U.S. patent application number 16/923187 was filed with the patent office on 2021-01-14 for system and method for public housing evaluation.
The applicant listed for this patent is Morgan State University. Invention is credited to Jacqueline M. Holland.
Application Number | 20210012446 16/923187 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004975987 |
Filed Date | 2021-01-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20210012446 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Holland; Jacqueline M. |
January 14, 2021 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PUBLIC HOUSING EVALUATION
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a system and method for public housing
evaluation including a computer-implemented public housing
evaluation unit that receives survey data from a remotely connected
survey device. The survey data comprises information about the
physical environment of one or more public housing residents that
is used to create a digital public housing environment profile for
each survey participant. A plurality of digital public housing
environment profiles may be statistically analyzed to create a
public housing index identifying interrelationships among physical
environment and demographic data in the digital public housing
environment profiles. Public housing authority computers may access
and view the public housing index to determine whether actions may
be taken that may improve a public housing resident's physical
environment and/or likelihood that they may successfully transition
out of public housing.
Inventors: |
Holland; Jacqueline M.;
(Mount Rainier, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Morgan State University |
Baltimore |
MD |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004975987 |
Appl. No.: |
16/923187 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62871342 |
Jul 8, 2019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0204 20130101;
G06Q 50/22 20130101; G06Q 50/163 20130101; G06F 2216/03 20130101;
G16H 50/70 20180101; G06F 16/2465 20190101; G06Q 30/0203 20130101;
G06Q 50/26 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 50/22 20060101
G06Q050/22; G06Q 50/26 20060101 G06Q050/26; G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02; G16H 50/70 20060101 G16H050/70; G06F 16/2458 20060101
G06F016/2458 |
Claims
1. A computer method for evaluating public housing, comprising the
steps of: providing a public housing evaluation unit having a
processor and a memory; providing a survey device in data
communication with said public housing unit; receiving at said
public housing evaluation unit from said survey device a digital
public housing environment profile associated with a human survey
participant; analyzing at said processor of said public housing
evaluation unit said digital public housing environment profile in
combination with at least one stored digital public housing
environment profile to identify one or more interrelationships
among physical environment and demographic data in said digital
public housing profiles; and storing in said memory a public
housing index including a graphical or tabular depiction of said
interrelationships among said physical environment and demographic
data in said digital public housing profiles.
2. The computer method of claim 1, wherein said digital public
housing environment profile further comprises data indicative of a
survey participant's observation of one or more of (i) crime
impacting a particular public housing facility, (ii) overall health
of residents of a particular public housing facility or individual
unit, (iii) physical environment of the particular public housing
facility or individual unit, (iv) aging of building infrastructure
for the particular public housing facility or individual unit, (v)
cleanliness of the particular public housing facility or individual
unit, (vi) intergenerational relationships among residents, (vii)
education levels of residents, and (viii) employment status of
residents.
3. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at
said processor a query from a public housing authority computer for
viewing access to said public housing index.
4. The computer method of claim 3, further comprising in response
to receiving said query from said public housing authority
computer, transmitting at least a portion of said public housing
index for display on said public housing authority computer.
5. The computer method of claim 4, further comprising the step of
receiving a query from said public housing authority computer of an
individual digital public housing environment profile from said
public housing index.
6. The computer method of claim 5, further comprising in response
to receiving said query from said public housing authority computer
of an individual digital public housing environment profile,
transmitting said individual digital public housing environment
profile for display on said public housing authority computer.
7. A computer system for evaluating public housing, comprising: a
public housing evaluation unit having a processor and a memory; and
a survey device in data communication with said public housing
evaluation unit; wherein said processor of said public housing
evaluation unit includes computer instructions configured to:
receive at said public housing evaluation unit from said survey
device a digital public housing environment profile associated with
a human survey participant; analyze at said processor of said
public housing evaluation unit said digital public housing
environment profile in combination with at least one stored digital
public housing environment profile to identify one or more
interrelationships among physical environment and demographic data
in said digital public housing profiles; and store in said memory a
public housing index including a graphical or tabular depiction of
said interrelationships among said physical environment and
demographic data in said digital public housing profiles.
8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said digital public
housing environment profile further comprises data indicative of a
survey participant's observation of one or more of (i) crime
impacting a particular public housing facility, (ii) overall health
of residents of a particular public housing facility or individual
unit, (iii) physical environment of the particular public housing
facility or individual unit, (iv) aging of building infrastructure
for the particular public housing facility or individual unit, (v)
cleanliness of the particular public housing facility or individual
unit, (vi) intergenerational relationships among residents, (vii)
education levels of residents, and (viii) employment status of
residents.
9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said computer
instructions are further configured to receive at said processor a
query from a public housing authority computer for viewing access
to said public housing index.
10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said computer
instructions are further configured to in response to receiving
said query from said public housing authority computer, transmit at
least a portion of said public housing index for display on said
public housing authority computer.
11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said computer
instructions are further configured to receive a query from said
public housing authority computer of an individual digital public
housing environment profile from said public housing index.
12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said computer
instructions are further configured to in response to receiving
said query from said public housing authority computer of an
individual digital public housing environment profile, transmit
said individual digital public housing environment profile for
display on said public housing authority computer.
13. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said processor and
memory are implemented in a cloud computing environment, and
wherein said survey device is in data communication with said
public housing evaluation unit through said cloud computing
environment.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/871,342 titled "Framework for
Public Housing Index," filed with the United States Patent &
Trademark Office on Jul. 8, 2019, the specification of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention is directed to systems and methods for
evaluating public housing, and more particularly to
computer-implemented systems and methods for creating an adaptive
and dynamic public housing index based on public housing residents'
and administrators' perceptions of their public housing
environment, which index may be accessed by housing authorities to
assess the public housing environment and provide insight into the
future possibility of individuals being able to live outside of
public housing, or improve the current state and quality of life
inside of public housing complexes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development ("HUD") approximates that there are about 30 million
households in the United States that possess indoor environmental
hazards, including by way of non-limiting example lead-based paint,
mold, water leaks, and pests, among others. These conditions create
housing that is substandard and negatively impacts the health of
the residents. In an effort to meet such challenges, HUD's Healthy
Homes program concentrates on eliminating dangerous and toxic items
from the public housing environment, such as pests, contaminants,
allergens, and hazards, all of which can cause injury that can
result in challenges to well-being. The model of Healthy Homes is a
way to address concerns regarding the relationship between the
house and its interior environment. Addressing this issue is
imperative to ensuring good health among public housing residents,
as health challenges are often associated with a person's home
interior and exterior surroundings.
[0004] Of course, ensuring safe environments for approximately 30
million households in the United States is quite a challenge, even
for an agency of the federal government. Limited tools are
available to readily assess public housing environments, much less
to analyze those environments to determine how different
environmental factors might impact one another and possibly
synergistically affect, whether possibly or negatively, the health
of public housing residents, and to enable public housing
authorities to access such data so that interventions may be
planned to improve those environmental factors, and to likewise
plan for a resident's ultimate move out of public housing.
[0005] Thus, there remains a need in the art for systems and
methods capable of collecting critical data reflecting public
housing residents' environment, evaluating that data to determine
interrelationships among environmental factors, and allowing access
to housing authorities for purposes of interventional planning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Disclosed herein is a system and method for public housing
evaluation that avoids one or more disadvantages of the prior art.
A system as described herein includes a computer-implemented public
housing evaluation unit that receives survey data from a remotely
connected survey device. The survey data comprises information
about the physical environment of one or more public housing
residents to create a digital public housing environment profile
for each survey participant, which may include data such as the
survey participant's individual observations of crime impacting a
particular public housing facility, overall health of residents of
a particular public housing facility and/or individual unit,
physical environment of the particular public housing facility
and/or individual unit, aging of building infrastructure for the
particular public housing facility and/or individual unit,
cleanliness of the particular public housing facility and/or
individual unit, intergenerational relationships among residents,
education levels of residents, and employment status of residents,
although other factors may likewise be included without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0007] More particularly, each of those foregoing high-level
categories of public housing environment survey data may themselves
comprise a variety of more detailed questions that elicit more
specific data describing the public housing environment, including
by way of non-limiting example data that describes interior
structure, water supply, plumbing condition, heating condition, air
conditioning availability and condition, condition of outside
areas, existence and condition of laundry accommodations, existence
and condition of storage accommodations, existence and condition of
appliances, ventilation condition, electrical condition, general
property safety, public transportation accessibility, timeliness of
the handling of complaints by public housing residents, timeliness
of handling concerns of public housing residents, and an individual
public housing resident's sense of community with other
residents.
