U.S. patent application number 09/835481 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-20 for method and apparatus for computer aided building specification generation.
Invention is credited to Hartman, Linda Marie.
Application Number | 20010052908 09/835481 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21965828 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010052908 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hartman, Linda Marie |
December 20, 2001 |
Method and apparatus for computer aided building specification
generation
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a design document for a
product, with the product having product elements arranged in a
hierarchical manner and stored in a relational database, is
described. A selection is received for at least one product
element. At least one performance value associated with the
selected product element is received. A text segment associated
with each selected product element is retrieved from the database.
Selected text segments are then used to construct the design
document.
Inventors: |
Hartman, Linda Marie;
(Hyattsville, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENYON & KENYON
1500 K STREET, N.W., SUITE 700
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
21965828 |
Appl. No.: |
09/835481 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09835481 |
Apr 17, 2001 |
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09102580 |
Jun 23, 1998 |
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6236409 |
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60050538 |
Jun 23, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
345/630 ;
345/641 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/0875 20130101;
Y10S 707/99945 20130101; G06Q 10/06 20130101; Y10S 707/99948
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/630 ;
345/641 |
International
Class: |
G09G 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for developing a request for proposal by an owner, and
a responding proposal by a design builder for design and
construction of a product, comprising: defining a requirements file
for said request for proposal including a performance specification
and a prescriptive specification by selecting product descriptors
from an owner database; combining said requirements file with owner
information to produce said request for proposal by selecting
prewritten text segments from said owner database; electronically
linking attachments to said requirements file; sending said request
for proposal with said attachments as a first overlay to a design
builder; opening and reading said first overlay with reference to a
proposer database correlating to said owner database; preparing a
responding proposal from said design builder by adding detailed
product descriptors selected from said proposer database to said
first overlay and producing a second overlay; attaching proposer
information and a cost statement to said second overlay; sending
said second overlay from said design builder to said owner;
producing an electronic comparison file by comparing said first
overlay and said second overlay; and using a document-use global
switch option in said steps of defining and preparing.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said defining comprises: choosing
the document-use global switch option corresponding to a request
for proposal in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors
to the imperative language appropriate to a request for proposal;
selecting at least one first product element from a first set of
product elements on said owner database; selecting from said owner
database at least one performance value for said at least one first
product element; customizing said at least one product element and
said at least one performance value by adding and subtracting text;
and storing a first representative for said customized at least one
product element and said customized at least one performance value
in electronic form.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said preparing comprises:
receiving said first overlay; constructing said second overlay
using first overlay; and choosing the document-use global switch
option corresponding to a proposal in order to convert the grammar
of product descriptors to the promissory language appropriate to a
proposal.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said preparing further comprises:
choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to
instructions for a sub-contractor in order to convert the grammar
of product descriptors to the imperative language appropriate to
instructions for subcontractors; sending said second overlay to a
third device of a supplier of materials for said product; selecting
at said third device a third set of data from a supplier database
correlating to said proposer database; constructing a third overlay
by adding detailed product descriptors from said supplier database;
choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to a
proposal in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors to
the promissory language appropriate to a proposal to the
design-builder; and sending said third overlay to said second
device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/102,580 filed on Jun. 23, 1998 which claims
benefit of Provisional Application, 60/050,538 titled "Method and
Apparatus For Computer Aided Building Specification Generation" and
filed on Jun. 23, 1997.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to design systems. More
specifically, the invention relates to design systems for the
creation of product design documents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A planning process which involves multiple entities can be
difficult to manage and coordinate, especially if there are one or
more documents being passed between parties during the course of
the process. This is the case with the construction and building
industry. The planning which is required prior to the construction
of a modern building is a labor intensive exercise, segments of
which may be repeated several times during the process. When a
prospective owner desires to build a building, using a
design-builder delivery system, the owner's agents produce a
request for proposal. The request for proposal (RFP) document which
is distributed to potential design-builders includes the
performance requirements for the building and the requirements for
submitting a proposal.
[0004] A design-builder entity then distributes the RFP to a design
team of architects and engineers and a builder team. The design
team is typically responsible for designing the building in
sufficient detail to begin actual construction of the building.
