Generation of furniture assembly instructions

Abstract

A computer-implemented method (100) for generating furniture assembly instructions is provided. The method (100) comprises receiving (110, 120) furniture assembly instructions of the first and at least one additional set (10, 20), including instructions for assembling the respective first and at least one additional furniture module (12, 22a-n). The method (100) further comprises retrieving (130) assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) indicative of a respective relationship between furniture parts (14, 24a-n) of a first and at least one additional furniture module (12, 22a-n) to be contained in the modular furniture module (32). The method (100) further comprises generating (140) a combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions for assembling the modular furniture module (32) by combining the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n), the combined set (30) providing instructive media of recommended assembly steps (50) to be followed during an assembly procedure of the modular furniture module (32).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to assembled furniture. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for generating furniture assembly instructions. The present disclosure also relates to an associated computerized system and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Many furniture companies or manufacturers sell their products in an unassembled state, which is beneficial for reasons such as storage, delivery / dispatch, and cost. When furniture modules are received at the location where the furniture is to be placed (e.g., a home or office environment), the unassembled furniture must first be assembled before the functions of the furniture can be enjoyed. Many current furniture solutions come with assembly instructions that illustrate the steps to be taken in order to correctly assemble the furniture. The assembly instructions can be provided in a physical manual or digitally via the website of the furniture company or manufacturer.

[0003] Some companies or manufacturers offer large and complex furniture solutions, such as complete kitchens, bathrooms, dressing rooms, mixed furniture, or multiple large furniture modules that cannot be physically delivered as a single furniture module for various reasons. These reasons may include size, packaging, or delivery-related limitations. In these cases, the customer ordering the items will be provided with multiple furniture modules, and each module will be accompanied by its own assembly instructions. This can easily become overwhelming for the customer because it is likely to be unclear where to start and how to proceed during the assembly process. Additionally, it quickly becomes difficult to know which furniture module is associated with which piece of furniture and how to manage them one by one or simultaneously. Therefore, it is cumbersome, if not impossible, to figure out the best assembly procedure.

[0004] The inventors have recognized the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and hereby propose improvements related to the generation of furniture assembly instructions, aimed at solving or at least alleviating one or more of these deficiencies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method for generating furniture assembly instructions. The method includes: receiving a first set of furniture assembly instructions, the first set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling a first furniture module, the first furniture module including a plurality of furniture components; receiving at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions, the at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module, each of the at least one additional furniture modules including a plurality of furniture components; retrieving assembly metadata for each of the first set and the at least one additional set, the assembly metadata indicating a corresponding relationship between furniture components to be included in a combined furniture module, the combined furniture module including the first furniture module and the at least one additional furniture module, wherein the assembly metadata is retrieved from the furniture assembly instructions of the first set and the additional set and / or from a storage resource; and generating a combined set of furniture assembly instructions based on the retrieved assembly metadata, the combined set including instructions for assembling the combined furniture module by combining the first set and the at least one additional set, the combined set providing teaching media / guidance media for recommended assembly steps to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module.

[0006] According to the first aspect, the present disclosure advantageously provides an optimal assembly procedure for large and complex furniture solutions, as described in the background art section above. "Combination" is interpreted in this sense as a joint arrangement of assembly instructions for the assembly of multiple furniture modules, the assembly of which can be sequenced according to different aspects. Some of the technical benefits of providing a combined set of assembly instructions relate to correct, clear, time-saving, safe, inexpensive, and ergonomic assembly procedures. Additional advantageous technical benefits can be achieved through the various embodiments / examples / claims / articles described in the present disclosure.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes receiving one or more assembly optimization inputs configured to cause one or more changes to the combined set of furniture assembly instructions when applied to the generation of the combined set of furniture assembly instructions, wherein the generation of the combined set includes determining an order of recommended assembly steps based on the one or more assembly optimization inputs.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the order includes: a starting furniture component of either the at least one additional furniture module or the first furniture module; and a plurality of subsequent furniture components of either the at least one additional furniture module or the first furniture module after the starting furniture component and for all remaining furniture components to be included in the combined furniture module.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the order is determined by combining the weighted values of a plurality of the one or more assembly optimization inputs.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the one or more assembly optimization inputs include environmental data of a physical environment in which the modular furniture is to be assembled.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the environmental data is obtained by means of a near-real-time 3D scanning tool and / or a room layout file.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes receiving user input via an augmented reality interface, wherein the user input defines a virtual enclosure that is virtually placed in a 3D spatial representation of a physical environment in which the modular furniture is to be assembled, wherein the virtual enclosure is adapted to be further manipulated via the augmented reality interface based on one or more intersections in 3D space between the virtual enclosure and 3D data corresponding to physical objects located in the physical environment, and wherein the environmental data is obtained by means of the manipulated virtual enclosure.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the one or more assembly optimization inputs include furniture data of a first furniture module and the at least one additional furniture module.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the furniture data is obtained from a 3D object model and / or a product list.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the one or more assembly optimization inputs include safety data of external restrictions that affect the assembly procedure.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the one or more assembly optimization inputs include assembler data of one or more persons performing the assembly procedure.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, for each of the first set and the one or more additional sets, the assembly metadata includes the degree of compatibility of the furniture components to be included in the modular furniture.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, guiding media for the recommended assembly steps is provided in a user-controllable interface, and the user-controllable interface is a character interface / text interface, a graphical interface, an auditory interface, and / or an augmented reality interface.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the user-controllable interface is configured to receive user instructions to selectively step through the recommended assembly steps.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes compiling a combined set of the assembly instructions such that it can be provided as an entity manual.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the retrieval of the assembly metadata is triggered by receiving a user request to combine the first set and the at least one additional set into a combined set of furniture assembly instructions.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, receiving the first set of furniture assembly instructions includes: scanning a first identifier disposed on any one of the plurality of furniture components of the first furniture module, on its furniture packaging, and / or on its furniture assembly manual; and using the first identifier as a reference to request the first set of furniture assembly instructions from a storage resource such as a cloud-based storage resource; and, receiving the at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions includes: scanning a corresponding second identifier disposed on any one of the plurality of furniture components of each of the at least one additional furniture module, on its furniture packaging, and / or on its furniture assembly manual; and using the corresponding second identifier as a reference to request the at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions from a storage resource such as a cloud-based storage resource.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes: scanning an identifier located on any one of a furniture component, a furniture module, and its furniture packaging; and using the identifier as a reference to request placement-related information for the furniture component, the furniture module, or its furniture packaging based on the recommended assembly steps.

