System and methods for management of mobile field assets via wireless handheld devices

• US 10,671,949 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Barbosa, Frank A., Ortiz, Luis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/660,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 4555561, 4555562, 455 661, 455 9001, 455 9002, 455 9003, 705400, 705500, 705 9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Communication from enterprise servers to handheld devices in the field supports dispatch, data synchronization, logistics and personnel. Bi-directional data delivery from enterprise-based servers over wireless data networks is enabled using wireless capabilities resident in handheld personal computing devices. Real time communications facilitates real-time access to remote programs, assistance and/or information related to the field operations and asset (personnel and inventory) resource management. Management is facilitated for at least one of: construction industry project analysis, HVAC system analysis, project management, equipment readiness inspection, troubleshooting, inventory tracking, inventory ordering, sales (e.g., providing cost estimates to customers), customer invoicing, conducting legal investigations, field data collection, and multi-user remote function coordination.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a template stored on a server located remotely from a handheld device, the template listing a first set of tasks to be completed in a first predetermined time period;

reporting, after a time of the accessing, a status of each of the tasks of the first set of tasks by synchronizing the handheld device to the server; and

updating the template responsive to the status, the updated template including a second set of tasks to be completed in a second predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the updated template lists those tasks of the first set of tasks that are completed during the first predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the first set of tasks is associated with a first person, and at least one task of the second set of tasks is associated with a second person who is different than the first person.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly synchronizing the handheld device to the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time of the accessing corresponds to a beginning of the first predetermined time period, and a time of the reporting corresponds to an end of the first predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined time periods are assigned to different persons.

7. A device, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions; and

a processing device configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to;

access a template stored on a server located remotely from the device, the template listing a first set of tasks to be completed in a first predetermined time period;

report, after a time of the accessing, a status of each of the tasks of the first set of tasks by synchronizing the device to the server; and

cause to update the template responsive to the status, the updated template including a second set of tasks to be completed in a second predetermined time period.

8. The device of claim 7,

wherein the second set of tasks includes at least one unfinished task from the first set of tasks.

9. The device of claim 7,

wherein at least one task of the first set of tasks is associated with a first person, and at least one task of the second set of tasks is associated with a second person who is different than the first person.

10. The device of claim 7,

wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to wirelessly synchronize the device to the server.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the time of the accessing corresponds to a beginning of the first predetermined time period, and a time of the reporting corresponds to an end of the first predetermined time period.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second predetermined time periods are assigned to different persons.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

access a template stored on a server located remotely from the processing device, the template listing a first set of tasks to be completed in a first predetermined time period;

report, after a time of the accessing, a status of each of the tasks of the first set of tasks by synchronizing the processing device to the server; and

cause to update the template responsive to the status, the updated template including a second set of tasks to be completed in a second predetermined time period.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second set of tasks includes at least one unfinished task from the first set of tasks.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein at least one task of the first set of tasks is associated with a first person, and at least one task of the second set of tasks is associated with a second person who is different than the first person.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the updated template lists those tasks of the first set of tasks that are completed during the first predetermined time period.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium further to wirelessly synchronize the processing device to the server.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the time of the accessing corresponds to a beginning of the first predetermined time period, and a time of the reporting corresponds to an end of the first predetermined time period.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first and second predetermined time periods are assigned to different persons.