These design details are embodied in construction drawings and
specifications. The details for the building include specific
features, materials, products, systems, schematic diagrams, and so
forth. Using this design specification, the builder team may
produce a financial document estimating the cost of the project and
a construction schedule. At this point, if financial projections
exceed the allocated budget, another iteration of the design may
occur in an attempt to produce a design-builder proposal which is
financially commensurate with the RFP. When the financial document
and the design specification are satisfactory to the design-builder
entity, the documents are combined into a design-builder entity
proposal which is submitted to the prospective owner.
[0005] At this point the agents of the owner compare the
design-builder proposal with the RFP and based upon the findings of
the design teams, a decision is made as how to proceed. The
decision at this point may be not to proceed, to issue another RFP,
to negotiate specific changes in the proposal or to accept the
design-builder proposal. Thus at several stages in the planning,
many segments of the planning may be redone multiple times in an
attempt to meet certain constraints.
[0006] In an attempt to reduce the amount of work required for this
labor intensive process several systems have been developed which
attempt to automate segments of the planning process. For example,
Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs reduce the time required to
create or change the schematic designs, while specification and
estimator programs reduce the time necessary to create or change
the textual portions of the proposal based upon the materials
specified by the designers.
[0007] In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a
substantial need exists for a method and apparatus which solves the
above-discussed problems, more specifically, to more efficiently
allow multiple entities to work together while passing one or more
documents between the entities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One embodiment of the invention includes a method and
apparatus for producing a design document for a product, with the
product having product elements. Data representing the product
elements can be arranged in a hierarchical manner and stored in a
relational database. In producing the design document, a selection
is received for at least one product element. At least one
performance value associated with the selected product element is
received. A text segment associated with each selected product
element is retrieved from the database. Selected text segments are
then used to construct the design document.
[0009] In another embodiment of the invention, a first entity
(e.g., an owner entity) constructs a first overlay for the design
document using a first design-build device. An overlay is a
template for the relational database. The first overlay is sent to
a second design-build device. A second overlay for the design
document is received from the second device. The second overlay
includes the first overlay and any modifications made to the design
document by a second entity (e.g., a design-build entity). A first
and second set of data from the database corresponding to the first
and second overlays, respectively, are retrieved and displayed for
review by the first entity. The first or second entity can then
create a third overlay including the first and second overlays and
any further modifications for the design document, and send the
third overlay to a third design-build device for review by a third
entity (e.g., a materials supplier).
[0010] With these and other advantages and features of the
invention that will become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the
invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the
following detailed description of the invention, the appended
claims and to the several drawings attached herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a design-build system in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a hierarchical model suitable for use
with one embodiment of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block flow diagram of the steps performed by a
design-build system in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates various overlays in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a design system in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a block flow diagram of the steps performed by a
design system in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a design system having multiple
design-build entities in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] One embodiment of the invention comprises a method and
apparatus for producing design documents in accordance with a
particular industry, such as the construction industry, aerospace
industry, automotive industry, computer and telecommunications
industry, and so forth. For illustrative purposes only, this
embodiment of the invention will be described in terms of the
construction industry. The term "construction industry" refers to
the industries whose chief businesses are the design, demolition,
construction, reconstruction, life-cycle management, or renovation
of buildings; the infrastructure serving buildings; and
transportation and utility infrastructures. The structures produced
or designed in the construction industry may be land-based, marine
based, or space-based. Building types referenced under the
definition of "buildings" include: General Buildings (e.g.,
buildings constructed to house commercial, educational, and medical
activities, offices, stores, hotels, and housing of all types);
Manufacturing Facilities (e.g., buildings constructed to house
manufacturing or assembly of automobiles, textiles, electronics,
etc.); Transportation Facilities (e.g., buildings required for the
functioning of transportation systems, such as airports and train
stations); Industrial Processing Facilities (e.g., buildings
constructed to house pulp and paper, steel and other metal
production operations, metal refineries, chemical, pharmaceutical,
and food and other processing plants, etc.); Non-vehicular Space
Facilities (e.g., facilities constructed primarily to house persons
living and working in space, to enable the exploitation of
extraterrestrial resources, and to house extraterrestrial
manufacturing operations, etc.). Infrastructure types referenced
under the definition of infrastructure serving buildings include
electrical power and communication lines, water and waste lines,
gas and other utility lines. Transportation and Utility
Infrastructures include: Ground and Underground Transportation
Infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, railroads, tunnels, over- and
under-passes, etc.); Power Production and Transmission
Infrastructure (e.g., thermal and hydroelectric power plants,
waste-to-energy and co-generation plants, and auxiliary
substations, transformers, transmission lines, etc.); Water Supply
Infrastructure (e.g., dams, reservoirs, pumping stations,
distribution pipelines, irrigation canals, desalination and
potability treatment plants, etc.); Sewerage/Solid Waste Management
Infrastructure (e.g., sanitary and storm sewers, treatment plants,
pumping stations, incinerators, industrial waste facilities, etc.);
Hazardous Waste Treatment/Abatement Facilities (e.g., facilities
for the storage, containment, and/or detoxification of asbestos-
and lead-contaminated waste, chemical and nuclear contaminants,
etc.); Waterways and Marine Infrastructure (e.g., canals, locks,
marine dredging facilities, piers, sea-based oil rigs,
ship-building facilities, etc.); and Mining and Refineries (e.g.,
underground and strip-mining facilities, petrochemical plants,
petroleum refineries, offshore mining or drilling facilities and
auxiliary pipelines. Although this embodiment of the invention is
described with reference to the construction industry, however, it
can be appreciated that the principles and concepts outlined in
terms of the construction industry may be equally applied to other
industries and still fall within the scope of the invention.
