Patent Document ID: 10157244
Application ID: 14407196
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: receiving into a computer processor a drawing in one or more of a raster-based format or a vector-based format; displaying the drawing on a user interface; receiving into the computer processor a user selection of one or more devices on the drawing; classifying the selected one or more devices on one or more templates; searching with the computer processor for the classified one or more templates throughout the drawing and retrieving properties for the one or more devices; imbuing three-dimensional characteristics to the selected one or more devices; receiving into the computer processor connection types among different types of devices on the drawing; searching with the computer processor for all connection instances throughout the drawing using the received connection types; and generating on the user interface an object oriented and three-dimensionally, spatially referenced view of the drawing that approximates an entire connection network of the drawing; wherein the generating the view of the drawing comprises generating a logical graph comprising nodes, the nodes comprising properties of the one or more devices; searching for connections using a connection model according to the type of a source device; traversing all lines and curves from the source device until a detection of a destination device; determining if a connection from the source device to the destination device complies with the connection model; when the connection from the source device to the destination device complies with the connection model, adding the connection as an edge in the logical graph; and recording all lines or curves along the connection as an edge; wherein the view of the drawing approximates a plurality of lines or curves into a single connection by selecting a shortest path as a final connection and thinning the lines or curves into a single pixel connection; wherein the drawing represents a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and the selected device is classified as one of an air handling unit (AHL), a diffuser, a variable air valve (VAV) terminal box, a pump, or a wall module; and wherein the connection types comprise ducts.