System for demonstrating compliance with standards

Compliance with a standard is demonstrated by displaying a floor plan on a first computer. The displayed floor plan includes designated areas. Each designated area includes a corresponding communication link, and the designated areas are regulated by the standard. A message is transmitted to a second computer in response to selection of one of the designated areas by a user on the first computer. The message is dependent upon the communication link corresponding to the selected designated area and causes compliance information to be downloaded by the second computer to the first computer. The compliance information is displayed on the first computer and demonstrates that the selected designated area is in compliance with the standard.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to a system which assists an organization in
 demonstrating compliance with standards.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Insurance companies and/or governments require certain buildings, such as
 hospitals, schools, businesses, and the like, to comply with a variety of
 standards. These standards may be in the form of industry standards, local
 codes, federal regulations, state regulations, local regulations, and/or
 the like, and may regulate, for example, protection against the hazards of
 fire, smoke, asbestos, and/or the like. In order to assure compliance with
 applicable standards, inspectors periodically conduct inspections of the
 buildings covered by such standards. During such inspections, it is
 incumbent upon building administrators to demonstrate compliance with
 these standards.
 Demonstrating such compliance is often tedious and expensive. For example,
 pipes running through walls of a building must be sealed with a material
 acting as a firestop in order to comply with firestop standards. However,
 these firestops may be between walls, in elevator shafts, and in other
 places that are often inaccessible or not easily accessible to inspectors.
 Therefore, it may be necessary to destroy portions of inspected buildings
 in order to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards.
 The present invention permits the administrator of a building to
 demonstrate compliance to an inspector without destructive testing.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method executed
 on a computer comprises the following steps: a) displaying a floor plan
 selected by a user, wherein the displayed floor plan is regulated by a
 standard; and, b) displaying information demonstrating that the floor plan
 is in compliance with the standard.
 In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method
 executed on a computer comprises the following steps: a) displaying a
 floor plan selected by a user, wherein the displayed floor plan includes
 designated areas, and wherein the designated areas are regulated by a
 standard; and, b) in response to selection by the user of one of the
 designated areas, displaying information demonstrating that the selected
 designated area is in compliance with the standard.
 In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a method
 for demonstrating compliance with a standard comprises the following steps
 which are executed on a first computer: a) displaying a floor plan on the
 first computer, wherein the displayed floor plan is selected by a user,
 wherein the displayed floor plan includes designated areas, wherein each
 designated area includes a corresponding communication link, and wherein
 the designated areas are governed by a standard; b) transmitting a message
 to a second computer in response to selection of one of the designated
 areas by the user on the first computer, wherein the message is dependent
 upon the communication link corresponding to the selected designated area;
 c) receiving information from the second computer, wherein the information
 demonstrates that the selected designated area is in compliance with the
 standard; and, d) displaying the information on the first computer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
 The present invention may be implemented by a computer system 10 as shown
 in FIG. 1. The computer system 10 includes a plurality of computers 12
 including a computer 12-1, a computer 12-2, . . ., and a computer 12-N.
 The computer 12-1 is located within a corresponding building 14-1, the
 computer 12-2 is located within a corresponding building 14-2, . . ., and
 the computer 12-N is located within a corresponding building 14-N. The
 computers 12 communicate with a central computer 16 over a network 18. The
 network 18, for example, may be a public telephone system, the Internet,
 or the like.
 When an inspector wishes to inspect the building 14-1, for example, an
 administrator for the building 14-1 may access and display the floor plans
 of the building 14-1 by use of the computer 12-1. These floor plans show
 each floor of the building 14-1 and include cluster areas which may be
 selected by the administrator in order to demonstrate compliance with the
 standards enforced by the inspector.
 One such floor plan 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The floor plan 20 shows a
 plan of a corresponding floor of the building 14-1. A suitable tool, such
 as a zoom tool that is common with many programs executed on computers, is
 provided by the computer 12-1 in order to enable the administrator to
 enlarge any portion of the floor plan 20. Thus, although the detail of the
 floor plan 20 is difficult to read with respect to FIG. 2, any portion of
 the floor plan 20 may be enlarged in order to more adequately display the
 information contained therein. Such an enlargement of a portion 22 of the
 floor plan 20 is shown in FIG. 3.
