Method and system for servicing a selected piece of equipment having unique system configurations and servicing requirements

• US 20020059270A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Zuberi, Nabeel Ahmed, Schlabach, James Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,810,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Computerized method and system for servicing a selected piece of equipment made up of a plurality of systems and subject to unique system configurations and servicing requirements are provided. The method allows to respectively provide a database including detailed system configuration data regarding a selected piece of equipment, and a database including service modules for facilitating the servicing of equipment of a group of equipment that includes a selected piece of equipment. The method further allows to provide a respective identifier for uniquely identifying any selected equipment, and an input/output device to communicate with the databases. Respective accessing steps allow to access the database having configuration data to interface with the detailed system configuration data, and the database having the service modules to interface with at least one of the service modules. Configuration data about the selected equipment, using the respective identifier for the equipment, is communicated from the database including detailed system configuration data to the input/output device, wherein service personnel at a service site may access the detailed configuration data to select a service action appropriate for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment, and may access a service module for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment to facilitate taking such service action.

Claims

1. A computerized method for servicing a selected piece of equipment made up of a plurality of systems and subject to unique system configurations and servicing requirements, said method comprising:

providing a database including detailed system configuration data regarding a selected piece of equipment;

providing a database including service modules for facilitating the servicing of equipment of a group of equipment that includes a selected piece of equipment;

providing a respective identifier for uniquely identifying any selected equipment;

providing an input/output device to communicate with said databases;

accessing the database having configuration data to interface with the detailed system configuration data;

accessing the database having the service modules to interface with at least one of the service modules; and

communicating configuration data about the selected equipment, using the respective identifier for the equipment, from the database including detailed system configuration data to the input/output device, wherein service personnel at a service site may access the detailed configuration data to select a service action appropriate for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment, and may access a service module for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment to facilitate taking such service action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the service module is selected from the group comprising troubleshooting, training, and supply of replaceable parts and tools for performing the selected service action.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the database of configuration data upon completion of the service action to reflect any changes to the system configuration of the serviced equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detailed system configuration data includes data indicative of the respective configurations of any subsystems and replaceable parts thereof in any selected system of the selected equipment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the detailed system configuration data is selected from the group comprising hardware and software configurations for the selected equipment.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the input/output device communicates with any of the databases via wireless communications.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the input/output device communicates with any of the databases while at a service site for the equipment.

8. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the detailed configuration data for the selected equipment is downloaded to the input/output device.

9. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein a service module for the selected equipment is downloaded to the input/output device.

10. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the input/output device interfaces with the detailed configuration data while the detailed configuration data is resident in the corresponding database.

11. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the input/output device interfaces with the service module while the detailed configuration data is resident in the corresponding database.

12. A computerized system for servicing a selected piece of equipment made up of a plurality of systems and subject to unique system configurations and servicing requirements, said system comprising:

a database including detailed system configuration data regarding a selected piece of equipment, said database responsive to a respective identifier for uniquely identifying any selected equipment;

a database including service modules for facilitating the servicing of equipment of a group of equipment that includes a selected piece of equipment;

an input/output device configured to communicate with said databases for accessing the database having detailed system configuration data to interface with the detailed system configuration data, and for accessing the database having the service modules to interface with at least one of the service modules, wherein configuration data about the selected equipment, using the respective identifier for the equipment, is communicated from the database including detailed system configuration data to the input/output device, and further wherein service personnel at a service site may access the detailed configuration data to select a service action appropriate for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment, and may access a service module for the system configuration of the selected piece of equipment to facilitate taking such service action.