Apparatus and method of concomitant scenario topography with the aid of a digital computer

A method of concomitant scenario topography with the aid of a digital computer, comprising the steps of:

• (a) partitioning at least one geographical region of consideration for said topography into a plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas of the earth's surface;
• (b) providing a set of procedural rules applicable to each said region, said rules including provision for determining exclusion factors, excluded categories, distance weighting, category scores, factor weighting, category scores, geographically-referenced uniform, small area scores, and conversion of said exclusion factors and said excluded categories to normalized scores;
• (c) providing said computer with an interrelated Factor-Weighting Table for said topography, said Factor-Weighting Table having Factor-Weighting data according to said set of procedural rules therein, having at least one join field, including at least one criterion datum, each of said criterion datum having at least one factor datum associated therewith, each said factor datum identified as of at least one type, including scorable, exclusion, and fixed score, each said factor datum having a weight datum and a normalized factor weight datum associated therewith;
• (d) providing said computer with an interrelated Factor-Scoring Table for said topography including at least one join field linking said Factor-Scoring Table to said Factor-Weighting Table table, linked to receive said Factor-Weighting Table data from said Factor-Weighting Table, said Factor-Scoring Table having Factor-Scoring Table data according to said set of procedural rules therein, including said factor datum, each said factor datum having said normalized factor weight datum associated therewith, each of said factor datum having at least one category range datum associated therewith, each of said category range datum having a value datum, a category score datum, and a weighted factor score datum associated therewith;
• (e) providing said computer with a Weighting/Scoring Worksheet for said topography, linked to receive said Factor-Scoring Table data from said Factor-Scoring Table and to transmit Weighting/Scoring Worksheet data to both said Factor-Weighting Table and said Factor-Scoring Table;
• (f) dynamically modifying, responsive to user control and according to said set of procedural rules, within said Weighting/Scoring Worksheet, said Factor-Scoring Table data linked from said Factor-Scoring Table into said Weighting/Scoring Worksheet data;
• (g) dynamically transmitting, responsive to user control, said Weighting/Scoring Worksheet data from said Weighting/Scoring Worksheet to said Factor-Weighting Table and said Factor-Scoring Table;
• (h) providing said computer with a separate table array and score computation worksheet for each said region, linked to receive said Factor-Scoring Table data from said Factor-Scoring Table, thereupon combining and thereby geo-referencing said Factor-Scoring Table data with unique referencing for each of said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith, forming a separate topographical dataset for each said region, each said topographical dataset including distance-related logistics data and scenario determined scoring of said Factor-Scoring Table data related to each of said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith;
• (i) providing said computer with a separate two-dimensional spreadsheet map and display for each said table array and score computation worksheet, linked to said table array and score computation worksheet and uniquely associated therewith, said two-dimensional map and display including dimensional referencing capability for said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith;
• (j) initializing each said two-dimensional spreadsheet map and display to receive each said dataset associated therewith, said initializing including providing referencing for each of said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas associated with each said region associated with said table array and score computation worksheet, identifying all of said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas excluded from receiving said dataset, and uniquely identifying all of said plurality of geographically-referenced, uniform, small areas permitted and expected to receive said dataset;
• (k) mapping and visually depicting each said topographical dataset from each said table array and score computation worksheet onto each two-dimensional spreadsheet map and display associated therewith;
• (l) combining each said topographical dataset from each said two-dimensional spreadsheet map and display, forming a combined topographical dataset and computing statistics thereof;
• (m) mapping said combined geographically-referenced topographical dataset into a combined map;
• and
• (n) visually depicting said combined map, thereby producing in a single depiction, concomitant scenario topography including all said geographical regions of consideration.

A computer-implemented method of selecting a site from among a plurality of sites within a spatial region, comprising the steps of:

• (a) partitioning said spatial region into a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping, uniform portions;
• (b) defining a database structure in a first segment of computer memory, said database structure having a plurality of cells, each one of said cells being uniquely referenced to one of said portions;
• (c) determining a plurality of attributes for which all of said portions are to be assigned a raw score;
• (d) setting a minimum and maximum score for each of said attributes;
• (e) assigning a weight factor to each of said attributes;
• (f) grading all of said cells for each of said attributes, thus creating, for all of said cells, said raw score for each of said attributes;
• (g) entering said weight factors and said raw scores into corresponding cells of said database structure;
• (h) converting, within each cell of said database structure, said entered raw scores and weight factors into a normalized sum total score corresponding to the sum of the normalized, factor weighted scores for each of said attributes;
• (i) storing said normalized sum total scores for each of said cells in a second segment of computer memory, said normalized sum total scores for each said cell being linked, in said second segment of computer memory, with said corresponding portion of said spatial region;
• and
• (j) displaying said linked normalized sum total scores in said second segment of computer memory as a map of said partitioned spatial region, said map associating for each said portion of said partitioned region, a visual indication of said normalized sum total score for that portion.

An apparatus for concomitant scenario topography with the aid of a digital computer for mapping and visually depicting the multivariate features of a uniquely-referenced, relatively small area, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first interrelated table, responsive to user control, including visual depiction, configured in said computer such that said first table receives user input data and includes at least one join field, said first interrelated table having first interrelated table data therein, according to a set of procedural rules, said set of procedural rules applicable to at least one region of interest, each said region of interest partitioned into a plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas, each said region defined in terms of plane surfaces and surfaces of a solid, said procedural rules including provision for determining exclusion factors, excluded categories, distance weighting, category scores, factor weighting, category scores, uniquely-referenced uniform, small area scores, and conversion of said exclusion factors and said excluded categories to normalized scores, said first table including at least one criterion datum, each of said criterion datum having at least one factor datum associated therewith, each said factor datum identified as of at least one type, each said factor datum having a weight datum and a normalized factor weight datum associated therewith;
• (b) a second interrelated table, responsive to user control, including visual depiction, configured in said computer such that said second table receives user input data and includes at least one join field which links said first interrelated table to said second interrelated table, said second interrelated table having second interrelated table data therein, according to said set of procedural rules, including said factor datum, each said factor datum having said normalized factor weight datum associated therewith, each of said factor datum having at least one category range datum associated therewith, each of said category range datum having a value datum, a category score datum, and a weighted factor score datum associated therewith;
• (c) a database array and score computation worksheet for each said region of interest, responsive to user control, including visual depiction, configured in said computer such that each said score computation worksheet includes at least one join field which links each said score computation worksheet to said second interrelated table, thereupon combining said second interrelated table data with unique referencing for each of said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith, forming a separate concomitant scenario topographical dataset for each said region, each said topographical dataset including distance-related logistics data and scenario determined scoring of said second table data related to each of said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith;
• (d) a separate two-dimensional spreadsheet map for each said region, responsive to user control for visual depiction, configured in said computer such that each said separate two-dimensional spreadsheet map is uniquely and exclusively linked to one of each said database array and score computation worksheet, thereby uniquely associated therewith, to receive data therefrom, said two-dimensional map including dimensional referencing capability for said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas associated therewith, each said map initialized prior to receiving data, said initialization referencing each of said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas associated with each said region associated with said database array and score computation worksheet, identifying all of said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas excluded from receiving data, and uniquely identifying all of said plurality of uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas permitted and expected to receive data, each said two-dimensional map further configured to provide visual depiction of said map.