Construction device information processing system and construction device information processing method

• US 7,171,295 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Furuno, Yoshinori, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Ohwada, Yoshinori, Akino, Shinji, Eguchi, Yoshinori, Matsuda, Fujio, Ikari, Takanobu, Adachi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/502,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/50, 705/1, 705/28, 705/29, 374/14
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

An intermediate server 6 or a main server 5 executes the steps of displaying a work site of a construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site on a subcontractor'"'"'s personal computer 62, prompting an input for applying to an order for work of repair/replacement of parts belonging to a predetermined component section of the construction machine, extracting the predetermined qualification requirements, which have been stored in a database 6A beforehand, from the database based on received applying information, producing an examination sheet for determining whether a local subcontractor meets the extracted qualification requirements, transmitting the examination sheet produced in the producing step to the subcontractor'"'"'s personal computer 62 via a communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet. An information processing system and an information processing method for construction machines are provided which can present satisfactory services to the customer side even when the work site is in, e.g., a remote frontier region.

Claims

1. An information processing system for construction machines, which presents, to customers owing construction machines, service information for each of said construction machines, wherein said information processing system comprises:

a database for storing predetermined qualification requirements with regard to a working capability, equipment and facilities necessary for repair/replacement of parts of one of said construction machines; and

a service server disposed on the side providing information calling for a repair/replacement subcontractor for said one construction machine and connected via a communication network to terminals on the side of recipients receiving the information calling for the repair/replacement subcontractor for said one construction machine,

said service server executing the steps of;

displaying a work site of said one construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of repair/replacement work for parts belonging to a predetermined component section of said one construction machine;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting the predetermined qualification requirements, which have been stored in said database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.

2. An information processing system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said service server executes the steps of:

receiving information entered in the predetermined places of the examination sheet and transmitted from said terminals on the information recipient side;

determining, based on the entered information received in said receiving step, who of the information recipients meets the qualification requirements;

producing, if the determination is affirmatively made in said determining step, a proof indicating that the relevant information recipient has been certified as the parts-supply subcontractor, the repair/replacement subcontractor, or the parts-supply and repair/replacement subcontractor; and

transmitting the proof of the certification produced in said producing step to corresponding one of said terminals on the information recipient side.

3. An information processing system for construction machines according to any claim 1, wherein said service server is disposed in a manufacturer or an information management firm commissioned from said manufacturer, who is located in a region far away from the work site of said one construction machine owned by the customer and faces a difficulty in presenting services directly to the customer.

4. An information processing system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said service server is disposed in a commissioned service agency who is located closer to the work site of said one construction machine (1) owned by the customer than a manufacturer, but faces a difficulty in promptly presenting services the customer due to individual circumstances.

5. An information processing system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said service server is disposed in a manufacturer or an information management firm commissioned from said manufacturer, who is located in a region far away from the work site of said one construction machine owned by the customer and faces a difficulty in presenting services directly to the customer, or in a commissioned service agency who is located closer to the work site than said manufacturer, but faces a difficulty in promptly presenting services the customer due to individual circumstances.

6. An information processing system for construction machines, which presents, to customers owing construction machines, service information for each of said construction machines, wherein said information processing system comprises:

a database for storing predetermined qualification requirements with regard to parts necessary for repair/-replacement of one of said construction machines; and

a service server disposed on the side providing information calling for a subcontractor for supplying parts of said construction machine and connected via a communication network to terminals on the side of recipients receiving the information calling for the parts supply subcontractor for said one construction machine,

said service server executing the steps of;

displaying a work site of said one construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of supply of parts necessary for repair/replacement related to a predetermined component section of said one construction machine;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting the predetermined qualification requirements, which have been stored in said database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.

