Integrated system for routine maintenance of mechanized equipment

• US 20090005927A1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan Colby, Larry Schlatre
• Original Assignee: Alan Colby, Larry Schlatre
• Inventors: Colby, Alan, Schlatre, Larry
• Application Number:
  US12/074,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

An method to forecast parts requirements for a vehicle or fleet of vehicles using a computer system having a host processor and a database accessible by the host processor, where the database contains vehicle specific maintenance schedules indicating recommended maintenance intervals for scheduled maintenance events, where each scheduled maintenance event has associated maintenance tasks and where associated tasks may be have one or more recommended parts. The method involves determining a forecast window, determining whether a scheduled maintenance event is to occur, and predicting parts requirements based on any scheduled maintenance events and associated tasks.

Claims

1. In combination with a computer system comprising a host processor and a database accessible by the host processor, the computer system receiving and storing periodic updates of maintenance trigger data from at least one vehicle, the database containing maintenance schedules applicable to the vehicle, the maintenance schedules indicating recommended maintenance intervals for one or more scheduled maintenance events for the vehicle, and for each scheduled maintenance event the database contains one or more tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event, a method to forecast parts requirements for the vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a forecast window within which to predict the scheduled maintenance event;

(b) predicting forecast maintenance trigger data for the vehicle during the forecast window, the forecast maintenance trigger data computed from the previously stored maintenance trigger data for the vehicle;

(c) comparing the forecast maintenance trigger data against the maintenance schedules to determine whether a scheduled maintenance event is recommended during the forecast window.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the forecast window comprises a period of time, a range of engine accumulation hours or a range of odometer readings.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the database also contains one or more parts recommended for at least one of the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

(d) when a scheduled maintenance event is recommended, determining the required quantity of each part recommended for each task associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of

(f) calculating a quantity of parts to be ordered.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered in advance of the forecast window.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered before each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the quantity of parts is ordered when each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the database further contains a listing of available inventory parts, further comprising the step of:

(g) comparing the required quantity of each part recommended for the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event with the listing of available inventory parts.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of

(h) calculating an inventory shortfall of the required quantity of each part.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the database also contains a reorder level for each available inventory part, further comprising the step of:

(i) comparing the inventory shortfall to the reorder level for each available inventory part.

12. A method to forecast parts requirements for the vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) storing one or more maintenance schedules in one or more computer systems, wherein the maintenance schedules indicate recommended maintenance intervals for one or more scheduled maintenance events;

(b) storing one or more tasks associated with each scheduled maintenance event within the computer system storing the maintenance schedule;

(c) periodically receiving and storing maintenance trigger data from at least one vehicle in one or more of the computer systems;

(d) selecting a forecast window within which to predict scheduled maintenance events;

(e) predicting forecast maintenance trigger data for the vehicle during the forecast window, the forecast maintenance trigger data computed from the previously stored maintenance trigger data for the vehicle;

(f) comparing the forecast maintenance trigger data against the maintenance schedule to determine whether a scheduled maintenance event is recommended during the forecast window.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the forecast window is a period of time, a range of engine accumulation hours, or a range of odometer readings.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the computer system also contains one or more parts recommended for at least one of the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

(g) when a scheduled maintenance event is recommended, determining the required quantity of each part recommended for each task associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of

(h) calculating a quantity of parts to be ordered.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered in advance of the forecast window.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered before each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the quantity of parts is ordered when each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the computer system further contains a listing of available inventory parts, further comprising the step of:

(i) comparing the required quantity of each part recommended for the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event with the listing of available inventory parts.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

j) calculating an inventory shortfall of the required quantity of each part.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the computer system also contains a reorder level for each available inventory part, further comprising the step of:

(k) comparing the inventory shortfall to the reorder level for each available inventory part.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein maintenance trigger data are stored in a first computer system, wherein the maintenance schedule, any scheduled maintenance event and any tasks are stored in a second computer system, and wherein the first computer system periodically communicates to the second computer system a subset of the maintenance trigger data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein steps (a) through (f) are performed within the second computer system.

25. In combination with a computer system comprising a host processor and a database accessible by the host processor, the computer system receiving and storing periodic updates of maintenance trigger data from a plurality of vehicles, the database containing maintenance schedules applicable to one or more vehicles comprising the plurality of vehicles, the maintenance schedules indicating recommended maintenance intervals for one or more scheduled maintenance events for one or more vehicles comprising the plurality of vehicles, and for each scheduled maintenance event the database contains one or more tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event, a method to forecast parts requirements for the plurality of vehicles comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a forecast window within which to predict scheduled maintenance events;

(b) predicting interval maintenance trigger data for the vehicles comprising the plurality of vehicles during the forecast window, the interval maintenance trigger data computed from the previously stored maintenance trigger data for the vehicles;

(c) comparing the interval maintenance trigger data against the maintenance schedules to determine whether one or more scheduled maintenance events are recommended for the plurality of vehicles during the forecast window.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the forecast window is a period of time, a range of engine accumulation hours, or a range of odometer readings.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the computer system also contains one or more parts recommended for at least one of the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of:

(d) when a scheduled maintenance event is recommended, determining the required quantity of each part recommended for each task associated with the scheduled maintenance event.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of vehicles comprises one or more fleets of vehicles.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of

(e) calculating a quantity of parts to be ordered.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered in advance of the forecast window.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered before each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the quantity of parts is ordered when each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the computer system further contains a listing of available inventory parts, further comprising the step of:

(f) comparing the required quantity of each part recommended for the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event with the listing of available inventory parts.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

(g) calculating an inventory shortfall of the required quantity of each part.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the computer system also contains a reorder level for each available inventory part, further comprising the step of:

(h) comparing the inventory shortfall to the reorder level for each available inventory part.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

(e) when multiple scheduled maintenance events are recommended across the one or more fleets of vehicles, determining the required quantity of each part required for each location of the vehicles comprising the fleet of vehicles.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of

(g) calculating a quantity of parts to be ordered for each location.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered in advance of the forecast window.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the quantity of parts is to be ordered before each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the quantity of parts is ordered when each scheduled maintenance event occurs.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the computer system further contains a listing of available inventory parts for each location of the vehicles comprising the fleet of vehicles, further comprising the step of:

(f) comparing the required quantity of each part recommended for the tasks associated with the scheduled maintenance event with the listing of available inventory parts for each location.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of:

(g) calculating for each location an inventory shortfall of the required quantity of each part.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the computer system also contains a reorder level for each available inventory part, further comprising the step of:

(h) comparing the inventory shortfall for each location to the reorder level for each available inventory part.