US 5,847,971 A · 3-D spatial GUI querying and manipulating an RDMS for order-entry applications

Abstract

A furniture specification system, designed for relatively large scale office furniture projects, having three basic components: 1) means for generating a furniture specification which contains data specifying a plurality of the available furniture products; 2) means for generating a visual display of the furniture products specified by the furniture specification on a display device; and 3) means for generating a cost specification based upon the furniture specification. Since both the visual display of the furniture products and the cost specification are generated from the same furniture specification, the possibility of discrepancies between the visual display and the cost specification is eliminated. The means for generating the furniture specification allows the user to add or delete individual products and to add product clusters to the furniture specification. After the products are selected, the user may select product finishes, such as wood grain finishes, furniture options, product keying information, and destination tags. After the project is specified, a quotation or purchase order may be automatically generated from the furniture specification.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A furniture specification system, comprising:

means for storing a first set of data representing a plurality of available furniture products, a second set of data representing a plurality of product clusters, each of said product clusters including a plurality of different types of furniture products, and a third set of data representing a stored value for each of a plurality of furniture attributes for each of said product clusters;
means for generating a furniture specification which specifies a plurality of said available furniture products, said means for generating a furniture specification comprising:
means for prompting a user to input an upper value and a lower value for one of said furniture attributes;
means for searching said storing means to locate each of said product clusters for which said stored value for said one furniture attribute input by the user is within a range defined by said upper and lower values for said one furniture attribute input by the user;
and
means for generating a visual display to the user which identifies each of said product clusters located by said searching means;
means for generating a visual display of said furniture products specified by said furniture specification on a display device;
and
means for generating a cost specification based upon said furniture specification.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

3-D spatial GUI querying and manipulating an RDMS for order-entry applications

Life of this patent

3-D spatial GUI querying and manipulating an RDMS for order-entry applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16