[0008] In addition to the collection of such public housing
environment data, particularly in the case where the survey
participant is an individual public housing resident, the survey
information may include individual resident profile information,
including by way of non-limiting example employment status, income,
education level, gender, age, and zip code, practice setting in
which the survey is administered (e.g., secondary education
facility, post-secondary education facility, governmental
administrative office, community center, business facility, etc.),
how long the individual public housing resident has lived at the
particular public housing facility, and the number of people in the
residence. Such survey information may also be supplemented with
publicly available public housing information.
[0009] All of the foregoing data may then be compiled in a digital
public housing environment profile for each survey participant. A
housing factor interrelationship analysis engine may then analyze
the collection of such digital public housing environment profiles
over time in order to statistically determine relationships among
the varied public housing environment data and compile them in a
public housing index to aid public housing administrators in
determining interventions that might improve the living situation
for residents of public housing, and that may enable such public
housing administrators to determine whether individual public
housing residents are able to transition out of public housing.
[0010] The housing factor interrelationship analysis engine may
modify and recalibrate the public housing index based on the
continuous collection of survey results and the continuous
application of various analytical methods to identify
interrelationships among the environmental factors that impact the
lives of public housing residents.
[0011] In accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of the
invention, a computer implemented method is disclosed for
evaluating public housing, comprising the steps of: providing a
public housing evaluation unit having a processor and a memory;
providing a survey device in data communication with the public
housing unit; receiving at the public housing evaluation unit from
the survey device a digital public housing environment profile
associated with a human survey participant; analyzing at the
processor of the public housing evaluation unit the digital public
housing environment profile in combination with at least one stored
digital public housing environment profile to identify one or more
interrelationships among physical environment and demographic data
in the digital public housing profiles; and storing in the memory a
public housing index including a graphical or tabular depiction of
the interrelationships among the physical environment and
demographic data in the digital public housing profiles.
[0012] In accordance with further aspects of an embodiment of the
invention, a computer system is disclosed for evaluating public
housing, comprising: a public housing evaluation unit having a
processor and a memory; and a survey device in data communication
with the public housing evaluation unit; wherein the processor of
the public housing evaluation unit includes computer instructions
configured to receive at the public housing evaluation unit from
the survey device a digital public housing environment profile
associated with a human survey participant, analyze at the
processor of the public housing evaluation unit the digital public
housing environment profile in combination with at least one stored
digital public housing environment profile to identify one or more
interrelationships among physical environment and demographic data
in the digital public housing profiles; and store in the memory a
public housing index including a graphical or tabular depiction of
the interrelationships among the physical environment and
demographic data in the digital public housing profiles.
[0013] Still other aspects, features and advantages of the
invention are readily apparent from the following detailed
description, simply by illustrating a number of particular
embodiments and implementations, including the best mode
contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also
capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details
can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the
drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in
nature, and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The numerous advantages of the present invention may be
better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system for public housing
evaluation in accordance with certain aspects of an embodiment of
the invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for public
housing evaluation in accordance with further aspects of an
embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a computing device for use
with the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The invention summarized above may be better understood by
referring to the following description, claims, and accompanying
drawings. This description of an embodiment, set out below to
enable one to practice an implementation of the invention, is not
intended to limit the preferred embodiment, but to serve as a
particular example thereof. Those skilled in the art should
appreciate that they may readily use the conception and specific
embodiments disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other
methods and systems for carrying out the same purposes of the
present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize
that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the spirit and
scope of the invention in its broadest form.
[0019] Descriptions of well-known functions and structures are
omitted to enhance clarity and conciseness. The terminology used
herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only
and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As
used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to
include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc.
does not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denotes the
presence of at least one of the referenced items.
[0020] The use of the terms "first", "second", and the like does
not imply any particular order, but they are included to identify
individual elements. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second,
etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the terms
first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from
another. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises"
and/or "comprising", or "includes" and/or "including" when used in
this specification, specify the presence of stated features,
regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components,
but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements,
components, and/or groups thereof.
