Linear assets inspection system

• US 20100064242A1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Original Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Inventors: Abbott, Brian, Lilley, David, Tays, Dwight
• Application Number:
  US12/454,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064242A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/04 for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

The invention provides a graphical user interface implemented on a computer including an information area for displaying to a user at the computer inspection status information in connection with one or more components of a linear asset infrastructure. The graphical user interface also includes a control component operable by the user at the computer to cause the graphical user interface to display additional information on the one or more components of the linear asset infrastructure.

Claims

1. ) A method for managing an inspection process in connection with linear assets of a linear assets infrastructure, the method including:

a) storing in a database entries associated with respective components of the linear assets infrastructure;

b) associating an inspection due date with each entry;

c) driving an inspection status indicator in a graphical user interface which provides an indication to a human operator of the inspection status of the component associated with the entry at least in part on the basis of the inspection due date.

2. ) A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the linear assets infrastructure includes a railway infrastructure.

3. ) A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the inspection status indicator has a plurality of possible states, one of the states indicating that the inspection of the component is due.

4. ) A method as defined in claim 3, wherein another of the states indicating that the inspection of the component is completed.

5. ) A method as defined in claim 2, including associating with each entry an inspection frequency and periodically generating an inspection due date on the basis of the inspection frequency.

6. ) A method as defined in claim 2, including resetting the inspection due date in response to input via the GUI that the inspection of the component is completed.

7. ) A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the resetting is done on the basis of the inspection frequency.

8. ) A method as defined in claim 7, including associating with the entry data indicative of the date at which the inspection of the component was performed.

9. ) A system for assisting a user to manage an inspection process in connection with linear assets of a linear assets infrastructure, the system including:

a) a database storing;

i) entries associated with respective components of the linear assets infrastructure;

ii) inspection due date data associated with each entry;

b) a graphical user interface implemented on a computing device which provides an inspection status indicator, the inspection status indicator providing information to the user on the inspection status of the component associated with the entry;

c) program code for driving the inspection status indicator at least in part on the basis of the inspection due date data.