[0024] According to a second aspect, there is provided a computerized system for generating furniture assembly instructions. The system includes one or more processors configured to: receive a first set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling a first furniture module including a plurality of furniture parts; receive at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module, each of the at least one additional furniture modules including a plurality of furniture parts; retrieve assembly metadata for each of the first set and the at least one additional set, the assembly metadata indicating corresponding relationships between the furniture parts to be included in a combined furniture module including the first furniture module and the at least one additional furniture module, wherein the assembly metadata is retrieved from the furniture assembly instructions of the first set and the additional set and / or from a storage resource; and generate a combined set of furniture assembly instructions based on the retrieved assembly metadata, the combined set including instructions for assembling the combined furniture module by combining the first set and the at least one additional set, the combined set providing a guidance medium for recommended assembly steps to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module.

[0025] According to a third aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0026] Similar technical advantages achieved by the first aspect can be correspondingly achieved by the second and third aspects respectively. Additionally, any embodiment associated with the first aspect can alternatively be associated with the second or third aspect.

[0027] It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above aspects, the appended claims / clauses, and / or the examples disclosed above and below can be appropriately combined with each other.

[0028] Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and some of the features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art or will be recognized by practicing the disclosure described herein. Also disclosed herein are a control unit, a computer-readable medium, and a computer program product associated with the above technical advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] With reference to the accompanying drawings, various aspects of the disclosure cited as examples are described in more detail below.

[0030] Figure 1A-B is an exemplary diagram showing the generation of a combined set of furniture assembly instructions for assembling a modular furniture model.

[0031] Figure 2 An exemplary schematic diagram showing data related to the generation of a combined set of furniture assembly instructions.

[0032] Figure 3A An exemplary schematic diagram showing a computerized system that can be configured to generate a combined set of furniture assembly instructions.

[0033] Figure 3B is Figure 3A an exemplary computing environment of the computerized system.

[0034] Figure 4 An exemplary flowchart method for generating furniture assembly instructions.

[0035] Figure 5 An exemplary computer-readable storage medium. Detailed Description

[0036] The aspects set forth below represent the necessary information for enabling those skilled in the art to implement the present disclosure.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure relates to a variety of different sets of furniture assembly instructions. These sets of furniture assembly instructions are instructions provided in digital format, i.e., computerized. Thus, when referring to the receipt and generation of a set of furniture assembly instructions, this should be interpreted in a digital sense, e.g., by inputting, processing, and outputting a set of furniture assembly instructions as data instructions. The term "set" simply refers to a collection of data, in this case, a collection of data related to furniture assembly instructions.

[0038] Before delving into the details of the various exemplary diagrams, typical exemplary use cases of some aspects of the invention will be described. Those skilled in the art will understand that this is merely an exemplary typical use case and should not, therefore, be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. A typical scenario is where a user is interested in purchasing a new furniture solution, such as a kitchen furniture solution. Thus, the user browses through a large number of different furniture modules (or components, solutions, and / or combinations thereof) in order to find the desired kitchen furniture solution. These modules are dragged into and out of a visual tool in order to digitally plan an activity or space for a real-world application running on the user's computer (hereinafter referred to as a home planning application for brevity), such that the user can view the current visualization of the selected kitchen furniture solution at any time during the browsing process. Once the user is satisfied with the selection, the user will perform an action, such as clicking a button, thereby indicating the completion of the browsing. Accordingly, the corresponding set of assembly instructions for the selected furniture modules is sent to a server for further processing, while requesting that these corresponding assembly instructions be combined into a combined set of assembly instructions. Upon receipt, the server will retrieve the assembly metadata associated with the components to be included in the kitchen furniture solution, such that the relationships between the components can be established. The server will then perform the combination of the individual sets based on the retrieved assembly metadata, thereby generating a combined set. This combined set will provide a guiding medium / teaching medium for the recommended assembly steps, which is sent back to the user such that the kitchen furniture solution can be assembled while realizing one or more of the technical advantages discussed in the Summary of the Invention section. In various different embodiments of the present disclosure, the user may provide one or more assembly optimization inputs in order to obtain additional benefits. In a slightly alternative example, a combined set of assembly instructions can be generated once the furniture has been delivered to the user's home. In this case, a similar assembly instruction generation procedure can also be implemented.

[0039] It should be understood that the combination described throughout the present disclosure does not necessarily include combining all the instructions in all sets of furniture assembly instructions. One or more instructions may be removed from the combination. Thus, the combination process should not be construed as a complete combination, but at least a partial combination. In other words, as explained herein, sets of furniture assembly instructions may be at least partially combined into a combined set of furniture assembly instructions in one or more aspects, one or more examples, one or more embodiments, etc.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be understood that the combined set of furniture assembly instructions will be generated at the module level, i.e., how the modules are combined. However, since each module includes a plurality of components, the combined set of furniture assembly instructions will also be indirectly generated at the component level, i.e., how the components are combined. To this end, the components of one module can be combined in any order that is considered a preferred order with the components of the same module or another module, as will be described in the present disclosure.

[0041] In addition, it should be understood that the term "assembly" involves performing a number of steps to progress from an initial state to any number / quantity of intermediate states and then to a final state, where the initial state is typically a less assembled / more unfinished state compared to the intermediate / final states.

[0042] Figure 1A -B generally shows the generation of furniture assembly instructions according to an exemplary embodiment. The problems mentioned in the background art section can be seen in Figure 1A . In Figure 1B , this problem has been solved by generating combined furniture assembly instructions. Thus, one or more of the technical effects mentioned in the summary of the invention section have been achieved. Therefore, Figure 1A will be regarded as the current prior art, where a person is extremely exhausted due to the number and chaotic order of the furniture packages being delivered. Figure 1B will be regarded as one case (among many cases) where this problem has been solved by providing combined furniture assembly instructions by means of at least some of the creative teachings of the present disclosure.

[0043] In Figure 1B , a person 62 has delivered a plurality of furniture packages to the location where the combined furniture module 32 is to be arranged. The combined furniture module 32 includes a first furniture module 12 and one or more additional furniture modules 22a-n. In this particular example, the additional furniture modules 22a-n are two furniture modules, i.e., the combined furniture module 32 includes three different furniture modules 12, 22a, 22n. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the combined furniture module 32 can include any number of additional furniture modules 22a-n.

