Creation and modification of valid functional design layouts
First Claim
1. In a computer system, a computer-implemented method for configuring a design space by automatically integrating both functional and non-functional design components which are defined by component parameters and attributes, the computer-implemented method of the system comprising:
- storing in a databasea plurality of different non-functional product components to be used in designing an interior workspace, each non-functional product component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of non-functional product component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each non-functional product component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of non-functional product component;
a plurality of different functional components defining types of outlets for various functional systems providing at least one or more services consisting of electrical power, HVAC, water and gas for distribution and use within the design space, the functional components being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of functional component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each functional component and any associated hardware for providing functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of any such services to the interior workspace for each type of functional component; and
a plurality of source components defining types of inlets for the various functional systems providing the at least one or more services, each source component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of source component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each source component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of source component;
inputting at a graphical user interface (GUI) of the system a design space and indentifying within the design space a first non-functional product component that is to be placed within an indicated region of the design space defined by a starting and an end point;
a system processor thereafter retrieving from the database the identified first non-functional product component and automatically replicating the first non-functional product component in a manner that fits the first non-functional product component to the indicated region of the design space, including automatically populating the indicated region of the design space with any required hardware for connecting or providing structural support to the replicated non-functional product components required to fit the first non-functional product component within the indicated region of the design space;
identifying and inputting at the GUI one or more functional components for one or more types of outlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space;
identifying and inputting at the GUI one or more source components for one or more types of inlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and
the system processor thereafter retrieving from the database the identified functional and source components and automatically populating the design space with functional system lines integrated into the non-functional product components in the design space, the functional system lines being required for delivery and distribution of one or more of the services from each source component inlet to one or more functional component outlets for a corresponding type of service, and said system processor also automatically populating each functional system line with any required hardware required for the functional system line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A software application can capture product parameters and attributes in order to allow a non-expert user to create a valid functional system layout in a design space. To enable accurate layouts, the software application can automatically apply all applicable components, connectors, rules, attributes, codes, and behaviors to each component/design element in the design space. The intelligent, object-oriented software can apply rules and behaviors automatically, not only providing an accurate, valid layout, but also optimizing the layout. The intelligent, object-oriented software can recognize required changes effected by a user-driven change, and automatically resolve the layout design.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. In a computer system, a computer-implemented method for configuring a design space by automatically integrating both functional and non-functional design components which are defined by component parameters and attributes, the computer-implemented method of the system comprising:
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storing in a database a plurality of different non-functional product components to be used in designing an interior workspace, each non-functional product component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of non-functional product component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each non-functional product component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of non-functional product component; a plurality of different functional components defining types of outlets for various functional systems providing at least one or more services consisting of electrical power, HVAC, water and gas for distribution and use within the design space, the functional components being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of functional component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each functional component and any associated hardware for providing functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of any such services to the interior workspace for each type of functional component; and a plurality of source components defining types of inlets for the various functional systems providing the at least one or more services, each source component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of source component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each source component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of source component; inputting at a graphical user interface (GUI) of the system a design space and indentifying within the design space a first non-functional product component that is to be placed within an indicated region of the design space defined by a starting and an end point; a system processor thereafter retrieving from the database the identified first non-functional product component and automatically replicating the first non-functional product component in a manner that fits the first non-functional product component to the indicated region of the design space, including automatically populating the indicated region of the design space with any required hardware for connecting or providing structural support to the replicated non-functional product components required to fit the first non-functional product component within the indicated region of the design space; identifying and inputting at the GUI one or more functional components for one or more types of outlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; identifying and inputting at the GUI one or more source components for one or more types of inlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and the system processor thereafter retrieving from the database the identified functional and source components and automatically populating the design space with functional system lines integrated into the non-functional product components in the design space, the functional system lines being required for delivery and distribution of one or more of the services from each source component inlet to one or more functional component outlets for a corresponding type of service, and said system processor also automatically populating each functional system line with any required hardware required for the functional system line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19)
