Method and system for leased asset management

• US 20030140057A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caldvor Acquisitions Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Caldvor Acquisitions Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Thomas, Shawn, Woodfin, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/321,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention provides an improved technique for leased asset management. Information is aggregated from a variety of sources into a centralized computerized database. Thereafter, as asset transitions occur, information from such transitions are input into the computerized database on a real-time basis. Each lease for each leased asset is monitored so that, upon the expiration or termination of the lease, the leased assets may be returned to the vendor in strict compliance with the terms of the lease.

Claims

1. A method for improved equipment lease management comprising the steps of:

creating a computerized database, said computerized database containing information on leased assets;

transitioning one or more of said leased assets;

recording new information concerning said transition in said computerized database during the implementation of said transition;

updating said computerized database concurrently therewith;

monitoring the end of each lease for each of said leased assets; and

returning each of said leased assets in compliance with the provisions of each said lease.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said computerized database is a relational database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said leased assets are selected from the group consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, printers, scanners, networking devices and storage devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said computerized database is located remotely from the location of said transition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through a local area network.

7. The method of claim 5 or claim 6 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through secure, encrypted transmission.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said transition is selected from the group consisting of asset installation, asset relocation and asset maintenance.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of term of lease, software applications installed on said leased assets, peripherals included with said leased assets, financial information, location of said leased assets, event history information, and usage information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said updating is conducted on a continuous basis and said changes are made to said computerized database in real-time.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring provides a means for generating reports detailing which of said leases is expiring for which of said leased assets and the requirements which must be fulfilled for compliance with said lease.

12. A system for leased asset management comprising:

a computerized database;

leased assets electronically connected to said computerized database;

means for recording information concerning said leased assets during a transition of said leased assets;

means for updating said computerized database concurrently therewith;

means for monitoring the end of each lease for each of said leased assets; and

means for returning each of said leased assets in compliance with the provisions of each of said leases.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said computerized database is a relational database.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said leased assets are selected from the group consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, printers, scanners, networking devices and storage devices.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said computerized database is located remotely from the location of said transition.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through the Internet.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through a local area network.

18. The method of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein said information is transmitted to said computerized database through secure, encrypted transmission.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein said transition is selected from the group consisting of asset installation, asset relocation and asset maintenance.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of term of lease, software applications installed on said leased assets, peripherals included with said leased assets, financial information, location of said leased assets, event history information, and usage information.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for updating is conducted on a continuous basis and said changes are made to said computerized database in real-time.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for monitoring provides a means for generating reports detailing which of said leases is expiring for which of said leased assets and the requirements which must be fulfilled for compliance with said lease.