Patents by Inventor Francis D. Ladner

Francis D. Ladner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • 3-D spatial GUI for querying and manipulating an RDMS for order-entry applications
    Patent number: 6002855
    Abstract: A furniture specification system, designed for relatively large scale office furniture projects, having three basic components: 1) means for generating a furniture specification which contains data specifying a plurality of the available furniture products; 2) means for generating a visual display of the furniture products specified by the furniture specification on a display device; and 3) means for generating a cost specification based upon the furniture specification. Since both the visual display of the furniture products and the cost specification are generated from the same furniture specification, the possibility of discrepancies between the visual display and the cost specification is eliminated. The means for generating the furniture specification allows the user to add or delete individual products and to add product clusters to the furniture specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
    Inventors: Francis D. Ladner, Joseph R. Branc
  • 3-D spatial GUI querying and manipulating an RDMS for order-entry applications
    Patent number: 5847971
    Abstract: A furniture specification system, designed for relatively large scale office furniture projects, having three basic components: 1) means for generating a furniture specification which contains data specifying a plurality of the available furniture products; 2) means for generating a visual display of the furniture products specified by the furniture specification on a display device; and 3) means for generating a cost specification based upon the furniture specification. Since both the visual display of the furniture products and the cost specification are generated from the same furniture specification, the possibility of discrepancies between the visual display and the cost specification is eliminated. The means for generating the furniture specification allows the user to add or delete individual products and to add product clusters to the furniture specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
    Inventors: Francis D. Ladner, Joseph R. Branc