System and method for managing a remotely located asset
First Claim
1. A method for providing access to an asset for an operator of the asset, said method:
- receiving an operator identifier;
determining a group identifier associated with the operator identifier, the group identifier being indicative of a group that the operator is a member;
determining, based on the group identifier, whether the operator is authorized to utilize the asset!; and
providing access to the asset in response to successfully determining that the operator is authorized to utilize the asset.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A commercially viable solution for providing an asset management system that provides for accessing assets, tracking location of assets, managing OSHA compliance of the assets, and monitoring impact of the assets. The asset management system may utilize system architecture having intelligent wireless devices associated with the individual assets. The use of intelligent wireless devices allows for the asset management system to operate and maintain functionality substantially without loss of data in the event of a loss of communication between the wireless devices and a management computing system via a network, including an out-of-range condition of the wireless devices with respect to a local monitor.
220 Citations
271 Claims
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1. A method for providing access to an asset for an operator of the asset, said method:
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receiving an operator identifier;
determining a group identifier associated with the operator identifier, the group identifier being indicative of a group that the operator is a member;
determining, based on the group identifier, whether the operator is authorized to utilize the asset!; and
providing access to the asset in response to successfully determining that the operator is authorized to utilize the asset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for providing an access to an asset by an operator, said system comprising:
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means for receiving an operator identifier;
means for determining a group identifier associated with the operator identifier, the group identifier being indicative of a group that the operator is a member;
means for determining, based on the group identifier, whether the operator is authorized to utilize the asset; and
means for providing access to the asset upon successfully determining that the operator is authorized to utilize the asset. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
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receive an operator identifier;
determine a group identifier associated with the operator identifier, the group identifier being indicative of a group that the operator is a member;
determine, based on the group identifier, whether the operator is authorized to utilize the asset; and
provide access to the asset upon successfully determining that the operator is authorized to utilize the asset.
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33. A wireless device operable to provide access to an asset by an operator, said mobile wireless device comprising:
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a processor operable to determine accessibility for the operator, said processor being in communication with the asset to enable and disable usage of the asset by the operator;
an input device coupled to said processor, and operable to receive information associated with the operator;
a memory device coupled to said processor; and
at least one database stored in said memory device, said at least one database including (i) identification data related to the information associated with the operator, and (ii) authorization condition data associated with the identification data. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for tracking the location of an asset utilizing at least one wireless device in an asset management system, said method comprising:
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receiving at least one communication signal by a mobile wireless device from the asset management system;
calculating position of the asset, by the mobile wireless device, based on the received at least one communication signal; and
storing the position of the asset in the mobile wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A wireless device for performing location tracking of an asset being monitored by an asset management system, said wireless device comprising:
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means for receiving at least one communication signal from the asset management system;
means for calculating, coupled to said means for receiving, position of the asset based on the received at least one communication signal; and
means for storing, in communication with said means for calculating, the position of the asset being monitored by the asset management system. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A wireless device coupled to an asset and operable to perform location tracking of the asset being monitored by an asset management system, said wireless device comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive at least one communication signal from the asset management system;
a processor in communication with said receiver;
software executed by said processor and operable to calculate position of the asset based on the received at least one communication signal; and
a storage unit in communication with said processor and operable to receive and store the calculated position of the asset. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method for utilizing a wireless communications system having a wireless infrastructure and a wireless device associated with the asset, said method comprising:
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receiving an operator identifier from an operator of the asset;
prompting, independent of an active communication link between the wireless device and wireless infrastructure, a question related to operational status of the asset for the operator;
receiving a response to the question; and
storing the response to the question. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 100)
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87. A wireless device for performing inspection of an asset utilizing a wireless communications system having a wireless infrastructure, said wireless device being associated with the asset and comprising:
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an input unit operable to receive an operator identifier from an operator of the asset;
a processing unit operable to receive the operator identifier from said input unit and operable to prompt, independent of an active communication link between the wireless device and wireless infrastructure, a question related to operational status of the asset for the operator;
a display unit coupled to said processing unit and operable to display the question being prompted to the operator, a response to the question being prompted being received by said processing unit; and
a storage unit in communication with said processing unit and operable to store the response to the question. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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101. A system for performing inspection of a mobile asset utilizing a wireless communications system having a wireless infrastructure and a wireless device associated with the asset, said system comprising:
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means for receiving an operator identifier from an operator of the asset;
means for prompting, independent of an active communication link between the wireless device and wireless infrastructure, a question related to operational status of the asset for the operator, said means for prompting being in communication with said means for receiving;
means for receiving a response to the question and in communication with said means for prompting; and
means for storing the response to the question, said means for storing being in communication with said means for prompting. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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113. A system for monitoring impact of an asset, said system comprising:
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an input unit operable to receive an operator identifier of the asset prior to the asset being operated;