[0019] It is worthy to note that any reference in the specification
to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in
various places in the specification are not necessarily all
referring to the same embodiment.
[0020] One embodiment of the invention comprises a system that
enables a first entity (e.g., prospective owner) to produce an RFP
that describes building facility requirements in performance terms
for design-build or other construction projects ("design-build
system"). The design-build system then permits a second entity
(e.g., design-builder) to generate a design-builder proposal based
upon the RFP. In other words, the proposal is generated using the
performance-based description or specification of the proposed
building and its requisite site work. In addition, the system
permits the design-builder entity, the prospective owner, or other
contractor to generate performance specifications for use by a
construction team.
[0021] Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like parts
are designated by like reference numerals throughout, there is
illustrated in FIG. 1 a design-build system in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a design-build
system 100 comprises a processor 102, a memory 104, and a bus
adapter 114, each of which is connected to a processor/memory bus
116 and an Input/Output (I/O) bus 118 via bus adapter 114. Further,
design build system 100 contains a network interface 122, mass
storage device 124, monitor 126, and database 128, each of which is
connected to I/O bus 118 via an I/O controller 120.
[0022] In this embodiment of the invention, design-build system 100
is a microprocessor-based personal computer (PC) system. Memory 104
may be any suitable computer readable memory device such as one or
more dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices. Mass storage
device 124 may be any suitable computer-readable storage means for
storing digital signals such as magnetic storage media (i.e., a
magnetic disk), optical storage media (i.e., a CD-ROM or Digital
Video Disc), and so forth. Further, design-build system 100 may
contain various combinations of machine readable storage devices
through other I/O controllers, which are accessible by processor
102 and which are capable of storing digital signals. Network
interface 122 may be any suitable means for controlling
communication signals between network devices using a desired set
of protocols, services and operating procedures. Those skilled in
the art will understand that the communication signals may be
received over any suitable medium such as twisted-pair wire,
co-axial cable, fiber optics, radio-frequencies, and so forth.
Processor 102 may be any suitable means for performing the
functionality for various embodiments of the invention, and is
preferably a general purpose microprocessor such as the
Pentium.RTM., Pentium Pro, or Pentium II made by Intel Corporation.
Monitor 126 may be any means for displaying analog signals, such as
a variable graphics array (VGA) monitor. I/O controllers 120 may be
any means for controlling the flow of information between I/O bus
118 and various I/O devices such as network interface 122, mass
storage device 124, monitor 126 and database 128. Bus adapter 114
may be any means suitable for transferring data back and forth
between processor/memory bus 116 and I/O bus 118. Design system 100
is non-operating system dependent and in one embodiment functions
with Windows 3.1, 3.11, Windows 95, or Windows NT.
[0023] Memory 104 stores computer program segments that a processor
(e.g., processor 102) executes to perform the functionality for
this embodiment of the invention. These computer program segments
are separated into two modules, that is, a design module 106 and a
relational database management (RDM) module 108. It can be
appreciated, however, that the functions performed by these modules
can be further separated into more modules, combined together to
form one module, or be distributed throughout the system, and still
fall within the scope of the invention. Further, although this
embodiment of the invention implements the functionality of these
modules in software, it can be appreciated that the functionality
of these modules may be implemented in hardware, software, or a
combination of hardware and software, using well-known signal
processing techniques. The operation of these modules will be
described in further detail later with reference to FIG. 3.
