Patent Publication Number: US-2019188627-A1

Title: System for creating collaborative project data

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/598,677 filed Dec. 14, 2017, the contents of this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to a system for creating, curating, and processing project data and more particularly a collaborative system having incentives for creating project content and data quickly and efficiently. 
     Typically, developing and acquiring information for a project is time consuming and labor intensive. The process involves making multiple calls to multiple entities to obtain information relevant to a project. If you are not familiar with the entity, additional research is done to evaluate their reputation, to establish trust. Current marketplace models lack efficiency particularly with respect to obtaining quotes and making payments, therefore creating a lack of trust. Further, information gathered for one project often is not made available for future projects requiring the process to be repeated, thus creating a much higher project cost than a project where information is not only communicated better amongst a project team but between similar projects. Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a system that addresses these deficiencies via the digitization of design via the ownership of creative content. 
     Since the invention of Blockchain, the Satoshi Nakamoto white paper has presented a revolutionary solution for creating digital trust. Bitcoin has been the most renowned use case for Blockchain within the financial sector. Other solutions have been presented as use cases for Blockchain, such as within supply chain management tracking and real estate transactions. This use case within project design and construction is unique. By design, Blockchain&#39;s purpose is to disintermediate the need for the middleman in most use cases, thereby allowing for peer-to-peer trust to create value by removing unnecessary steps that only add to the transactional costs. The construction industry use case is different because the middleman cannot be disintermediated as they must still contribute the labor and know-how to a project. This embodied use case does not disintermediate the middleman (contractor in the construction use case) but creates peer-to-peer trust between each entity (i.e. Data Researcher-Owner, Owner-Contractor, Data Researcher-Supplier, and the like) individually that chooses to engage in project execution with the proposed platform. 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a system for creating collaborative project data and creative content that expedites the process of creating budgets (obtaining estimates) and contracting (smart contracts &amp; specifications) for projects both initially from the shared data and the verification of said budgets and contracts with contractors that will do the work. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for creating collaborative project data that reduces costs by sharing data for projects having similar parameters. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for creating collaborative project data that links entities based upon reputation, verifiable experience, and scope of work involved in the project. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for creating collaborative project data that allows for content to be created for use by the community for joint benefit, or more specifically where creative content ownership is owned and retained by the creator with a reward to the creator based on popularity of their content used, completeness of said content, and verification of correctness by an entity that would benefit from said content. In this case an entity could be a supplier of a product that has their product created by a researcher (gamer) in the ecosystem desirous of creating content for monetary reward. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for creating collaborative project data that allows product suppliers a vehicle with which to present their products directly to the entity using the product in a project. In this case a supplier could sell their products on the platform, dynamically update their pricing and product offerings directly to their consumers without an intermediary, provide associated product warrantees and consumer updates, thereby enabling for the first time a relationship between the consumer and the product supplier. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system and network for the use of the collaborative project data that allows for the entities using the platform to learn and create curriculums for training via simulation. In this case an entity could achieve verifiable levels of educational attainment that can be used outside the platform to complement existing educational curriculums or as a means to an equivalent technical training at a lesser cost. 
     These and other objectives will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art based upon the following written description, drawings, and claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A system for creating collaborative project data includes the creation of a project by a project owner by inputting project information onto a platform that is recorded in a public or private blockchain. Associated with the project is an incentive and selection criteria. 
     Based on the project information and selection criteria, a plurality of data researchers collects data from third party entities or from current content that resides within the platform. The collected data is recorded on the blockchain and stamped with signatures of immutability. 
     The system executes a smart contract between the project owner and all entities related to the selected content and rewards the data researcher associated with the selected content. Inputs are made to the recorded content through the platform upon scope of work milestones, validated completion metrics, and certified completion. Based on inputs and certified completions, the platform initiates new execution provisions for the project and triggers payment to selected entities. 
     The platform also assigns a value to the collected data recorded on the blockchain for payment of the value to the data researcher based upon future use of the recorded collected data. Each data researcher/contributor/owner/contractor may be evaluated by the platform and given a rating based upon their performance. Such ratings may then be used to certify certain experience working on the platform, certify attainment of training certifications, certify a dollar amount of total experience through the platform, and other such objective and subjective metrics as deemed necessary for the platform. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of the environment for a system for creating collaborative project data; 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of a system for creating collaborative project data; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a system for creating collaborative project data. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the Figures, a system for creating collaborative project data  10  includes a platform  12  having a website  14  connected to a computer  16  having a processor  18 , software  20 , input device  22 , and display  24 . The computer is connected to a cloud based storage  26 . 
