configured as input data;

generating in the processor-based system at least one room design to match the style selection, the room design having a plurality of components consistent with the selected room style, each of the plurality of components representing at least one set of potential product data;

changing in the processor-based system an appearance of a first one of the plurality of components based on a user-supplied request to change, wherein the changing includes choosing from a subset of a plurality of options stored in the processor-based system, wherein the selected room style, the plurality of components, and the plurality of options are organized in a frame/slot hierarchy, and wherein the subset of the plurality of options is determined by an inference operation using the selected room style as a constraint in the frame/slot hierarchy;

wherein the plurality of components are each represented in a first and second set of frames and the plurality of options are represented as slots of the first and second set of frames, respectively;

selecting a user-specified attribute for at least one of a plurality of room components, wherein selection of invalid attributes is prevented; and

updating in the processor-based system a list of product data associated with the room design based on the change.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising changing in the processor-based system a bill of materials associated with the room based on the user-supplied request to change.

12. A method of configuring a room, the method comprising:

receiving in a processor-based system input data at a user interface concerning the room configuration;

storing in a memory module data defining a plurality of attributes for a plurality of components associated with the room in a frame/slot hierarchy, wherein the plurality of components are each represented in a first and second set of frames and the plurality of attributes are represented as slots of the first and second set of frames, respectively;

selecting a user-specified attribute for at least one of a plurality of room components, wherein selection of invalid attributes is prevented, comprising;

performing in the processor-based system an attribute-based inference operation based on the input data received in said receiving step that identifies within the frame/slot hierarchy available attributes and invalid attributes for the at least one of the plurality of components, wherein the available attributes are identified based on a selected pre-configured consumer application and at least one of the plurality of components;

generating in the processor-based system a two-dimensional image of the room configuration, the room configuration containing a plurality of components inferred in said performing step, each of the inferred components representing at least one set of product data having attributes inferred during said performing step;

enabling modification within the processor-based system of at least a first one of the plurality of components, whereby wherein a first set of product data represented by the first component is replaced with a second set of product data different from the first set of product data;

generating a three-dimensional image of the room; and

modifying in the processor-based system respective locations of said plurality of components in the room while viewing the three-dimensional image based on a user-supplied request to modify.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the attribute-based inference operation infers the plurality of components from data organized in a frame/slot hierarchy.