Microsoft patents software that predicts construction delays using linked models
This filing describes a computer system that groups construction tasks into bundles called tranches. It uses linked mathematical models to simulate how delays in one bundle ripple through to dependent tasks, calculating a final expected completion date for the project.
In the filing’s own words
A computer implemented method includes receiving digital representations of timing of multiple construction project milestones of a construction project, each milestone of the project milestones having an expected completion date. Tranches are generated where each tranche includes a subset of the project milestones. Iterative random sampling is performed by hierarchical models that depend on each other and represent dependencies between the tranches to simulate a timing of the construction project tranche to propagate construction delays determined from the received digital representations from a tranche of the tranches to a dependent tranche of the tranches the dependencies including tranche dependencies and external dependencies. Delays from each model of the hierarchical models are accumulated to generate an expected completion date of the construction project.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A computer implemented method, the method comprising: receiving digital representations of timing of multiple construction project milestones of a construction project, each milestone of the project milestones having an expected completion date; generating tranches, each tranche comprising a subset of the project milestones; simulating, using iterative random sampling performed by hierarchical models that depend on each other and represent dependencies between the tranches, a timing of the construction project tranche to propagate construction delays determined from the received digital representations from a tranche of the tranches to a dependent tranche of the tranches the dependencies including tranche dependencies and external dependencies; and accumulating delays from each model of the hierarchical models to generate an expected completion date of the construction project.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- CONSTRUCTION FORECASTING SYSTEM WITH DEPENDENCY STRUCTURES
- Publication number
- US20260289450A1
- Application number
- 19085634
- Filed
- Mar 20, 2025
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Inventors
- 7
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06Q 10/06313 Physics & computingG06N 7/01 Physics & computingG06Q 10/06312 Physics & computingG06Q 10/06316 Physics & computingG06Q 50/08 Physics & computingMore from Microsoft in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.