Computer based system, computer program product and method for managing geographically distributed assets

• US 6,873,949 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM Resources Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM Resources Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Gathen L., Hickman, Christopher W., Kircher, Theodor E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US10/405,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/29, 701200-209, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 704 1- 10, 704270-276, 707100-104
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A computer based system, computer program product, and method for managing geographically distributed assets. A computer based system, computer program product, and method are provided for managing geographically distributed electric power transmission assets. Mapping, routing, and asset location information is managed and combined with real time Global Positioning System (GPS) location information to alarm field maintenance and inspection crews prior to inadvertent entry into restricted areas, such as environmentally protected or otherwise restricted lands. Detailed information is maintained on the electric power transmission assets providing management insight into past performance, as well as predictive information as to future costs and performance.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for managing geographically distributed assets, comprising:

a master database populated with

asset entries associated with said geographically distributed assets, said asset entries each being associated with one of the geographically distributed assets and having

an identification indicator,

a geographic location indicator, and

at least one characteristic attribute indicator, and

geographic entries, said geographic entries each defining a geographic area and having

an identification indicator, and

a restricted area indicator;

a processor; and

a computer readable medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement,

a geo-spatial query generating mechanism that generates a geo-spatial query containing at least one of the identification indicator, the geographic location indicator, and the at least one characteristic attribute associated with a subset of geographically distributed assets,

a selection mechanism configured to select asset entries corresponding to the subset of the geographically distributed assets based on the geo-spatial query, and

a route generating mechanism configured to generate a route from a first location to at least one of the geographically distributed assets, the route identifying the geographic areas corresponding to geographic entries populated with a predetermined restricted area indicator value, wherein

the geographically distributed assets comprise at least one of electric power transmission equipment and natural gas transmission equipment.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile processor configured to access said master database.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a wireless modem configured to access said master database via a wireless communication channel.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a connection configured to receive a digital image from a digital camera and is further configured to store at least one of said digital image and a link to said digital image in said master database as said at least one characteristic attribute indicator.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a removable media drive configured to store thereon query results.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate and transmit audio signals associated with said at least one characteristic attribute indicator for the subset of geographically distributed assets from the geo-spatial query.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a removable media mass storage device configured to store thereon query results.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a global positioning system receiver configured to provide a real time position of said mobile processor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate an audible alarm indication in response to said mobile processor determining that a distance between said real time position and a geographic area corresponding to geographic entry populated with a predetermined restricted area indicator value is less than a predetermined margin.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a wireless modem configured to transmit said real time position to said processor via a wireless communication channel.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate and display visual maps with visual representations of said subset of geographically distributed assets.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate and display visual maps with visual representations of said subset of geographically distributed assets and a geographic area corresponding to a geographic entry populated with a predetermined restricted area indicator value.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a historical database populated with at least a portion of at least one prior version of said master database.

14. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a quality control database initially populated with a replica of at least a portion of a current version of said master database, wherein said mobile processor is configured to access and modify said quality control database.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

said system is further configured to verify updates proposed to said master database by modifications made to said quality control database.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a web server configured to perform data queries of said quality control database, wherein said quality control database is in a browsable format.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an e-mail server configured to generate a notification message when a modification is made to said quality control database, and configured to receive from a remote source an authorization message prior to irrevocably modifying said master database.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said computer readable medium is further encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor further implements,

a report generating mechanism configured to generate a report listing attributes of a subset of the geographically distributed assets.

19. A method of managing geographically distributed assets, comprising the steps of:

populating a master database with data that is descriptive of the geographically distributed assets, data pertaining to historical maintenance and inspection of the geographically distributed assets, geographic location of the geographically distributed assets, map information, and data identifying restricted areas within a predetermined distance from the geographically distributed assets;

generating route information indicating respective locations of restricted areas and candidate routes from at least one of a predetermined location and a user specified location to the geographically distributed assets; and

updating the master database from a remote location with updated maintenance and inspection information of the geographically distributed assets, wherein

the geographically distributed assets comprise at least one of electric power transmission equipment and natural gas transmission equipment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of updating comprises:

populating a quality control database with at least a portion of the data in the master database; and

updating the quality control database from a remote location with updated maintenance and inspection information.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of:

verifying updates to said master database with said updated maintenance and inspection information of said quality control database.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

generating a notification message when updates are made to the quality control database;

receiving a verification message from a remote terminal of an update event;

copying at least a portion of the data in the master database to a historical database; and

updating the master database if said verification message indicates an approval of said update event.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

accessing the data pertaining to historical maintenance and inspection of the geographically distributed assets in the master database;

processing the data pertaining to historical maintenance and inspection of the geographically distributed assets; and

generating a report listing attributes of a subset of the geographically distributed assets.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of generating route information comprises:

generating and displaying visual maps on a display indicating respective locations of the geographically distributed assets, the route information, and the restricted areas;

receiving real time position information from a global positioning system receiver; and

generating an audible alarm when a current position of a vehicle in which the display is located and information from the master database, the vehicle is nearing an area that has been identified in the master database as a restricted area.

25. A system for managing geographically distributed assets, comprising:

means for populating a master database with data that is descriptive of the geographically distributed assets, data pertaining to historical maintenance and inspection of the geographically distributed assets, geographic location of the geographically distributed assets, map information, and data identifying restricted areas within a predetermined distance from the geographically distributed assets;

means for generating route information indicating respective locations of restricted areas and candidate routes from a predetermined location to the geographically distributed assets; and

means for updating the master database from a remote location with at least one of updated geographic information and updated maintenance and inspection information of the geographically distributed assets, wherein

said geographically distributed assets comprise at least one of electric power transmission equipment and natural gas transmission equipment.

26. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a processor to facilitate the management of geographically distributed assets, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to populate a master database with data that is descriptive of the geographically distributed assets, data pertaining to historical maintenance and inspection of the geographically distributed assets, geographic location of the geographically distributed assets, map information, and data identifying restricted areas within a predetermined distance from the geographically distributed assets;

a second computer code device configured to generate route information indicating respective locations of restricted areas and candidate routes from a predetermined location to the geographically distributed assets and configured to generate and display visual maps with visual representations of at least one of the route information, the restricted areas and the geographically distributed assets; and

a third computer code device configured to update the master database from a remote location with at least one of updated geographic information and updated maintenance and inspection information of the geographically distributed assets, wherein

said geographically distributed assets comprise at least one of electric power transmission equipment and natural gas transmission equipment.

27. A mobile processor for facilitating a maintenance of geographically distributed assets comprising:

a wireless modem configured to convey a query message to a master database and configured to receive a reply message from said master database, said master database having

asset entries associated with respective of said geographically distributed assets, said asset entries each including,

an identification indicator,

a geographic location indicator, and

at least one characteristic attribute indicator, and

geographic entries, said geographic entries each defining a geographic area;

said geographic entries including

an identification indicator, and

a restricted area indicator;

a processor; and

a computer readable medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement,

a geo-spatial query generating mechanism that generates a geo-spatial query containing at least one of the identification indicator, the geographic location indicator, and the at least one characteristic attribute associated with the subset of geographically distributed assets, and

a selection mechanism configured to select a subset of the geographically distributed assets based on the geo-spatial query, wherein

said geographically distributed assets comprise at least one of electric power transmission equipment and natural gas transmission equipment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a connection configured to receive a digital image from a digital camera and is further configured to store at least one of said digital image from said digital camera and a link to said digital image.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a removable media drive configured to store thereon query results.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate and transmit audio signals associated with said at least one characteristic attribute indicator for the subset of geographically distributed assets from the geo-spatial query.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a removable media mass storage device configured to store thereon query results.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a global positioning system receiver configured to provide a real time position of said mobile processor.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate an audible alarm indication in response to said mobile processor determining that said real time position and said geographic definition of restricted areas are less than a predetermined margin.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

said mobile processor includes a wireless modem configured to transmit said real time position via a wireless communication channel.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

said mobile processor is configured to generate and display visual maps with visual representations of said subset of geographically distributed assets.