Method of processing and billing work orders
First Claim
1. Method of assigning, tracking, and billing for calls for maintenance and repair for customer equipment located at a customer premises, in which a central dispatch office receives customer trouble calls, and any of a plurality of available technicians accept an assignment to clear the customer equipment problem, with each of said technicians having a wireless computing device that communicates wirelessly over a global information network with a main server computer at the central dispatch office;
- the method comprising;
receiving customer requests for maintenance or repair at the central dispatch office;
entering into the main server computer, for each such customer request, customer information including identity and location of the customer, nature of the problem the customer is experiencing, and customer billing account information;
said main server computer automatically creating a service call entry for each such customer problem and creating a list of said service call entries with each having a customer location, customer identity, and nature of customer problem;
communicating wirelessly over said global information network to the wireless computing devices the customer service calls for customers within the assigned geographic location for the respective technicians;
each said wireless computing device having a display screen and means to permit the technician to enter data;
listing for each technician on the respective wireless computing device a list of the service calls within the respective assigned geographical area;
said technician viewing said list of service call entries on the hand held wireless computing device and selecting one or more of the service calls presented on the wireless computing device on which the technician accepts an assignment to clear the associated customer problem;
the hand held wireless computing device transmitting acceptance of the one or more service call entries wirelessly back to said main computer;
said technician visiting said customer premises;
said technician entering job completion data and labor charge data on the associated wireless computing device as the assignment is completed, said job completion data and labor charge data being transmitted wirelessly over said global information network to said main server computer; and
said main server computer automatically invoicing and billing said customer for the completed work.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Customer calls for maintenance and repair for customer equipment are handled automatically in a computerized network. A central dispatch office receives customer trouble calls. A number of available technicians, in the same geographic location as the customer, can accept the assignment to clear the customer equipment problem. Each of the technicians has a hand-held wireless computing device that communicates wirelessly over the Internet with the main server computer at the central dispatch office. The main server computer automatically creates a service call for each customer problem and these service calls are communicated wirelessly over the Internet to the technician'"'"'s hand-held device. Various screens on the hand-held device allow the technician enter job completion data, and order parts and equipment, and carry out customer contact maintenance functions. The main server computer invoices and bills the customer for the completed work.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. Method of assigning, tracking, and billing for calls for maintenance and repair for customer equipment located at a customer premises, in which a central dispatch office receives customer trouble calls, and any of a plurality of available technicians accept an assignment to clear the customer equipment problem, with each of said technicians having a wireless computing device that communicates wirelessly over a global information network with a main server computer at the central dispatch office;
- the method comprising;
receiving customer requests for maintenance or repair at the central dispatch office;
entering into the main server computer, for each such customer request, customer information including identity and location of the customer, nature of the problem the customer is experiencing, and customer billing account information;
said main server computer automatically creating a service call entry for each such customer problem and creating a list of said service call entries with each having a customer location, customer identity, and nature of customer problem;
communicating wirelessly over said global information network to the wireless computing devices the customer service calls for customers within the assigned geographic location for the respective technicians;
each said wireless computing device having a display screen and means to permit the technician to enter data;
listing for each technician on the respective wireless computing device a list of the service calls within the respective assigned geographical area;
said technician viewing said list of service call entries on the hand held wireless computing device and selecting one or more of the service calls presented on the wireless computing device on which the technician accepts an assignment to clear the associated customer problem;
the hand held wireless computing device transmitting acceptance of the one or more service call entries wirelessly back to said main computer;
said technician visiting said customer premises;
said technician entering job completion data and labor charge data on the associated wireless computing device as the assignment is completed, said job completion data and labor charge data being transmitted wirelessly over said global information network to said main server computer; and
said main server computer automatically invoicing and billing said customer for the completed work. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16)
- the method comprising;
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12. System for assigning, tracking, and billing for calls for maintenance and repair for customer equipment, in which a central dispatch office receives customer trouble calls, and any of a plurality of available technicians accept an assignment to clear the customer equipment problem at a premises of the customer, comprising:
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a plurality of hand-held wireless computing device each respectively assigned to an associated one of said technicians and which communicates wirelessly over a global information network;
a main server computer at the central dispatch office;
the main server computer being adapted for receiving customer requests for maintenance or repair;
including, for each such customer request, customer information including identity and location of the customer, nature of the problem the customer is experiencing, and customer billing account information;
said main server computer automatically creating a service call entry for each such customer problem and creating a list of service calls with each having a customer location, customer identity, and nature of customer problem; and
said main server computer being adapted for communicating wirelessly over said global information network to the wireless computing devices the customer service calls for customers within the assigned geographic location for the respective technicians;
each said wireless computing device having a display screen and means to permit the technician to enter data;
said hand held wireless computing devices each being adapted for displaying a list of the service calls within the respective assigned geographical area of the associated technician, and permitting said technician to accept one or more of the service calls presented on the associated hand-held wireless computing device, the hand held wireless computing device being adapted for transmitting the acceptance of the one or more service calls wirelessly back to said main server computer; and
being further adapted to permit said technician to enter thereon job completion data and labor charge data while at customer premises;
said job completion data and labor charge data being transmitted wirelessly over said global information network to said main server computer; and
said main server computer being adapted for automatically invoicing and billing said customer for the completed work. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification