Method and Apparatus For Optimization of Floor Covering And System For User Configuration and Real Time Pricing Information

• US 20120109596A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eplan Partners Limited
• Original Assignee: Eplan Partners Limited
• Inventors: Gladstone, Richard, Sills, Adam, McPherson, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A method and system for optimizing surface coverings having user input representative of a construction project, floor plans representative of the project including optional configurations of the plans, user input for selection from a plurality of the plans and options and creating data points representative of one of the plans, merging the plan and options into a set of data points representative of a final plan set, determining room surface selections from user input, deriving contiguity data from the surface areas representative of the surface selections; and optimizing price of floor materials for selected criteria based on pre-determined rules. The system and method weights traffic flow based on room configurations and determines optimal cuts of materials to minimize seams. Further, the system packs the cut materials optimally to fit standard sheet material such as carpet and vinyl.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing floor coverings comprising:

a. Receiving user input representative of a construction project

b. Providing floor plans representative of said project including optional configurations of said plans;

c. Receiving user input for selection from a plurality of said plans and options and creating data points representative of one of said plans;

d. Merging said plan and options into a set of data points representative of a final plan set;

e. Determining room surface selections from user input;

f. Deriving contiguity data from said surface areas representative of said surface selections; and

g. Optimizing price of floor materials for selected criteria based on pre-determined rules.

2. The method for optimizing floor coverings as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of minimizing seam locations based on floor geometries of said plan.

3. The method for optimizing floor coverings as claimed in claim 2 wherein said geometries include determining door position and room openings in said floor plan.

4. The method for optimizing floor coverings as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of determining cuts of rolled floor material to correspond to said optimization.

5. The method for optimizing floor coverings as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the step of packing said cuts on a rolled floor material to optimize material usage.

6. The method for optimizing floor coverings as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of weighting traffic values for said plans.

7. A system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction comprising:

a. An input device for selecting construction plans;

b. An output device for presenting information from a processor and data storage;

c. Said processor merges selected user floor plan choices with optional rooms choices to create a set of data points representative of the geography of said floor plan;

d. Said processor calculates the optimal cuts for said floor coverings;

e. Said processor arranges said cut material onto stock floor covering rolls for optimal use of said floor covering;

f. Said processor determines the optimal layout of cuts on a roll by iteratively testing a plurality of cut and packing configurations.

8. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 7 further comprising presentation through said output of updated pricing information responsive to user changes to said plans.

9. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 7 further comprising determining cuts of rolled floor material to correspond to said optimization.

10. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 9 further comprising packing said cuts on a rolled floor material to optimize material usage.

11. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 7 further comprising weighting floor traffic for said plans.

12. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 7 further comprising analysis of corner locations on said cuts.

13. The system for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 7 further comprising minimizing seam locations on said cuts.

14. A method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction comprising:

a. Receiving input from an end user for selecting construction plans and presenting output to said end-user;

b. Merging selected user floor plan choices with optional rooms choices to create a set of data points representative of the geography of said floor plan;

c. Calculating the optimal cuts for said floor coverings;

d. Arranging said cut material onto stock floor covering rolls for optimal use of said floor covering; and

e. Determining the optimal layout of cuts on a roll by iteratively testing a plurality of cut and packing configurations.

15. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of determining cuts of rolled floor material to correspond to said optimization.

16. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of presenting updated pricing information responsive to user changes to said plans.

17. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of packing said cuts on a rolled floor material to optimize material usage.

18. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the step of analyzing corner locations on said cuts.

19. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of minimizing seam locations on said cuts.

20. The method for optimizing floor coverings based on end user interaction as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of determining door position and room openings in said floor plans.