WO2013013277A1

WO2013013277A1 - Virtual connection system between users, for sharing projects on a specific subject, and project selection method

Info

Publication number: WO2013013277A1
Application number: PCT/BR2012/000246
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maltz Turkienicz Eric
Original assignee: Maltz Turkienicz Eric
Priority date: 2011-07-22
Filing date: 2012-07-20
Publication date: 2013-01-31
Also published as: BRPI1103177A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a virtual connection system between users, for sharing projects on a specific subject, and to a project selection method, in particular to a system for sharing architectural projects and to a method for selecting an architectural project. The invention presents a system for interconnecting networks of different types in order to share information on a subject between users.

Description

Patent Invention Descriptive Report

VIRTUAL CONNECTION SYSTEM BETWEEN USERS FOR SHARING PROJECTS ON A SPECIFIC THEME, METHOD

SELECTION OF A PROJECT

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a virtual user connection and collaboration system for sharing projects of a specific theme and method of selecting a project, particularly a system for sharing architectural projects and the method of selecting it. . The present invention is in the field of telecommunications and engineering methods and systems.

Background of the Invention

The art of designing in architecture is directly linked to the way the architect aesthetically and functionally solves problems faced. For this it is often the search for references in other projects with similar characteristics. Not least learning in architecture is based on the problem solving model (design exercises). Architects, students, engineers and others produce a multitude of projects containing innovative solutions to everyday problems. Adding the projects carried out inside and outside the academic world, this production characterizes a true "industry" of solutions linked to the demands of society, which end up not being shared between its developers and those seeking such solutions.

According to Schank [1]: "When people are confronted with new situations, they tend to try to see them as old situations that they have worked with before so that they can solve new problems from pre-existing architectural solutions." Architects and others involved in this area constantly look for architectural solutions to new problems through references in projects by other architects or architectural developers. In the pre-web architectural environment production was confined to the library's studio or studio. In the internet age workshop, the frontiers for inspiration crossed these barriers. Students and professionals today freely exchange data in digital formats. However, given the disruption of the exchange, the quality of the material makes it impossible to link the data used to its original context. The lack of a hierarchical structuring method makes it difficult to prospect for architectural solutions to problems faced in current projects.

Architectural scientists have developed mechanisms to assist architects or architecture developers in this quest. According to Rivka Oxman [2]: "Designers share common forms of design knowledge. These forms can be formalized, represented and employed in the computational environment." In this line of thinking, search environments such as Dynamo [3], Web-pad [4] and lnfoBase [5] have been developed at academic level. These systems, despite their good potential, were unsuccessful, as their reference categorization mechanisms use verbal language to describe project attributes, generating immense difficulty in interpretation and representation.

In the market there are technologies that allow information sharing and reuse of architectural projects. Building information modeling (BIM) systems enable objects to be disaggregated from their original context and, through parametric transformations, reused to optimize the project development method. However, there are no mechanisms that allow open network structured access to these objects.

Other architectural project search systems, such as those proposed by Archdaily (archdaily.com) and Architizer [6] (architizer.com), only allow users to narrowly search for designs. The low specificity of these tools makes the search become less productive and to some extent random. Even when a project is found the level of information available about it is minimal, making it difficult to use the information.

Social networks are formed as a result of interaction between groups of people, evolving as people interact. They are structured in such a way as to facilitate people's interaction and promote the dissemination of certain behavior among them. People who are part of the social network can be considered as members of a community as they share similar interests.

They operate at different levels (relationships, professionals, community, politics, etc.) allowing to analyze how individuals measure and perceive the knowledge obtained from the social network.

In the patent domain, some documents describe architecture-related methods and systems. References which circumscribe the invention without, however, anticipating or even suggesting it are listed below.

US 2005/131657 shows a system and method for generating 3D models corresponding to physical objects and storing 3D models in such a way that such models can be maintained and used in order to add value to physical objects. According to this document, 3D models, which contain architectural, engineering and construction information, are based on a limited number of information, which limits the accuracy of the model with reality, thus impairing its valuation and / or management. His proposed solution is the generation of 3D models based on a range of information, such as photos, GPS, geometries, lighting, etc., to provide a virtual model very close to the real one. It allows the visualization and adaptation of the 3D model, as well as the licensing and sale of 3D models or their components to new customers. The database containing the 3D component information is structured to return information related to the added information criteria. WO 2002/25596 describes a method for automating the determination of specific engineering details, thereby producing detailed models from architectural drawings. It details database usage for storing and searching for project-related files, where projects meet certain criteria to be included in that database.

US 2002/129001 reveals a platform for standardization and traceability of building and architectural components, containing the integration of information from manufacturers, engineers, architects as well as regulatory information.