[0024] In this embodiment of the invention, database 128 is a
relational database storing data in hierarchical form. The data is
extracted from database 128 by relational database management
module 108. Design module 106 is used to organize data from the
database into various design documents and overlays consistent with
one or more performance terms.
[0025] Database 128 is a relational database storing information in
a hierarchical format. Individual "cells" of information are stored
in the database, with each cell being connected to other related
cells (e.g., peer cells, child cells and parent cells) by a link or
pointer. The information within a cell and its links varies
according to a particular product or system that is being designed.
The product is broken down into separate components, with the
components being broken down into separate elements, and so forth
in a hierarchical manner to whatever level of granularity is
desired. Each discrete part of the product is uniquely identified,
and is referred to herein as a "product element." Each product
element is stored in an individual cell used by database 128. An
example will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a hierarchical model suitable for use
with one embodiment of the invention. One example of a product that
may be broken down into its product elements and organized into a
hierarchical structure is a building. A building can be defined
according to major construction assemblies which are arranged as a
hierarchical relational list of building assembly descriptions of
increasing specificity. At the highest level of the list is a
facility description in substantially the broadest performance
terms possible. Thus at the top of the hierarchy (Level One) is an
element by element list of the major assemblies of all buildings,
such as shell, services, interiors, and equipment and furnishings.
The next level (Level Two), in one embodiment, describes systems
within an assembly, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus the building shell
element is described in terms of exterior enclosure and
superstructure elements. Level Three of specificity describes
different sub-systems of each system, for example, exterior walls,
and exterior windows and other openings. Below this level (Level
Four), the data include specific components such as windows, fixed
glazing and ventilation openings. Finally, at the lowest level in
this embodiment (Level Five), building elements such as operable
windows, entrances and storefronts, and louvers, are included. In
each case, the elements are described in terms of their
performance.
[0027] In this embodiment of the invention, a building is
decomposed into various product elements in a manner similar to an
industry standard format promulgated by the Construction
Specifications Institute (CSI) and Constructions Specifications
Canada (CSC) and referred to as the CSI/CSC 1997 Draft UniFormat
("UniFormat"). It is worthy to note that although UniFormat was
used to define product elements in this embodiment of the
invention, any hierarchical definition of product elements can be
used and still fall within the scope of the invention, such as the
CSI/CSC 1998 version of UniFormat.
[0028] Each cell can contain many types of information or
attributes to characterize a product element, such as a performance
value, text segment, identifier, and so on. A performance value may
be a qualitative or quantitative parameter. Examples of qualitative
parameters might be that the building must conform to certain
architectural requirements for a particular area, have a
non-combustible outer shell, or that each product element must be
aesthetically consistent with a brick facade. Examples of
quantitative parameters might be an overall seismic resistance of
the building, a value for thermal resistance for an exterior wall,
a value for glass transmittance, and so forth. A text segment is
defined as one or more words, phrases, or sentences which can be
combined together to produce a particular document. In this
embodiment of the invention, the text segments describe a
building's technical requirements and, along with the performance
values, are used to produce performance-based specifications for
the building's systems and elements.
[0029] The organization of product elements in a hierarchical
manner serves at least two purposes. First, it creates a standard
format and terminology that can be used to enhance communications
between multiple entities. Second, it permits an entity to define a
product in performance terms, thereby permitting multiple entities
to build upon each other's work in a consistent and uniform manner.
Both purposes will become more apparent during the description of
the operation of design-build system 100, which occurs in the
following sections.
[0030] FIG. 3 is a block flow diagram of the steps performed by a
design-build system in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. Design-build system 100 is capable of producing a design
document for a product, with the product having product elements
arranged in a hierarchical manner. System 100 receives a selection
for at least one product element at step 302. System 100 also
receives at least one performance value associated with the
selected product element at step 304. System 100 then retrieves a
text segment associated with each selected product element at step
306. A user selects which of the retrieved text segments are to be
incorporated into the document at step 308. System 100 constructs
the document using the selected text segments at step 310.