[0021] Although some features may be described with respect to
individual exemplary embodiments, aspects need not be limited
thereto such that features from one or more exemplary embodiments
may be combinable with other features from one or more exemplary
embodiments.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary schematic representation of a
system for evaluating public housing (shown generally at 100)
including a public housing evaluation unit 110, one or more
computer implemented remote survey devices 150 in remote data
communication with public housing evaluation unit 110, and one or
more public housing administrator computers 180 in data
communication with public housing evaluation unit 110. Public
housing evaluation unit 110 is preferably a hosted system that may,
by way of non-limiting example, be hosted in a cloud processing
environment accessible via a wide area data network such as the
Internet.
[0023] Survey device 150 is preferably a remote computing device,
such as a tablet, a laptop computer, a smartphone, or similarly
configured readily portable computing device, configured for remote
communication with public housing evaluation unit 110. Survey
device 150 is used to record responses from one or more individuals
that have knowledge of the physical public housing environment and
may include by way of non-limiting example public housing
residents, individuals at offices of public housing agencies,
academic members, and policy makers. Public housing evaluation unit
110 preferably hosts a user interface 112 for survey data
collection, which preferably receives a login request from survey
device 150 and authenticates the user (e.g., through password entry
or other such authentication methods as may be chosen by those
skilled in the art) to public housing evaluation unit 110. Public
housing evaluation unit 110 may receive a request from survey
device 150 for a survey from survey database 114 and may transmit a
digital survey to survey device 150 for administering to the survey
participant. The digital survey includes survey questions as
described above that solicit the survey participant's observations
of the physical public housing environment and may optionally
additionally include the above-described demographic data relating
to that individual survey participant (particularly where the
survey participant is an individual public housing resident). Of
course, other environmental and demographic data beyond that
described above may be included in the digital survey as may be
preferable for a given population, which may be readily determined
by persons skilled in the art.
[0024] The data collected by the digital survey may form a digital
public housing environment profile that may be transmitted from
survey device 150 to public housing evaluation unit 110 through
user interface 112, and public housing evaluation unit 110 may
generate and store in data memory an individual digital public
housing environment profile for the survey participant. Optionally,
public housing evaluation unit 110 may supplement the survey
participant's individual digital public housing environment profile
with existing public data 115 that may be geospatial in nature
(e.g., publicly available community demographic data), which may be
helpful to further determine interrelationships among various
environmental and demographic factors that may affect the health of
the public housing environment.
[0025] Using statistical analytical methods as may be selected and
customized by those skilled in the art, a housing factor
interrelationship analysis engine 118 may analyze the digital
public housing environment profiles of multiple survey participants
and may generate a public housing index 156. Weights that are
assigned among real and perceived environmental factors and their
subcategories, and among profile data and its associated
subcategories, may readily be adjusted by those skilled in the art,
and may thus be adapted to more conclusively establish the
interrelationships between factors in the public housing index 156.
Moreover, data comprising the public housing index 156 may be
analyzed using a combination of statistical tests as are known by
and may be readily selected and configured by those skilled in the
art, to single out the greatest potential of interrelationships
that would suggest some intervention to improve the public housing
resident's physical environment and/or their ability to transition
out of public housing. In certain configurations, the data
collected in public housing index 156 may be expressed as a
cumulative figure for one or a particular group of digital public
housing environment profiles, and may likewise be sorted with
respect to each factor embodied in the digital public housing
environment profile, by geographical area, by time, or through a
combination of factor, geography, and time.
[0026] Public housing index 156 may further be displayed in tabular
form or graphically, such as in a "heat map" or the like, and in a
Geographical Information System (GIS), or in such other visual
presentation as may be preferred by those skilled in the art. For
example, mapping features including heat maps may indicate areas of
greatest concern, wherein red may represent a most critical factor
that might suggest immediate intervention by a public housing
authority to address a negative environmental factor, yellow may
represent a less critical factor but one for which continued, close
monitoring may be warranted, and green may represent less cause for
concern.
[0027] The public housing index 156 configured as described herein
may be used to allow public housing administrative personnel to
determine how to address issues associated with improving the state
of public housing, or to enable individuals living in public
housing to transition out of public housing and to live more
independently. Preferably, public housing evaluation unit 110
includes a user interface for public housing authorities 120,
enabling public housing authority computers 180 to access public
housing evaluation unit 110, and more particularly public housing
index 156, to identify such interrelationships and to decide upon
and implement measures to improve the physical environment of
public housing residents. Preferably, user interface for public
housing authorities 120 also enables such administrative public
housing authorities to access individual digital public housing
environment profiles to, in turn, allow direct intervention to be
offered to specific public housing residents that the public
housing authorities believe will improve the physical environment
for such individual public housing resident, and/or allow direct
intervention that will more quickly allow such public housing
resident to transition out of public housing.
