System, Apparatus and Method for Activity Guidance and Monitoring

• US 20140025785A1
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Myron Frederick Zahnow
• Original Assignee: Myron Frederick Zahnow
• Inventors: Zahnow, Myron Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, apparatus and methods for activity guidance and monitoring utilizing a scanning device associated with a system network. Embodiments further disclose activity guidance and monitoring of labor workflow. The system may include a scanning device with a network communication component facilitating communication with a server. The scanning device may scan identification codes associated with a user or an activity, and display activity information based upon the scanned codes. The server may include a database of information related to the users and activities as well as historical information, and the server may provide analysis of such information. A user interface may facilitate activity status updates to be input into the system. Reports may be created to reflect the status updates or an analysis of the information.

Claims

1. A system for workflow management and monitoring comprising:

a networked scanning device comprising;

a scanning component for registering a user identification code and a workflow identification code;

a user input for receiving input from a user;

a display for providing visual output to said user;

a network communication component for facilitating communication with a system network; and

a processor operatively associated with said scanning component, said user input, said display and said network communication component;

a networked server comprising;

a database storing stored information;

a server network communication component for facilitating communication with said system network; and

a server processor operatively associated with said database and said server network communication component;

wherein said networked scanning device, registers said user identification code from said scanning component, identifies said user based upon said user identification code, registers said workflow identification code from said scanning component, identifies an electronic work order based upon said workflow identification code;

displays said electronic work order;

receives a selection of at least one step associated with said electronic work order;

identifies a time associated with said selection of said step; and

transmits a status update to said database related to said electronic work order.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said networked scanning device is a mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanning component comprises a camera.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said networked scanning device comprises a touch-screen display which operates as said user input and said display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said user identification code comprises a QR code associated with an employee badge.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said workflow identification code comprises a QR code associated with a work order.

7. The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said networked scanning devices, wherein each of said plurality of said networked scanning devices transmits said status update to said database;

and wherein said networked server aggregates information from said plurality of said networked scanning devices based upon said status updates.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said networked server comprises an analysis algorithm which aggregates data associated with said electronic work order;

determines an attribute based upon said data associated with said electronic work order; and

associate said attribute with said user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said analysis algorithm is further based upon historical data associated with at least one of said user and said electronic work order.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said networked server creates a user report based upon said attribute and said user.

11. A method for workflow management and monitoring comprising the steps of:

registering a user identification code with a scanning device;

associating said scanning device with a user based upon said user identification code;

registering a workflow identification code with said scanning device;

determining an electronic work order based upon said workflow identification code;

displaying said electronic work order on said scanning device;

receiving a selection of at least one step associated with said electronic work order, wherein said selection is received from said user via operation of a user interface associated with said scanning device;

identifying a time associated with said selection of said step; and

transmitting a status update related to said electronic work order over a communication network to a server database.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said scanning device is a mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said registering comprises optical recognition of a visual code.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said associating comprises analyzing said visual code with a user identification source to verify said visual code corresponds with at least one said user identification code, and associate said user with said visual code.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said determining comprises analyzing said visual code with a work order identification source to verify said visual code corresponds with at least one said work order identification code.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said electronic work order comprises a plurality of said steps associated with said electronic work order.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each of said plurality of said steps is displayed as an icon.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein each said icon represents a current status of said step;

and said displaying includes changing the display of said icon based upon at least one of said selection and said status update.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said user interface is a touch screen display.

20. The system of claim 11 further comprising the step of transmitting work flow information related to said electronic work order over said communication network to said server database.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising the step of analyzing said work flow information to determine an attribute associated with at least one of said user and said electronic work order.