The present invention differs from previous documents in how architectural design is categorized into 3 main components and inserted into the database. Unlike the documents cited, categorization is performed automatically, bypassing the inherent plurality of a categorization performed by people, manually.

US 5,634,012 describes a system for the distribution of digital works respecting the rights of use of information through a fee mechanism associated with the distribution of content. This system can be adapted to various scenarios, such as online database content distribution. The present invention is not to be confused with that of US 5,634,012, although it incorporates, in one embodiment, the sale / licensing of architectural objects to system users.

WO 06/036186 describes a social network based on a plurality of databases, where the direction of the social link is mapped and verified at both ends.

US 2011/125840 describes social networks based on the impressions that physical objects, such as buildings and architectural projects, promote on people.

Both documents differ from the present invention in that they are restricted only to how certain information acts on an individual's emotions. The present invention further provides means for acquiring the information, as well as details thereof, in order to allow its replication.

From what can be inferred from the researched literature, no documents were found anticipating or suggesting the teachings of the present invention, so that the solution proposed here, in the view of the present inventors, has novelty and inventive activity in the state of the art.

References

[1] Schank, R. -What we learn by doing

[2] Oxman, R.-Think-maps

[3] www.dynamo.asro.kuleuven.be

[4] Oxman, R.-Think-maps

[5] Stouffs.R. Kooistra, J. Tuncer, B.-Metadata as a means for correspondence on Digital Media [6] www.architizer.com

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a virtual connection system between users for sharing projects on a specific theme, more specifically, architectural projects comprising at least one network a specific theme (i) and at least one network of a project ( ii) wherein said project (a) is linked to at least one user (b) able to enter, remove and / or observe data from said project (a); wherein said project (a) comprises at least one of component (a1) and project specifications (a2).

In a preferred embodiment, said network of a project (ii) comprises being optionally linked to an intranet of a group (c) which optionally is linked to said network of a specific theme (i).

In a preferred embodiment, said group intranet (c) comprises a group network and at least one project (a). In a preferred embodiment, said network of a specific theme (i) comprises being optionally linked to at least one network of a distinct specific theme.

In a preferred embodiment, the linkage between the distinct subject matter networks comprises being given by means of a general network.

In a preferred embodiment, the group consists of at least one organization, association, educational institution, company, or discipline.

In a preferred embodiment, said project network (ii), when linked to said group intranet (c), is a project oriented comprises having at least one oriented user (b1) and one guiding user (b2).

In a preferred embodiment, the network of a specific theme (i) consists of at least one of architecture network, product design network, fashion design network, graphic design network, interior design network, industrial web network. , food network, advertising network, photography network, movie network, arts network and digital game network.

A second object of the present invention is a method for selecting a project comprising the steps of:

i) select the categories related to the project to be found; ii) compare the analyzed data with the data from the database; and iii) return the existing projects in the database that have data matches with the solution to be found.

wherein the database comprises the network database of a specific theme and / or the network database of a project.

In a preferred embodiment, the selection of categories comprises being performed through predefined checkboxes.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the purchase of information related to the project and / or returned component.

These and other objects of the invention will be immediately appreciated by those skilled in the art and companies with interests in the segment, and will be described in sufficient components for their reproduction in the following description.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1 shows the structure diagram of a specific theme network.

Figure 2 shows the structure diagram of a general network.

Figure 3 shows the layout of the network main page.

Figure 4 shows the page layout of registered users.

Figure 5 shows the layout of each user's personal page.

Figure 6 shows the continuation of each user's personal page layout.

Figure 7 shows the home page layout with user projects.

Figure 8 shows the selection screen of the type of information to be entered in the system, whether project or component.

Figure 9 shows the project main data inclusion page.

Figure 10 shows the project categorization page by shape.

Figure 11 shows the project categorization page by context.

Figure 12 shows the project categorization page by its construction information.

Figure 13 shows the inclusion page of project-related topics.

Figure 14 shows the upioad page of project-related files.

Figure 15 shows the final page of a categorized project.

Figure 16 shows the main data inclusion page for the component.

Figure 17 shows the component categorization (map) page. Figure 18 shows the upioad page of component-related files.

Figure 19 shows the final page of a categorized component. Figure 20 shows the page for associating a component with one or more projects.

Figure 21 shows the search form page comprising the categories used to include projects / components in the database.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The examples shown herein are intended solely to exemplify one of the numerous ways of carrying out the invention, but without limiting the scope thereof.

The system to which the present invention relates is communication between virtual networks, which comprise open networks, closed networks, intranet, local area network (LAN), and the like. The association between these networks should follow the specific theme of the Specific Theme Network, in this case ARCHSHARE, which has a theme focused on architecture and urbanism.

A first possible configuration for a theme-specific network would be with this one encompassing a project network with its associated user, where this project network would comprise at least one of the project's component and specifications.

