Equipment tracking system and method

• US 7,048,185 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: FLEETTRAKKER LLC
• Inventors: Hart, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US10/472,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235376-377, 235383-384, 705/4, 705 7- 8, 705 28- 29, 702/127, 701 29- 30
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and recording equipment information related to a fleet of equipment. The equipment information can be accessed and updated through the use of a data device carried by fleet personnel in the field, recording, facilitating inspection, service, maintenance, and repair of the equipment.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining inspection reports of a group of equipment, comprising:

a data communication network over which data can be transferred;

a memory coupled to the network for storing data representing inspection reports of equipment;

a server coupled to the network for accessing the data stored by the memory; and

a wireless portable communication device to communicate with the server over the network and access the data stored by the memory, the wireless portable communication device having a processor, a display, and a local memory storing data representing an inspection checklist, data representing completed inspection checklists, and an inspection application and a regulatory interface application, the inspection application executed by the processor to retrieve the data representing the inspection checklist and display the checklist on the display, and in response to completion of the checklist, store the data for the completed inspection checklist in the local memory and transmit the data for the completed inspection checklist to the server for storage in the memory as data representing an inspection report, the regulatory interface application executed by the processor to communicate with a regulatory application having access to the data stored by the memory and providing a regulatory agency with the data for inspection and review thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless portable communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless portable communication device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data representing an inspection checklist comprises data representing a list of inspection items for a requested equipment.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the inspection checklist comprises a list of user defined inspection points on the requested equipment.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further stores data representing service reports for equipment and wherein the local memory comprises a local memory having data representing a service application and a service checklist stored thereon, the service application executed by the processor to retrieve the data representing the service checklist and display the service checklist on the display, and in response to completion of the service checklist, store the data for the completed service checklist in the local memory and transmit the data representing the completed inspection checklist to the server for storage in the memory as data representing a service report.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further stores data representing repair information for equipment and wherein the local memory comprises a local memory having data representing a repair application stored thereon, the repair application executed by the processor to access the server, retrieve data representing repair information from the memory, and display the repair information on the display.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the regulatory interface application comprises a regulatory interface application for communicating with an application having access to the data stored by the memory and providing a governmental agency with the data for inspection and review thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a memory coupled to the network for storing data representing inspection reports of equipment for a plurality of different equipment owners.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accounting interface application executed for communicating with an accounting application having access to the data stored by the memory.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the accounting application having access to the data stored by the memory is utilized for analysis and documentation of the data.

12. A system for tracking equipment, comprising:

a portable data device for entering and receiving data remotely, the portable data device having a memory, a processor, and a display;

a server system in communication with the device through a network;

a database coupled to the server system in which data related to inspection of the equipment are stored;

an inspection component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to retrieve from the memory data representing an inspection checklist and display the inspection checklist on the display, the inspection component further providing a request to the server system to provide data representing inspection information for a requested equipment to the portable data device in response to an inspection information request; and

at least one of a regulatory interface component and an accounting interface component, the regulatory interface component for communicating with a regulatory application having access to the data stored by the server system and providing a regulatory agency with the data for inspection and review thereof and the accounting interface component for communicating with an accounting application having access to the data stored by the database.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a service component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to retrieve from the memory data representing a service checklist and display the service checklist on the display, the service component further providing a request to the server system to provide data representing service information for the requested equipment to the portable data device in response to a service information request.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the service information for various service points comprises service checklists for the various service points.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the service component, in response to completion of the service checklists, updates a service log stored by the server system with a record of the completed service checklists.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the service component provides in addition to the service information a graphical image of the requested equipment on which a starting service point is selected by touching the touch-screen in proximity to an available service point on the graphical image.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a repair component stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the portable data device to send a request to the server system to provide data representing repair information for the requested equipment to the portable data device in response to a repair information request.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the repair component, in response to receiving indication of a completed repair, updates a repair log stored by the server system with a record of the completed repair.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the repair component provides in addition to the repair information a graphical image of the requested equipment and more detailed repair information for a repair point in response to touching the touch-screen in proximity to the repair point on the graphical image.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the device includes a touch-screen display on which data is entered, and the inspection component provides a graphical image related to the inspection information, the inspection component providing additional inspection information related to a region of the graphical image in response to touching the display corresponding to the region of the graphical image.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein, in response to completion of the inspection checklist, the inspection component further updates an inspection log stored by the server system with a record of the completed inspection checklist.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the display of the portable data device comprises a touch-screen display through which data is entered, and the inspection component provides in addition to the inspection checklist a graphical image of the requested equipment on which a starting inspection point is selected by touching the touch-screen in proximity to an available inspection point on the graphical image.

23. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a manufacturer interface component for communicating with a manufacturer application having access to data stored by the database and providing a manufacturer of the equipment with the data for review.

24. The system of claim 12 wherein the regulatory interface component comprises a regulatory interface component for communicating with an application having access to the data stored by the server system and providing a governmental agency with the data for inspection and review thereof and wherein the accounting interface component comprises an accounting interface component for communicating with an accounting application of a third party having access to the data stored by the database.

25. The system of claim 12 wherein the database comprises a database coupled to the server system in which the data related to inspection of the equipment for a plurality of different equipment owners are stored.

26. The system of claim 12 wherein the accounting application communicating with the accounting interface component is operable for analysis and documentation of the data stored by the server system by a third party.

27. A method for tracking inspection information for a group of equipment, comprising:

storing equipment inspection information for the group of equipment;

displaying an inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment on a portable data device;

storing data representing a completed inspection checklist;

transmitting the data representing the completed inspection checklist to a server system for storage as equipment inspection information;

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information an inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment in response to selecting an inspection option;

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information service information for various service points of the selected equipment in response to selecting a service option;

requesting a server system to retrieve from the equipment information repair information for the selected equipment in response to selecting a repair option; and

providing at least one of a regulatory application and an accounting application access to the stored equipment information, the regulatory application allowing a regulatory agency inspection and review of the stored equipment information and the accounting application provided by a third-party accounting software vendor.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising requesting the server system to retrieve from the equipment information data for a completed inspection checklist for a selected one of the group of equipment to be displayed on the portable data device.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein requesting a server system to retrieve an inspection checklist comprises:

requesting a checklist of inspection items for a starting inspection point;

in response to completion of the checklist of inspection items for the starting inspection point, requesting a checklist of inspection items for a next inspection point;

the next inspection point provided in accordance with a sequence based on the location of the starting inspection point; and

providing a checklist of inspection items for the next inspection point in the sequence until inspection of the selected equipment is completed.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a manufacturer application access to the stored equipment information to allow a manufacturer of the equipment review thereof.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the regulatory application comprises a regulatory application allowing a governmental agency inspection and review of the equipment information and wherein the accounting application comprises an accounting application of a third party.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein storing equipment inspection information for the group of equipment comprises storing equipment inspection information for the group of equipment for a plurality of different equipment owners.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the accounting application having access to the stored equipment information is utilized by a third party for analyzing and documenting the equipment information.