FLOOR ALIGNMENT IN MULTI-FLOOR BUILDING

1 . A method for aligning floor plans by an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing at least first and second floor plans of a predefined building structure;

providing first and second reference points on the first floor plan;

providing a first reference point on the second floor plan whereafter a second reference point is provided by the electronic device on the second floor plan at a distance from the first reference on the second floor plan which is equidistant relative to a distance between the first and second reference points on the first floor plan; and

computing the at least first and second floors to be aligned with one another in accordance with the predefined building structure whereby the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and wherein the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

2 . A method as recited in claim 1 further including providing graphical animation of the at least first and second floor plans being aligned with one another when the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and when the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

3 . A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic device has a graphical display for imaging alignment of the at least first and second floor plans.

4 . A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the graphical display has a touch screen user interface.

5 . A method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of accessing in the electronic device the at least first and second floor plans.

6 . A method as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second reference points has associated mapping coordinates.

7 . A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the mapping coordinates associated with the first and second reference points are retrieved from mapping coordinates provided in the at least first and second floor plans.

8 . A method as recited in claim 1 further including after the step of the electronic device provides the second reference point on the second floor plan, the position of the second reference point on the second floor plan is changed conditionally upon the distance between the first and second references point on the first floor plan is equidistant to the distance between the first and second references point on the second floor plan.

9 . An apparatus having a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for aligning floor plans of a building structure, comprising:

a processor adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a instructions executable by the processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

access at least first and second floor plans of a predefined building structure;

provide first and second reference points on the first floor plan as designated by a user;

provide a first reference point on the second floor plan as designated by a user;

provide a second reference point on the second floor plan, as computed by the processor, at a distance from the first reference point of the second floor plan which is equidistant relative to a distance between the first and second reference points on the first floor plan; and

compute the at least first and second floors to be aligned with one another in accordance with the predefined building structure whereby the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and wherein the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

10 . The apparatus recited in claim 9 further including instructions for causing the processor to provide graphical animation on the GUI of the at least first and second floor plans being aligned with one another when the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

11 . The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the GUI has a touch screen user interface.

12 . The apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including instructions for causing the processor to access from an external input the at least first and second floor plans.

13 . The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein each of the first and second reference points has associated mapping coordinates.

14 . The apparatus as recited in claim 13 , wherein the mapping coordinates associated with the first and second reference points are retrieved from mapping coordinates provided in the at least first and second floor plans.

15 . The apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including instructions for causing the processor to enable a user to interact with the GUI to provide the at least first and second reference points on each at least first and second floor plans.

16 . The apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including instructions for causing the processor to enable a user to change the position of the second reference point on the second floor plan while maintaining the distance between the first and second references point on the second floor plan is equidistant to the distance between the first and second references point on the first floor plan.

17 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to align floor plans of a building structure, said control logic comprising:

code for causing the computer to access at least first and second floor plans of a predefined building structure;

code for causing the computer to provide user designated first and second reference points on the first floor plan;

code for causing the computer to provide a user designated first reference point on the second floor plan;

code for causing the computer to provide a second reference point on the second floor plan at a distance from the first reference point on the second floor plan which is equidistant relative to a distance between the first and second reference points on the first floor plan; and

code for causing the computer to compute the at least first and second floors to be aligned with one another in accordance with the predefined building structure whereby the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and wherein the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is to be vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

18 . The computer program product as recited in claim 17 further including code for causing the computer to enable a user to change the position of the second reference point on the second floor plan while maintaining the distance between the first and second references point on the second floor plan is equidistant to the distance between the first and second references point on the first floor plan.

19 . The computer program product as recited in claim 17 further including code for causing the computer to provide graphical animation on a graphical User Interface (GUI) of the at least first and second floor plans being aligned with one another when the first provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the first reference point provided on the second floor plan and the second provided reference point of the first floor plan is being vertically arranged relative to the second reference point provided on the second floor plan.

20 . The computer program product as recited in claim 17 wherein each of the first and second reference points has associated mapping coordinates and wherein the mapping coordinates associated with the first and second reference points are retrieved from mapping coordinates provided in the at least first and second floor plans.