at least one sensor coupled to the vehicle and operable to sense an impact on the vehicle, and operable to produce at least one impact signal associated therewith;
a processing unit in communication with said input unit and said at least one sensor, said processing unit being operable to receive the at least one impact signal from said at least one sensor, said processing unit further operable to determine, based on the at least one impact signal, a level of impact on the vehicle; and
a storage unit in communication with said processing unit and operable to store the operator identifier and level of impact as a dataset. - View Dependent Claims (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138)
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139. A method for monitoring impact of an asset, said method comprising:
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receiving an operator identifier of the asset prior to the asset being operated;
receiving at least one impact signal;
determining, based on the at least one impact signal, a level of impact; and
storing the operator identifier and level of impact as a dataset. - View Dependent Claims (140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160)
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161. A system for monitoring impact of an asset, said system comprising:
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means for receiving an operator identifier of the asset prior to the asset being operated;
means for sensing an impact and generating at least one impact signal;
means for processing the at least one impact signal having said means for processing the at least one impact signal being in communication with said means for sensing an impact;
means for determining, based on the at least one impact signal, a level of impact, said means for determining the level of impact being operated by said means for processing; and
means for storing the operator identifier and level of impact as a dataset. - View Dependent Claims (162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176)
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177. A system for analyzing data associated with assets monitored by an asset management system, said system comprising:
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a database containing the data associated with the assets being monitored by the asset management system, the data being generated in response to events occurring in association with respective assets;
a computing unit in communication with said database;
software executable by said computing unit and operable to;
receive a request to select specific data associated with the assets; and
process the selected specific data to form a dataset based on the events of the respective assets to generate a report for a user of the asset management system to view; and
a display device in communication with said computing unit and operable to receive and display at least a portion of the dataset based on the events of the respective assets for the user to view. - View Dependent Claims (178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199)
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200. A method for analyzing data associated with assets monitored by an asset management system, said method comprising:
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monitoring events occurring in association with the assets;
generating data associated with the respective assets being monitored and in response to events occurring with respective assets;
communicating the data generated to be stored in a database;
storing the data in the database;
receiving a request to select specific data associated with the assets;
processing the selected specific data to form a dataset based on the events of the respective assets to generate a report for a user of the asset management system to view; and
displaying at least a portion of the dataset based on the events of the respective assets for the user of the asset management system to view. - View Dependent Claims (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220)
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221. A method for monitoring utilization of an asset by an operator of the asset, said method comprising:
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generating an event start notification associated with the operator starting an operation with the asset;
initializing an event counter value in response to the event start notification to maintain a count associated with an operating parameter of the asset as utilized by the operator;
updating the event counter value until an event stop notification is received;
generating an event stop notification associated with the operator stopping the operation with the asset; and
storing the event counter value in association with information related to the operator. - View Dependent Claims (222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231)
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232. A device for monitoring utilization of an asset by an operator, said device comprising:
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a memory unit operable to store information associated with the asset and operator;
a database stored in the memory unit and operable to maintain data elements;
an operator interface operable to receive input from the operator;
an input/output (I/O) unit operable to communicate with a sensor coupled to the asset;
a processing unit in communication with said memory unit, I/O unit, and operator interface, said processing unit operable to;
generate an event start notification in response to the operator starting the operation with the asset;
initialize an event counter value in response to the event start notification to maintain a count for the operating parameter of the asset as utilized by the operator;
update the event counter value until an event stop notification is generated;
generate an event stop notification associated with the operator stopping the operation with the asset; and
store the event counter value in said database in relation to the information associated with the operator. - View Dependent Claims (233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242)
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243. A method for gathering information from an operator of an asset, said method comprising:
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forming a list of questions for response by the operator of the asset;
distributing the list of questions to the asset;
prompting the operator with a first question from the list of questions;
receiving a response from the operator in response to the first question;
based on the response, selecting a second or third question to prompt the operator; and
prompting the selected second or third question for the operator to respond. - View Dependent Claims (244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256)
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257. A system for gathering information from an operator of an asset, said system comprising:
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a management computing system operable to maintain a list of questions for response by the operator of the asset;
a wireless infrastructure in communication with said management computing system and operable to distribute the list of questions to the asset; and
an asset communicator associated with the asset and in wireless communication with said wireless infrastructure, said asset communicator including (i) a wireless communication unit operable to receive the list of questions from said wireless infrastructure, (ii) processing unit in communication with the wireless communication unit and operable to receive the list of questions from the wireless communication unit, (iii) storage unit in communication with the processing unit and operable to store the list of questions, (iv) display unit in communication with the processing unit, and (v) input interface in communication with the processing unit, the processing unit further operable to;
prompt the operator with a first question from the list of questions via the display unit;
receive a response from the operator utilizing the input interface in response to the first question;
select either a second or third question to prompt the operator based on the response; and
prompt the selected second or third question on the display unit for the operator. - View Dependent Claims (258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271)
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Specification