[0031] Referring again to the building industry, design-build
system 100 permits a prospective owner to utilize the least
detailed level of performance requirements compatible with the
owner's needs. Thus for an advantageous design-build project,
performance requirements of the RFP are described at the highest
level. A prospective owner needing a greater degree of control over
the finished product might describe needs at a higher level of
specificity. Such an arrangement of the database enables the
design-builder to improve upon the work of the owner and describe
the proposed design solution in greater detail than the owner used
to describe the requirements, still in performance terms, by
drawing upon data from an appropriate level of the database. If the
prospective owner's requirements statement is produced at the most
detailed level available in the database, the design-builder may
then produce a proposal in prescriptive terms.
[0032] Design-build system 100 permits different levels of
specificity to be used to describe different parts of the building
project. For example, a prospective owner may stipulate very
general performance requirements for an element, for example a
substructure, in combination with very detailed requirements for
some other building components, for example particular interior
finishes.
[0033] A user of the system produces a product description by
choosing from the product elements offered from the database, and
occasionally by adding to them. By selecting the desired elements,
paragraphs of text describing the elements are accessed from the
database. This text may then be edited as desired. Relational links
between the elements, and hence among paragraphs of text are
arranged to discourage incompatible choices or automatically
include collateral requirements once basic decisions are made.
Selectable system parameters allow the user to make global choices
among printed-page formats and other features, such as units of
measure and have those choices propagated through the document.
Associated with each option are help screens to accompany
complicated text to be selected. In addition, the system is
configured to permit evaluation of a proposal's solutions by
performing an automatic comparison of the requirements at the
present level with the requirements at a higher level.
[0034] In operation, to prepare a project document, the user first
selects a project or starts a new project. From the project window,
a table of contents is displayed and is organized by "volumes,"
which correspond to the assemblies of the product, general
information about the project, and contractual information. The
user can thus determine at a glance what assemblies have been
included in the project. From this window, the user selects
additional chapters to be included in the project. By selecting,
for example by using a mouse, a chapter number or title, the data
set level corresponding to the selected chapter is opened.
[0035] Text from the database is retrieved and can be scrolled and
viewed like any document. However, in one embodiment, the text is
not displayed like a document in a normal word processing
environment. In this embodiment, each paragraph is in a text cell,
similar to a spreadsheet, except that the text cell occupies most
of the screen width. In this embodiment, and referring to the
figures, the text hierarchy for each paragraph occupies a cell at
the left edge of the screen. The current status of each paragraph
is displayed, indicating whether it will be printed in the final
document or not. Text that the user has selected is marked with an
X. In addition, color coding of the text indicates how the text in
the cell relates to other text in the document. In one embodiment,
text that has been selected by the system is marked with a green
box; text that is suggested as relevant by the system is marked
with a yellow box; text that has been excluded by the system is
marked with a red box; text that the user has excluded has half the
status box blacked out.
[0036] Unlike documents from a typical word processing environment,
chapters and projects in the present system feature "intelligent
text." In order to create an edited document, the user selects text
from the database and as the user makes text selections, the
program automatically makes other changes to the chapter and to
other chapters in the project as would occur in a spreadsheet
rather than a word-processing environment. Only valid active text,
selected by the user or included automatically by the program, will
be assembled into the final output. To be active, selected text
must have an unbroken line of parentage originating with the
chapter title. This means that any "orphaned" text, text whose
pointers can not be retraced to the origin, will not be part of the
final printed document.
[0037] From a main File menu, the user opens a Summary Information
dialogue box. Here the user is able to make a number of global
decisions that will affect how the document is formatted. The user
is able to establish the units of measure to be used, the terms to
be used for key entities, and other variables. The data in the
database includes certain associated information in order for these
global variables to function as desired. For example:
1 VARIABLE EXAMPLE Document function RFP, Proposal or Instructions
Unit of measure English or metric Owner term "owner" or
"government" Design-builder term name of the design builder Design
professional term name of Contractor term name of contractor
Project location (State) state Edition date (of standard)
.vertline.date.vertline.
[0038] The switch "Document Function" permits the user to be able
to define the function of the document once, changing all relevant
language to reflect that function. In one embodiment, the values
for the three functions are: Request for Proposal, Design-builder's
Proposal, or Instructions for Construction. By selecting one of
these values, the relevant language will be inserted globally into
the text of the RFP or the proposal by the software.