7. An information processing system for construction machines, which presents, to customers owing construction machines, service information for each of said construction machines, wherein said information processing system comprises:

a database for storing predetermined qualification requirements with regard to parts necessary for repair/-replacement of one of said construction machines and a working capability, equipment and facilities necessary for the repair/replacement; and

a service server disposed on the side providing information calling for a parts-supply and repair/-replacement subcontractor for said construction machine and connected via a communication network to terminals on the side of recipients receiving the information calling for the parts-supply and repair/replacement subcontractor for said one construction machine,

said service server executing the steps of;

displaying a work site of said one construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of supply of parts necessary for repair/replacement related to a predetermined component section of said one construction machine and work of the repair/replacement;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting the predetermined qualification requirements, which have been stored in said database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.

8. An information processing method for construction machines via a communication network connecting terminals on the side of recipients receiving information calling for a repair/replacement subcontractor for a construction machine and a service server disposed on the side providing the information calling for the repair/replacement subcontractor for said construction machine, wherein said service server executes the steps of:

displaying a work site of said construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of repair/replacement work for parts belonging to a predetermined component section of said construction machine;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting predetermined qualification requirements with regard to a working capability, equipment and facilities necessary for repair/replacement of parts of said construction machine, which have been stored in a database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.

9. An information processing method for construction machines according to claim 8, wherein said service server executes the steps of:

receiving information entered in the predetermined places of the examination sheet and transmitted from said terminals on the information recipient side;

determining, based on the entered information received in said receiving step, who of the information recipients meets the qualification requirements;

producing, if the determination is affirmatively made in said determining step, a proof indicating that the relevant information recipient has been certified as the parts-supply subcontractor, the repair/replacement subcontractor, or the parts-supply and repair/replacement subcontractor; and

transmitting the proof of the certification produced in said producing step to corresponding one of said terminals on the information recipient side.

10. An information processing method for construction machines according to claim 8, wherein said service server is disposed in a manufacturer or an information management firm commissioned from said manufacturer, who is located in a region far away from the work site of said construction machine owned by the customer and faces a difficulty in presenting services directly to the customer.

11. An information processing method for construction machines according to claim 8, wherein said service server is disposed in a commissioned service agency who is located closer to the work site of said construction machine owned by the customer than a manufacturer, but faces a difficulty in promptly presenting services the customer due to individual circumstances.

12. An information processing method for construction machines according to claim 8, wherein said service server is disposed in a manufacturer or an information management firm commissioned from said manufacturer, who is located in a region far away from the work site of said construction machine owned by the customer and faces a difficulty in presenting services directly to the customer, or in a commissioned service agency who is located closer to the work site than said manufacturer, but faces a difficulty in promptly presenting services the customer due to individual circumstances.

13. An information processing method for construction machines via a communication network connecting terminals on the side of recipients receiving information calling for a repair/replacement subcontractor for a construction machine and a service server disposed on the side providing the information calling for the repair/replacement subcontractor for said construction machine, wherein said service server executes the steps of:

displaying a work site of said construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of supply of parts necessary for repair/replacement related to a predetermined component section of said construction machine;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting predetermined qualification requirements with regard to parts necessary for repair/replacement of said construction machine, which have been stored in a database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.

14. An information processing method for construction machines via a communication network connecting terminals on the side of recipients receiving information calling for a repair/replacement subcontractor for a construction machine and a service server disposed on the side providing the information calling for the repair/replacement subcontractor for said construction machine, wherein said service server executes the steps of:

displaying a work site of said construction machine or a predetermined area regarding the work site at said terminals on the information recipient side, and prompting an input for applying to an order of supply of parts necessary for repair/replacement related to a predetermined component section of said construction machine and work of the repair/replacement;

confirming applying information entered from said terminals on the information recipient side;

extracting predetermined qualification requirements with regard to parts necessary for repair/replacement of said construction machine and a working capability, equipment and facilities necessary for the repair/-replacement, which have been stored in a database beforehand, from said database based on the applying information received in said confirming step;

producing, based on the qualification requirements extracted in said extracting step, an examination sheet for determining whether the information recipient meets the extracted qualification requirements; and

transmitting the examination sheet produced in said producing step to said terminals on the information recipient side via said communication network, and prompting an input in predetermined places of the examination sheet.