IP Library Granted Patent US 11,328,102
Granted Patent B2
US 11,328,102 · App. 16/368,567 · Granted May 10, 2022

Digital design tools for building construction

Inventors: Gavin Miles James Davies (London, GB); Stephan Alexander Jones (Balsall Common, GB)
Assignee: AECOM
G06F30/13G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,328,102
App. No.
16/368,567
Granted
May 10, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for digital design tools. One example method comprises obtaining an electronic model of a structure, the electronic model including a objects, and the objects representing physical objects to be constructed. Dependencies between the objects are determined, with the determined dependencies indicating that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object. Construction orderings are generated based on the determined dependencies, with each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed. A user interface is presented via a user device describing the construction orderings, with a system being configured to trigger updates to the electronic model in response to received material changes associated with the electronic model.

Claims (75)

1. A system comprising one or more processors and non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations, the operations enabling user efficiency improvements with respect to determining an order in which to construct physical objects, and the operations enabling improvements to updating of an electronic model, the operations comprising:

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining dependencies between the objects, wherein the determined dependencies indicate, at least, that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object;

generating a plurality of construction orderings based on the determined dependencies, each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed, wherein a subset of the generated construction orderings are retained based on the subset causing the objects to be constructed according to a particular geometric pattern; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing the subset of the construction orderings, wherein the system is configured to trigger updates to the electronic model in response to received material changes associated with the electronic model.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular geometric pattern is with respect to a plurality of geographic directions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information indicating a material change to a design associated with the electronic model;

determining at least one updated construction ordering; and

causing presentation of information associated with the updated construction ordering.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the material change indicates an improper construction of a particular object.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information indicating a material change, the material change comprising a constraint identifying a threshold construction time associated with the structure or infrastructure project;

determining simulated times to complete the subset of the construction orderings; and

based on a determination that the simulated times are greater than the threshold construction time, triggering an update to a design of the electronic model.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system triggers an update to the electronic model based on receipt of a material change, and wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a precedence network associated with designing the electronic model, the precedence network identifying dependencies among tasks performed to design the electronic model, and wherein respective tasks are associated with portions of the electronic model designed in response to completion of the tasks;

identifying, based on the material change, one or more tasks to be updated, wherein the material change is with respect to a portion of the electronic model designed based on the identified tasks; and

transmitting notifications to one or more users identifying the identified tasks.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining one or more anomalies within the electronic model, wherein each anomaly relates to an object and wherein determining the anomalies is based on application of one or more machine learning models and adjacency relationships between objects in three-dimensional space; and

causing presentation of information describing the anomalies.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the information describing the anomalies comprises a graphical representation of the electronic model, and wherein the graphical representation comprises the determined anomalies highlighted in the graphical representation.

9. A method comprising:

by a system of one or more processors,

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining dependencies between the objects, wherein the determined dependencies indicate, at least, that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object;

generating a plurality of construction orderings based on the determined dependencies, each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed, wherein a subset of the generated construction orderings are retained based on the subset causing the objects to be constructed according to a particular geometric pattern; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing the subset of the construction orderings, wherein the system is configured to trigger updates to the electronic model in response to received material changes associated with the electronic model.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the geometric pattern is with respect to a plurality of geographic directions.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving information indicating a material change, the material change comprising a constraint identifying a threshold construction time associated with the structure or infrastructure project;

determining simulated times to complete the subset of the construction orderings; and

based on a determination that the simulated times are greater than the threshold construction time, triggering an update to a design of the electronic model.

12. A method comprising:

by a system of one or more processors,

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining dependencies between the objects, wherein the determined dependencies indicate, at least, that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object;

generating one or more construction orderings based on the determined dependencies, each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing the construction orderings, wherein the system is configured to trigger updates to the electronic model in response to received material changes associated with the electronic model, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving information indicating a material change to a design associated with the electronic model;

determining at least one updated construction ordering; and

causing presentation of information associated with the updated construction ordering.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the material change indicates an improper construction of a particular object.

14. The method of claim 9 , A method comprising:

by a system of one or more processors,

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining dependencies between the objects, wherein the determined dependencies indicate, at least, that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object;

generating one or more construction orderings based on the determined dependencies, each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing the construction orderings, wherein the system triggers an update to the electronic model based on receipt of a material change, and wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a precedence network associated with designing the electronic model, the precedence network identifying dependencies among tasks performed to design the electronic model, and wherein respective tasks are associated with portions of the electronic model designed in response to completion of the tasks;

identifying, based on the material change, one or more tasks to be updated, wherein the material change is with respect to a portion of the electronic model designed based on the identified tasks; and

transmitting notifications to one or more users identifying the identified tasks.

15. A method comprising:

by a system of one or more processors,

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining dependencies between the objects, wherein the determined dependencies indicate, at least, that a first object is to be constructed prior to a second object;

generating one or more construction orderings based on the determined dependencies, each construction ordering indicating a unique order in which the objects are to be constructed; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing the construction orderings, wherein the system is configured to trigger updates to the electronic model in response to received material changes associated with the electronic model, wherein the method further comprises:

determining one or more anomalies within the electronic model, wherein each anomaly relates to an object and wherein determining the anomalies is based on application of one or more machine learning models and adjacency relationships between objects in three-dimensional space; and

causing presentation of information describing the anomalies.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the information describing the anomalies comprises a graphical representation of the electronic model, and wherein the graphical representation comprises the determined anomalies highlighted in the graphical representation.

17. Non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by a system of one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations, the operations enabling improvements in determining anomalies in electronic models, the improvements being based on insights extracted from machine learning models trained on disparate electronic models of structures and/or infrastructure projects, and the method comprising:

obtaining an electronic model, the electronic model comprising a plurality of objects, and the objects representing physical objects to be constructed, and the electronic model being of a structure or infrastructure project;

determining one or more anomalies within the electronic model, wherein each anomaly relates to an object wherein determining the anomalies is based on application of one or more machine learning models and adjacency relationships between objects in three-dimensional space, and wherein the machine learning models were trained using data from different types of structures and/or infrastructure projects; and

causing presentation, via a user device, of user interface information describing anomalous objects included in the electronic model, the anomalous objects being determined via application of one or more machine learning models.

18. The computer storage media of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

wherein the information describing the anomalies comprises a graphical representation of the electronic model, and wherein the graphical representation comprises the determined anomalies highlighted in the graphical representation.

19. The computer storage media of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a material change associated with the electronic model; and

triggering an update to the electronic model.

20. The computer storage media of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a precedence network associated with designing the electronic model, the precedence network identifying dependencies among tasks performed to design the electronic model, and wherein respective tasks are associated with portions of the electronic model designed in response to completion of the tasks;

identifying, based on the material change, one or more tasks to be updated, wherein the material change is with respect to a portion of the electronic model designed based on the identified tasks; and

transmitting notifications to one or more users identifying the identified tasks.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2026
From: AECOM
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074922/0226 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2025
From: AECOM
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 072013/0916 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2020
From: DAVIES, GAVIN MILES JAMES; JONES, STEPHAN ALEXANDER
To: AECOM
Reel/Frame 054389/0228 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62726064 · Aug 31, 2018
Provisional Application 62650077 · Mar 29, 2018
Related Publication 20190303512A1 · Oct 3, 2019