METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING A CONDITION STATUS OF A COMPONENT OF A LINEAR ASSET SYSTEM

• US 20150095317A1
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Original Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Inventors: Tays, Dwight, Lilley, David, Abbott, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/567,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• 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 50/40 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 performing inspections on a railway network having components selected from the group consisting of track segments and features, the method including:

a) performing an in-field inspection of components of the railway network to determine if the components are fit for continued service, the inspection including a visual inspection of the components by an inspector;

b) providing the inspector with a portable computing device having a first display;

c) when the in-field inspection of a first component of the railway network determines that the first component manifests an inspector-observed condition that represents a deviation from an operational requirement, performing a condition recordal process, the condition recordal process including;

i) displaying a first graphical user interface on the first display, the graphical user interface having a first data input field configured to receive information identifying the first component;

ii) providing a database storing inspector-observed condition records associated with components of the railway network that have been identified as manifesting conditions that represent deviations from the operational requirements of the components;

iii) searching the database on the basis of the information identifying the first component to identify condition records in the database associated with the first component, the condition records describing conditions associated with the first component that have been recorded during past inspections;

iv) displaying on the first graphical user interface a list of condition records identified by said searching;

v) providing on the graphical user interface a first submit control operable by the inspector to indicate that the list of the condition records does not already contain a record of the inspector-observed condition;

vi) in response to actuation of the first submit control, displaying on the first graphical user interface a second data input field to receive information describing the inspector-observed condition;

vii) providing on the graphical user interface a second submit control selectively operable by the inspector to create in the database a new condition record in connection with the first component at least in part on the basis of the information in the first and second data input fields;

d) driving a condition record indicator in a second graphical user interface rendered on a second display that is remote from the first display on the basis of the condition records stored in the database, the condition record indicator displaying condition status information about components of the railway network that manifest inspector-observed conditions representing deviations from the operational requirements of the components, the condition status information distinguishing between inspector-observed conditions having different levels of severity, the graphical user interface including a control component operable by a user at the second display to trigger the display of additional information about one or more of the conditions.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the condition status information is displayed in a manner such that the inspector-observed conditions are grouped according to a degree of severity.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the condition status information displays a first severity category and a second severity category, the first severity category relating to inspector-observed conditions that are more severe than inspector-observed conditions categorized in the second severity category.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the first severity category includes an inspector-observed condition recorded against a track segment and an inspector-observed condition recorded against a feature of the railway infrastructure.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the control component is associated with the first severity category and it is operable to trigger the display of additional information about the conditions in the first severity category, the additional information including a list of the individual track segments and features against which inspector-observed conditions in the first severity category have been recorded.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the additional information identifies specific inspector-observed conditions within the first severity category recorded against the individual track segments and features.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, including performing multiple in-field inspections by different inspectors of track segments and features that are remote from each other and creating condition records for track segments and features that present deviations from respective operational requirements, the condition record indicator aggregating condition status information originating from multiple in-field inspections that are performed in different locations of the railway network.

8. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with software for execution by a CPU that, when executed by the CPU, causes the CPU to implement a condition recording function for allowing an inspector-observed condition to be recorded in connection with a component of a railway network, the condition recording function monitoring events occurring during a condition recording procedure during which a server arrangement communicates with a remote client over a data network to present an employee at the remote client with outstanding inspector-observed conditions recorded against the component, the condition recording function:

a) detecting among the monitored events a submission of information indicative of the component for which the inspector-observed condition is to be recorded;

b) in response to the detecting, determining any currently outstanding inspector-observed conditions recorded against the component;

c) causing the currently outstanding inspector-observed conditions recorded against the component to be displayed to the employee at the remote client; and

d) in response to detection of a confirmation at the remote client indicating that the inspector-observed condition to be recorded is absent from the currently outstanding inspector-observed conditions, causing an entry to be stored in a database associating the inspector-observed condition with the component.