     The platform  12  is accessed via an electronic network from a personal electronic device  28  such as a computer, mobile phone, or the like, by any of the project stakeholders ( 30 ,  40 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52 ). Each of the stakeholders has a different experience with the platform, as each stakeholder has a different value exchange with the platform  12 . A project owner  30  is the ultimate beneficiary of a project. Through the platform  12  the project owner  30  creates a project  32  by inputting project information or requirements  34 . Through the platform  12  the data researcher creates a project  32  by inputting project information or requirements  34 . The project  32  is of any type and for purposes of example only the project involves the construction of a house. The project information  34  input includes the specifications for the house including blue prints, structural requirements, building codes, soil conditions, architectural preferences or styles and any other information necessary to initially design and ultimately build the house. The project owner  30  also inputs a project incentive or price  36  he or she is willing to provide in return for the creation of data related to the project. The project owner may also review portfolios of content created within other projects and pull such project content (in the form of style or look) into their project. The project information  34  is recorded in a blockchain  38 . Finally, the project owner  30  inputs criteria  39 , such as least expensive, earliest completion time, a combination and the like. 
     Based on the published project information  34  a plurality of data researchers  40  compete to provide data  42  related to the project information  34  and earn the project incentive  36 . The data  42  created related to the house project can include, but is not limited to, the price and availability of materials and labor recommended by the contributor  44 , contractor  46 , supplier  48 , verifier  50 , and/or financier  52 . 
     The contributor  44  is one, such as a designer, engineer, or manager tasked with the development of creating a design of the home, or the scope of work (or product or service). The contractor  46  is the individual or entity contracted to build the home (product or provide the service) based on the designed scope of work for the project. The supplier  48  is any entity that contributes resources to the project whether it be labor, materials, or the like. The verifier  50  is any entity, such as an architect, engineer, quality assurance person or the like tasked with the verification that all work is designed and ultimately built to all requirements for the type of work being executed. Finally, the financier  52  is any entity that provides a source of project funding such as a bank, investor, government entity or the like. 
     The researchers  40  will collect and/or create data  42  from the public domain or information recorded on a public blockchain  38  by the contributor  44 , contractor  46 , supplier  48 , verifier  50 , and financier  52 . The content  56  created by the researcher is recorded on the blockchain  38  wherein the content is stamped by the platform  12  with signatures of immutability permitting the researcher  40  and/or designees to benefit monetarily from the creation of the content  56 . When recorded, the platform  12  assigns a value  58  wherein when the content  56  is used on a project  32  the researcher  40  is rewarded by payment of the value  58 . The system associates all entities potentially needed for a project  32  that enables and expedites each entities&#39; ability to execute all or part of a project  32  and record the corresponding content  56  on a digital ledger or blockchain  38 . 
     The content  56  preferably is compatible with existing scheduling, estimating, and management software to populate and be dynamically utilized through the project  32  evolution. The content  56 , through the platform  12  passes into a governing and cascading scope of work that keeps quantities and costs dynamic as the project evolves throughout the various phases of the project evolution. The content  56  is also compatible with existing data capture technologies, softwares and formats that work synergistically within a project  32 . The content  56  is used for the project  32  as well as for future use by the community. 
     The blockchain  38  is publicly shared and similar to Bitcoin, Ethereum or other publicly accessible open sourced blockchains. The blockchain  38  also has a private section  60  where confidential content  62  is stored encrypted and accessed by those authorized. 
     The content blocks  56  are preferably of finite volume wherein the attributes or data  42  are modifiable. The content blocks  56  can be chunked together into larger blocks to enable easier and speedier assembly by the researcher  40 . Any researchers  40  that may be new to the platform  12  must complete certain qualification training via the platform  12  to ascertain a skill level appropriate for assembling the platform content  56 . The time spent by researchers  40  in training and contributing to the platform  12  is recorded and noted as a rating. 
     Upon reaching a predetermined deadline, selection of one or more recorded content blocks  56  and/or  62  are made by the project owner  30  or the platform  12  based on the set criteria  39 . Upon selection a smart contract  64  is executed between the project owners and the entities related to the selected content that outlines the scope of the work and all other terms related to the project. The project owner  30  also compensates the researcher  40  the value  58  assigned to the recorded content block  56  and/or  62 . 