 As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the portion 22 of the floor plan 20 includes
 cluster areas which may be selectable by the administrator in order to
 display information to the inspector demonstrating compliance with the
 standards enforced by the inspector. For example, when the administrator
 clicks on a specific cluster area, a message is transmitted over the
 network 18 to the central computer 16 requesting the downloading to the
 computer 12-1 of compliance information relating to the selected cluster
 area. A specific implementation of this example involves embedding in each
 cluster area a corresponding message to the central computer 16. This
 message not only contains the specific Internet URL of the central
 computer 16, but also a portion designating the building, floor, and
 cluster area for which compliance information is requested by the computer
 12-1. An exemplary message is described below in connection with FIG. 13.
 The portion 22 of the floor plan 20 that is enlarged in FIG. 3 includes
 four cluster areas which are designated CLUSTER 2, CLUSTER 3, CLUSTER 4,
 and CLUSTER 23. During the administrator's demonstration of compliance
 with the standards enforced by the inspector, the administrator, for
 example, may click on CLUSTER 4. When the administrator clicks on CLUSTER
 4, the message corresponding to CLUSTER 4 is transmitted by the computer
 12-1 to the central computer 16. This message requests the central
 computer 16 to transmit back to the computer 12-1 compliance information
 regarding CLUSTER 4.
 Accordingly, the central computer 16 transmits back to the computer 12-1 a
 cluster description 26 of CLUSTER 4. The cluster description 26 may take
 the form shown in FIG. 4 and includes information about CLUSTER 4. As
 shown in FIG. 4, the area of the building 14-1 covered by CLUSTER 4 may
 include several firestop systems and, hence, the use of the term "cluster"
 with regard to cluster areas. However, it should be noted, that the
 compliance information displayed to an inspector need not be clustered as
 described herein. Instead, a selected area of the floor plan 20 may relate
 only to one firestop system used at that location.
 The cluster description 26 shown in FIG. 4 permits access to illustrations
 and plates containing information about compliance and standards relating
 to CLUSTER 4. Illustrations are referred to as pictures in FIG. 4, and
 plates, for example, may be U.L. plates showing applicable standards
 adopted by U.L. for various firestop systems. These illustrations and
 plates are accessible by Goto buttons as shown in FIG. 4, and are
 transmitted by the central computer 16 to the computer 12-1 along with the
 cluster description 26. Accordingly, if the administrator clicks on the
 Goto Pictures button in the cluster description 26 shown of FIG. 4, the
 computer 12-1 displays an After Illustration 28 shown in FIG. 5. As shown
 by FIG. 5, the After Illustration 28 may be enlarged. An enlarged view of
 the After Illustration 28 is shown in FIG. 6.
 The After Illustration 28 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 demonstrates that proper
 firestop systems have been provided for CLUSTER 4. Certain of these
 firestop systems are designated 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 in FIG. 6. These
 firestop systems involve the use of approved materials to seal holes in a
 cement block wall 40 of CLUSTER 4 in order to prevent fire and smoke on
 one side of the cement block wall 40 from penetrating to the other side of
 the cement block wall 40. These particular firestops are in compliance
 with the approved standards as embodied by the plates which are also
 accessible from the cluster description 26.
 The plates pertinent to the firestop systems covered by the cluster
 description 26 of FIG. 4 and shown by the After Illustration of FIGS. 5
 and 6 are accessible by Goto Plate buttons. Selection of the second Goto
 Plate button of the cluster description 26 shown in FIG. 4, for example,
 causes a plate 42 shown in FIG. 7 to be displayed to the administrator and
 inspector. The plate 42 specifies the proper firestop for a blank opening
 in a concrete floor, wall, or block wall and may be pertinent to the
 firestop system 36 shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6.
 On the other hand, if the administrator clicks on the first Goto Plate
 button of the cluster description 26 shown in FIG. 4, a plate 44 shown in
 FIG. 8 is displayed to the administrator and inspector. The plate 44
 specifies the proper firestop for a metal pipe which extends through a
 concrete floor, wall, or block wall and may be pertinent to the firestop
 systems 32, 34, and 38 shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6.
