The present invention relates to a virtual design workspace in the field
of virtual reality and augmented reality. More particularly, it relates to a system
and method for enabling collaboration and communication in designing and
development of structures and spaces in virtual and augmented reality
environments
BACKGROUND
[002] Virtual reality is a technology for creation of and interacting in a
computer simulated environment. It also includes the field of Augmented
Reality (AR) which concerns providing an environment where the perception of
a real-world environment (or data representing a real-world environment) is
augmented or modified with computer-generated virtual data. For example,
data representing a real-world environment may be captured in real-time using
sensory input devices such as a camera or microphone and augmented with
computer-generated virtual data including virtual images and virtual sounds.
The virtual data may also include information related to the real-world
environment such as a text description associated with a real-world object in
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the real-world environment. A VR or AR implementation may be used to
enhance numerous applications including video game, mapping, navigation,
and mobile device applications.
[003] Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual
experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special
stereoscopic displays. Very recently, Head Mounted Display (HMD) has been
added to the list of devices on which virtual reality environment / content can
be displayed. A HMD may be worn by a user to view the mixed imagery of
virtual and real objects.
[004] Any building and construction project or product design involves a
number of steps from its conception through to its execution. This also means
that a number of parties are involved in the project such as designers, builders,
architects and engineers. Design, construction and maintenance of a structure
or product require collaboration among the parties to a great extent. In
absence of availability of tools for such collaboration, avoidable delays and
expenses are incurred.
[005] In terms of technology being used for designing of any structure,
Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications are known in the art. They are
limited in functionality when it comes to designing in a virtual reality
environment. Moreover, they are complex and expensive. They also do not
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support collaboration or communications among the involved parties. In the
present day and age when the parties involved in a project are not necessarily
present at one place physically, it has become essential that robust
collaboration and communication tools are available to them.
[006] For some functions such collaboration tools are known in the prior art.
One of such functions is creating and editing of documents. With the increasing
penetration of internet and electronic communications, people are connected
even on the move. Simultaneous working on a document by parties physically
apart has become possible.
[007] Given the subjective nature of designing work, any design may require a
lot of working and re-working. With the involvement of multiple parties, this
task becomes all the more cumbersome in view of the iterations involved. A
design may also require to be shared with some parties for the purpose of cost
estimates, material requirements etc. The field of VR and AR has made it easier
for each party involved to understand the design in view of 3D renderings and
walkthroughs known in the prior art i.e. the design, data or product can be
easily visualized by the parties. However, in the absence of collaborative
features, it suffers from drawbacks mentioned above.
[008] Systems and tools for collaboration in the field of designing are also
known in the prior art. Some of such tools are provided for in
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patents/applications US8229715, US7484183, US8397168 and US8788590. In
spite of the collaborative features disclosed in the above stated documents, it is
difficult to visualize the consequences of the user’s inputs in a design.
Moreover, it is hard to visualize the relative size and scale of a product or
design or the impact of any change in the design on the relative factors such as
time and cost. Further, no known prior art exists for enabling collaboration in
designing in the field virtual or augmented reality environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[009] The present disclosure provides a novel system and method for
collaboration and communications in the field of product designing in virtual or
augmented reality environments. It provides a platform which enables multiple
users to work simultaneously on the project design while keeping the project
organized through setting up access permissions.
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a collaboration tools for
designing spaces and structures in virtual and augmented reality environments.
By bringing about such collaboration the present invention strives to eliminate
iterations among the interested and involved parties. With such collaboration,
the present invention creates a synergy between the participants to the
designing operation.
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[0011] It is also an object of the invention to provide, in virtual or augmented
reality environments, for simultaneous development of separate layers,
sections or segments in the designing project along with the ability to revert to
a previous version of the design.
[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide for real-time updates and
revisions in terms of project time, cost, material, labour etc based upon the
changes and updates in the design.
[0013] An important object of the invention is to improve the efficiency of the
designing process which becomes possible by
a. utilizing virtual and augmented reality environment enabling
easy understanding design, data and surroundings through
visualizations;
b. utilizing the data based on the previous development and
revisions of the project to analyse and refine the design and also
optimize it for virtual or augmented reality environment; and
c. bringing all involved parties on one platform to thus removing
constraints due to absence of physical presence of the parties.
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[0014] Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present
disclosure would be apparent from the description of the illustrative
embodiments that follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015] The following detailed description of illustrative embodiments is better
understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the
purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the
disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to
specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the
art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like
elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
[0016] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collaborative designing in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 2 illustrates the workflow of collaborative design workspace in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The invention is described in detail below with reference to several
embodiments and examples. Such discussion is for purposes of illustration only.
Modifications to examples within the spirit and scope of the present invention,
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will be readily apparent to one of skilled in the art. Terminology used
throughout the specification herein is given its ordinary meaning as
supplemented by the discussion immediately below. As used in the
specification, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0019] Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in
the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily
drawn to scale. There may be additional components described in the
foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings.
In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the
absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such
design from the specification.
[0020] A network connected design platform in the virtual or augmented
reality environment is provided. The platform is implemented on one or more
web servers, for use by parties involved or interested in the development of
design such as designers, architects, builders, project owners etc.
[0021] The system comprises of a central server, which is a microprocessor
based computing system capable of being in network communication with
other computing systems. Said network can be a closed enterprise network or
the internet. The central server can therefore be a web-based server connected
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to the internet and accessible from anywhere by anyone with an internet
connection.
[0022] The users of the system communicate with the central server through
microprocessor based computing devices such as laptops and desktops
connected to the same network i.e. through the enterprise network or the
internet or any other network in use for the present purpose.
[0023] With the significant advancement and development of mobile
technologies, advanced capabilities and technologies are now embedded in
mobile / portable / handheld devices.
[0024] Such capabilities including advanced computing power, audio video
capturing capabilities and significant telecommunications capability. 3G and 4G
mobile networking is being deployed in India, broadband internet penetration
is increasing, all kinds of handheld devices such as smartphones, PDAs, and
tablets are easily available in India at a reasonable cost.
[0025] As an aspect of the present invention, the user system can be a
handheld device in network communication with the central server. In another
aspect of the invention, the user system can act as the host server for other
participants on the platform.
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[0026] The disclosed system also comprises of a Head Mounted Display (HMD)
for displaying the virtual or augmented reality environment to the user. The
virtual reality image can be projected in front of the eyes of a user using the
HMD, so that the only image seen by the user is the virtual image. Translucent
or partially reflective materials and cameras at the back of HMD can also be
used so that a user can view both the real world environment and the virtual
environment at the same time.
[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the design, data or
product being developed, updated and revised on the platform can be
visualized on the HMD. The design can be tethered on to the HMD through
wired or wireless connection between the user system and the HMD
[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the HMD can
comprise of on-board microprocessor and operating system which allows
applications to run locally on the HMD thus enabling them as standalone
devices without the need of any external device for generating video. The HMD
can be in network communication with the host server and the collaborative
design being developed on the user systems can be visualized directly on the
HMD in real-time.
[0029] Another aspect of this embodiment enables the use of HMD in
communication with the host server to not just visualize the design in virtual or
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augmented reality environment but also to interact and manipulate the design
and data. Any changes being made by one user are viewed by the other users
of the platform.
[0030] The design platform is accessed by the users through graphical user
interface which provides the users with a workspace and the required design
tools for creating and editing sketches, drawings and models. The objects in the
workspace, whether created or populated on the system, can be moved around
the workspace by the user.
[0031] Referring now to the figures, Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating steps
involved in a method of collaborative designing in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] Steps 102, 104, 106 and 108 are steps towards defining of an asset
catalogue for exporting on the collaborative design servers. The process of
defining an asset catalogue starts by using a Computer Aided Design (CAD)
program at step 102. At step 104, baselines and components are created in a
CAD program. At step 106, metadata is added to corresponding CAD program
generated baselines and components, such as name, price, category,
dimensions, model number. At step 108, said baselines and components are
converted into three dimensional format using CAD program. The baseline and
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components in 3D format with required metadata added define the asset
catalogue.
[0033] At step 112, asset catalogue is uploaded to a remote server 110 which is
capable of bidirectional network communications. The server is connected to a
network such as the internet or a local area network using which other users
with access to the network can gain access the server data.
[0034] The defined asset catalogue is integrated with the collaborative design
environment and at step 114 a complete model is created by combining
baselines and components of asset catalogue. Depending upon the
requirements of a designing project, all components can be combined to create
a complete model or only some components may be combined to create a
partial model depending upon the requirements of the design.
[0035] The components or any combination of the components or the
complete model is then tagged with access controls and re-exported to the
asset catalogue.
[0036] An important aspect of the present disclosure is the user permissions.
Any particular project on the design workspace as disclosed is managed by an
administrator. The administrator user has the ability to set access permissions
for other users of the platform for that project. The users collaborating on the
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design project are given the necessary permissions to access the features of the
workspace. There are a number of parties involved in a design project and
contribution of each party differ based upon its role in the project. A user may
be given one or more permission to view, edit, accept or reject changes, lock
any section or segment of the design, and finalize the design.
[0037] Users with the necessary permissions are able to access the
collaborative design environment remotely. Depending upon the access given
to such user, the components or combination of components or complete
model are visible to one or more users.
[0038] The users are then able to collaborate in the design environment with
the users being able to view, modify or delete the assets. In the present
embodiment of the invention, the changes being made by the users to the
model can be viewed by the users in real time on a Head Mounted Display
(HMD) or any other display means.
[0039] Figure 2 depicts the workflow of the collaborative design workspace in
accordance with the present embodiment. The workflow has been divided into
two parts, with one part of workflow being managed by the administrator user
202 and the other part of workflow being of interest to the end users 204.
Additions 212 are implemented on the asset catalogue 206 and the custom
combination of components 208 including component compatibility rules, meta
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data and access tags by the administrator user following which the components
are led to review and defect highlight process 210. Assets and components are
not approved for the end user’s design workspace 214 until all defects form the
assets and components have been removed.
[0040] Depending upon the permissions, multiple users 216 can then
simultaneously view or design upon the asset catalogue 206 and custom
components 208. Users can also generate reports 218 relating to the design
such as high quality photo renders, bill of quantities, video walkthroughs and
reports for PCC and ERP systems.
[0041] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the HMD
comprises of an on board microprocessor enabling data processing and
computing capabilities on the HMD itself. The users are able to manipulate the
assets and interact with them through the HMD. Other users accessing the
workspace can visualize the changes to the model in real time.
[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, system formation rules are
implemented on to the assets using attach points that are inter-component
specific. This allows automated control of combinations among the
components based on compatibility among the components and reduces the
chances of error due to combining of incompatible components.
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[0043] An important aspect of the present invention is the defect management
system which is implemented on the asset catalogue. At step 118 in Fig. 1, the users
are able to mark errors such as duplication, missing components, non-compatible
combinations directly on the models for review and revisions in the design. The final
design model is then saved to the server for future access.
[0044] The disclosed design workspace allows custom catalogues of components or
models to be created. The metadata added to the components allows such custom
catalogues to be defined based on organizational departments such as design, sales,
quality assurance, marketing etc.
[0045] The disclosed method of collaborative designing enables a user to render high
quality photo and generate walkthrough video of the design. The user also has the
ability to change lighting, camera position and angle before rendering photo or
generating walkthrough video of the design. The visualizations created can be viewed
by the users on the HMD.
[0046] Additionally, the user is able to generate reports based on the design such as
the Bill of Quantities, reports for Product or Enterprise Resource Planning systems
[0047] The Collaborative Design Environment disclosed includes repository of one or
more design elements such as library of colours, textures, materials and finishes which
a user can select and apply to the design.
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[0048] In an embodiment of the invention, the workspace can be defined
based on the actual measurements of the space or structure being designed
upon it.
[0049] The method involved in collaborative design workspace as disclosed can
be further refined and made more efficient based upon the data gathered from
the previous designs prepared on the platform thereby enabling the system to
detect anomalies and deficiencies in the design and also being able to correlate
the design with real-world considerations.
[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, not only is the design and
changes thereof are shown to the users in real time but also additional related
data and information is also updated in real time for the users to review such as
the impact of any change in design on the costs, volume, material and labour
required, size, weight etc.
[0051] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, any particular
project on the design platform is managed by an administrator. The
administrator user has the ability to set access permissions for other users of
the platform for that project. Such user permissions could include the right to
view or edit the design, accept or reject the changes made, finalize the design
or any section or segment thereof, lock any section, segment, design or
product.
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[0052] In an embodiment of the present invention, the user can simultaneously
work on separate segments or sections of a design which would otherwise have
led to iterations between the parties, thus saving time and effort required for
completing a design project.
[0053] The method as described herein also allows for recording and viewing of
past changes made to the design on the platform. In an aspect of the above
feature, all changes made to the design can be reversed to take the design back
to a previously saved state. Further, the administrator user can set permissions
for the users to access the previous changes.
[0054] The invention as disclosed is capable of being deployed in both virtual
and augmented environments and can work with both virtual and augmented
reality devices.
[0055] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the users have the ability
to work simultaneously on a design project in both virtual and augmented
reality environments.