[0044] The first furniture module 12 and the one or more additional furniture modules 22a-n can be any type of furniture such as interior furnishings, appliances or equipment typically found in any suitable location, such as at home, in an office, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a hotel, etc. In this particular example, the first furniture module 12 is a kitchen sideboard type of furniture, the additional furniture module 22a is another type of kitchen sideboard type of furniture, and the additional furniture module 22n is a combined refrigerator / freezer type of furniture. For this reason, the combined furniture module 32 is a kitchen furniture solution including three parts to be combined with each other. In an alternative example, the combined furniture module 32 is any other combination of furniture modules among the furniture found in the above-mentioned locations.

[0045] As in Figure 1AAs can further be seen, each of the furniture modules 12, 22a-n includes respective multiple furniture components 14, 24a-n. The furniture components 14, 24a-n can be parts that, once assembled together, together form the associated furniture modules 12, 22a-n. In the exemplary kitchen cabinet furniture 12, the furniture component 14 includes a base component and a top component, and the base component and the top component are interconnected by a slat component on one side and a panel component on the opposite side. Similar structures can also be seen for other kitchen cabinet furniture and combined refrigerator / freezer furniture.

[0046] Figure 1A Shown therein are four furniture packages. This should in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In an alternative example, any number of furniture packages may include any number of furniture components 14, 24a-n.

[0047] Accompanying the delivery of the furniture packages are respective furniture assembly manuals 15, 25a-n, which include instructions on how to assemble each of the furniture modules 12, 22a-n. In this example, the furniture assembly manuals 15, 25a-n are provided as physical manuals, but digital manuals may also be provided, or possibly a combination thereof. As Figure 1A shown, the person 62 initially does not know how to use the best possible method to assemble the combined furniture module 32 because the prior art does not teach how to combine each individual furniture module 12, 22a-n into the combined furniture module 32.

[0048] In Figure 1B shown is a computerized system 200. The computerized system 200 is configured to generate a combined set 30 of furniture assembly instructions (hereinafter referred to as the combined set 30, or simply the set 30 for brevity). Due to the provisions of the present disclosure, the combined set 30 can be displayed by one or more mobile devices 222. In this example, the mobile devices 222a-b correspond to HMD devices and smart tablets, but this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the same person 62 who was extremely exhausted due to the delivery of the furniture boxes in Figure 1A can now satisfactorily assemble the combined furniture model 32 because the person 62 is provided with the combined set 30. Possibly, the person 62 may be accompanied by a co-assembler 72, and the co-assembler 72 can also enjoy the offerings of the present disclosure by being guided by the combined set 30.

[0049] Figure 2is an exemplary diagram showing data related to the generation of a combined set 30 of furniture assembly instructions. The combined set 30 is generated based on a combination of furniture assembly instructions of a first set 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as the first set 10, or simply as set 10) and furniture assembly instructions of at least one additional set 20a-n (hereinafter simply referred to as the additional set 20a-n, or simply as set 20a-n).

[0050] The first set 10 includes instructions for assembling a first furniture module such as Figure 1A the module 12 shown in -B. Similarly, each of the additional sets 20a-n includes instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module such as Figure 1A the modules 22a-n shown in -B. To this end, the sets 10, 20a-n include instructions sufficient for an assembler to be able to assemble each of the furniture modules, regardless of how the multiple individual modules are subsequently combined into a combined furniture module, such as Figure 1A the module 32 shown in -B.

[0051] The first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n can be received by scanning one or more identifiers arranged on any furniture module, component, its packaging, and / or its furniture assembly manual. Using the scanned identifiers as a reference, the first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n can be requested from a storage resource such as a cloud-based storage resource. The one or more identifiers and their scanning can be based on any well-known scanning technology, including but not limited to Quick Response (QR), barcodes, or other optical scanning technologies, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or other short-range wireless radio frequency communication technologies.

[0052] Alternatively, the first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n can be retrieved from an online source such as the website of a furniture manufacturer or company. Or, the first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n can be received by combining the above embodiments. For example, the first set 10 can be received by using a scanning technology, and any one of the additional sets 20a-n can be received from an online source. Those skilled in the art are aware of any alternatives to such combinations of technologies for receiving the first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n.

[0053] Shown further in Figure 2 are first assembly metadata 11 and additional assembly metadata 21a-n for the corresponding first set 10 and additional sets 20a-n. The assembly metadata 11, 21a-n indicates the relationships between the furniture components to be included in the combined furniture module.

[0054] The first assembly metadata 11 may indicate the degree of compatibility of the furniture components to be included in the modular furniture unit. This generally means that each furniture component in the modular furniture unit is related to the other furniture components in the same modular furniture unit to some extent. The degree of compatibility may be the spatial coordinates of the respective furniture components after they are arranged together in the modular furniture unit. Consider an example of a modular kitchen scenario having two corner modules and two central modules. In the modular kitchen scenario, each furniture component of the respective modules is spatially related to each other. The first corner module may be located in the first corner having spatial coordinates x1, y1, z1, the first central module may be located adjacent to the first corner module at a position having spatial coordinates x2, y1, z1, the second central module may be located adjacent to the first central module at a position having spatial coordinates x2, y1, z2, and the second corner module may be located vertically above the second central module at a position having spatial coordinates x2, y2, z2. Thus, when viewed from above, the shape of the modular kitchen scenario is generally L-shaped, with one end accommodating two modules stacked (vertically).

[0055] In one example, the first kitchen cabinet may be connected to the second kitchen cabinet in a predetermined number of ways, and the first kitchen cabinet may be connected to the third kitchen cabinet in another predetermined number of ways. In this example, the predetermined number of ways corresponds to the degree of compatibility. The first assembly metadata 11 indicating the degree of compatibility may thus determine which relationship (first / second or first / third) is the most compatible by comparing the predetermined numbers. If the first and second kitchen cabinets can be connected in five different ways, while the first and third kitchen cabinets can be connected in one different way, this may indicate that the first / second kitchen cabinets are more compatible than the first / third kitchen cabinets. To this end, the assembly metadata 11 may indicate a higher degree of compatibility for the first / second kitchen cabinets compared to the first / third kitchen cabinets. Obviously, this also applies to the corresponding relationships between the second kitchen cabinet and the first or third kitchen cabinets, or to any number of additional and / or other types of furniture modules, such as drawers, or other such furniture modules.

