Patent US5793632A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5793632A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Cost estimating system using parametric estimating and providing a split of labor and material costs
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
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Filing: 1996-03-26
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Granted: 1998-08-11
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Expires: 2016-03-26
Abstract
Abstract A parametric cost estimating model, which can be software-based, provides a capability for inputting specific labor rates and burdening or overhead information for a given installation. Other inputs are project-specific depending on whether a hardware or a software system is being estimated. The process and model provide estimating information as to costs to develop and produce specific hardware or software systems and also provide a split as to labor and material costs for such systems.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce Fad
- 👤 Roy Summers
- 👤 Anthony DeMarco
- 👤 Todd Geiser
- 👤 James Walter
- 👤 Ben Chackman
- 👤 Earl King
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 16:31
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/06; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0283
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
An estimating system for providing a user estimates of labor costs and material costs needed to implement a predetermined, unbuilt project in the absence of information of a type needed to create bills of materials, the method comprising: storage means; means for entering at least one unit labor cost value, at least one overhead parameter value and at least one material cost parameter value and for writing said entered values into said storage means; means, coupled to said storage means, for processing said entered values and for providing total estimated cost as well as separate percentage estimates of project labor and material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
An estimating system for providing a user estimates of labor costs and material costs needed to implement a predetermined, unbuilt project in the absence of information of a type needed to create bills of materials, the method comprising: storage means; means for entering at least one unit labor cost value, at least one overhead parameter value and at least one material cost parameter value and for writing said entered values into said storage means; means, coupled to said storage means, for processing said entered values and for providing total estimated cost as well as separate percentage estimates of project labor and material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein at least said means for entering includes a keyboard.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said processing means includes a digital processor and wherein said storage means includes a parametric cost estimating engine stored in the form of executable instructions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as in claim 1 which includes a display and means for presenting on said display said separate estimated percentages of project labor and material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 1 which includes further means for combining said percentage estimate of material with a local labor cost rate so as to produce an estimated updated labor cost.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system as in claim 5 which includes means for establishing a material cost.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of cost estimating comprising: providing a selected set of parameter values exclusive of a bill of materials or labor hour estimates; providing a parametric-type cost estimating engine; providing a total output cost using the engine; providing a software element for establishing a breakout of labor and material costs wherein the element, using the total cost information establishes at least one material percent parameter and at least one labor percent parameter.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of cost estimating comprising: providing a selected set of parameter values exclusive of a bill of materials or labor hour estimates; providing a parametric-type cost estimating engine; providing a total output cost using the engine; providing a software element for establishing a breakout of labor and material costs wherein the element, using the total cost information establishes at least one material percent parameter and at least one labor percent parameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as in claim 7 which includes converting the percent of material parameter to a currency based material cost.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 8 which includes converting the percent of material to a currency based labor cost.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 9 which includes providing a selected labor rate and determining a corresponding labor cost.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as in claim 10 which includes determining project management direct costs.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 10 which includes entering actual unit labor costs and making an updated labor cost determination based thereon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
A cost estimating apparatus comprising: a parametric cost estimating element; an input device coupled to said element; and means for producing a material and a labor breakout in response to an estimated total project cost from the element in the absence of labor hour estimates.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A cost estimating apparatus comprising: a parametric cost estimating element; an input device coupled to said element; and means for producing a material and a labor breakout in response to an estimated total project cost from the element in the absence of labor hour estimates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said element includes a software based cost estimating engine.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 13 which includes a programmable processor coupled to said input device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 13 which includes means for storing entered, actual labor rates and for storing default labor rates.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said producing means includes software for establishing a percent of material as an output.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said software provides a cost of material as an output.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 18 wherein said software provides a percent of labor as an output.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said software provides a cost of labor as an output.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of estimating labor and material costs for a new project without using either bill of material-type information or estimated hours of labor, the method comprising: providing project input information, including operating environment, manufacturing complexity, production quantity parameters exclusive of bill of material-type information and labor hour estimates, carrying out a parametric cost estimating project to estimate product cost; establishing a material percent parameter for the project using project cost estimates and the input information; establishing a labor percent parameter for the project using the estimated cost information and the material percent parameter.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of estimating labor and material costs for a new project without using either bill of material-type information or estimated hours of labor, the method comprising: providing project input information, including operating environment, manufacturing complexity, production quantity parameters exclusive of bill of material-type information and labor hour estimates, carrying out a parametric cost estimating project to estimate product cost; establishing a material percent parameter for the project using project cost estimates and the input information; establishing a labor percent parameter for the project using the estimated cost information and the material percent parameter.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 21 wherein the value of the material percent parameter is reduced by an increasing value of the operating environment parameter.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
89 words
An apparatus for estimating labor and material costs for a project in the absence of detailed manufacturing-type information comprising: circuitry for storing project specifying parameters including type of environment, manufacturing complexity, labor rates and overhead expense; a first processing element coupled to the storing circuitry for generating a total cost estimate for the project in response to the stored parameters; a further processing element, coupled to the storing circuitry, for generating a percent of labor parameter in response to at least the environmental parameter and the total cost estimate.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
89 words
An apparatus for estimating labor and material costs for a project in the absence of detailed manufacturing-type information comprising: circuitry for storing project specifying parameters including type of environment, manufacturing complexity, labor rates and overhead expense; a first processing element coupled to the storing circuitry for generating a total cost estimate for the project in response to the stored parameters; a further processing element, coupled to the storing circuitry, for generating a percent of labor parameter in response to at least the environmental parameter and the total cost estimate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
174 words
A control element for estimating labor costs for a selected project based on parametric information and in the absence of total labor hour estimates, the element comprising: a first plurality of commands for enabling a user to enter at least an environmental specification parameter and a labor rate parameter; pre-established relationship information defining a relationship between percent of total cost of the project associated with project material as a function, at least in part, of the entered environmental parameter; a second plurality of commands coupled to the first plurality and the relationship information for forming an estimate of total project cost using entered project parameters in the absence of project labor hour estimates; a third plurality of commands, coupled to the second plurality for determining a percent of total cost for material for the project in response to at least total cost and the relationship information; and a fourth plurality of commands for establishing a percent of total cost for labor for the project in response to at least the percent of material cost.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
174 words
A control element for estimating labor costs for a selected project based on parametric information and in the absence of total labor hour estimates, the element comprising: a first plurality of commands for enabling a user to enter at least an environmental specification parameter and a labor rate parameter; pre-established relationship information defining a relationship between percent of total cost of the project associated with project material as a function, at least in part, of the entered environmental parameter; a second plurality of commands coupled to the first plurality and the relationship information for forming an estimate of total project cost using entered project parameters in the absence of project labor hour estimates; a third plurality of commands, coupled to the second plurality for determining a percent of total cost for material for the project in response to at least total cost and the relationship information; and a fourth plurality of commands for establishing a percent of total cost for labor for the project in response to at least the percent of material cost.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
An element as in claim 24 wherein the pluralities of commands and the relationship information can be stored on a movable medium.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
36 words
An element as in claim 24 which includes additional commands for estimating total labor hours as a function of the estimated total cost, the labor rate parameter and the percent of labor cost for the project.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
An element as in claim 26 which includes further commands enabling a user to adjust the labor rate parameter and to generate updated estimated total cost and total labor hours in response thereto.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-10 | 2002-02-09 | 2002-08-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-02-09 | 2006-08-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-10 | 2010-02-09 | 2010-08-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |