Method and apparatus for optimization of floor covering and system for user configuration and real time pricing information

摘要

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

主权项

1. A computerized method for optimizing floor coverings comprising:
a. Receiving user input by a user from an: input device representative of a construction project including user selected floor covering characteristics of a plurality of floor coverings material having a predetermined width on a roll; b. Providing floor plans through a computer to said user representative of said construction project including optional configurations of said floor plans; c. Receiving user input by a user from an input device for selection from a plurality of said floor plans and floor plan options and creating data points representative of one of said floor plans and said floor plan options; d. Merging selected floor plan and floor plan options into a set of data points representative of a final plan set; e. Calculating optimal cuts for said final plan set; f. Arranging said floor covering material from said optimal cuts onto stock floor covering rolls for optimal use of said floor covering; g. Determining optimal layout of cuts on a roll by iteratively testing a plurality of cut and packing configurations into said selected floor plan; h. Deriving contiguity data from surface areas representative of said selected floor plan; i. Deriving surface quantities from said contiguity data for floor materials; j. Optimizing price and material usage of floor materials for user selected criteria pertaining to said floor materials based on said derived contiguity data, pre-determined rules and user selected seam criteria pertaining to head and side cross seams; and k. displaying said optimized floor materials to said user and receiving a change request from said user from an input device for selection from a plurality of said floor plans and floor plan to permit additional optimization to said user.