[0028] Next, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a computer-implemented
process for public housing evaluation in accordance with further
aspects of an embodiment. At step 210, an authenticated user of
survey device 150 causes survey device 150 to request a survey 114
from public housing evaluation unit 110, which survey 114 is then
transmitted to survey device 150 for administering the survey to a
public housing resident, a public housing agency member, an
academic member, or a policy maker. Next at step 212, the survey
participant's responses to survey 114 are recorded in a digital
public housing environment profile which is transmitted from survey
device 150 to public housing evaluation unit 110. At step 214,
housing factor interrelationship analysis engine 118 analyzes the
digital public housing environment profile along with other stored
digital public housing environment profiles of other survey
participants, and at step 216 generates and/or updates public
housing index 156, including any interrelationships that were
statistically identified among the factors in the digital public
housing environment profiles. At step 218, a public housing
authority computer 180 queries public housing evaluation unit 110
to review public housing index 156, and/or to obtain the individual
digital public housing environment profile of a particular public
housing resident so that they may evaluate whether any intervention
may improve that public housing resident's physical environment,
and/or improve their likelihood and/or preparedness for
transitioning out of public housing.
[0029] Those skilled in the art will recognize that each of public
housing evaluation unit 110, survey device 150, and public housing
authority computers 180 may each take the form of computer system
300 as reflected in FIG. 3, though variations thereof may readily
be implemented by persons skilled in the art as may be desirable
for any particular installation. In each such case, one or more
computer systems 300 may carry out the foregoing methods as
computer code.
[0030] Computer system 300 includes a communications bus 302, or
other communications infrastructure, which communicates data to
other elements of computer system 300. For example, communications
bus 302 may communicate data (e.g., text, graphics, video, other
data) between bus 302 and an I/O interface 304, which may include a
display, a data entry device such as a keyboard, touch screen,
mouse, or the like, and any other peripheral devices capable of
entering and/or viewing data as may be apparent to those skilled in
the art. Further, computer system 300 includes a processor 306,
which may comprise a special purpose or a general purpose digital
signal processor. Still further, computer system 300 includes a
primary memory 308, which may include by way of non-limiting
example random access memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), one
or more mass storage devices, or any combination of tangible,
non-transitory memory. Still further, computer system 300 includes
a secondary memory 310, which may comprise a hard disk, a removable
data storage unit, or any combination of tangible, non-transitory
memory. Finally, computer system 300 may include a communications
interface 312, such as a modem, a network interface (e.g., an
Ethernet card or cable), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and
card, a wired or wireless communications system (such as Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, Infrared, and the like), local area networks, wide area
networks, intranets, and the like.
[0031] Each of primary memory 308, secondary memory 310,
communications interface 312, and combinations of the foregoing may
function as a computer usable storage medium or computer readable
storage medium to store and/or access computer software including
computer instructions. For example, computer programs or other
instructions may be loaded into the computer system 300 such as
through a removable data storage device (e.g., a floppy disk, ZIP
disks, magnetic tape, portable flash drive, optical disk such as a
CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disk, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems
("MEMS"), and the like). Thus, computer software including computer
instructions may be transferred from, e.g., a removable storage or
hard disc to secondary memory 310, or through data communication
bus 302 to primary memory 308.
[0032] Communication interface 312 allows software, instructions
and data to be transferred between the computer system 300 and
external devices or external networks. Software, instructions,
and/or data transferred by the communication interface 312 are
typically in the form of signals that may be electronic,
electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being sent and
received by communication interface 312. Signals may be sent and
received using a cable or wire, fiber optics, telephone line,
cellular telephone connection, radio frequency ("RF")
communication, wireless communication, or other communication
channels as will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0033] Computer programs, when executed, allow processor 306 of
computer system 300 to implement the methods discussed herein for
predictive risk assessment and intervention according to computer
software including instructions.
[0034] Computer system 300 may perform any one of, or any
combination of, the steps of any of the methods described herein.
It is also contemplated that the methods according to the present
invention may be performed automatically, or may be accomplished by
some form of manual intervention.
