Patent Grant
9477935
Not Applicable
Construction projects may involve complex logistics, schedules and milestones. For example, a project may involve offsite production of a number of custom components off-site, and delivery of custom and standard materials and components to the construction site at various times. The deliveries must be coordinated with activity on the construction site, in order to ensure that deliveries from different suppliers are coordinated, and to ensure that components neither arrive before or after they are scheduled to, and that people are on site to work with materials as they arrive.
When one or more parts of a construction projects is behind schedule, there may be a need to reschedule other parts of the project, to ensure that there is sufficient storage space, and to ensure that unnecessary cost is not spent on people or other materials that cannot be used until certain project stages are completed. Furthermore, distribution of human, fiscal and other resources may be redistributed to ensure that the project is executed in the necessary order.
Tracking the progress of the various parts of a construction project may be an expensive and labor intensive task involving tracking the progress of a project and the use of labor, materials and money can be slow. It can be difficult to interpret the information received and correlate it with a project plan. Processing the available information may crucially delay invaluable information about project progress, which if available early can enable action to be taken to bring a delayed project back on schedule.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems for collecting and processing information about a construction project.
An embodiment of the invention includes a computer implemented method for monitoring construction. The method may include receiving information about a construction project. The received information may include information about construction milestones and schedule information about the construction milestones. Furthermore, the information may include graphical data related to the construction milestones and the schedule information.
In an embodiment of the invention, information about the location of a computing device is received. Based on the location information and the information about the construction project, a graphical display user-interface may be prepared. In an embodiment of the invention, the display may include a visual representation of expected progress of the project. The display may further include information about expected activity related to the project for a period of time.
Embodiments of the invention include receiving an indication from a user that the representation of the expected progress differs from actual progress of the project and determining revised information about the construction project.
In an embodiment of the invention, schedule information may include information about expected construction activity. Expected construction activity may include: equipment in use at a particular time; and materials used at a particular time.
In an embodiment of the invention, schedule information may include: a number of persons present at a particular time; money spent by a particular time; and man hours worked by a particular time.
In an embodiment of the invention, location information for a computing device may include GPS coordinates of the computing device. Location information may also include an indication from a user on a touch screen.
In an embodiment of the invention, a visual representation of the expected progress of the project may include a Gantt chart. Such a visual representation may also include a three-dimensional graphical representation of the expected appearance of the construction site. The three-dimensional representation may further include indicators showing differences between the actual progress of the construction site and the expected progress of the construction site.
An embodiment of the invention includes receiving additional information about the actual progress of the project. Information about the actual project of the project may include: financial projections; data from an access card system; data from a vehicle tracking device; logistical tracking data; and imaging data.
Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over conventional techniques. For example, embodiments of the present invention provide means for collecting and processing information about a construction project, as well as means for presenting it in quickly and comprehensively in a succinct manner. These and other embodiments of the invention along with many of its advantages and features are described in more detail in conjunction with the text below and attached figures.
Construction project may range from small projects such as painting a room or installing a projector to large scale projects such as constructing a whole building, campus or area. These project are of course vastly different in scope and complexity, but also have aspects in common. They may involve multiple tasks, people, money, resources and more. The more complex the construction project, the more variables are involved in ensuring that it is completed as planned and on time. Monitoring the execution of a construction project and comparing actual activity to the planned activity can expose differences between actual and planned progress at an early stages. Such differences may include delayed deliveries, over-spending, staff shortages, delayed execution, and a number of other factors. Discovering such differences early can help minimize the impact on the project, and enable action to bring the project back on track to be taken quickly.
Logistics are a significant part of many construction projects. In the most conventional form, logistics involves the delivery of materials to a construction site. Such materials may include construction materials such as concrete, lumber and fasteners but also more complex components such as faucets, pipes, electrical switches and the like. Logistics may also include coordinating off-site construction of custom components. For example, segments of walls may be constructed off-site and be delivered to the construction site when needed. Similarly, custom components such as pipes, electrical boards, and windows may be manufactured off site. It is important to ensure that these components are not only produced on time, but also delivered to the construction site on time. Many computer systems provide access to detailed logistical data both about the production as well as the delivery of custom and prefabricated components. Such data may be used to determine at an early stage when a delay in delivery may impact the construction project and what action can be taken.
Similarly, logistics may involve activity on the construction site. For example, a construction project may need 5000 light switches and 1000 electrical fuses. These may be delivered in one batch from a single supplier. Once the delivery reaches the construction site it may be divided into smaller bundles as they are needed at various locations around the construction site. In an embodiment of the invention, the receipt of the main shipment as well as, bundling and transport of the smaller bundles may be tracked to provide additional logistical data.
Logistical data may be available from a number of sources and computer systems. Such systems may include the computer systems of large logistical companies such as UPS and FedEx. Embodiments of the invention may also use data from smaller companies, including for example an in-city courier such as Addison Lee of London. Furthermore, logistical data and production data may be available from a number of suppliers and manufacturers. All of this data may be available in different formats from different computer systems. In an embodiment of the present invention, the data may be correlated and aggregated with information about a construction project plan. A module may be used to fetch or receive logistical data from various sources and congregate it in a single location or a single format. This may include storing all the information in a single database. In another embodiment of the invention it may involve translating various logistical data packets into a common format and relaying it further. There are a number of ways of congregating such data, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the examples cited above.