[0039] The switch in the project summary dialogue box will set the
appropriate option by selecting option 1, 2, or 3, designating
whether the document is to serve as an RFP or a proposal or
instructions for construction. Samples of alternative language are
as follows:
[0040] For an RFP: "Design and select materials to provide"
[0041] For a proposal: "Construction will provide"
[0042] If instructions for sub-contractor: "Provide"
[0043] User options and global settings have been coded in the
sample text the same way they would need to be coded for conversion
by the content provider. Below are additional coding conventions
that are used within the sample:
[0044] Owner's Criteria Documents: Comply with applicable
requirements of the following:
[0045] 1. BOCA National--and <<Building Code>>
<<Fire Prevention Code>> <<Energy Conservation
Code>> <<>>--.
[0046] 2. ICBO Uniform--and <<Building Code>>
<<Fire Code>> <<>>--
[0047] 3. SBCCI Standard--and <<Building Code>>
<<Fire Prevention Code>> <<Existing Building
Code>> <<--.
[0048] 4. CABO Model Energy Code.
[0049] 5. .
[0050] 6. .
[0051] Within the database, a given paragraph (source paragraph)
may be relationally linked to any number of other paragraphs
(target paragraphs) both within the chapter and in other chapters.
Only one link may exist from any source paragraph to a given target
paragraph, but any paragraph may be the target of any number of
links from multiple source paragraphs. Also, the links act in one
direction only and do not result in reciprocal linkage. For
example, a paragraph that automatically selects another paragraph
will not be selected automatically if the target selection is
chosen first; a separate link acting in the opposite direction
would be necessary. In addition, the target paragraph may act on
the first paragraph in a different way altogether, or not at
all.
[0052] The presence of the type of link determines whether text is
selectively excluded or flagged as pertinent. Because a given
target paragraph may be acted upon by several links of different
types (from a number of source paragraphs), the text status and
related display modes are governed by a hierarchy of consequences
resulting from a selection. Specifically:
[0053] a. Any text may be selected manually at any time, which
overrides any links.
[0054] b. Any text may be excluded manually at any time, which also
overrides any links.
[0055] c. If not selected or excluded manually but acted upon by
one or more links of the same type, the status will correspond to
that associated with the link type: (Yes, No, or flagged as
pertinent).
[0056] d. If not selected or excluded manually but acted upon by
more than one type of link, text status will be determined by the
following hierarchy, from most to least controlling: (No, Yes,
flagged as pertinent).
[0057] e. If not selected, excluded, or acted upon by any links,
the text will be available for selection by the user.
[0058] Thus, a single "No" link will override any number of "Yes"
or flagged links and a single "Yes" link will override any number
of flagged links. Also, because status of a particular paragraph is
dependent upon the net effect of all currently active links,
removal of a particular link by deselection of the source text may
result in a change in the status of the target paragraph. The
software calculates the current status of each paragraph after each
change in status of any paragraph and displays the active
paragraphs on a white background for ease of identification.
[0059] The data format (in one embodiment CSI's UniFormat as
adapted) accommodates virtually any type of building. In one
embodiment, the content for a North American commercial project in
a temperate or tropical climate, includes the International
Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), Building Officials and
Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), or Southern
Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI) model building
codes either as regulatory requirements or incorporated by
reference into the requirements. This code assumption provides a
body of basic performance requirements which does not need to be
repeated in the database. In other embodiments Canadian and major
State codes are included.
[0060] The first display screen of the database is arranged as a
series of "tabs" denoting major document volumes. The volumes start
with 0 for Project information; tab A through G for the major
building and site elements; tab X, referred to as volume X, which
includes product information organized into 16 divisions, and a
final tab Z, which includes contract information. In one embodiment
the Master Format of the Construction Specification Institute is
used to organize the contents of volume X. The hierarchical levels
are referred to as assemblies (Level 1), systems (Level 2),
subsystems (Level 3), and components (Level 4). Within each volume
are chapters that may be used as separate documents. That is,
chapter 0 contains the overall project description and the most
fundamental performance requirements. Volumes A-G and 0 correspond
to Level 1.
[0061] The first chapter in each volume contains the requirements
that need to be defined at the assembly level. A requirement is
defined at the volume or assembly level if the requirement can be
stated as "All_[a] must be [b]_" or "No_[a]--may be _[b]_" where
[a] is the name of the volume and [b] is the requirement. For
example, if the entire shell of the building must be
non-combustible, that would be stated at the assembly level in [b],
assuming that a reference to the building code in volume 0 did not
accomplish the same purpose.
