MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130124136A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: McManus, Thomas, Berdan, Lindsey, Ferrante, Joseph V., Stuart, Michael Devin, Neeley, John, Schlichting, Jordan, Bergstrom, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,726,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

Systems and techniques for obtaining and maintaining maintenance records for various assets are described. In one embodiment, a computing device may be wirelessly coupled to a measurement device when the computing device is placed in proximity with the computing device. Upon measuring one or more parameters of a device under test (DUT), the measurement device may provide the measured parameters to the computing device in the form of measurement data. In some embodiments, the computing device associates the measured parameters with the corresponding DUT from which the measurements were obtained and provides the associated measured parameter to, for example, a service provider for future access. In another embodiment, the measurement device itself is configured to associate the measurement parameters with the DUT and provide the associated measurement parameters to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining and maintaining maintenance records, comprising:

placing a computing device in proximity with a measurement device;

establishing a communication link between the computing device and the measurement device;

prior to or after the establishment of the communication link, measuring, using the measurement device, one or more parameters of a device under test (DUT) to obtain measurement data;

transmitting the measurement data from the measurement device to the computing device;

associating the measurement data received from the measurement device with a selected device under test to generate associated measurement data; and

providing the associated measurement data to a service provider via a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishment of the communication link between the measurement device and the computing device occurs automatically as the computing device is placed in proximity of the measurement device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishment of the communication link between the measurement device and the computing device occurs upon input to the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is selected from a group consisting of a multimeter, an oscilloscope, a thermal imaging system, a thermometer, a calibration tool, and a cable tester.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more parameters are selected from a group consisting of electrical parameters, temperature, pressure, visible light waves, and invisible light waves.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on the computing device, displaying the associated measurement data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating the measurement data received from the measurement device with the selected device under test to generate associated measurement data includes:

creating, at the computing device, a DUT record including at least one of DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

inputting data associated with testing of the device under test and associating said data with the DUT record.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data associated with testing of the device is selected from a group consisting of status of the device under test, severity of a problem of the device under test, one or more actions that need to be taken based on the results of the test, one or more notes that need to be documented, and additional information that may be helpful to another technician.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the data associated with testing of the device is in one or more of the following formats:

an audio format;

a video format; and

a text format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating the measurement data received from the measurement device with the selected device under test to generate associated measurement data includes:

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating the measurement data received from the measurement device with the selected device under test to generate associated measurement data includes:

obtaining, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT; and

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating the measurement data received from the measurement device with the selected device under test to generate associated measurement data includes:

on the computing device, selecting the device under test from a list of devices.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT, wherein the DUT record includes information collected from a prior test; and

comparing the information collected from a prior test to the associated measurement data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is an imaging system, the method further comprising:

aligning a reference point of the image system with respect to the device under test to be substantially aligned with a reference image obtained from the service provider.

16. A system for obtaining and maintaining maintenance records, comprising:

a measurement device configured to measure at least one parameter of a device under test (DUT);

a computing device configured to be placed in communication with the measurement device, wherein the measurement device measures the at least one parameter of the device under test prior to or while coupled to the computing device, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive the at least one measured parameter from the measurement device and to associate the at least one measured parameter with the device under test to obtain at least one associated measured parameter; and

a service provider in communication with the computing device, wherein the service provider is configured to receive the associated measured parameter and to store said associated measured parameter.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the measurement device is selected from a group consisting of a multimeter, an oscilloscope, a thermal imaging system, a thermometer, a calibration tool, and a cable tester.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one parameter is selected from a group consisting of electrical parameters, temperature, pressure, visible light waves, and invisible light waves.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing device is configured to associate the at least one measured parameter with the device under test to obtain at least one associated measured parameter that occurs by one of:

creating a DUT record including at least one of DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location;

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT;

obtaining, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT, and retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information;

or

selecting the device under test from a list of devices generated by the computing device or obtained from the service provider.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

establish a data communication link between the computing device and the measurement device when the measurement device is in proximity;

receive measurement data from the measurement device, the measurement data being one or more measured parameters of a device under test (DUT);

associate the measurement data received from the measurement device with the device under test to generate associated measurement data; and

provide the associated measurement data to a service provider via a network.

21. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

select the device under test from a list of devices;

create a DUT record including at least one of DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location;

or

retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT;

obtain, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT, and retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information.

22. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

display the associated measurement data.

23. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT, wherein the DUT record includes information collected from a prior test; and

compare the information collected from a prior test to the associated measurement data.

24. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

align a reference point of an image system with respect to the device under test to be substantially aligned with a reference image obtained from the service provider.