[0056] The conditions "how many ways can X be combined with Y" and "where will X be spatially arranged relative to Y" (where X and Y are furniture components or modules, as explained in the example above) are merely exemplary conditions that may be considered when indicating the degree of compatibility. Similarly, relationships based on the spatial coordinates of the modules and / or components included therein are other exemplary conditions of the degree of compatibility. Any additional or alternative conditions may alternatively be considered and weighed against each other, such as how compatible they are, how many additional furniture modules they can be assembled with, how easily they can be combined, and so on.

[0057] Assembly metadata 11, 21a-n can be retrieved from a residential planning application. Furniture scenarios can be virtually planned in the home planning application, where each step of the planning includes retrieving the assembly metadata 11, 21a-n of various virtual furniture arrangements. Each time one or more furniture modules are added, removed, or modified using the home planning application, the virtual furniture arrangement can be updated. The residential planning application can include the sets 10, 20a-n, and thus the assembly metadata 11, 21a-n can be retrieved from the sets 10, 20a-n via the residential planning application. Alternatively or additionally, the assembly metadata 11, 21a-n can be retrieved from a storage resource such as a cloud-based storage resource. An external service can be configured to communicate with the residential planning application.

[0058] Based on the retrieved assembly metadata 11, 21a-n, a combined set 30 is generated by combining a first set 10 and a second set 20a-n. Thus, the combined set 30 is generated accordingly based on how the corresponding furniture components to be included in the combined furniture module are related. The combined set 30 provides a guiding medium for the recommended assembly steps 50 to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module such as the combined furniture module 32 shown in Figure 1A -B.

[0059] Figure 2 A plurality of assembly optimization inputs 40 are further shown. In the context of the present disclosure, the assembly optimization inputs 40 can refer to information or instructions provided to the combined set 30 to improve the efficiency of the assembly process. The assembly optimization inputs 40 are configured to cause one or more changes to the combined set 30 when applied to the generation of the combined set 30. The one or more changes may be related to a variety of different factors, ultimately allowing a more efficient assembly procedure through the recommended assembly steps 50. The assembly optimization inputs 40 can also be understood as configured or adjusted parameters, i.e., parameters adapted to optimize the system output based on the characteristics or requirements of the assembly optimization inputs 40. One or more assembly optimization inputs 40 can be included in a request to combine the sets 10, 20a-n into the combined set 30. This request can be user-triggered. Alternatively, after the sets 10, 20a-n are combined, the assembly optimization inputs 40 can be included as a separate input. Other variations are also possible. Regardless of whether the assembly optimization inputs 40 are sent separately or included in the combination request, generating the combined set 30 involves determining the order of the recommended assembly steps 50 based on the assembly optimization inputs 40. In other words, the assembly optimization inputs 40 can help generate the combined sets 30 such that they are optimized relative to a plurality of different scenarios.

[0060] The sequence indicates how each respective furniture component of all the furniture modules should be assembled in an integrated manner. Thus, the sequence can include a starting furniture component of either the first and additional furniture modules, as determined by either the first set 10 or any one of the additional sets 20a-n. After selecting the starting furniture component, and for all the remaining furniture components to be included in the combined furniture module, the sequence also includes a plurality of subsequent furniture components. The plurality of subsequent furniture components can be from (selected from) any one of the plurality of furniture modules. For example, the starting furniture component can be from the second furniture module, the next two furniture components can be from the third furniture module, the next four furniture components can be from the first furniture module, and the final furniture component can be from the fourth furniture module. The sequence can be determined such that the assembler's accessibility is optimal (i.e., the arrangement of the modules or components should preferably not restrict the accessibility to subsequent modules or components). Any alternative variations of an appropriate assembly sequence based on the assembly optimization input 40 can be implemented.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to any particular sequence. The sequence is preferably as advantageous as possible in terms of correctness, clarity, time efficiency, safety, cost, and ergonomic satisfaction.

[0062] Multiple different assembly optimization inputs 40 are shown in Figure 2 These are to be interpreted as data to be considered during the combination of the first set 10 and the additional sets 20a-n in order to derive an optimal assembly procedure through the provided guiding medium / teaching medium.

[0063] The assembly optimization input 40 can include environmental data 41 of the physical environment in which the combined furniture module is to be assembled. The environmental data 41 can include the size and / or dimensions of the room, other objects in the room (e.g., already existing furniture or fixed objects such as pipes, windows, walls, ceilings, etc.), or other such information that defines how the room restricts the assembly space for the combined furniture module to be assembled. Thus, the environmental data 41 can determine where (e.g., in a certain corner of the room) various furniture components should be assembled.

[0064] The environmental data 41 can include information related to the type of room of the physical environment, i.e., bathroom, toilet, children's room, kitchen, attic, workshop, etc. Since all these rooms are usually associated with different activities, their construction may vary. For example, material selection, texture, or other such details can be considered in the environmental data 41.

[0065] Environmental data 41 may include furniture component and / or module adaptation information based on the environment. The set of combinations 30 optimized by the environmental data 41 including the adaptation information may thus include instructions to modify certain furniture components or modules based on how the environment looks. To this end, after the environmental data 41 indicates that a certain module is to be arranged at a certain location in a room where some other object is located (e.g., there is already furniture or fixed objects such as pipes, windows, walls, ceiling, etc.), the adaptation information may cause the set of combinations 30 to instruct the assembler to modify a part of any furniture component or module such that it better fits the other object in the room. For example, the assembler may be instructed to saw out holes for a part of a pipe or a door to be installed under a sloping ceiling, or other similar situations that may occur to those skilled in the art.

[0066] Environmental data 41 may include additional environmental data of a location adjacent to the location where the modular furniture is to be placed. Thus, the present disclosure allows the modular furniture to be arranged in one location, e.g., a first room, and then brought to a second location, e.g., a second room, where the modular furniture is to be placed. A reminder may be generated and provided to a mobile device of an assembler, for example, indicating that the assembled modular furniture may not fit through a doorway or aisle to reach the (possible) final destination. To this end, the following steps may be implemented in sequence: 1) Assemble some parts of the modular furniture in the first location; 2) Remind the user of the maximum number of possible steps that can be taken to bring it to the second room; 3) Bring the (partially completed) furniture module to the second location; 4) Complete the assembly of the furniture module in the second location. Other similar methods may be implemented.

