Equipment tracking system and method

• US 20040262387A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: FLEETTRAKKER LLC
• Inventors: Hart, John E
• Granted Patent: US 7,048,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and recording equipment information related to a fleet of equipment. The equipment information can be accessed and updated through the use of a data device carried by fleet personnel in the field, recording, facilitating inspection, service, maintenance, and repair of the equipment.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining inspection reports of a group of equipment, comprising:

a data communication network over which data can be transferred;

a memory coupled to the network for storing data representing inspection reports of equipment;

a server coupled to the network for accessing the data stored by the memory; and

a wireless portable communication device to communicate with the server over the network and access the data stored by the memory, the wireless portable communication device having a processor, a display, and a local memory storing data representing an inspection checklist, data representing completed inspection checklists, and an inspection application, the inspection application executed by the processor to retrieve the data representing the inspection checklist and display the checklist on the display, and in response to completion of the checklist, store the data for the completed inspection checklist in the local memory and transmit the data for the completed inspection checklist to the server for storage in the memory as data representing an inspection report.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless portable communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless portable communication device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data representing an inspection checklist comprises data representing a list of inspection items for a requested equipment.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the inspection checklist comprises a list of user defined inspection points on the requested equipment.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further stores data representing service reports for equipment and wherein the local memory comprises a local memory having data representing a service application and a service checklist stored thereon, the service application executed by the processor to retrieve the data representing the service checklist and display the service checklist on the display, and in response to completion of the service checklist, store the data for the completed service checklist in the local memory and transmit the data representing the completed inspection checklist to the server for storage in the memory as data representing a service report.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further stores data representing repair information for equipment and wherein the local memory comprises a local memory having data representing a repair application stored thereon, the repair application executed by the processor to access the server, retrieve data representing repair information from the memory, and display the repair information on the display.

8. A system for tracking equipment, comprising:

a portable data device for entering and receiving data remotely, the portable data device having a memory, a processor, and a display;

a server system in communication with the device through a network; and

an inspection component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to retrieve from the memory data representing an inspection checklist and display the inspection checklist on the display, the inspection component further providing a request to the server system to provide data representing inspection information for a requested equipment to the portable data device in response to an inspection information request.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a service component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to retrieve from the memory data representing a service checklist and display the service checklist on the display, the service component further providing a request to the server system to provide data representing service information for the requested equipment to the portable data device in response to a service information request.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the service information for various service points comprises service checklists for the various service points.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the service component, in response to completion of the service checklists, updates a service log stored by the server system with a record of the completed service checklists.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the service component provides in addition to the service information a graphical image of the requested equipment on which a starting service point is selected by touching the touch-screen in proximity to an available service point on the graphical image.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a repair component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to send a request to the server system to provide data representing repair information for the requested equipment to the portable data device in response to a repair information request.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the repair component, in response to receiving indication of a completed repair, updates a repair log stored by the server system with a record of the completed repair.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the repair component provides in addition to the repair information a graphical image of the requested equipment and more detailed repair information for a repair point in response to touching the touch-screen in proximity to the repair point on the graphical image.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the device includes a touch-screen display on which data is entered, and the inspection component provides a graphical image related to the inspection information, the inspection component providing additional inspection information related to a region of the graphical image in response to touching the display corresponding to the region of the graphical image.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein, in response to completion of the inspection checklist, the inspection component further updates an inspection log stored by the server system with a record of the completed inspection checklist.

18. The system of claim 8 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the inspection component provides in addition to the inspection checklist a graphical image of the requested equipment on which a starting inspection point is selected by touching the touch-screen in proximity to an available inspection point on the graphical image.

19. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a database coupled to the server system in which data related to inspection of the equipment are stored; and

an accounting interface component for communicating with an accounting application having access to the data stored by the database, the accounting component provided by a third-party accounting software vendor.

20. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a database coupled to the server system in which data related to inspection of the equipment are stored; and

a regulatory interface component for communicating with a regulatory application having access to the data stored by the server system and providing a regulatory agency with the data for inspection and review thereof.

21. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a database coupled to the server system in which data related to inspection of the equipment are stored; and

a manufacturer interface component for communicating with a manufacturer application having access to data stored by the database and providing a manufacturer of the equipment with the data for review.

22. A method for tracking inspection information for a group of equipment, comprising:

storing equipment inspection information for the group of equipment;

displaying an inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment on a portable data device;

storing data representing a completed inspection checklist;

transmitting the data representing the completed inspection checklist to a server system for storage as equipment inspection information.

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information an inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment in response to selecting an inspection option;

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information service information for various service points of the selected equipment in response to selecting a service option; and

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information repair information for the selected equipment in response to selecting a repair option.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising requesting the server system to retrieve from the equipment information data for a completed inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment to be displayed on the portable data device.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein requesting a server system to retrieve an inspection checklist comprises:

requesting a checklist of inspection items for a starting inspection point;

in response to completion of the checklist of inspection items for the starting inspection point, requesting a checklist of inspection items for a next inspection point;

the next inspection point provided in accordance with a sequence based on the location of the starting inspection point; and

providing a checklist of inspection items for the next inspection point in the sequence until inspection of the selected equipment is completed.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing an accounting application access to the stored equipment information, the accounting application provided by a third-party accounting software vendor.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a regulatory application access to the stored equipment information to allow a regulatory agency inspection and review thereof.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a manufacturer application access to the stored equipment information to allow a manufacturer of the equipment review thereof.

28. A method for performing service of a selected one of a group of equipment having at least one service point, the method comprising:

selecting on a portable data device an initial service point on the selected equipment at which to begin service;

requesting from the portable data device for a server system to provide to the portable data device for display thereon a checklist of service items for the initial service point; and

providing to the portable data device a new checklist of service items for a next service point on the selected equipment in response to completing the checklist of service items for the initial service point, the next service point selected in accordance with a sequence of service points for the selected equipment based on the initial service point.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the portable data device includes a touch-screen display on which data is entered, and selecting an initial service point comprises touching the touch-screen display in proximity to an available service point on a graphical image of the selected equipment displayed on the portable data device.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein requesting the server system to provide a checklist of service items further includes requesting the server system to provide a graphical image of the selected equipment corresponding to the service items on the checklist.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising updating a service log stored in the server system in response to completing the service checklists for the selected equipment with a record of the completed service.

32. A method for performing repair of a selected one of a group of equipment, the method comprising:

selecting on a portable data device a component on the selected equipment for repair; and

requesting from the portable data device for a server system to provide to the portable data device for display thereon repair information for the component on the selected equipment.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising updating a repair log stored in the server system in response to completing repair on the selected equipment with a record of the completed repair.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the portable data device includes a touch-screen display on which data is entered, and requesting the server system to provide repair information comprises:

requesting a graphical image of the selected equipment to be displayed on the portable data device;

touching the touch-screen display in proximity of a desired repair point; and

requesting detailed repair information associated with the desired repair point to be displayed on the portable data device.