Social computer-aided engineering design projects

• US 9,454,623 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kaptsan, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/970,634
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• 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 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the capabilities of a social collaboration application are leveraged to permit synchronized viewing of computer aided design (CAD) models and exchange of annotations (e.g., redlines) related thereto, in a social review session involving differing applications executing on different computers. By utilizing the capabilities of the social collaboration application as a transport mechanism, users operating differing applications on different computers may participate in the social review session for the CAD model, thereby allowing users who do not, for example, have access to the application in which the CAD model was developed to be part of the review process.

Claims

1. A method for social review of computer aided design (CAD) projects, comprising:

executing a CAD application on the first computer;

establishing a connection between an abstraction layer associated with the CAD application on the first computer and a separate social collaboration application on the first computer;

in response to selection of interface elements in the CAD application by a first user, causing the separate social collaboration application to create a social review session between at least the first user of the first computer and a second user of a second computer, wherein the second computer lacks a copy of the CAD application but has a copy of a different application;

using the social collaboration application on the first computer to synchronize the first user'"'"'s current view of a CAD model in the CAD application on the first computer with a view seen by the second user in the different application on the second computer by

receiving indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model from the CAD application on the first computer, at the abstraction layer on the first computer, and

interfacing, by the abstraction layer on the first computer, with an application program interface (API) of the social collaboration application on the first computer to cause the social collaboration application on the first computer to transmit the indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model to the social collaboration application on the second computer; and

using the social collaboration application on the first computer to exchange annotations on the first computer made by the first user on the current view of the CAD model with the second user of the different application on the second computer by

receiving indications of the first user'"'"'s annotations on the current view of the CAD model from the CAD application at the abstraction layer on the first computer, and

interfacing, by the abstraction layer on the first computer, with the API of the social collaboration application on the first computer to cause the social collaboration application on the first computer to transmit the annotations to the social collaboration application on the second computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different application is a web client executing within a web browser, and the method further comprises:

sending a social review invitation from the first computer to the second computer;

accepting the social review invitation at the second computer; and

electing, at the second computer, to utilize the web client to conduct the social review session.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electing is based on a selection made by the second user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electing is based on unavailability of a CAD application at the second computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the different application is a web client executing within a web browser and the using the social collaboration application to synchronize further comprises:

receiving, at the social collaboration application on the second computer, the indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model;

passing, via an API of the social collaboration application on the second computer, the indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model to the web client on the second computer; and

updating a current view of the CAD model within the web client on the second computer in response to the passed indications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model are snapshots.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the different application is a web client executing within a web browser and the using the social collaboration application to exchange annotations further comprises:

receiving, at the social collaboration application on the second computer, the annotations made by the first user;

passing, via an API of the social collaboration application on the second computer, the annotations of the first user to the web client on the second computer; and

updating a current view of the CAD model within the web client on the second computer in response to the passed annotations.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the indications of the current view of the CAD model and any annotations made on the current view of the CAD model in association with timestamps, each time a change is made in the current view of the CAD model.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

publishing the indications of the current view of a CAD model and any annotations made on the current view of the CAD model to a web page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotations are redlines.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the CAD application is a CAD platform.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the CAD application is an engineering project team collaboration application.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating further comprises:

displaying a contact list of selected contacts to the first user of the first computer, the selected contacts filtered from a larger contact list to include only contacts having an association with the CAD model or a project of which the CAD model is a part; and

receiving a selection from the first user of one or more contacts, from the selected contacts, to invite to the social collaboration session.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the social collaboration application is a chat, audio and/or video conferencing application.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indications of the first user'"'"'s current view of the CAD model in the CAD application are snapshots.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second computer lacks a copy of the CAD application and the second user'"'"'s view of the CAD model in shown in a different application on the second computer.

17. An apparatus for social review of computer aided design (CAD) projects, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store executable instructions for execution by the processor, the executable instructions including instructions for;

a social collaboration application configured to communicate with other social collaboration applications on other apparatus;

a CAD application separate from the social collaboration application, the CAD application configured to display a view of a CAD model to a first user;

an abstraction layer associated with the CAD application, the abstraction layer configured to

establish a connection with the social collaboration application on the apparatus,

in response to selection of interface elements in the CAD application by a first user, cause the separate social collaboration application on the apparatus to create a social review session between the social collaboration application on the apparatus and a social collaboration application used on a second apparatus that lacks a copy of the CAD application;

use the social collaboration application to synchronize the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model in the CAD application on the apparatus with a view seen by a second user in a different application on the second apparatus that lacks the copy of the CAD application, by passing indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model from the CAD application on the apparatus to an application program interface (API) of the social collaboration application on the apparatus to cause the social collaboration application on the apparatus to transmit over the social review session the indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model to the social collaboration application used on the second apparatus;

use the social collaboration application to exchange annotations made by the first user on the view of the CAD model in the CAD application on the apparatus with the different application on the second apparatus, by passing the annotations to the API of the social collaboration application on the apparatus to cause the social collaboration application on the apparatus to transmit the annotations over the social review session to the social collaboration application on the second apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model are snapshots.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the annotations are redlines.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the CAD application is a CAD platform.

21. A method for social review of computer aided design (CAD) projects, comprising:

executing a CAD application on the first computer;

in response to selection of interface elements in the CAD application by a first user, causing a separate chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to create a social review session with a chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer; and

using the social review session created by the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to synchronize the first user'"'"'s view of a CAD model in the CAD application on the first computer with a second user'"'"'s view of the CAD model in an application on the second computer, by passing indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model from the CAD application on the first computer to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer, to cause the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application to transmit the indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model over the social review session to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer, to update the view of the CAD model on the second computer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

using the social review session created by the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to exchange annotations made by the first user on the view of the CAD model in the CAD application on the first computer to annotate the view of the CAD model in the application on the second computer, by passing the annotations to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application, to cause the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to transmit the annotations over the social review session to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer, to have the annotations shown on the view of the CAD model on the second computer.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the application on the second computer is a web client executing within a web browser, and the method further comprises:

sending a social review invitation from the first computer to the second computer;

accepting the social review invitation at the second computer; and

electing, at the second computer, to utilize the web client at the second computer to view the CAD model.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions for execution on a processor, the executable instructions, when executed, operable to:

executing a CAD application on the first computer;

in response to selection of interface elements in the CAD application by a first user, causing a separate chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to create a social review session with chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer;

use the social review session created by the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to synchronize a first user'"'"'s view of a computer aided design (CAD) model in the CAD application on the first computer with a second user'"'"'s view of the CAD model in an application on the second computer, by passing indications of the first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model from the CAD application on the first computer to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer, to cause the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to transmit the indications of first user'"'"'s view of the CAD model over the social review session to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer, to update the view of the CAD model on the second computer; and

use the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to exchange annotations made by the first user on the view of the CAD model in the CAD application on the first computer, by passing the annotations from the CAD application on the first computer to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer, to cause the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the first computer to transmit the annotations over the social review session to the chat, audio and/or video conferencing application on the second computer, to have the annotations shown on the view of the CAD model on the second computer.