In addition to this specific theme network configuration, another possible configuration would be to associate it with an intranet of a group. In turn this intranet would have its project network with its associated users, finally with a configuration similar to the first option described above. However, when there is network indexing of a specific theme with an intranet, the intranet can comprise a project oriented situation, which will have at least one user oriented and one user oriented.

A third broader configuration would be to link networks of distinct specific themes, for example an architectural network with a fashion network, not limited to just these two. This linking of these networks of distinct specific themes occurs through a general network.

The topics that a specific theme network could address would be, without limitation, architecture, fashion design, product design, graphic design, interior design, industrial web, food, advertising, photography, film, the arts and virtual games.

For the purposes of the present invention, an architectural solution is composed of a project, and several components. A component is a part of the project drawn on a larger scale. The same component can be used in multiple projects. Then we have the project drawn on a smaller scale, with its respective components (drawn on a larger scale) connected to it. If we consider only grouped components, they do not make up a project. In addition, "visual element" means a digital file containing project images and / or components for illustrative purposes only.

The "manipulable element" is a digital file compatible with the programs commonly used by professionals in the field, thus allowing the manipulation of various project and / or component attributes. Preferably, manipulable elements are digitally readable vector files in CAD programs.

The present invention provides a method for categorizing architectural designs; a system of categorization of architectural projects; a method for project selection; and the use of these methods and system in collaborative social and / or similar networking environments for the area of architecture.

Architecture Project Categorization Method

The method for categorizing and providing information about architectural designs comprises the steps of:

a) divide the architectural solution into 2 components listed below:

i) project; and ii) component;

where each component is categorized and has at least one visual element and at least one manipulable element;

b) store the data of the architectural solution components in a project database.

The categorization stage is a stage where all the constructive information of the project, as well as the problem to be solved by the project are indexed from predefined options of shapes and / or functionalities of said architectural solution and inserted in the database, creating an organized hierarchical structure. Hierarchizing the representation of a project in different data layers results in greater objectivity in the search for information.

The categorization method of the invention will allow the projects inserted in the social network by users to be characterized in a structured way. An architectural project is a set of problem solutions that the architect faces. The problems mentioned herein refer, but are not limited to, for example, the shape of terrain, circulation, solar orientation, among others. The final volume created is directly linked to these influencing factors. This is where the screen method differs from the others available in that it enables projects to be pursued taking into account problems that they have solved.

Rather than using verbal language to represent project information, this method uses a graphical language to categorize project / component characteristics. Through the method the user will be able to use the assimilation method (method that occurs when a potentially significant idea, concept or proposition is assimilated under an idea, concept or proposition already established in the cognitive structure) to perform searches. This will enable the architect to perform research intuitively, concisely and accurately.

The search engine, having search engines for similarity

(such as alphanumeric search engines or match property), in Together with the social network called ARCHSHARE, will make various situations are foreseen in the system, including allowing the suggestion of related projects. This method will occur by crossing and analyzing the information of the projects registered in the database. The overall composition of the search engine provides for a constant update on the technologies involved with the categorization method, which can be either manual or artificial intelligence. Optional developments include the use of Data Mining, which aims to improve system results, as well as an artificial intelligence system that can learn from user behavior and direct results.

Method for Selecting Architectural Solutions

The method for selecting architectural solutions comprises the steps of:

i) select the categories related to the project / component to be found;

ii) compare the analyzed data with the data from the database; and iii) return the existing project / component in the database that has data matches with the solution to be found. In a preferred embodiment, categories are selected using a form containing checkboxes related to the categories available in each project, similar to the project inclusion form (Figures 10-13) and components (Figure 17). Architecture Solution Categorization System

A third object of the present invention is a system for categorizing architectural solutions comprising digitally readable media:

1) to store the categorized components of each architectural solution, its constructive components and problem to be solved; and 2) comprising a database configured to associate each project with its respective components.

The database optionally comprises pricing information for each project component as well as the project as a whole, and the system is also able to promote the availability, on payment, of project content, which is in vector form, for use in programs. computer systems, such as AutoCAD.

Optionally, this system has a buy and sell module, complete the list of modules, for example, security module, login, storage.

The system of the present invention provides design information sharing quickly and easily and makes it available for reuse through current project development systems. In this regard resides the major technological impact of the tool, which will enable, without additional costs, the link between existing computing tools for editing and storing data today to a search environment with cumulative intelligence.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inclusion of the project / component in the system initially has a page where the user chooses whether to add a project or component. An example of this page is in Figure 8.

In the case of a project, the description and categorization of the project is initiated through the following detailed screens containing each one of them with specific content. Figure 9 shows a page containing project identification data such as name, area of interest, geographical location, credits, and copyright data.

