Adaptive network-centric online autonomic supply chain management system
First Claim
1. A supply chain management system that authorizes an autonomic requisition cycle, the supply chain management system comprising:
- a predictive diagnostic condition management system carried by a vehicle to transmit a failure code using a radio frequency (RF) transmitter;
an off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system spaced-apart from said predictive diagnostic condition management system that receives the at least one failure code using a radio frequency receiver, and generates at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code responsive to the received at least one failure code; and
a software based distributed secure information system in data communication with said off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system via a data bus to receive the at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code, said distributed secure information system comprising a plurality of software modules in communication with one another via data busses to authorize delivery of at least one vehicle asset to a location of the vehicle from an issuing location, to authorize delivery of the vehicle asset from the location of the vehicle to a repair source, and to replenish the at least one vehicle asset to the issuing location;
wherein the at least one failure code is transmitted from said predictive diagnostic condition management system of the vehicle to said off board predictive diagnostic condition management system using an RF signal, and wherein the at least one failure code is carried by the data bus between said off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system and said distributed secure information system and between the software modules of said distributed secure information system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is an agile, adaptive, globally deployable online network-centric autonomic supply chain management system that when triggered by a predictive/diagnostic condition management system, without user-maintainer intervention, autonomously authorizes a complete requisitioning cycle of supply chain assets to warfighters with unprecedented criticality of speed. A requisitioning cycle is comprised of: (1) asset issue authorization to a vehicle/requester (2) retrograde [return] of repairable to depot and (3) replenishment [resupply] of drawn inventory. It also autonomically provides global total asset visibility of the asset(s) of interest and a tempo surge-priority ranking with a calm-down functions. The system operates in either default autonomic mode or a user activated semi-autonomic mode. In either mode of operation a requisition cycle is accomplished autonomically by selection of the most affordable transportation that ensures delivery of an asset to a user in accordance with contractually specified time-definite delivery standards. The system'"'"'s material delivery performance effectiveness percentage rate is archived for billing purposes and monitoring system performance metrics. The system almost eliminates SCM administration personpower requirements. It accelerates the entire logistics supply pipeline, resulting in:—higher annual inventory turn-rates thus permitting inventory levels to be reduced and smaller wartime pack up kits thereby lowering lifetime total operating costs. Smaller pack up kits reduces the logistics footprint and thus the number of cargo aircraft required to deploy a unit.
63 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A supply chain management system that authorizes an autonomic requisition cycle, the supply chain management system comprising:
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a predictive diagnostic condition management system carried by a vehicle to transmit a failure code using a radio frequency (RF) transmitter; an off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system spaced-apart from said predictive diagnostic condition management system that receives the at least one failure code using a radio frequency receiver, and generates at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code responsive to the received at least one failure code; and a software based distributed secure information system in data communication with said off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system via a data bus to receive the at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code, said distributed secure information system comprising a plurality of software modules in communication with one another via data busses to authorize delivery of at least one vehicle asset to a location of the vehicle from an issuing location, to authorize delivery of the vehicle asset from the location of the vehicle to a repair source, and to replenish the at least one vehicle asset to the issuing location; wherein the at least one failure code is transmitted from said predictive diagnostic condition management system of the vehicle to said off board predictive diagnostic condition management system using an RF signal, and wherein the at least one failure code is carried by the data bus between said off-board predictive diagnostic condition management system and said distributed secure information system and between the software modules of said distributed secure information system.
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2. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein delivery of the at least one vehicle asset is autonomically authorized responsive to the at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code.
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3. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code includes a vehicle number, an issue failure priority code, a part number, a commercial and government entity code, a serial number, and a location of the asset on the vehicle.
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4. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of software modules is a total asset visibility module for determining availability of the at least one vehicle asset at a local site, and for searching other sites if the at least one vehicle asset is not available at the local site.
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5. A supply chain management system according to claim 4 wherein said total asset visibility module provides real-time global location, quantity and status of vehicle assets in place and in transit.
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6. A supply chain management system according to claim 4 further comprising a configuration management and a logistics support analysis record, both in data communication with said total asset visibility module to compare the at least one off-board predictive diagnostic condition management failure code to the at least one vehicle asset.
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7. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein the requisition cycle is semi-autonomically initiated by a user to authorize delivery of the at least one vehicle asset to the vehicle, and to determine availability of the at least one vehicle asset.
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8. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of software modules is a retrograde module in data communication with a logistics support analysis record, and comprising a source, maintainability, and recoverability code for determining if the vehicle asset is repairable, and to determine a location of the repair source.
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9. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of software modules is a routing module to determine routing of the at least one vehicle asset.
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10. A supply chain management system according to claim 9 wherein said routing module calculates an asset delivery schedule of the at least one vehicle asset based on at least one of a time definite delivery standard and material delivery performance effectiveness.
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11. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of software modules is a records module for providing historical data and material delivery performance effectiveness data.
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12. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of software modules is a surge priority ranking module for determining priority of delivery of the at least one vehicle asset from the issuing location to the location of the vehicle.
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13. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one alert alarm that is activated when a predetermined condition exists;
- and wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of inability to locate the at least one vehicle asset, and an inability to deliver the at least one vehicle asset within a time definite delivery standard.
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14. A supply chain management system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle asset includes a bar code affixed thereto for identification.
Specification