Asset life cycle management method and apparatus

• US 20050010377A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Poorman, Anne, Gramberg, Oliver, Goins, Kirk, Lisiewski, Stephen, Stake, Niklas, Renulf, Andreas, Hoag, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/843,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010377A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31402 Keep log book, for activities of a station, equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32235 Sharing of data between process control and maintenance management computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A method and a system for managing one or more assets used by an enterprise over one or more of the phases of the asset lifecycle. Information about the asset and data from the operation of the asset is stored in a server local to the facility. That information and data is made available to an enterprise level server that may be hosted by the asset supplier or located at the enterprise or at a facility external to the enterprise but not at the asset supplier. A computer program when executed presents the user with one or more windows that each provides information about either a single phase for the asset or one or more phases. The user can navigate in a window to select the asset or facility and the specific information to be viewed.

Claims

1. A method for managing an asset used by an enterprise, said asset having a life cycle with a plurality of phases, said method comprising:

recording data from said asset during its operation in one or more of said plurality of life cycle phases and information about said asset in a server associated with a facility in which said asset is located;

transferring said recorded data and information to an enterprise level server; and

allowing said recorded data and information to be available for viewing either at said local server or said enterprise level server in a form that provides information to a user of said asset about said asset and one or more of said plurality of life cycle phases of said asset.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said enterprise level server is hosted by a supplier of said asset to said enterprise.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said enterprise level server is hosted either by said enterprise or at a non-asset supplier facility external to said enterprise.

4. A method for managing a plurality of assets used by an enterprise, each of said plurality of assets having an associated life cycle with a plurality of phases, said method comprising:

recording data from each of said plurality of assets during operation of each said plurality of assets in one or more of said associated plurality of life cycle phases and information about said asset in a server associated with a facility in which each of said plurality of assets is located;

transferring said recorded data to an enterprise level server; and

allowing said recorded data and information to be available for viewing for each of said plurality of assets either at said local server or said enterprise level server in a form that provides to a user of each of said plurality of assets information about each of said plurality of assets and one or more of said life cycle phases associated with each of said plurality of assets.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said enterprise level server is hosted by a supplier of said asset to said enterprise.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said enterprise level server is hosted either by said enterprise or at a non-asset supplier facility external to said enterprise.

7. In an enterprise having one or more facilities, each of said one or more facilities having one or more assets, each of said assets having an associated life cycle with a plurality of phases, a system for managing each of said one or more assets in each of said one or more facilities comprising:

means associated with each of said one or more facilities for recording data from each of said one or more assets in said one or more facilities during said assets operation in one or more of said plurality of associated life cycle phases and information about each of said one or more assets in a server associated with said one of said one or more facilities in which said one or more asset is located;

means for transferring said recorded data and information from each of said servers associated with one of said one or more facilities to an enterprise level server; and

means for allowing said recorded data and information to be available for viewing either at said local server or said enterprise level server in a form that provides information to a user of said one or more assets about said asset and one or more of said plurality of life cycle phases associated with each of said one or more assets.