[0067] In some embodiments, the environmental data 41 is obtained by a near real-time 3D scanning tool. Near real-time 3D scanning tools are known in the art and may include, for example, lidar, stereo camera systems, depth camera systems, structured light projection systems, etc. The near real-time 3D scanning tool may be implemented by a mobile device, such as the HMD device 222a or the smart tablet 222b as Figure 1B shown. Additionally or alternatively, the environmental data 41 may be obtained by means of a room layout file. The room layout file may be retrieved from a home planning application, an official source (e.g., drawings from an authority), a builder, or other sources. The room layout file may be a CAD file, such as STEP, QIF, JT, or 3D PDF, or other data-readable files, such as json, yaml, xml, to name just a few examples.

[0068] As an alternative or complement to the room layout file and the near-real-time 3D scanning tool, in some embodiments, the environmental data 41 can be obtained by manipulating a virtual bounding volume. For example, it is known from European Patent Application No. 21171682 filed with this application to define a manipulated virtual bounding volume through an augmented reality interface. The details described in that document will not be included in this disclosure. However, this technique generally involves a first step of receiving user input for defining a virtual bounding volume placed in a 3D spatial representation of a physical environment. The user input can be received through an augmented reality interface, such as by an HMD device 222a or a smart tablet 222b, as Figure 1B shown. Additionally, this technique generally involves further manipulating the virtual bounding volume through the augmented reality interface based on one or more intersections / intersections in 3D space between the virtual bounding volume and 3D data corresponding to physical objects / physical objects located in the physical environment. Such physical objects / physical objects have been described above (e.g., existing furniture or fixed objects such as pipes, windows, walls, ceilings, etc.). Thus, the physical environment defines the space of the virtual bounding volume, and the environmental data 41 is obtained by means of the space of the virtual bounding volume.

[0069] The mechanisms / means for obtaining the environmental data 41 described above can be combined. To this end, a first scan / layout of the room can be obtained and then further defined by the virtual bounding volume, so that a very precise space can be defined where the combined furniture modules are to be assembled. The program can also include creating one or more additional virtual bounding volumes during the assembly program, each of the additional bounding volumes corresponding to a respective furniture module to be arranged. The additional bounding volumes can be provided one after another in a subsequent order, thus generally following the recommended assembly steps 50 during the assembly program.

[0070] The assembly optimization input 40 can include furniture data 42 of the furniture modules that make up the combined furniture module. The furniture data 42 can include the size or dimensions, weight information, furniture type (e.g., wall-mounted object, freestanding object, ceiling object, floor object), furniture room type (e.g., furniture typically arranged in a specific room such as kitchen object / wardrobe object), style group (e.g., exclusive furniture, comfortable furniture, Scandinavian furniture, vintage furniture, rustic style furniture), and other data related to general furniture. The furniture data 42 can be retrieved as a 3D product model and / or product list of the stored furniture, and the 3D model and / or product list includes internal data or metadata defining the characteristics of the furniture. The 3D product model and / or product list can be retrieved from a storage resource such as a cloud-based storage resource.

[0071] The assembly optimization input 40 may include safety data 43 that affects external restrictions of the assembly procedure. The safety data 43 may include fire-related information (e.g., the furniture part cannot be placed there because it is too close to a radiator that may cause a fire, or the furniture part cannot be placed there because it blocks a fire exit), ventilation requirements (e.g., the furniture part cannot be placed there because it negatively affects the air flow in the room), or other similar safety-related information. The safety data 43 may be retrieved from external services such as authorities, fire departments, regulatory / compliance services, etc.

[0072] The assembly optimization input 40 may include assembler data 44 of one or more persons performing the assembly procedure. Thus, the combination set 30 may be highly personalized such that the guidance provided by the guiding medium is suitable for the person assembling the modular furniture combination.

[0073] The assembler data 44 may include information related to the number of assemblers. In this example, the guiding medium may recommend that the first person start assembling a particular furniture module, and one or more additional persons start assembling other furniture modules. Thus, the entire assembly procedure may be parallelized, resulting in a more convenient assembly. For example, the first person may be instructed to start assembling the first furniture module in the first corner of the room, while the second person may be instructed to start assembling the second furniture module in the second corner of the room. Subsequent steps may include instructions for co-assembling towards the center of the room to interconnect the two "sub-sets" of the modular furniture combination.

[0074] The assembler data 44 may include information related to the skills of one or more persons assembling the modular furniture combination. For example, if it is known that the assembler is a skilled technician for assembling kitchen scenarios, one or more steps of the guiding medium may be omitted, simplified, combined, or associated with other suitable actions customized based on this person's assembly skills.

[0075] The assembler data 44 may include information about a person's physical appearance. This information may affect certain steps of the assembly procedure, e.g., if a person's height prevents or allows the assembly of a certain module / component before another module / component.

[0076] The assembler data 44 may include disability information. The disability information may provide additional guidance for a person with one or more disabilities. For example, if it is known that the assembler has one or more movement impairments, missing limbs, difficulty using certain tools, or any other disability related to the inability to perform certain assembly steps, the execution of certain assembly steps may be adjusted. These steps may be adjusted accordingly such that they will be performed using some alternative methods that do not hinder the ability of the disabled person to assemble the modular furniture combination.

[0077] The assembly optimization input 40 may include tool data 45 on which tool to use during the assembly procedure. The tool to be used can be any kind of tool for the corresponding furniture module, or any additional / alternative tool available for assembling combined furniture modules. The tool data 45 may provide tools commonly used for furniture assembly, such as wrenches, hammers, Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and so on.

[0078] The assembly optimization input 40 may include material data 46 on which items to use during the assembly procedure. Items commonly used during furniture assembly include screws, bolts, tacks, nails, etc. Thus, the material data 46 may include any number of available items from the corresponding sets 10, 20a-n, or additional available items that are still important for the assembly of combined furniture modules and are not considered in the corresponding sets 10, 20a-n.

[0079] Any one of the assembly optimization inputs 40 as described above can be obtained from various sources. In addition to the above examples, it should also be understood that some assembly optimization inputs 40 can be directly derived from the furniture assembly instructions of the first set and the additional sets 10, 20a-n, from storage resources (such as cloud-based storage resources), or from user input (e.g., from a mobile device or a home planning application). For example, the user may provide exemplary assembler data 44 by specifying his / her movement disorder, the user's height, how many people are assembling, and / or the skill level and / or the number of assemblers.