[0062] If the requirement is such that not all of [a] is governed
by the same requirement, but [a] can be divided into sections of
the same type for which [b] is always the same, the requirement is
still stated at the assembly level. For example, if one building in
the project must have a completely non-combustible shell, but
another need not have, such a requirement is stated at the assembly
level. However, if as is more likely, the parts of [a] that are
different are actually the systems within the assembly, the
requirement should be stated at the system level. For example, the
superstructure may need to be non-combustible but the exterior
enclosure may not need to be. In that case, the requirement for
each system would be stated at the system level under the system
title. The initial chapter in each volume is titled the same as the
volume and is organized into performance; products (acceptable and
unacceptable); and methods of construction (acceptable and
unacceptable).
[0063] For each sub-system (Level 3) heading there is a location in
which subsystem and component level requirements are stated. The
same principles apply as described for assembly and system level
requirements. Thus each subsystem chapter is titled with the
subsystem name and is organized in a similar manner: performance;
products, and methods of construction. The system organizes
segments of text by viewing levels and allow the user to view a
level of detail.
[0064] In the system one or more statements of requirements is
necessary for each element of the building and site. The
requirements include the owner's definition of the building and the
substantiation is whatever the owner wishes to receive showing that
the proposal meets the requirements. An appropriate statement of
acceptable substantiation is necessary for each requirement.
Depending on the element, the requirements may be stated in
performance terms or prescriptive terms or a combination of both.
The substantiation can range from nothing at all to very detailed
documentation, and submission of it may be specific to occur at the
proposal stage, the design stage, or the construction stage. In
addition, the user of the system is able to omit all substantiation
statements and still be able to produce a contract document that
can be enforced at the construction stage.
[0065] For many intangible requirements, it is not only difficult
to determine what is an adequate performance requirement but
identifying a practical method of substantiation may be almost
impossible. In such a case, prescriptive requirements are stated
giving a range of options from which the design-builder can choose
or listing options that are not acceptable. Some examples of such
substantiation include but are not limited to: (1) a statement by
the design-builder that the design will comply with the
requirements (which is usually incorporated into the terms of the
proposal); (2) a statement that acceptance by the owner of
alternative proposed products is indicated by incorporating the
proposal into the contract documents; (3) a submittal of
manufacturer's product literature or samples; (4) a submittal of
certifications based on factory testing; and (5) a submittal of a
manufacturer warranty.
[0066] FIG. 4 illustrates various overlays in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention. Database 128 stores information in a
hierarchical relational manner. Once a user has utilized system 100
to produce a new design document, that is, has selected the product
elements and performance values to his or her desired level of
granularity, reference information for the new document is stored
in an electronic project file ("overlay"). By storing reference
information for the new design document, rather then the actual
design or product data, the size of the electronic file is reduced.
This means that the amount of bandwidth required to transfer the
new document is reduced. In this embodiment of the invention, the
reference information for each overlay includes a series of codes
and pointers that RDM module 108 can use to extract actual data for
the design document from database 128. In other words, an overlay
operates as a template for an underlying database.
[0067] Thus, each overlay can be sent in electronic form between
entities involved in the design process, such as the owner entity,
design-build entity and materials supplier entity. As long as each
entity utilizes design system 100, each entity can access the
appropriate data set from database 128 using the overlay. This
minimizes the amount of data necessary for transmission between
entity devices, while maintaining the capability of multiple
entities to contribute to the design process by modifying the
overlay appropriately.
[0068] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a design system in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a design
system 500 comprising a first design-build system 502, a second
design-build system 506, and a network 504 connecting systems 502
and 506. Design-build systems 502 and 506 are similar to
design-build system 100. Network 504 can be any network suitable
for transferring data, such as a packet-switched network operating
in accordance with a transport control protocol/internet protocol
(TCP/IP).
[0069] Systems 502 and 506 pass a project overlay between them,
with a first overlay 508 representing the owner's performance
requirements for a building (e.g., RFP), a second overlay 510
representing the design-build entity's detailed specification
designed using first overlay 508, and a third overlay 512
representing instructions to the materials supplier. The operation
of design system 500 will be further described with reference to
FIG. 6.
