SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ASSET INSTALLATION AND EVALUATION

• US 20110288966A1
• Filed: 02/20/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Reflexis Systems, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Stan, Turner, Charles, Swiedler, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Efficient and effective centralized management of automated field force installation and evaluation of assets. Service representatives can each perform an asset installation and/or an asset evaluation with the aid of a handheld device. The handheld device can display worksheets comprising a sequence of instructions and prompts related to the installation/evaluation. In performing the asset installation/evaluation, the service representative can follow the instructions and enter responses to the prompts into the handheld device. The handheld device can communicate with a server to download the worksheets onto the handheld device and to upload from the handheld device data related to the installation/evaluation. Authorized users'"'"' network devices can interact with a reporting module of the server to generate reports based on the uploaded data. The reports can provide the authorized users with real-time or near real-time information about the service representatives'"'"' performance and about particular assets, including, e.g., information about particular asset installations/evaluations.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method for managing and evaluating an asset comprising:

generating a display on a mobile computing device comprising a sequence of prompts for producing worksheet data, wherein the instructions of the display include a prompt to enter a serial number of the asset into a field, a prompt to respond to whether or not a particular component of the asset is needed, a prompt to respond to whether or not installation of the asset is complete and working, and a prompt to take a digital image of the asset and digital image of an asset tag;

generating a report based on the worksheet data, wherein the worksheet data comprises the digital image of the asset and the digital image of the asset tag, the asset tag comprising a barcode for uniquely identifying the asset;

sending a file index over a wireless network before any of the worksheet data is transmitted over the wireless network from the mobile computing device to a server;

parsing with the server each file index received from the wireless network;

cross-referencing each indexed file with the server against a list of files stored at the server and received previously from the mobile computing device; and

instructing the mobile computing device to only send files that have not been received previously by the server.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a handheld mobile computing device.

47. The method of claim 45, transmitting each of the prompts to a plurality of mobile computing devices over a wireless network.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the wireless network comprises a radio-frequency (RF) wireless network.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising determining if the wireless network is available.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising generating a report based on the worksheet data that displays a visual indicator of progress for an installation of the asset.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the report comprises an estimated repair cost for the asset.

52. A system for managing and evaluating an asset comprising:

means for generating a display on a mobile computing device comprising a sequence of prompts for producing worksheet data, wherein the instructions of the display include a prompt to enter a serial number of the asset into a field, a prompt to respond to whether or not a particular component of the asset is needed, a prompt to respond to whether or not installation of the asset is complete and working, and a prompt to take a digital image of the asset and digital image of an asset tag;

means for generating a report based on the worksheet data, wherein the worksheet data comprises the digital image of the asset and the digital image of the asset tag, the asset tag comprising a barcode for uniquely identifying the asset;

means for sending a file index over a wireless network before any of the worksheet data is transmitted over the wireless network from the mobile computing device to a server;

means for parsing with the server each file index received from the wireless network;

means for cross-referencing each indexed file with the server against a list of files stored at the server and received previously from the mobile computing device; and

means for instructing the mobile computing device to only send files that have not been received previously by the server.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a handheld mobile computing device.

54. The system of claim 52, further comprising means for transmitting each of the prompts to a plurality of mobile computing devices over a wireless network.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the wireless network comprises a radio-frequency (RF) wireless network.

56. The system of claim 52, further comprising means for determining if the wireless network is available.

57. The system of claim 52, further comprising means for generating a report based on the worksheet data that displays a visual indicator of progress for an installation of the asset.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the report comprises an estimated repair cost for the asset.

59. A system for managing and evaluating an asset comprising:

a server for transmitting data for display on a mobile computing device, the server producing a sequence of prompts for producing worksheet data, wherein the instructions of the display include a prompt to enter a serial number of the asset into a field, a prompt to respond to whether or not a particular component of the asset is needed, a prompt to respond to whether or not installation of the asset is complete and working, and a prompt to take a digital image of the asset and digital image of an asset tag; and

the mobile computing device generating a report based on the worksheet data, wherein the worksheet data comprises the digital image of the asset and the digital image of the asset tag, the asset tag comprising a barcode for uniquely identifying the asset, the mobile computing device sending a file index over a wireless network before any of the worksheet data is transmitted over the wireless network from the mobile computing device to the server;

the server parsing each file index received from the wireless network and cross-referencing each indexed file against a list of files stored at the server and received previously from the mobile computing device, the server instructing the mobile computing device to only send files that have not been received previously by the server.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the server transmits each of the prompts to a plurality of mobile computing devices over a wireless network.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the wireless network comprises a radio-frequency (RF) wireless network.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the mobile computing device determines if the wireless network is available.

63. The system of claim 62, further wherein the server generates a report based on the worksheet data that displays a visual indicator of progress for an installation of the asset.

64. The system of claim 64, wherein the report comprises an estimated repair cost for the asset.