IP Library Granted Patent US 11,100,328
Granted Patent B1
US 11,100,328 · App. 16/788,373 · Granted Aug 24, 2021

System to determine piping configuration under sink

Inventor: Michael J. Schuster (Shorewood, IL)
Assignee: Danco, Inc.
G06K9/00671G06F3/0482G06K9/6256G06K9/6267G06N20/00G06T7/70G09B5/02G09B19/003E03C1/122G06T2200/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,100,328
App. No.
16/788,373
Granted
Aug 24, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for determining piping configurations in an under-sink or similar environment. A computing device, such as a mobile device or a server, may be directed to access a digital image, such as a photograph of an under-sink environment. An analysis of the under-sink environment may be performed to generate a plurality of suggested configurations of piping for placement in the under-sink environment using compliance criteria. A selection of one of the suggested configurations may be received and a parts list for the one of the suggested configurations may be generated. A series of instructions to complete an assembly of the one of the suggested configurations may be generated.

Claims (64)

1. A system, comprising:

a client device comprising at least one hardware processor; and

program instructions stored in memory and executable in the client device that, when executed, direct the client device to:

access at least one digital image, the at least one digital image comprising a photograph of an under-sink environment;

perform an analysis of the under-sink environment to generate a plurality of suggested configurations of piping for placement in the under-sink environment using compliance criteria;

receive a selection of one of the suggested configurations;

generate a parts list for the one of the suggested configurations as selected;

generate a series of instructions to complete an assembly of the one of the suggested configurations as selected; and

display the parts list and the series of instructions in a display communicatively coupled to the client device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the suggested configurations of the piping are generated by identifying, during the analysis, a presence and a location of:

at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

at least one drain pipe extending from the at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

a drain outlet in the under-sink environment; and

at least one of: a water line; a water line valve; a garbage disposal; a garbage disposal outlet; and a dishwasher line.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the client device is further directed to:

display a virtual representation of the suggested configuration relative to the under-sink environment prior to receipt of a confirmation of the suggested configuration.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further directed to:

prompt an operator of the client device to confirm a size of at least one component in the under-sink environment prior to generating the suggested configurations.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further directed to verify a completion of at least one task in the series of instructions.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further directed to pre-process the at least one digital image prior to the analysis of the under-sink environment.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further directed to apply an object detection and classification routine to the at least one digital image to identify a presence and a location of at least one component in the under-sink environment.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the object detection and classification routine is a machine learning routine configured for object detection and classification, the machine learning routine being trained using manually-verified object classification data.

9. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising at least one hardware processor; and

program instructions stored in memory and executable in the at least one computing device that, when executed, direct the at least one computing device to:

access at least one digital image, the at least one digital image comprising a photograph of an under-sink environment received from a client device;

perform an analysis of the under-sink environment to generate a plurality of suggested configurations of piping for placement in the under-sink environment using compliance criteria;

receive a selection of one of the suggested configurations;

generate a parts list for the one of the suggested configurations as selected;

generate a series of instructions to complete an assembly of the one of the suggested configurations as selected; and

send the parts list and the series of instructions to the client device for display in a display device communicatively coupled to the client device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the suggested configurations of the piping are generated by identifying, during the analysis, a presence and a location of:

at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

at least one drain pipe extending from the at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

a drain outlet in the under-sink environment; and

at least one of: a water line; a water line valve; a garbage disposal; a garbage disposal outlet; and a dishwasher line.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one computing device is further directed to:

generate a virtual representation of the suggested configuration relative to the under-sink environment prior to receipt of a confirmation of the suggested configuration, the at least one computing device directing the client device to display the virtual representation of the suggested configuration.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further directed to:

direct the client device to prompt an operator of the client device to confirm a size of at least one component in the under-sink environment prior to generating the suggested configuration.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further directed to verify a completion of at least one task in the series of instructions.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further directed to pre-process the at least one digital image prior to the analysis of the under-sink environment.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further directed to apply an object detection and classification routine to the at least one digital image to identify a presence and a location of at least one component in the under-sink environment.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the object detection and classification routine is a machine learning routine configured for object detection and classification, the machine learning routine being trained using manually-verified object classification data.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing, by at least one computing device comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one digital image, the at least one digital image comprising a photograph of an under-sink environment;

performing, by the at least one computing device, an analysis of the under-sink environment to generate a plurality of suggested configurations of piping for placement in the under-sink environment using compliance criteria;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a selection of one of the suggested configurations;

generating, by the at least one computing device, a parts list for the one of the suggested configurations as selected;

generating, by the at least one computing device, a series of instructions to complete an assembly of the one of the suggested configurations as selected; and

sending, by the at least one computing device, the parts list and the series of instructions to a client device for display in a display device communicatively coupled to the client device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the suggested configurations of the piping are generated by identifying, during the analysis, a presence and a location of:

at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

at least one drain pipe extending from the at least one sink in the under-sink environment;

a drain outlet in the under-sink environment; and

at least one of: a water line; a water line valve; a garbage disposal; a garbage disposal outlet; and a dishwasher line.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising:

generating, by the at least one computing device, a virtual representation of the suggested configurations relative to the under-sink environment prior to receipt of a confirmation of the suggested configuration, the at least one computing device directing the client device to display the virtual representation of the suggested configuration;

directing, by the at least one computing device, the client device to prompt an operator of the client device to confirm a size of at least one component in the under-sink environment prior to generating the suggested configuration;

verifying, by the at least one computing device, a completion of at least one task in the series of instructions; and

pre-processing, by the at least one computing device, the at least one digital image prior to the analysis of the under-sink environment.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein:

the computer-implemented method further comprises applying an object detection and classification routine to the at least one digital image to identify a presence and a location of at least one component in the under-sink environment; and

the object detection and classification routine is a machine learning routine configured for object detection and classification, the machine learning routine being trained using manually-verified object classification data.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 15, 2026
From: DANCO, INC.
To: DANCO, LLC
Reel/Frame 075986/0864 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2021
From: SCHUSTER, MICHAEL J.
To: DANCO, INC.
Reel/Frame 056975/0086 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,718,520