3D Obstruction Modeling for Storage-Efficient MEP Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional routing techniques are computation intensive and storage inefficient, leading to long processing times and inefficiencies in navigating through obstructed spaces.
Innovation Solution
A storage efficient data representation using triangular surface representations of obstructions in a bounded three-dimensional space, allowing for efficient routing of objects and MEP systems while avoiding conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional data representations are used to represent three-dimensional space, then the representation is simple and easy to implement, but the storage efficiency is poor and large amounts of storage are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the three-dimensional space into discrete voxels (volume elements) that can be represented using efficient bit-level data structures. Each voxel is divided into smaller sub-voxels or represented using hierarchical octrees, allowing the space to be broken down into manageable units that consume less storage while maintaining complete spatial representation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from conventional coordinate-based or mesh-based formats to voxel-based binary representations. By encoding spatial information using bit fields and hierarchical data structures, the storage requirements are dramatically reduced while preserving all necessary geometric and topological information for routing operations.
2Speed
If all data is loaded in memory for processing, then the processing speed is fast, but the memory requirements are large and data must be stored in slow storage systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data processing into hierarchical levels, where commonly accessed voxel data is kept in fast memory while less frequently accessed data remains in storage systems. The segmented data structure allows selective loading of only necessary portions into memory, maintaining fast processing speeds while reducing overall memory requirements through intelligent data placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested data structures where voxel data is organized in hierarchical octrees or similar nested formats. This allows the system to access and process only the necessary level of detail for current routing operations, keeping essential data in fast memory while nesting less critical data in slower storage, thereby achieving fast processing with reduced memory footprint.
3Adaptability or versatility
If frequent swapping of data from memory is performed, then the routing process can access stored data, but the routing process runs inefficiently and takes long time to process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of voxel data into optimized data structures and pre-loads necessary data subsets into memory before routing operations begin. By preparing the data in advance with appropriate indexing and hierarchical organization, the system minimizes the need for frequent data swapping during actual routing processing, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining full data accessibility.
4Productivity
If triangular surface representations are used to model obstructions, then the computational efficiency is improved and database size is minimized, but the modeling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments complex obstruction surfaces into triangular meshes, where each triangle is represented by simple vertex coordinates. This segmentation transforms complicated continuous surfaces into discrete, computationally efficient elements that are easy to process for collision detection and routing calculations, while the modular nature of triangles simplifies the overall data structure despite the increased number of elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A system uses a storage efficient data representation to route an object of variable cross-sectional area through a bounded three-dimensional space containing obstructions of varying size and complexity. The system uses the of triangular representations of the surfaces of the space in which the systems are to be routed. The system creates a computationally efficient 3D model that accurately represents the physical constraints of the space to be traversed and ensures that the routes are built within the constraints of the physical possibility requirements with no conflicts between different types of objects being routed.