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12. In a computer system, a computer-implemented method for configuring a design space with a functional system layout by automatically integrating design components consisting of both functional and source components which are defined by component parameters and attributes, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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storing in a database a plurality of different functional components types of outlets for various functional systems providing at least one or more services consisting of electrical power, HVAC, water and gas for distribution and use within the design space, the functional components being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of functional component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each functional component and any associated hardware for providing functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of any such services to the interior workspace for each type of functional component; and a plurality of source components defining types of inlets for the various functional systems providing the at least one or more services, each source component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of source component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each source component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of source component; inputting at a graphical user interface LGUI) of the system a design space and indentifying within the design space one or more functional components for one or more types of outlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; identifying and inputting at the GUI of the system one or more source components for one or more types of inlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; a system processor thereafter configuring a functional system layout for the design space by retrieving from the database the identified functional and source components and automatically populating the design space with functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of one or more of the services from each source component inlet to one or more functional component outlets for a corresponding type of service, including automatically populating each functional system line with any required hardware for the functional system line; modifying the functional system layout by identifying and inputting at the GUI of the system one or more additional functional components for one or more types of outlets or one or more additional source components for one or more types of inlets; and the system processor thereafter re-configuring the functional system layout to incorporate the additional functional or source components and automatically re-populating the design space with updated functional system lines based on the additional functional or source components. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. A computer system for configuring a design space by automatically integrating both functional and non-functional design components which are defined by component parameters and attributes, the computer system comprising:
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(a) a database having stored therein a plurality of different non-functional product components to be used in designing an interior workspace, each non-functional product component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of non-functional product component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each non-functional product component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of non-functional product component; a plurality of different functional components defining types of outlets for various functional systems providing at least one or more services consisting of electrical power, HVAC, water and gas for distribution and use within the design space, the functional components being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of functional component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each functional component and any associated hardware for providing functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of any such services to the interior workspace for each type of functional component; and a plurality of source components defining types of inlets for the various functional systems providing the at least one or more services, each source component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of source component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each source component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of source component; (b) a graphical user interface (GUI) of the system for inputting a design space and for inputting and indentifying within the design space a first non-functional product component that is to be placed within an indicated region of the design space defined by a starting point and an end point; inputting and identifying within the design space one or more functional components for one or more types of outlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and inputting and identifying within the design space one or more source components for one or more types of inlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and (c) a system processor programmed to retrieve from the database the identified first non-functional product component and automatically replicate the first non-functional product component in a manner that fits the first non-functional product component to the indicated region of the design space, including automatically populating the indicated region of the design space with any required hardware for connecting or providing structural support to the replicated non-functional product components required to fit the first non-functional product component within the indicated region of the design space; retrieve from the database the identified functional and source components and automatically populate the design space with functional system lines integrated into the non-functional product components in the design space, the functional system lines being required for delivery and distribution of one or more of the services from each source component inlet to one or more functional component outlets for a corresponding type of service; and automatically populate each functional system line with any required hardware required for the functional system line.
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21. A computer system for configuring a design space by automatically integrating both functional and non-functional design components which are defined by component parameters and attributes, the computer system comprising:
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(a) a database having stored therein a plurality of different functional components defining types of outlets for various functional systems providing at least one or more services consisting of electrical power, HVAC, water and gas for distribution and use within the design space, the functional components being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of functional component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each functional component and any associated hardware for providing functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of any such services to the interior workspace for each type of functional component; and a plurality of source components defining types of inlets for the various functional systems providing the at least one or more services, each source component being defined by (i) associated parameters that define each type of source component, and (ii) attributes that are defined by rules, characteristics and behaviors of each source component and any associated hardware for connecting or providing structural support for each type of source component; (b) a graphical user interface (GUI) for inputting a design space and indentifying within the design space one or more functional components for one or more types of outlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and one or more source components for one or more types of inlets for the functional systems that are to provide the one or more services for use and distribution within the design space; and (c) a system processor programmed to retrieve from the database the identified functional and source components and automatically populate the design space with functional system lines required for delivery and distribution of one or more of the services from each source component inlet to one or more functional component outlets for a corresponding type of service; automatically generate a functional system layout for the design space by populating each functional system line with any required hardware for the functional system line; and automatically update functional system lines and re-populate any updated functional system line with any required hardware for any additional functional or source components added to the functional system layout after it is first generated.
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Specification