     Project provisions are executed directly between the project owner  30  and selected entities based upon scope of work milestones and validated completion metrics all communicated and processed through the platform  12 . Inputs  66  are made to the recorded content block  56  and  62  through the platform based upon certified completion  68 . The inputs are entered as data only that trigger new execution provisions for the project. Also, project information  70  is uploaded to the digital ledger of the content block  56  and  62  such as photos, pour reports, quality reports, general reports, notes and the like. The platform  12  initiates immediate payment from the project owner  30  or financier  52  to selected entities upon acceptance of the certified completion  68 , for example via a multi-sig wallet from an escrow account. 
     The content blocks  56  or  62  are maintained by the platform  12  to validate the data or content by authorized selected entities. The content  56  is searchable on the platform  12  preferably by the input of terms such as cost, schedule, labor, statistics, design, performance, assemblies, or the like. The platform  12  also evaluates the performance of researchers  40  and selected entities and awards points, provides a rating, or the like. 
     With respect to a commercial building example, the content  56  creates a similar utility of Building Information Management (BIM) elements that are compatible with BIM systems such as Revit, Tekla, Autodesk and the like. These elements are collaboratively built and developed among the selected entities. For example, a selected entity within the internal platform may build a three dimensional component for a vendor used as a BIM element. These elements, developed in this collaborative system&#39;s environment are preferably linked to attributes such as materials, labor, installation costs and the like by and between selected entities. Any such elements that may be created and are utilized outside of the platform  12  will be in a format which allows for the direction of content back to the platform  12  for incorporation into the project design. For example, a proprietary file format of type (.pfp or other format best suited to the interaction) that lies on the Home Depot website for any user that wants to incorporate an individual component into a design refers the owner back to the site to download to the platform  12  to thereafter incorporate the element into a new project  32  or to reference the element in their scope of work for the researcher  40  to utilize in the platform  12 . 
     Researchers  40 , contributors  44 , contractors  46 , suppliers  48 , verifiers  50 , and financiers  52  are able to create content blocks  56  to list materials, products, services and other resources for use with current or future projects. The system  10  provides for expedited bidding and cost estimates from executed projects with similar parameters. The researchers  40  content  56  may be created utilizing gaming systems  43  and may be created using a three dimensional gaming interface. Accordingly, it is also envisioned that the platform display  24  will enhance the user interface not only via the engagement of a fun interface like gaming, but also incorporate augmented reality, virtual reality, and the like. Finally, the content may allow for issuance of new forms of financing via traditional bank lending/financing, home equity lines of credit, insurance claims, crowd funding, initial coin offerings or the like to validate projects for funding for offering within the platform  12 . 
     The system includes the following features.
         The system where the collected data is recorded to a private blockchain.   The system where the transactions paid to from any of the parties on the platform may choose to pay or be reimbursed in fiat currencies or any platform approved cryptocurrencies.   The system where initial project specific data may be imported using 3D camera capture technology and imported into the platform for project development using real world measurements.   The system where initial project specific data may be imported using smart phone AR technology.   The system where initial project specific data may be imported using LIDAR technology.   The system where project specific assemblies are dynamically changed by the linkage of costs and product availabilities to a project by location.   The system where suppliers may integrate their product portfolios into the platform thereby leveraging the use of the platform as a sales tool.   The system where suppliers may utilize the network effect of the platform as a design platform for understanding changing customer behavior and interests related to projects.   The system where supplier SKUs and data are automatically updated and made available to the community for joint beneficial use on any and all projects.   The system where projects may be commercial building projects.   The system where projects may be industrial projects.   The system where projects are infrastructure projects.   The system where projects are prototypes or simulations for use in any 3D environment.   The system where projects may be purely creative design environments for enjoyment only.   The system where the platform connects owners to contractors via a reverse auction type matchmaking system. Thereby giving high quality leads to contractors that they can review a budget, scope of work and photos, prior to accepting the lead upon their indication of interest to bid.   The system where the pricing of the project scope is dynamically made available to the data researcher in the form of a “ticker” on the UI which makes the project easily verifiable in real time as to how the project remains within budget.   The system where the platform can capture input from external content from websites in file form similar to the blocks or assets used internal to this platform.   The system whereby a message board is used to communicate needed content development to the data researcher community within the platform for use by the community or on behalf of a supplier.   The system whereby the message board is used by data researchers to communicate issues from the community to the platform for immediate attention and for the joint benefit of the community.   The system where virtual projects may simulate the conditions of real-world projects and properties for use as education and training curriculum.       

     Accordingly, a system for creating collaborative project data has been disclosed that, at the very least, meets all the stated objectives.