 When the administrator clicks on CLUSTER 3, a message is likewise
 transmitted by the computer 12-1 to the central computer 16 over the
 network 18. This message requests the central computer 16 to transmit back
 to the computer 12-1 information about compliance and standards regarding
 CLUSTER 3. Accordingly, the central computer 16 transmits back to the
 computer 12-1 a cluster description 50 of CLUSTER 3. The cluster
 description 50 may take the form shown in FIG. 9 and includes information
 about CLUSTER 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the area of the building 14-1 covered
 by CLUSTER 3 includes several firestop systems. As can be seen, the
 cluster description 50 shown in FIG. 9 is similar to the cluster
 description 26 shown in FIG. 4. However, as would be expected, the
 location description and firestop systems of CLUSTER 3 are different from
 the location description and firestop systems of CLUSTER 4.
 The cluster description 50 shown in FIG. 9 permits access to illustrations
 and plates containing information about compliance and standards relating
 to CLUSTER 3. These illustrations and plates are accessible by Goto
 buttons as shown in FIG. 9, and are transmitted by the central computer 16
 to the computer 12-1 along with the cluster description 50. Accordingly,
 if the administrator clicks on the Goto Pictures button in the cluster
 description 50 shown of FIG. 9, the computer 14-1 displays a Before
 Illustration 52 and an After Illustration 54 shown in FIG. 10. As shown by
 FIG. 10, the Before Illustration 52 and the After Illustration 54 may be
 enlarged. An enlarged view of the Before Illustration 52 is shown in FIG.
 11, and an enlarged view of the After Illustration 54 is shown in FIG. 12.
 The Before Illustration 52 demonstrates the state of CLUSTER 3 before
 firestop systems are put into place. The After Illustration 54 shows the
 state of CLUSTER 3 after firestop systems are put into place. As in the
 case of FIGS. 4-8, the After Illustration 54 shown in FIGS. 10 and 12
 demonstrates that certain firestop systems, such as firestop systems 56,
 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, and 74, have been provided for the portion
 of the floor plan 20 covered by CLUSTER 3. These firestop systems involve
 the use of approved materials to seal holes in a cement block wall 76 of
 CLUSTER 3 in order to prevent fire and smoke on one side of the cement
 block wall 76 from penetrating to the other side of the cement block wall
 76. These particular firestops are in compliance with the approved
 standards as embodied by the plates which are also accessible from the
 cluster description 50.
 The plates pertinent to the firestop systems covered by the cluster
 description 26 of FIG. 4 and shown by the After Illustration of FIGS. 5
 and 6 are accessible by Goto Plate buttons. These plates are not shown in
 the drawings but they are specified in the cluster description 50, and
 they are similar to the plates 42 and 44 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
 FIG. 13 shows a flow chart of a compliance demonstration program 100 which
 may be executed by the computer system 10 shown in FIG. 1 in order to
 carry out the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, when an
 administrator using the computer 12-1, for example, chooses to begin a
 compliance demonstration, the administrator at a block 102 opens up both
 the compliance demonstration program 100 and a web browser which will be
 used by the compliance demonstration program 100 in order to request
 information from the central computer 16 regarding compliance at selected
 cluster areas of a selected floor plan. When the compliance demonstration
 program 100 is opened at the block 102, the administrator is directed to
 select a floor plan from the building 14-1. When the administrator selects
 a floor plan at a block 104, the compliance demonstration program 100
 displays that floor plan to the administrator and inspector. When the
 administrator at a block 106 selects a cluster area of the floor plan
 opened at the block 104, an HTTP address associated with the selected
 cluster area is transmitted to the central computer 16. For example, if
 CLUSTER 4 of the seventh floor plan is selected by the administrator, the
 HTTP address may be as follows:
 http://www.btusaver.com/bldgname/7th/system4/
 where btusaver.com is the address of the central computer 16, where
 bldgname is the designation of the building pertinent to the request for
 information, where 7th is the designation of the floor designated in the
 request, and where system4 designates the cluster area that is selected by
 the administrator. Accordingly, the central computer 16 receives the HTTP
 message from the computer 12-1 at a block 108 and, at a block 110, prompts
 the administrator for the administrator's password. If the password
 entered by the administrator and transmitted by the computer 14-1 to the
 central computer 16 is wrong, the administrator at a block 112 is denied
 access to the information stored at the central computer 16, and the
 compliance demonstration program 100 returns to the block 102.
