Method and system for integrated asset management

• US 20030154199A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Caldvor Acquisitions Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Thomas, Brian, Gray, Gregory, Mizell, Warner, Thomas, Shawn, Woodfin, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• 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 integrated asset management. Information is aggregated from a variety of sources into a centralized computerized database. Thereafter, asset transition events are scheduled. Information from the centralized computerized database is used in the performance of the asset transition events and information relating to the asset transition events is added to the centralized computerized database. Subsequent changes to the asset are also recorded into the centralized computerized database. As a result, a plethora of information is available within said database for the purpose of managing future asset transition events.

Claims

1. A method for integrated asset management comprising the steps of:

aggregating information into a centralized computerized database;

scheduling an asset transition event;

using said information in performing said asset transition event;

recording information from said asset transition event into said centralized computerized database;

monitoring changes to said assets and recording said changes into said centralized computerized database; and

managing future asset transition events through information available in said centralized computerized database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of user information, legacy asset information, new asset information, software application information, financial information, site information, event history information, logistical information, ownership information and usage information.

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

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

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the assets involved in said asset transition event are selected from the group consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, printers, scanners, networking devices and storage devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said centralized computerized database is located remotely from the location of said asset transition event.

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

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

9. The method of claim 7 or claim 8 wherein said information is transmitted to said centralized computerized database through secure, encrypted transmission.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is converted to formatted data files prior to said transmission to said centralized computerized database for ease of storage and transfer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said information is filtered prior to transmission to said centralized computerized database to remove unwanted or redundant information.

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

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said management includes activities selected from the group consisting of project management, installation, relocation management, lease management, exception management, scheduling management, workflow management and resource management.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said method includes the generation of reports derived from information located in said centralized computerized database.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said reports are selected from the group consisting of project reports, asset reports, lease reports, activity reports, exception reports and consumer satisfaction reports.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said method has the ability to monitor, update and control versions of software resident on said computer-related hardware device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said method provides a means for translating said information in said centralized computerized database into a common language.

18. A system for integrated asset management comprising:

a centralized computerized database;

assets electronically connected to said centralized computerized database;

means for aggregating information into said centralized computerized database;

means for scheduling an asset transition event;

means for using said information in performing said asset transition event;

means for recording information from said asset transition event into said centralized computerized database;

means for monitoring changes to said assets and recording said changes into said centralized computerized database; and

means for managing future asset transition events through information available in said centralized computerized database.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said centralized computerized database is located remotely from the location of said asset transition event.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said centralized computerized database is a relational database.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein said information is transmitted to said centralized computerized database through the Internet.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein said information is transmitted to said centralized computerized database through a local area network.

23. The system of claim 21 or claim 22 wherein said information is transmitted to said centralized computerized database through secure, encrypted transmission.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the assets involved in said asset transition event are selected from the group consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, printers, scanners, networking devices and storage devices.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein said information is selected from the group consisting of user information, legacy asset information, new asset information, software application information, financial information, site information, event history information, logistical information, ownership information and usage information.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein said asset transition event is selected from the group consisting of asset installation, asset relocation, asset disposition and asset maintenance.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein said information is converted to formatted data files prior to said transmission to said centralized computerized database for ease of storage and transfer.

28. The system of claim 18 wherein said information is filtered prior to transmission to said centralized computerized database to remove unwanted or redundant information.

29. The system of claim 18 wherein said monitoring is conducted on a continuous basis and said changes are made to said centralized computerized database on a real-time basis.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein said management includes activities selected from the group consisting of project management, installation, relocation management, lease management, exception management, scheduling management, workflow management and resource management.

31. The system of claim 18 wherein said method includes the generation of reports derived from information located in said centralized computerized database.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said reports are selected from the group consisting of project reports, asset reports, lease reports, activity reports exception reports and consumer satisfaction reports.

33. The system of claim 18 wherein said system has the ability to monitor, update and control versions of software resident on said computer-related hardware device.

34. The system of claim 18 wherein said system provides a means for translating said information in said centralized computerized database into a common language.

35. A method for application management comprising the steps of:

inputting results from an electronic discovery application into a data dictionary;

generating the user'"'"'s software pages;

analyzing said user'"'"'s software pages against information in said data dictionary;

updating the status of software applications in said data dictionary based on the results of said analysis;

installing applicable software on said user'"'"'s device; and

verifying that said applicable software has been properly installed on said user'"'"'s device.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said results from said electronic discovery application includes information selected from the group consisting of executable files names, manufacturer'"'"'s names, application versions and the relative path.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein said data dictionary also retains information other than said results from said electronic discovery application.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein said user'"'"'s software pages are generated based in part on information contained in said data dictionary.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein said method of analyzing said user'"'"'s software pages includes a means for comparing said user'"'"'s software pages to said data dictionary and generating an analysis of the results.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein said method of analyzing said user'"'"'s software pages includes a means for updating the status of said software applications listed in said data dictionary based on said results.