[0080] The order of the recommended assembly steps 50 can be calculated based on the one or more assembly optimization inputs 40 described above. Alternatively, the order of the recommended assembly steps 50 can be calculated based on a combined weighted value of multiple ones of the one or more assembly optimization inputs 40 described above. In these embodiments, each assembly optimization input 40 can be assigned an assembly coefficient that indicates the degree of importance relative to other assembly optimization inputs 40. For example, the environmental data 41 can be given a value of "1", the furniture data 42 a value of "2", the safety data 43 a value of "3", the assembler data 44 a value of "4", the tool data 45 a value of "5", and the material data 46 a value of "6", where "1" is the most important data and "6" is the least important data. Thus, when generating the combination set 30, the assembly optimization inputs 40 are weighted relative to each other such that the environmental data 41 takes precedence over all other data, or vice versa, or in virtually any possible order. This can be important in some cases where it is not possible to select the best assembly optimization input 40 for all of the data 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 because the data 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 are contradictory to each other. Such a scenario can be realized in a case where the environmental data 41 indicates that a certain furniture part is to be placed in a certain location, but the safety data 43 indicates that this is not appropriate due to a fire hazard. Thus, in this particular example, the safety data 43 can be given precedence, and the combination set 30 can be based primarily on the safety data 43 indicating the placement of the furniture part accordingly. Those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable weighting scheme for the assembly optimization inputs 40 can be implemented, none of which should be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some examples, the combination set 30 can be presented as a guidance medium with n alternative recommended steps 50, where multiple different weighting schemes that provide minor variations in the assembly procedure are presented. Thus, the user can select between different alternative recommended steps 50 based on the weighting scheme used.

[0081] The generation of the combination set 30 can be based on the generation of a combination set of previously generated furniture assembly instructions. To this end, the generation of the combination set 30 can be based on self-learning features. The relevant data to be processed by the corresponding self-learning model can include data related to the time spent assembling the modular furniture and related sub-assembly steps, assembler satisfaction, previous suggestions given, previous assembly optimization inputs 40 considered and / or their respective weights, as well as other data related to the assembly procedure. The self-learning model can be trained on a data set including all of the above data. Whenever the generation of the combination set 30 is performed, the self-learning model can thus perform an autonomous classification of suitable recommended assembly steps 50 to be provided based on the environment / situation related to the previously completed assembly. The self-learning model can implement any known supervised or unsupervised learning algorithms known in the art, such as binary, multi-class or multi-label classification and / or clustering algorithms. For example, algorithms such as logistic regression, support vector machines, kernel estimation, decision trees and / or neural networks can be used. In addition, the machine learning model can learn from previous classifications by implementing the backpropagation algorithm.

[0082] Considering the intelligent generation of the combination set, as explained above, an exemplary method that can be used to handle the known state explosion problem caused by the rapid complexity growth includes combining the Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) with a declarative algorithm (such as Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP)). Together with the physical constraints in the simulated data space, the above method provides an intelligent analysis of a manageable number of possible sequences. Subsequently, a working sequence can be selected from the manageable number of possible sequences. Thus, a working sequence can be obtained from (almost) an infinite number of scenarios.

[0083] The guiding medium for the recommended assembly steps 50 can be provided in a user-controllable interface. The user-controllable interface can be a character interface / text interface. The text interface can be an instructional / guiding sentence that can be read by the user, such as "Component X of Module A is to be screwed / threaded together with Component Y of Module B in this way while standing in this position". The user-controllable interface can be a graphical interface. The graphical interface can provide the guiding medium in a visual form to guide the user to perform a certain action. This can be displayed on a mobile device. The user-controllable interface can be an auditory interface that provides audio guidance. The user-controllable interface can be an augmented reality interface that uses augmented reality visualization to guide the user to perform a certain action. The user-controllable interface can also be any combination of two or more of the above interface technologies. The user-controllable interface can be implemented by a user device, such as Figure 1B the exemplary devices 222a-b shown.

[0084] The user-controllable interface can be configured to receive user instructions to selectively step through / present the recommended assembly steps 50. To this end, the user can anticipate which steps will be performed in the future of the assembly procedure for the modular furniture, or return to one or more steps to verify that some actions have been performed correctly.

[0085] The combined set 30 can be provided as a physical manual. Thus, the recommended assembly steps 50 can be compiled into a format that can be followed by the user after being subsequently provided as a physical manual (e.g., after a printed manual). This example corresponds to Figure 1A the scenario shown, but the important difference is that the furniture assembly manuals 15, 25a-n are effectively combined into a combined physical manual that takes into account one or more inventive aspects of the present disclosure regarding generating the combined set 30 based on the retrieved assembly metadata 11, 21a-n.

[0086] Placement-related information for furniture components, modules, or their packaging can be requested based on the recommended assembly steps 50. For example, if the combined set 30 is created and the user wishes to initiate the assembly procedure, the user may want to know where in the room certain objects will be placed. This can be learned by scanning the identifier on any furniture component, module, or their packaging and using the identifier as a reference for the request. To this end, the assembly procedure can be made more space-saving. Thus, the placement-related information indicates the location in the physical environment where the module will be arranged (e.g., coordinates retrieved in response to a 3D room scan). Additionally or alternatively, this can be learned from one or more guiding icons attached to the furniture component / module or its packaging.

[0087] Figure 3A is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a computerized system 200 that can be configured to generate a combined set of furniture assembly instructions. The computerized system 200 includes a server-side platform 210 and a client-side platform 220.

[0088] The server-side platform 210 can be hosted on a cloud-based server, which can be implemented using any common cloud computing platform technology, such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, IBM Bluemix, or Alibaba Cloud. The cloud-based server can be included in a widely open distributed cloud network or, alternatively, be limited to in-house enterprise use. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the cloud-based server can be locally managed as, for example, a centralized server unit. Other alternative server configurations can be implemented based on any type of client-server or peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture. Thus, the server configuration can involve any combination of, for example, a web server, a database server, an email server, a web proxy server, a DNS server, an FTP server, a file server, a DHCP server, etc.

[0089] The server-side platform 210 includes computing resources 212 and storage resources 214 that can communicate operably. The cloud-based computing resources 212 are configured to perform processing activities as discussed in the present disclosure, such as receiving a set of furniture assembly instructions, retrieving assembly metadata, and generating a combined set of furniture assembly instructions. To this end, the cloud-based computing resources 212 include one or more processors configured to process data associated with the generation of furniture assembly instructions.

[0090] The storage resources 214 can be maintained by a cloud-based service and / or be configured as a cloud-based service, which can be internal or external to the cloud-based computing resources 110. A connection to the storage resources 214 can be established using DBaaS (Database as a Service). For example, the storage resources 214 can be deployed as an SQL data model, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle RDBMS. Alternatively, a deployment based on a NoSQL data model such as MongoDB, Amazon DynamoDB, Hadoop, or Apache Cassandra can be used. DBaaS technology is typically included as a service in the associated cloud computing platform.