[0056] While the invention has been described in detail, modifications within
the spirit and scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in
the art. Such modifications are also to be considered as part of the present
invention. In view of the foregoing discussion, relevant knowledge in the art
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and references or information discussed above in connection with the
Background of the Invention, the disclosures of which are all incorporated
herein by reference, further description is deemed unnecessary. In addition, it
should be understood that aspects of the invention and portions of various
embodiments may be combined or interchanged either in whole or in part.
Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing
description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the
invention.
[0057] Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to
a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill
in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various
substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit
and scope of the present invention, and as defined by the following claims.
Dated this 12th day of December, 2015
Smartvizs Private Limited
(AbIhNi/nPaAv B– h1a8l8la5) Attorney for the Applicant
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We claim:
1. A method of collaborative designing comprising the steps of:
A) Defining an asset catalogue, comprising the steps of:
a) creating baselines or components in a Computer-Aided Design (“CAD”) program
b) adding metadata to corresponding CAD program generated components, namely, name, price, category, dimensions, m obdaesle nlinuemsb oerr .
c) cuosinnvge CrtAinDg p trhoeg braamse lines or components into three dimensional (3D) format
d) exporting 3D components to the asset catalogue
B) Uploading the asset catalogue to remote/cloud collaborative design server
C) Integrating the asset catalogue with the collaborative design environment
D) Cmoomdebli noirn ga nbya cseolminbeisn aantido nc oomf cpoomnepnotnse onft tsh e asset catalogue to create a complete
E) Twaitghg/in agc ctheess c coomnptroonl ents or combination of components or complete system/model
F) Re-exporting the complete model to asset catalogue
G) Granting permissions to users;
cwhhaenrgeeins, alo ucske ar nisy gsievcetnio onn oer o sre mgmoreen tp eorfm thises dioens itgon v, ifeinwa,l iezdei tt,h aec dceepsitg on r reject
H) Accessing the collaborative design environment remotely by the users
wherein, components or combination of components or complete system/model
are visible to users having access to such assets
I) Collaborating in real time on the design and development of a product or structure;
awshseertse ibna csoeldla obno rtahteio pne srumpipssoiortnss t ahvea uilsaebrl eb ewinitgh athbele u tsoe vr;ie w, modify or delete
twimheer;e in the users are able to visualize the changes made to the design in real
ftuhretrheeorf winh veirretuina lt hoer auusgemrs eanrete adb rleea tloit yv iesunavliirzoen tmhee nats usestins ga na dh ethaed cmhoanugnetes d display.
2372/DEL/2015
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2. Method of collaborative designing as claimed in claim 1, wherein manipulate and interact with the assets using the head mounted dai supsleary i s able to
wherein the head mounted display comprises of data computing and processing
capability
3. aMree tihmopdl eomf ceonltlaebdo ursaitnivge a dtteascihgn pinogin atss tchlaaitm aered iinnt celra-icmo m1,p wonheenret isnp seycsitfeicm a lfloorwminagt ion rules aaumtoonmga ttheed ccoomntproonl oefn ctso.m binations among the components based on compatibility
4. sMysettehmod i so ifm cpollelamboernatteidve o dne tshigen ainssge at sc acltaailmogeude i ne ncalabimlin 1g ,t wheh earbeiliinty a t doe mfeacrtk m earrnoargse ment directly on the models for review and revisions in the design.
5. cMoemthpoodn eonf tcso ollra mboordaetilvse a dree scirgenaitnegd a bsa csleadim oend o inrg calnaiizma t1io, nwahl edreepina rctumsteonmts .c atalogues of
6. tMoe rtehnodde ro fh cigohll aqbuoarliattyi vpeh doetosi agnnidn gg eanse crlaatiem weda liknt hclraoiumg h1 ,v widheeor eoifn t hthee d uesseigr nh as the ability
further wherein the user has the ability to change lighting, camera position and
angle before rendering photo or generating walkthrough video of the design
7. gMeentehroadte o vf acroiolluabs oreraptoivrtes dbeassiegdn ionng aths ec ldaeimsiegnd. i n claim 1, wherein the user is able to
8. DMeestihgno dE novf icroolnlambeonrat tiinvcel uddeessig rneipnogs aitso crlya iomf eodn ein o crl amimor 1e ,d wehsiegrne ienl etmhee nCtosl,l anbaomraetliyv,e l ibrary doef scioglno.u rs, textures, materials and finishes which a user can select and apply to the design.