[0035] The computer system 300 of FIG. 3 is provided only for
purposes of illustration, such that the invention is not limited to
this specific embodiment. Persons having ordinary skill in the art
are capable of programming and implementing the instant invention
using any computer system.
[0036] Further, computer system 300 may, in certain
implementations, comprise a handheld device and may include any
small-sized computing device, including by way of non-limiting
example a cellular telephone, a smartphone or other smart handheld
computing device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop or
notebook computer, a tablet computer, a hand held console, an MP3
player, or other similarly configured small-size, portable
computing device as may occur to those skilled in the art.
[0037] The system of FIG. 1 may, in an exemplary configuration,
alternatively be implemented in a cloud computing environment for
carrying out the methods described herein. That cloud computing
environment uses the resources from various networks as a
collective virtual computer, where the services and applications
can run independently from a particular computer or server
configuration making hardware less important. The cloud computer
environment includes at least one survey device 150 operating as a
client computer. The client computer may be any device that may be
used to access a distributed computing environment to perform the
methods disclosed herein, and may include (by way of non-limiting
example) a desktop computer, a portable computer, a mobile phone, a
personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, or any similarly
configured computing device. That client computer preferably
includes memory such as RAM, ROM, one or more mass storage devices,
or any combination of the foregoing. The memory functions as a
computer readable storage medium to store and/or access computer
software and/or instructions.
[0038] That client computer also preferably includes a
communications interface, such as a modem, a network interface
(e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and
card, wired or wireless systems, and the like. The communications
interface allows communication through transferred signals between
the client computer and external devices including networks such as
the Internet and a cloud data center. Communication may be
implemented using wireless or wired capability, including (by way
of non-limiting example) cable, fiber optics, telephone line,
cellular telephone, radio waves or other communications channels as
may occur to those skilled in the art.
[0039] Such client computer establishes communication with the one
more servers via, for example, the Internet, to in turn establish
communication with one or more cloud data centers that implement
public housing evaluation system 100. A cloud data center may
include one or more networks that are managed through a cloud
management system. Each such network includes resource servers that
permit access to a collection of computing resources and components
of public housing evaluation system 100, which computing resources
and components can be invoked to instantiate a virtual computer,
process, or other resource for a limited or defined duration. For
example, one group of resource servers can host and serve an
operating system or components thereof to deliver and instantiate a
virtual computer. Another group of resource servers can accept
requests to host computing cycles or processor time, to supply a
defined level of processing power for a virtual computer. Another
group of resource servers can host and serve applications to load
on an instantiation of a virtual computer, such as an email client,
a browser application, a messaging application, or other
applications or software.
[0040] The cloud management system may comprise a dedicated or
centralized server and/or other software, hardware, and network
tools to communicate with one or more networks, such as the
Internet or other public or private network, and their associated
sets of resource servers. The cloud management system may be
configured to query and identify the computing resources and
components managed by the set of resource servers needed and
available for use in the cloud data center. More particularly, the
cloud management system may be configured to identify the hardware
resources and components such as type and amount of processing
power, type and amount of memory, type and amount of storage, type
and amount of network bandwidth and the like, of the set of
resource servers needed and available for use in the cloud data
center. The cloud management system can also be configured to
identify the software resources and components, such as type of
operating system, application programs, etc., of the set of
resource servers needed and available for use in the cloud data
center.
[0041] In accordance with still further aspects of an embodiment of
the invention, a computer program product may be provided to
provide software to the cloud computing environment. Computer
products store software on any computer useable medium, known now
or in the future. Such software, when executed, may implement the
methods according to certain embodiments of the invention. By way
of non-limiting example, such computer usable mediums may include
primary storage devices (e.g., any type of random access memory),
secondary storage devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, CD
ROMS, ZIP disks, tapes, magnetic storage devices, optical storage
devices, MEMS, nanotech storage devices, etc.), and communication
mediums (e.g., wired and wireless communications networks, local
area networks, wide area networks, intranets, etc.). Those skilled
in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein may
be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or combinations
thereof.
[0042] The cloud computing environment described above is provided
only for purposes of illustration and does not limit the invention
to this specific embodiment. It will be appreciated that those
skilled in the art are readily able to program and implement the
invention using any computer system or network architecture.
[0043] Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and
certain modifications of the concept underlying the present
invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations
and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described
will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming
familiar with said underlying concept. It should be understood,
therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically set forth herein.
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