[0091] The client platform 220 includes one or more computing devices 222a-e. In this particular example, the computing devices are mobile devices and include a head-mounted display 222a, a smartphone 222b, a laptop computer 222c, a smart tablet 222d, and a smartwatch 222e. However, the computing devices can also be fixed devices, such as a stationary computer. Devices 222a-e can be operated by a user. Devices 222a-e can be configured to communicate with the server-side platform 210, such as to transmit a set of assembly instructions and to receive a combined set of the generated furniture assembly instructions.

[0092] Alternatively, the computing devices 222a-e can be configured to perform processing activities as discussed in this disclosure, such as receiving a set of multiple furniture assembly instructions, retrieving assembly metadata, and generating a combined set of furniture assembly instructions. Thus, the functionality described with reference to the cloud-based computing resources 212 can alternatively be performed by any one of the computing devices 222a-e or by both the cloud-based computing resources 212 and the computing devices 222a-e.

[0093] Communication between the server-side platform 210 and the client platform 220 (i.e., each of the computing devices 222a-e) can be achieved by means of any short-range or long-range wireless communication standard known in the art. For example, the wireless communication can be implemented by technologies including but not limited to the following: IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, ZigBee, WirelessHART, WiFi, Bluetooth®, BLE, RFID, WLAN, MQTT IoT, CoAP, DDS, NFC, AMQP, LoRaWAN, Z-Wave, Sigfox, Thread, EnOcean, mesh communication, any form of short-range device-to-device wireless communication, LTEDirect, W-CDMA / HSPA, GSM, UTRAN, LTE, or Starlink.

[0094] As Figure 3BAs shown, system 200 may include multiple units known to those skilled in the art for implementing the functions described in this disclosure. System 200 may include one or more computing units, which may include firmware, hardware, and / or execute software instructions to implement the functions described herein. System 200 may include one or more processors (also referred to as control units) 230, one or more memories 235, and one or more buses 240. Processors 230 may be included in computing devices 222a - e and cloud - based computing resources 212 respectively. System 200 may include at least one computing device having a processor 230. System bus 240 may provide an interface for system components, including but not limited to memory 235 and processor 230. Processor 230 may include any number of hardware components for data or signal processing, or for executing computer code stored in memory. For example, processor 230 may include a general - purpose processor, a special - purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application - specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field - programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit including processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processor 230 may also include computer - executable code for controlling the operation of programmable devices.

[0095] System bus 240 may be any of a variety of bus structures, which may also use any of a variety of bus architectures to interconnect with a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus. Memory 235 may be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code for completing or facilitating the methods described herein. Memory 235 may include database components, object - code components, script components, or other types of information structures for supporting the various activities described herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be used with the systems and methods of this specification. Memory 235 may be communicatively connected to processor 230 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection), and may include computer code for performing one or more processes described herein. Memory may include non - volatile memory (e.g., read - only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read - only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read - only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory (e.g., random - access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the required program code (in the form of machine - executable instructions or data structures) and can be accessed by a computer or other machine equipped with a processor. The basic input / output system (BIOS) may be stored in non - volatile memory and may include basic routines that help transfer information between elements within a computer system.

[0096] Memory 245 can be operably connected to system 200 via, for example, an I / O interface (e.g., card, device) 250 and an I / O port 255. Memory 245 can include, but is not limited to, devices such as disk drives, solid state drives, optical disc drives, flash memory cards, memory sticks, etc. Memory 245 can also include cloud-based servers implemented using any common cloud computing platform, as described above. Memory 245 or memory 235 can store an operating system for controlling and allocating resources of system 200.

[0097] System 200 can interact with network device 260 via I / O interface 250 or I / O port 255. System 200 can interact with a network through network device 260. System 200 can be logically connected to a remote computer through the network. As described above, server-side platform 210 can communicate with client-side platform 220 through the network. Networks with which system 200 can interact include, but are not limited to, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and other networks.

[0098] Figure 4 An exemplary method 100 for generating furniture assembly instructions is shown. Method 100 includes receiving 110 a first set 10 of furniture assembly instructions that includes instructions for assembling a first furniture module 12, the first furniture module 12 including a plurality of furniture components 14. Method 100 also includes receiving 120 at least one additional set 20a-n of furniture assembly instructions that includes instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module 22a-n, each of the at least one additional furniture module 22a-n including a plurality of furniture components 24a-n. Method 100 also includes retrieving 130 assembly metadata 11, 21a-n for the first set 10 and each of the at least one additional set 20a-n, the assembly metadata indicating the corresponding relationships between the furniture components 14, 24a-n to be included in a combined furniture module 32 that includes the first furniture module 12 and the at least one additional furniture module 22a-n. Method 100 also includes generating 140 a combined set 30 by combining the first set 10 and the at least one additional set 20a-n, based on the retrieved assembly metadata 11, 21a-n, the combined set 30 providing a guiding medium for recommended assembly steps 50 to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module 32.

[0099] Reference Figure 5, A schematic diagram of a (non-transitory) computer-readable (storage) medium 300 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. The computer-readable medium 300 may be associated with or connected to the system 200 as described herein and is capable of storing a computer program product 310. In the disclosed embodiment, the computer-readable medium 300 is a memory stick, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick. The USB stick 300 includes a housing 330 having an interface (e.g., connector 340) and a memory chip 320. In the disclosed embodiment, the memory chip 320 is a flash memory, i.e., an electrically erasable and reprogrammable non-volatile data memory. The memory chip 320 stores a computer program product 310 that is programmed with computer program code (instructions) which, when loaded into a processor, will execute a method, such as the method 100 referred to Figure 4 above. The USB stick 300 is arranged to be connected to and read by a reading device so as to load the instructions into a processor. It should be noted that the computer-readable medium may also be other media such as optical discs, digital video discs, hard disk drives, or other commonly used storage technologies. The computer program code (instructions) may also be downloaded from the computer-readable medium via a wireless interface and loaded into a processing device / processor.

[0100] Other alternative aspects of the present disclosure are described in the numbered clauses below.