 However, if the password entered by the administrator and transmitted by
 the computer 14-1 to the central computer 16 is correct, the central
 computer 16 at a block 114 transmits an HTML page to the computer 12-1
 containing (i) a cluster description pertinent to the cluster and floor
 selected by the administrator, (ii) Before and/or After Illustrations
 pertinent to the cluster and floor selected by the administrator, and
 (iii) plates relating to the standards pertinent to the selected cluster
 and floor.
 The cluster description of the selected floor and cluster is displayed to
 the administrator at a block 116. As described above, the administrator
 may view illustrations and/or plates from the displayed cluster
 description. For example, if the administrator selects a Goto Picture
 button from the displayed cluster description, a Before and/or After
 Illustration of the selected cluster is displayed. As another example, if
 the administrator selects a Goto Plate button from the displayed cluster
 description, a plate appropriate to one of the firestop systems covered by
 the cluster description is displayed.
 Accordingly, if the administrator selects a Goto Plate button from the
 cluster description displayed at the block 116, a plate appropriate to the
 selected Goto Plate button is displayed to the administrator at a block
 118. On the other hand, if the administrator chooses a Goto Picture button
 from the cluster description displayed at the block 116, a Before and/or
 After Illustration for the cluster is displayed to the administrator at a
 block 120. The administrator may choose to enlarge the chosen Before
 and/or After Illustration at a block 122.
 In this manner, the administrator may go cluster by cluster and floor by
 floor through the building being inspected in order to demonstrate to the
 inspector compliance with the applicable standards.
 If desired, the cluster descriptions pertinent to the selected floor plan
 20 may be displayed along with the floor plan 20 in a cluster description
 area 200 of FIG. 2. Similarly, the plates pertinent to the selected floor
 plan may be displayed along with the floor plan 20 in a plate area 300 of
 FIG. 2. Although the detail of the cluster description area 200 and the
 plate area 300 are difficult to read with respect to FIG. 2, any cluster
 description in the cluster description area 200 and/or any plate in the
 plate area 300 may be enlarged in order to more adequately display the
 information contained therein. Such enlargements are shown in FIGS. 4, 7,
 8, and 9 by way of example.
 Certain modifications of the present invention have been discussed above.
 Other modifications will occur to those practicing in the art of the
 present invention. For example, as described above, floor plans are
 displayed by a local computer located in a first building and are used to
 access information demonstrating compliance from a central computer
 located in a second building. However, the present invention need not
 require a central computer. Instead, both the floor plans and the
 information demonstrating compliance may be stored on the local computer
 located in a building to be inspected.
 Also, as described above, Goto buttons are used to access illustrations and
 plates that are previously downloaded by the central computer 16 to the
 computers 12-1 through 12-N along with cluster descriptions. However,
 these Goto buttons instead may be communication links back to the computer
 12-1. Accordingly, when a Goto button is activated, a message may be sent
 to the central computer 16 requesting that the central computer 16
 download to the local computer the information associated with the
 activated Goto button.
 Moreover, Goto buttons are used to access certain information such as
 illustrations and plates. Instead, other types of Goto areas may be
 displayed to the user in order to permit such access. Alternatively,
 keystrokes may be used to access this information instead of clicking on
 Goto areas of the display.
 Furthermore, the cluster description area 200 and the plate area 300 are
 displayed along with the floor plan 20. However, the cluster description
 area 200 and the plate area 300 need not be displayed with the floor plan
 20.
 Additionally, as discussed above, standards as used herein may be any
 industry standards, local codes, federal regulations, state regulations,
 local regulations, and/or the like, by which compliance may be judged.
 These standards may regulate, for example, protection against the hazards
 of fire, smoke, asbestos, and/or the like.
 As described above, the network 18 may be implemented by a Public Telephone
 System, the Internet, or the like. Instead, fiber optic cables,
 over-the-air transmissions, or the like may be used to implement the
 network 18.
 Accordingly, the description of the present invention is to be construed as
 illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the
 art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details may be varied
 substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the
 exclusive use of all modifications which are within the scope of the
 appended claims is reserved.