Figure 10 illustrates the first categorization interface, consisting of several tabs, called "Shapes and Function" (Figure 10), "Context" (Figure 11), "Construction" (Figure 12), and "Topics" (Figure 13). Each has several categories listed under "checkboxes", and the project author should tick each checkbox that is related to your project / component.

It can be seen in Figure 9 that there are textual as well as visual checkboxes, making the identification of project characteristics much more agile.

After categorizing the project, the author has the option of uploading the project-related digital files (Figure 14), and also stipulating a price for selling the project if desired.

After the project categorization is completed, the complete page can be viewed, containing all the information initially entered, clearly and easily for the user (Figure 15).

In the case of insertion of components, the description and categorization of the components is also initiated, through several detailed screens below containing each one of them with a specific content. Figure 16 shows a page containing component identification data such as name, area of interest, geographic location, credits, and copyright data.

Figure 17 illustrates the categorization interface, made up of several categories listed in "checkboxes", and the project author should tick each checkbox that is related to its component.

After categorizing the project, the author has the option of uploading component-related digital files (Figure 18), and also stipulating a price for the sale of each component individually, if desired.

After component categorization is complete, the full page can be viewed, containing all the information initially entered, clearly and easily for the user (Figure 19).

Since each project is made up of a collection of components, and likewise each component can be used in multiple projects, there is also the option of linking components / projects, thus making the database richer. An example of this binding is shown in Figure 20.

Use of the Method and System of the Present Invention The use of these methods and system provides, for example, the creation of a social network with an innovative search tool aimed at enabling the sharing of architectural projects directly among internet users. Such a network would serve as a link and incentive for the exchange of architectural solutions among its users, for a fee or free of charge, enabling the network user to access projects and other solutions that are produced daily at universities or architectural offices in different parts of the world. world. In it the user will be able to categorize different elements of an architectural project (volume, circulation, etc.). The purpose of hierarchizing the representation of a project in different data layers is to provide greater objectivity in the search for information. This social network can also enable the search for constructive project components independently or through the projects that originated it. Thus, the constructive components of the project, which are now difficult to locate on the network, will be accessed directly and linked to their original projects. Users will be able to make their projects available in a structured manner, having their work displayed in a virtual catalog that will give visibility in the market and generating benefits such as criticism, suggestions, debates, income generation, participation in contests and rankings, etc.

The socialization made by users and provided by the network can have a wide coverage in the case of the internet, as well as be limited, in the case of intranet, to communities or even institutions.

The social network will also allow you to give your opinion on other people's projects, exchange ideas, keep up-to-date on the work of professionals, always creating new ideas from what is already available, without rework.

In a preferred embodiment, each user of the social network has a profile showing personal data, such as personal and professional information, and listed some projects / components of their own. An example of this profile can be seen in Figures 5-6. If you wish, you can view all projects of a given user in the form of a gallery, as shown in Figure 7.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the knowledge presented herein and may reproduce the invention in the embodiments presented and in other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

VIRTUAL CONNECTION SYSTEM BETWEEN USERS FOR SHARING PROJECTS ON A SPECIFIC THEME, PROJECT SELECTION METHOD

1. Virtual user connection system for project sharing on a specific theme characterized by:

i. at least one network of a specific theme;

ii. at least one network of a project;

wherein said project (a) is linked to at least one user (b) able to insert, remove and / or observe data from said project (a); and wherein said project (a) comprises at least one of component (a1) and project specifications (a2).

System according to Claim 1, characterized in that said network of a project (ii) is optionally linked to an intranet of a group (c) which optionally is linked to said network of a specific theme (i).

System according to claim 2, characterized in that said intranet of a group (c) comprises a network of a group and at least one project (a).

System according to claim 1, characterized in that said network of a specific theme (i) optionally is linked to at least one network of a distinct specific theme (i-n).

System according to claim 5, characterized in that the connection between the networks of a distinct specific theme (i-n) is given by means of a general network (d).

System according to claim 2, characterized in that the group consists of at least one organization, association, educational institution, company or discipline.

System according to claim 3, characterized in that said network of a project (ii), when linked to said intranet of a group (c), is a project oriented has at least one user oriented (b1) and one user oriented (b2).

System according to claim 1, characterized in that the network of a specific theme (i) consists of at least one of the architectural network, product design network, fashion design network, graphic design network, interior design, industrial web network, food network, advertising network, photography network, movie network, arts network and digital game network.

Method of selecting a project (ii) comprised in a system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

a) select the categories related to the project to be found; b) compare the analyzed data with data from a database; and

c) return the existing projects in the database that have data matches with the solution to be found, in which the database comprises the network database of a specific theme and / or the database of a specific network. a project.

Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the selection of the categories is by means of predefined checkboxes and / or free categories.

Method according to claim 9, further comprising the purchase of information related to the project and / or returned component.