[0101] The operation steps described in any exemplary aspect herein are intended to provide examples and discussions. These steps may be performed by hardware components, may be implemented in the form of machine-executable instructions that cause a processor to perform these steps, or may be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a particular order of method steps may have been shown or described, the order of the steps may be different. Additionally, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0102] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", and / or "having" as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0103] It should be understood that although terms such as "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various different elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0104] Relative terms such as "below", "above", "upper", "lower", "horizontal", or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another element shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms, as well as those discussed above, are intended to also cover different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0105] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as being consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and that, unless expressly defined otherwise herein, the terms used herein should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0106] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the drawings; rather, those skilled in the art should recognize that many changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. The aspects disclosed in the drawings and the specification are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, and the scope of the inventive concept is set forth by the following claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (100) for generating furniture assembly instructions, the method comprising: Receiving (110) a first set (10) of furniture assembly instructions, the first set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling a first furniture module (12), the first furniture module (12) including a plurality of furniture components (14); Receiving (120) at least one additional set (20a-n) of furniture assembly instructions, the at least one additional set of furniture assembly instructions including instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module (22a-n), each of the at least one additional furniture modules (22a-n) including a plurality of furniture components (24a-n); Retrieving (130) assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) for each of the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n), the assembly metadata indicating the corresponding relationships between the furniture components (14, 24a-n) to be included in a combined furniture module (32), the combined furniture module including the first furniture module (12) and the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n), wherein the assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) is retrieved from the furniture assembly instructions of the first set and the additional sets (10, 20a-n) and / or from a storage resource; And Generating (140) a combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions based on the retrieved assembly metadata (11, 21a-n), the combined set including instructions for assembling the combined furniture module (32) by combining the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n), the combined set (30) providing a guiding medium for recommended assembly steps (50) to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module (32).

2. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more assembly optimization inputs (40), the one or more assembly optimization inputs configured to cause one or more changes to the combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions when applied during the generation of the combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions, wherein the generation (140) of the combined set (30) includes determining an order of the recommended assembly steps (50) based on the one or more assembly optimization inputs (40).

3. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The order includes: A starting furniture component (14, 24a-n) of one of the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n) and the first furniture module (12); and A plurality of subsequent furniture components (14, 24a-n) of one of the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n) and the first furniture module (12) after the starting furniture component (14, 24a-n) and for all remaining furniture components (14, 24a-n) to be included in the combined furniture module (32).

4. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The order is determined by combining the weighted values of a plurality of the one or more assembly optimization inputs (40).

5. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The one or more assembly optimization inputs (40) include environmental data (41) of a physical environment in which the modular furniture assembly (32) is to be assembled.

6. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 5, wherein, The environmental data (41) is obtained by means of a near real-time 3D scanning tool and / or a room layout file.

7. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising receiving user input via an augmented reality interface, wherein the user input defines a virtual enclosure that is virtually placed in a 3D spatial representation of a physical environment in which the modular furniture assembly (32) is to be assembled, wherein the virtual enclosure is adapted to be further manipulated via the augmented reality interface based on one or more intersections in 3D space between the virtual enclosure and 3D data corresponding to physical objects located in the physical environment, wherein the environmental data (41) is obtained by means of the manipulated virtual enclosure.

8. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The one or more assembly optimization inputs (40) include furniture data (42) of the first furniture module (12) and of the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n).

9. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 8, wherein, The furniture data (42) is obtained from a 3D object model and / or a product list.

10. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The one or more assembly optimization inputs (40) include safety data (43) of external restrictions that affect the assembly procedure.

11. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The one or more assembly optimization inputs (40) include assembler data (44) of one or more persons performing the assembly procedure.

12. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, For each of the first set and the at least one additional set (10, 20a-n), the assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) includes a degree of compatibility of the furniture components (14, 24a-n) to be included in the modular furniture assembly (32).

13. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The guiding medium of the recommended assembly steps (50) is provided in a user-controllable interface, which is a character interface, a graphical interface, an auditory interface, and / or an augmented reality interface.

14. The computer-implemented method (100) according to claim 13, wherein, The user-controllable interface is configured to receive user instructions to selectively step through the recommended assembly steps (50).

15. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising compiling a combined set (30) of assembly instructions such that the combined set of assembly instructions can be provided as a physical manual.

16. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Retrieval of the assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) is triggered by receiving a user request to combine the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n) into a combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions.

17. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Receiving (110) the furniture assembly instructions for the first set (10) includes: scanning a first identifier disposed on any one of the plurality of furniture components (14) of the first furniture module (12), on its furniture packaging, and / or on its furniture assembly manual (15); and using the first identifier as a reference to request the furniture assembly instructions for the first set (10) from a storage resource; and Receiving (120) the furniture assembly instructions for the at least one additional set (20a-n) includes: scanning a respective second identifier disposed on any one of the plurality of furniture components (24a-n) of each of the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n), on its furniture packaging, and / or on its furniture assembly manual (25a-n); and using the respective second identifier as a reference to request the furniture assembly instructions for the at least one additional set (20a-n) from a storage resource.

18. The computer-implemented method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Scanning an identifier located on any one of the furniture components (14, 24a-n), furniture modules (12, 22a-n), and its furniture packaging; and Using the identifier as a reference to request placement-related information for the furniture components (14, 24a-n), furniture modules (12, 22a-n), or its furniture packaging based on the recommended assembly steps (50).

19. A computerized system (200) for generating furniture assembly instructions, the system (200) comprising one or more processors configured to: Receive furniture assembly instructions for a first set (10), the furniture assembly instructions for the first set including instructions for assembling a first furniture module (12), the first furniture module (12) including a plurality of furniture components (14); Receive furniture assembly instructions for at least one additional set (20a-n) including instructions for assembling at least one additional furniture module (22a-n), each of the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n) including a plurality of furniture components (24a-n); Retrieve assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) respectively for each of the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n), the assembly metadata indicating the respective relationships between the furniture components (14, 24a-n) to be included in a combined furniture module (32), the combined furniture module including the first furniture module (12) and the at least one additional furniture module (22a-n), wherein the assembly metadata (11, 21a-n) is retrieved from the furniture assembly instructions of the first set and the additional sets (10, 20a-n) and / or from a storage resource; and Based on the retrieved assembly metadata (11, 21a-n), a combined set (30) of furniture assembly instructions is generated, the combined set including instructions for assembling the combined furniture module (32) by combining the first set (10) and the at least one additional set (20a-n), the combined set (30) providing a guiding medium for the recommended assembly steps (50) to be followed during the assembly procedure of the combined furniture module (32).

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method (100) according to any one of claims 1-18.

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