[0070] FIG. 6 is a block flow diagram of the steps performed by a
design system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, an owner entity constructs first overlay 508
for a performance database using system 502 at step 600. First
overlay 508 is sent to system 506 via network 504 at step 602.
System 502 receives second overlay 510, which in this embodiment of
the invention has been constructed by the design-build entity using
system 506. System 502 retrieves the underlying data in accordance
with the first and second overlays at step 606, and displays (e.g.,
using monitor 126) each data set for review by the owner entity at
step 608.
[0071] At step 600, system 502 constructs first overlay 600 by
first receiving a selection for at least one first product element.
The first product element could be a substructure, foundation,
basement, and so forth. A performance value is received for the
first product element. The performance value may be a qualitative
or quantitative parameter as described previously. For example, the
performance value may be that the foundation must be able to
support the building without settling for 50 years. A
representation for the first product element, or alternatively the
product element data itself, and the associated performance values
are then stored in electronic form.
[0072] Second overlay 510 is constructed as follows. System 506
receives first overlay 508 from network 504. System 506 uses first
overlay 508 to extract data from database 128, including any
product elements and their associated performance values. Using the
product elements, a design-build entity can use system 506 to build
upon the work accomplished by the owner entity which is represented
by the first overlay, by retrieving one or more second product
elements that comprise a portion of the first product element
(e.g., are linked to the first product element) and which are
consistent with the associated performance values. For example, if
the first product element was a foundation capable of supporting a
certain weight, a design-build entity could use system 506 to
select from among different types of foundations, such as standard
foundations, other foundations, or slabs on grade, that are capable
of sustaining the requisite weight. In addition, the global switch
may be used to convert the text fragments associated with the first
product elements to convert the text to language appropriate for
the design-build specification. A second representative for the
selected second product elements, or the second product elements
data, is then stored in electronic form along with the first
overlay and performance values.
[0073] In addition to displaying the data sets for the first and
second overlay, this embodiment of the invention also compares the
data sets to ensure each of the first product elements and
performance values include a corresponding second product element.
That is, if a certain performance requirement has not been given
any treatment by the design-build entity, e.g., no second product
elements were selected to more specifically define the first
product elements, then system 502 will indicate the lack of
treatment for the owner-entity to factor into his or her evaluation
of the second overlay data set.
[0074] Once the owner-entity accepts the design-build specification
represented by the second overlay, which may take several
iterations of transferring the first and second overlays between
systems 502 and 506, a third overlay is constructed for the
materials supplier entity. The global switch is used to convert the
language from language appropriate for the design-build entity to
language appropriate to the materials supplier entity. The
converted information is stored in electronic form, and sent to the
materials supplier entity or materials supplier entity system. In
the latter case, the materials supplier entity system could
retrieve a third set of data from database 128 corresponding to the
third overlay, and display the third set of data for use by the
materials supplier entity.
[0075] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a design system having multiple
design-build entities in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. As shown in FIG. 7, a first design-build system 702 is
in communication with a second design-build system 706, a third
design-build system 708 and a fourth design-build system 710, via
network 704. The owner entity using system 702 constructs a first
overlay 714 and sends it to systems 706, 708 and 710. Systems 706,
708 and 710 each send back second overlays 712, 716 and 720,
respectively. Data sets corresponding to second overlays 712, 716
and 720 are retrieved by system 702, compared to ensure at least
one second product element corresponds with each first product
element of first overlay 718, and displayed. Each data set for the
first overlay is compared to the second overlay to determine
whether any of the second overlays did not include the selection of
a second product element to further define a first product element
represented in the first overlay. Further, the first data set and
second data sets are arranged such that each performance
requirement set forth in the RFP is aligned with its corresponding
response in each design-build specification, thereby allowing the
owner entity to conveniently compare the multiple responses.
[0076] Although various embodiments are specifically illustrated
and described herein, it will be appreciated that modifications and
variations of the present invention are covered by the above
teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without
departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention. For
example, although information is passed between design-build
systems using a network 104, it can be appreciated that information
could also be passed between systems in more conventional methods
using optical or magnetic storage media, and still fall within the
scope of the invention. Further, although the design elements used
in describing various embodiments of the invention were in terms of
performance requirements used in the design and construction of a
building, it can be appreciated that the product elements can
describe any product for any industry and still remain within the
scope of the invention.
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