Method and apparatus for designing and editing a distribution system for a building

A heating and air conditioning system design for installing delivery components within a building or a portion of a building, the heating and air conditioning system design having a plurality of distribution system elements including the delivery components, the heating and air conditioning system design comprising:

• (a) a computer generated hard copy of a layout for the heating and air conditioning system design, the computer generated hard copy depicting a number of delivery components and locations of the delivery components within the building, and the computer generated hard copy produced by:
• (i) storing, in a first memory region, operational characteristics of at least one of the delivery components;
• (ii) storing, in a second memory region, an operational requirement;
• (iii) entering the location and dimension of building elements;
• (iv) designing the layout by computer calculating the number of delivery components and the location of the delivery components by using the operational characteristics of the delivery components and the location and dimension of the building elements;
• and
• (v) generating the hard copy of the layout;
• and
• (b) an elements listing being printed out in the order the distribution system elements will be used to install the number of delivery components in accordance with the layout.

A heating and air conditioning system for a building or a portion of a building, the heating and air conditioning system having a plurality of distribution system elements, the heating and air conditioning system design comprising:

• (a) a computer generated hard copy of a layout for the heating and air conditioning system, the layout depicting a number of distribution system elements and locations of the distribution system elements within the building, the computer generated hard copy produced by:
• (i) storing, in a first memory region, operational characteristics of at least one of the distribution system elements;
• (ii) storing, in a second memory region, an operational requirement;
• (iii) entering the location and dimension of building elements;
• (iv) designing the layout for the heating and air conditioning system by using the operational characteristics and the location and dimension of the building elements wherein the resultant layout complies with the operational requirement;
• and
• (v) generating from the layout the computer generated hard copy;
• (b) an elements listing being printed out in the order the distribution system elements will be used to construct the heating and air conditioning system with the number of distribution system elements;
• and
• (c) the number of distribution elements mounted within the building at the locations specified by the computer generated hard copy of the heating and air conditioning system.

A method for designing a distribution system for a building or a portion of a building having building elements via a linked computer system, the distribution system having a plurality of distribution system elements including delivery components, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a user interface;
• receiving through the user interface at least one requirement of a standard related to at least one delivery component;
• receiving through the user interface a design area for the distribution system;
• retrieving from a first memory region operational characteristics of the at least one delivery component;
• designing a layout for the distribution system whereby the layout designed complies with the at least one requirement of a standard related to the at least one delivery component within the design area, and whereby the layout is designed to avoid intersecting with the building elements;
• and
• providing via the linked computer system the layout of the distribution system.

An apparatus for designing a fire sprinkler system and producing a layout of the system for a building or a portion of a building, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a memory for storing in digital form generic dimensional requirements of elements comprising a plurality of sprinkler heads from which the fire sprinkler system can be constructed;
• (b) the memory also for storing in digital form requirements of at least one building standard comprising a separation requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads;
• (c) a data entry device for entering input data into a computer operatively connected to the memory, the input data including the location and dimensions of building elements of the building;
• (d) a computing device for dividing the building into a plurality of sections based on the input data;
• and
• (e) the computing device electronically designing a layout for the fire sprinkler system in each section wherein the resultant layout complies with the requirements of the building standard comprising the separation requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads.

An apparatus for designing a fire sprinkler system having delivery components comprising a plurality of sprinkler heads and for producing a layout of the fire sprinkler system for a building or a portion of a building, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a memory for storing in digital form dimensional and operational information of at least one sprinkler head from which the fire sprinkler system can be constructed;
• (b) the memory also for storing in digital form requirements of at least one building standard relating to the operation of the delivery components;
• (c) an input device for entering data into a computer operatively connected to the memory, the data including the location and dimensions of building elements;
• (d) an identifying device for identifying the requirements of at least one building standard including a spacing requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads stored in the second memory to be used;
• (e) a designing device for electronically designing a layout for the fire sprinkler system using the dimensional and operational information of the at least one sprinkler head stored in the memory, the dimensional and operational information of the delivery components being evaluated and the layout being designed to comply with the requirement of the at least one building standard including the spacing requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads;
• (f) an editing device for editing one of the building elements;
• (g) the designing device for redesigning the layout to include the edited one of the building elements;
• and
• (h) a checking device for electronically checking the edited one of the building elements and the layout for compliance with the requirements of the at least one building standard.

An apparatus for designing a fire sprinkler system having a plurality of fire sprinkler system elements including a plurality of sprinkler heads for a building or a portion of a building having building elements, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a memory for storing operational characteristics of at least one of the fire sprinkler system elements;
• (b) the memory also for storing at least one fire sprinkler system requirement comprising a separation requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads;
• (c) data entry device for entering the location and dimension of the building elements into a computer;
• (d) a computing device for designing a layout for the fire sprinkler system, wherein the layout complies with the at least one fire sprinkler system requirement;
• and
• (e) a computer display for displaying the layout of the fire sprinkler system including the plurality of sprinkler heads.