Embodiments of the invention include computer implemented methods for monitoring construction. The methods may be implemented on a number of different types of computing devices. In an embodiment of the invention, a desktop or a laptop computer is used. In another embodiment of the invention, a mobile device is used. Mobile devices may include a vast array of different devices, ranging from mobile phones to specialized custom computers. Some examples of mobile devices include a portable digital assistant (PDA), an Apple iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy S phone, an Apple iPad or a Motorola Xoom tablet.
The computing device may include a memory, such as random access memory (RAM); persistent storage, such as a hard drive or flash memory; a central processor (CPU); and a network interface. The network interface may include a network card, such as a wired Ethernet card or a wireless ethernet card (WiFi), a cellular modem, such as a CDMA, WCDMA or LTE modem; or another means of communicating over a network. The computing device may include a number of other components that are customary in a computing device. A person skilled in the art will be familiar with those components.
In another embodiment of the invention, a distributed computing device may be used. A distributed computing device may comprise one or more computers connected via a computer network. The computers may include servers, virtualized computers, mobile devices and any other type of computing device. The computer network may include the internet, a corporate network, a cellular network, or any other type of network.
The computing device may be capable of running applications. The applications may include apps downloaded from an app store, applications preloaded onto the device, or code sent over a network as it is needed, such as HTML and JavaScript. Apps from an app store may include apps downloaded from the Apple App Store, or the Google Play store. Apps may similarly be pushed to the computing device using a corporate server. An embodiment of the invention is implemented on an app running on the device. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the scope of the invention is not limited to these examples, and that the invention can be practiced with a number of different means of executing code on the computing device, or on a device with which the computing device communicates over a network.
In an embodiment of the invention, information about a construction project is received on the computing device. The information may be preloaded using a cable connected to another computer such as a USB cable, or it may be transmitted over a computer network. The information about the construction project may include any information relevant to the construction project. In an embodiment of the invention, a three dimensional model of the construction project is included. The model may include a model of the intended final outcome of the project, as well as a model of the construction site before the project commences. In embodiments of the invention, the model includes information indicating a time of expected completion for one or more of the components of the model of the final state of the project. In another embodiment, one or more models of interim states of the construction project may be included. For example, a model may describe a particular state expected of the project for a particular date.
Furthermore, the information about the construction project may include information about construction milestones and schedule information about the construction milestones. Construction milestones may include information about the place and time of any construction activity. In one embodiment, a construction milestone may include delivery information for materials for a particular part of the project. For example 10 tonnes of cement shall be delivered to site A. construction milestones may also include status on tasks including assembly or installation of components. For example installation of lighting fixtures on a floor of a building may be a construction milestone. In an embodiment of the invention, a construction milestone may include information about personnel present at a particular place at a particular time. Furthermore, a construction milestone may include having spent a particular amount of money, or having spent no more than a particular amount of money. Construction milestones may be grouped together an/or organized in a hierarchical manner. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples recited above are merely a few examples of the various construction milestones that may be used in conjunction with an embodiment of the invention.
Scheduling information may be available for construction milestones. Scheduling information may include a particular date and time for the completion of the construction milestones. In an embodiment of the invention, scheduling information may be available for various stages of a construction milestone. In one embodiment of the invention, a time may be available for work start for a milestone, various other times may be available for intermediate steps, and another time is available for the completion of the milestone. For example, one milestone may be the delivery of 1000 tons of concrete to the construction site. The scheduling information may include a shipping date for the first batch of concrete, shipping dates for subsequent batches, a delivery date the first and subsequent batches, and a delivery date for the final batch.
Furthermore, in an embodiment of the invention, the information about the construction project may include graphical data related to the construction milestones and the schedule information. The graphical information may include renderings of the three dimensional model of the construction project.
The graphical information may be provided in a format that is ready to display to a user of a computing device, or in a format that can be easily modified or compiled locally on a portable computing device. In an embodiment of the invention, the graphical information includes a number of image files, such as JPEG, PNG of SVG images. The images may include some images that are ready to display to a user of the device; the images may also include images rendered to be overlaid onto another image. For example, the images may include a number of layers for a particular rendering. In an embodiment of the invention, one image includes a rendering of various structural elements of a building, a second image includes an image to be overlaid onto the first image that shows the exterior of the building, and a third image to be overlaid onto the other two showing expected activity. In another embodiment of the invention, there may be a single version of the bottom image, and then multiple versions of the images corresponding to other layers. For example, there may be four versions of the activity overlay corresponding to different stages of the project. Using pre-rendered images as described above may be advantageous when using the invention on a mobile device with limited ability to render three dimensional models or on devices with limited network bandwidth. Furthermore, it may be useful when it is undesirable to transmit three dimensional model information to the computing device. For example, it may be undesirable to transmit a comprehensive model to a computing device used by a third party contractor.
