EXPERT COLLABORATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150067018A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: CONNOLLY, Paul, VENKATARAMANA, Raju, PAUL, Sharoda, MODI, Piyush, BOLINGER, Joseph William, WOOD, Brandi
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for remotely providing expert assistance receive identification information from a mobile device that is representative of a component and communicate the identification information to remotely located expert personnel. The system and method also receive an expert-identified work scope that includes guidance information for display on the mobile device to guide the operator through diagnosing, repairing, testing, and/or replacing the component. The system and method also store the expert-identified work scope and the identification information such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the identification information. The system and method compare subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information and automatically select and communicate the expert-identified work scope based on comparing the subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first identification information from a first mobile device of a remotely located operator, the first identification information representative of one or more components of a system;

communicating the first identification information to one or more expert personnel remotely located from the operator;

receiving an expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, the expert-identified work scope including a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the first mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system;

storing the expert-identified work scope and at least some of the first identification information in one or more memory devices such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the at least some of the first identification information;

comparing subsequently received second identification information received from one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device with the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices; and

automatically selecting and communicating the expert-identified work scope from the one or more memory devices to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device based on said comparing the second identification information with the at least some of the first identification information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request signal from the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the expert-identified work scope;

selecting a subset of the one or more expert personnel based on the request signal; and

communicating an identification signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, the identification signal identifying the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel are automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between areas of expertise of the one or more expert personnel and the one or more components of the system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel are automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between availabilities of the one or more expert personnel to remotely assist the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device during performance of the expert-identified work scope by the operator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the availabilities of the one or more expert personnel represent communication abilities of the one or more expert personnel to communicate with the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel are automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on locations of the one or more expert personnel.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising communicating a display signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that directs the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device to display a map and locations of the one or more expert personnel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of guidance information includes one or more manuals, guides, lists, images, videos, or audio files that direct the operator through the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system.

9. A services support system comprising:

an analysis system configured to receive first identification information from a first mobile device of a remotely located operator, the first identification information representative of one or more components of a system, the analysis system also configured to communicate the first identification information to one or more expert personnel remotely located from the operator and to receive an expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, the expert-identified work scope includes a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the first mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system; and

one or more memory devices configured to store the expert-identified work scope and at least some of the first identification information such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the at least some of the first identification information,

wherein the analysis system is configured to compare subsequently received second identification information received from one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device with the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, and to automatically select and communicate the expert-identified work scope from the one or more memory devices to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device based on comparing the second identification information with the at least some of the first identification information.

10. The services support system of claim 9, wherein the analysis system also is configured to receive a request signal from the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the expert-identified work scope, the analysis system also configured to select a subset of the one or more expert personnel based on the request signal and to communicate an identification signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device,

wherein the identification signal identifies the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

11. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between areas of expertise of the one or more expert personnel and the one or more components of the system.

12. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between availabilities of the one or more expert personnel to remotely assist the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device during performance of the expert-identified work scope by the operator.

13. The services support system of claim 12, wherein the availabilities of the one or more expert personnel represent communication abilities of the one or more expert personnel to communicate with the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

14. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on locations of the one or more expert personnel.

15. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system also is configured to communicate a display signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that directs the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device to display a map and locations of the one or more expert personnel.

16. The services support system of claim 9, wherein the set of guidance information includes one or more manuals, guides, lists, images, videos, or audio files that direct the operator through the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system.

17. A method comprising:

receiving identification information from an operator via a mobile device, the identification information representative of one or more components;

communicating the identification information to a remotely located analysis system;

receiving an expert-identified work scope based on the identification information that was communicated to the analysis system, the expert-identified work scope including a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components;

displaying the guidance information to the operator via the mobile device during performance of the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components; and

communicatively coupling the mobile device with one or more remotely located expert personnel during performance of the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components to allow the one or more remotely located expert personnel to assist the operator with performance of the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

obtaining one or more of a video or an image of the one or more components at the mobile device;

receiving an operator-input annotation to the one or more of the video or the image via the mobile device; and

communicating the operator-input annotation and the one or more of the video or the image to the one or more remotely located expert personnel.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request signal from the operator at the mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components;

receiving a selected subset of the one or more expert personnel from the analysis system based on the request signal; and

receiving an identification signal at the mobile device from the analysis system, the identification signal identifying the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components via the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a map and locations of the one or more expert personnel on the mobile device.