An article of manufacture having computer readable code embodied therein for designing a sprinkler system having a plurality of sprinkler system elements comprising sprinkler heads, the computer readable code instructing a computer to perform the steps of:

• (a) maintaining in a memory, operational characteristics of at least one of the sprinkler system elements,
• (b) maintaining in the memory at least one requirement comprising a separation requirement for the plurality of sprinkler heads;
• (c) enabling entry of the location and dimension of building elements;
• (d) designing a layout for the sprinkler system using the operational characteristics and the location and dimension of the building elements, wherein the layout designed complies with the at least one requirement;
• and
• (e) displaying the layout of the sprinkler system including the sprinkler system elements.

A method for designing a fire sprinkler system and producing a layout of the system for a building or a portion of a building, the method comprising in combination the steps of:

• (a) storing, in digital form in a memory, generic dimensional requirements of elements comprising a plurality of sprinkler heads from which fire sprinkler systems can be constructed;
• (b) storing, in digital form in the memory, a requirement of at least one building standard which comprises the number and separation for the sprinkler heads;
• (c) entering input data into a computer operatively connected to the memory, the input data including the location and dimensions of building elements and adjuncts of the building,
• (d) identifying the requirements of the at least one building standard stored in the memory to be used;
• (e) dividing the building into a plurality of sections based on the input data;
• and
• (f) electronically designing a layout from the fire sprinkler system in each section using the generic dimensional requirements of the elements stored in the memory, the layout being designed to comply with the requirements of the at least one building standard.

A method for designing a fire sprinkler system having delivery components and producing a layout of the system for a building or a portion of a building, the method comprising in combination the steps of:

• (a) storing, in digital form in a memory, dimensional and operation requirements of distribution system elements comprising the delivery components which comprise a plurality of sprinkler heads from which the fire sprinkler system can be constructed;
• (b) storing, in digital form in the memory, requirements of at least one standard relating to the operation of the delivery components which includes the number and separation for the plurality of sprinkler heads;
• (c) entering input data into a computer operatively connected to the memory, the input data including the location and dimensions of building elements and adjuncts;
• (d) identifying the requirements of the at least one standard in the memory to be used;
• and
• (e) electronically designing a layout automatically for the fire sprinkler system using the generic dimensional and operation requirements of fire sprinkler system elements stored in the memory, during which the operation of the delivery components being evaluated and the layout being designed to comply with the identified requirements of the at least one standard.

A computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code for instructing a computer to design a fire sprinkler system layout from sprinkler system element data stored in a computer memory, wherein the computer is instructed to design the sprinkler system by performing steps comprising:

• enabling a user to provide building data comprising locations and dimensions of building elements of a building, wherein the computer stores the building data in the computer memory;
• enabling a user to provide design data comprising spacing parameters for sprinkler system elements, wherein the computer stores the design data in the computer memory;
• enabling a user to provide obstructions data, wherein the computer stores the obstructions data in the computer memory;
• and
• designing the layout for the fire sprinkler system, wherein the step of designing the layout comprises:
• accessing from the computer memory sprinkler system element data, the sprinkler element data comprising operational characteristics of the sprinkler system elements;
• accessing the design data, the building data, and the obstructions data from the computer memory;
• calculating the number and location of sprinkler system elements using the sprinkler system element data, the design data, the building data, and the obstructions data whereby the calculated location of sprinkler elements avoids intersecting with building elements;
• and
• laying out the calculated number of sprinkler elements in the calculated locations.

A computer application comprising computer executable code for instructing a computer to design a fire sprinkler system layout from sprinkler system element data stored in computer memory, wherein the computer is instructed to design the sprinkler system by performing steps comprising:

• enabling a user to provide building data comprising locations and dimensions of building elements of a building;
• storing the building data in the computer memory;
• enabling a user to provide design data comprising spacing parameters for sprinkler system elements;
• storing the design data in the computer memory;
• enabling a user to provide obstructions data;
• storing the obstructions data in the computer memory;
• and
• designing the layout for the fire sprinkler system, wherein the step of designing the layout comprises:
• accessing from the computer memory sprinkler system element data;
• accessing the design data, the building data, and the obstructions data from the computer memory;
• calculating the number and location of sprinkler elements using the sprinkler element data, the design data, the building data, and the obstructions data whereby the calculated location of sprinkler elements avoids intersecting with building elements;
• and
• laying out the calculated number of sprinkler elements in the calculated locations.

A method for designing with a computer a fire sprinkler system for a building or a portion of a building, wherein the computer includes a memory having fire sprinkler system component information stored therein, the method comprising the steps of:

• entering building data into the computer including locations and dimensions of building elements of a building, wherein the building data is stored in the computer memory;
• entering design data into the computer including spacing parameters for the fire sprinkler system components, wherein the design data is stored in the computer memory;
• and
• causing the computer to design a layout for the fire sprinkler system, wherein designing comprises the computer:
• calculating the number and location of fire sprinkler system components using the fire sprinkler component information, the design data, and the building data,
• performing an obstructions analysis, and
• displaying the fire sprinkler system components as calculated.