In an embodiment of the invention, the computing device may render animations or video based on the model. The animations may include a flyover or other view of the model. Furthermore, the animation may include a time-lapse or display of actual or expected progress of the project. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the animations may include animated charts, including a bar showing how much of the expected cost of the project has been spent, or what portion of expected deliveries to the construction site have been made. Furthermore, the computing device may present a slider-interface to the user allowing the user to create scenarios. For example, a slider may allow the user to specify an amount of time a particular event is delayed by, and the computing device may then update the display of project progress based on the specified value.
Similarly to the pre-rendered images described above, the graphical information may include pre-rendered video, or both pre-rendered video and images. Just as with the images, video may also be layered, and pre-rendered videos may be composited with other pre-rendered videos and/or images.
In another embodiment of the invention, a three dimensional model may be transmitted to the computing device for rendering. The model may for example be rendered on the computing device to provide a view of expected progress and activity to a user of the device. Depending on the computing power of the device, the model may include information only relating to a particular part of the construction project, or the model may include only certain types of information. In an embodiment, a model showing only the steel structure of a building is used. When a three-dimensional model is used, the device may generate both video and images from the model for display to the user. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the invention, the user may be able to generate animations of the model on the fly when the user touches the screen of the computing device.
The three dimensional model may include reference points allowing the computing device to include additional information from other sources, such as information about current construction activity or logistical activity. In an embodiment of the invention, the user can select certain elements to focus on. For example, the user may be able to select a component from the model to view additional information about it. The user may select a wall, and then receive additional information about the components making up the wall, and the scheduled process for constructing the wall. In an embodiment of the invention, additional model information may be requested for the wall once it has been selected.
Allowing the computing device to progressively download more detailed model information as it is needed may allow for faster access over certain types of network connections, and may allow the invention to be used with computing devices with limited storage or computing power. Furthermore, it may allow the use of a model with more detailed information as it may be possible to access the model without downloading the entire model.
In an embodiment of the invention, the model may include interactive elements such that a user of the computing device can interact with the model. In an embodiment, the user may be able to conduct what-if scenarios to determine how something may affect the construction project. For example, the user may select an activity, such as a delivery of materials, and specify that it will be delayed by a week, and see the effects of the delay. In another embodiment, the model may permit the user to make changes to the project, such as cancelling a part of the project.
In an embodiment of the invention, information about the location of a computing device is received. When a mobile computing device such as a phone or tablet is used to display information about the construction project, a location sensor in the computing device may be used to determine its location. The location sensor may be a GPS og GLONASS receiver. The location of the device may also be determined based on signals from one or more WiFi access points. In an embodiment of the invention, the location may be triangulated based on the strength of the signal from a number of WiFi access points. Furthermore, a gyroscope may be used to determine the orientation and precise location of the device. Other means such as sound detection, or image detection may also be used.
The location information may comprise particular GPS coordinates for the location of the computing device. The information may also comprise information about a particular item that is close to the device, such as an identification number for a QR code label that was scanned by a camera on the device or a unique identifier associated with a sound recorded by a microphone attached to the device. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the user of the device may specify the location of the device by selecting a location from a map or list on the device.
The location of the device may be used to determine a particular view of a model of the construction project. For example, a view may be presented from the perspective of the location of the computing device. Furthermore, activities related to the particular location of the computing device may be highlighted.
In an embodiment of the invention, location information from a second computing device is used instead of or in addition to location information from the first computing device. For example, a computing device may be attached to a vehicle on the construction site, and information about the location of the vehicle may be provided by the second computing device. Similarly, a person at the construction site may be carrying a computing device supplying location information to a person at a different location. The two may be communicating over a video, telephone or text link, while information about the location of the person on the site is communicated to a person viewing information about the construction project at a different location.
In an embodiment of the invention, information about the actual progress of the construction project is received. Information about the progress of the construction project may include information about money spent, information about complete construction activity, information about hours worked, information by materials delivered to the site, and a number of other types of information including logistical info.
In an embodiment of the invention, a user can provide an indication that the actual progress of the construction project differs from the expected progress. For example, the computing device may display a rendering of the expected construction progress for a room. The rendering may include carpeting on the floor, and crown moldings. The user may indicate by clicking on the display that the crown moldings have been installed, but that the carpet has not been installed.
It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in
The location tracking computer 750 includes a data processor 752, also referred to as a processor, and a memory 753. The location-tracking computer further includes a location sensor 754. The location sensor may include a GPS module. The location tracking computer further includes an I/O module 751. The I/O module may include a cellular data modem, a WiFi interface or other device.
In an embodiment of the invention, a user computer with an embedded location sensor 810 may be used in conjunction with one or more location tracking computers 750 to provide multiple sources of location data.
The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the systems and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof.
While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060242419 | Gaffey | Oct 2006 | A1 |
| 20090174768 | Blackburn | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140207512 A1 | Jul 2014 | US |
