System and method for managing maintenance of building facilities

• US 7,548,970 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tangopoint Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tangopoint Incorporated
• Inventors: Labedz, Frank, Gaddam, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US11/340,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/203, 709/229, 709/217, 709/219, 705 8- 9
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for managing operational facilities that is of the type which utilizes predefined events to carry out managing operations for the facilities. The system includes one or more servers adapted to receive events from a client and forward the events to a clearinghouse via a communication link. The system further includes one or more clients, each of which has a unique login identity, adapted to selectively send events to the server via the communication link. Also included is a clearinghouse connected to each of the server and each of the client via the communication link for selectively storing data from each server and each client in a database, and being adapted to selectively authorize predetermined events by each client according to the login identity of each such client, to selectively schedule predetermined events in response to data stored in the database and to monitor the status of all events stored in the database.

Claims

1. A system for managing the maintenance of building facilities, the system being of the type which utilizes predefined events to carry out managing operations for the building facilities, said system comprising:

at least one server is operable to receive predefined events including building inspection events from a client that can be located at the building facilities and forward said events to a clearinghouse via a communication link;

at least one client having a unique login identity and is operable to selectively send said predefined events to said server via said communication link; and

,

a clearinghouse connected to each said server and each said client via said communication link for selectively storing data from each server and each client in a database, and is operable to authorize selected predefined events that can be performed by each client according to said login identity of each such client, to selectively schedule predefined events in response to data stored in said database and to monitor the status of all said predefined events stored in said database.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein each said client has a visual display associated therewith, said server is operable to access selected data from said clearinghouse and forward data to each client for display.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein each said client is preloaded with software means operable to send and receive events.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein one or more of said server, clearinghouse and client includes means for defining various levels of authorization for limiting access to predefined events.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein one or more of said server, clearinghouse and client include predefined templates for selected events, wherein said templates comprise a plurality of checklist items and possible responses to said checklist items.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said predefined events include one or more events selected from the group consisting of:

a notification event;

a download tasks event;

an upload tasks event;

a perform task event;

a jobsite setup event;

a contact setup event;

a vendor setup event;

an inspection setup event;

a special action setup event;

a checklist item setup event;

a performance rating method setup event;

a performance rating type setup event;

an inspection template setup event;

a schedule setup event;

an inspection processing event;

a work request event;

a work request processing event;

a work order event; and

,

a work order processing event.

7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said clearinghouse creates a notification event responsive to preselected ones of said predefined events not having been completed as prescribed are therefore overdue.

8. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said server sends a message to a designated contact person responsive to said clearinghouse having created said notification event responsive to said event being overdue.

9. A system as defined in claim 8 wherein said clearinghouse retrieves said designated contact person and contact information from said database during creation of said notification event.

10. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein during preselected ones of said events an authorized client is operable to add new data, edit existing data in said database, or exit said event.

11. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein during said preselected ones of said events an authorized client is operable to save input data from said authorized client in said database and to display data.

12. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said clearinghouse selectively provides authorization to said client to request events in response to said client communicating its unique login identity to said server.

13. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein each said client is operable to request a download-tasks event to said clearinghouse after authorized communication is established.

14. A system as defined in claim 13 wherein during said download-tasks event said authorized client is operable to:

download task-list data from said clearinghouse;

determine whether said task-list data is valid; and

,

determine whether communication with said server is disconnected when said task-list data is not valid.

15. A system as defined in claim 14 wherein during one of a download-tasks event or an upload tasks event said authorized client is operable to make an entry in an exception log when communication with at least one server is disconnected.

16. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein during one of said download-tasks event or said upload-tasks event said authorized client is operable to:

check communication with said server for a predetermined maximum retry count when communication with said server is disconnected; and

,

make an entry in an exception log once said predetermined maximum retry count has been tried.

17. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein during said download-tasks event said authorized client is operable to download said task-list data until all tasks stored in said database for said login identity have been downloaded from said clearinghouse.

18. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein during said download-tasks event said authorized client is operable to upload said task-list data until all tasks stored in said authorized client have been uploaded onto said database.

19. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein during said perform-task event said clearinghouse is operable to forward task-list data for said login identity to said server.

20. A system as defined in claim 19 wherein during said perform-task event said server is operable to send said task-list data to said authorized client.

21. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein during said perform-task event said authorized client is operable to:

display a list of available tasks for selection from task-list data stored in said authorized client; and

,

select an available task from said list for completion of said task.

22. A system as defined in claim 21 wherein during said perform-task event said clearinghouse is operable to forward checklist-item data for said task to said server.

23. A system as defined in claim 22 wherein during said perform-task event said server is operable to send said checklist-item data to said authorized client.

24. A system as defined in claim 23 wherein during said perform-task event said authorized client is operable to display a list of the checklist items from checklist-item data for completing said checklist items.

25. A system as defined in claim 24 wherein during said perform-task event said authorized client is operable to:

exit display of said checklist item data when said authorized client elects to stop said first checklist item;

store response data for said first checklist item when said authorized client elects to respond to said first checklist item; and

,

respond, skip, or stop a next checklist item from said checklist-item data when said authorized client elects to skip said first checklist item.

26. A system as defined in claim 24 wherein during said perform-task event said authorized client is operable to respond, skip, or stop each checklist item from said checklist-item data until all checklist items have been completed.

27. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein an authorized client can input and edit inspection-templates data for a specific job site data in said database for said inspection-templates-setup event.

28. A system as defined in claim 27 wherein said inspection-templates data includes inspection steps according to a default checklist-item data or a user defined checklist-item data stored in said database.

29. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said clearinghouse is operable to respond to inspection data sent from an authorized client during an inspection-processing event and determine whether said inspection data from said authorized client are valid.

30. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during said inspection-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to make an entry in an exception log when said inspection data is not valid.

31. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during said inspection-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to:

save said inspection data in said database when said inspection data is valid; and

,

determine whether said inspection data is within predefined tolerances according to performance-rating-method data stored in said database.

32. A system as defined in claim 31 wherein during said inspection-processing event said clearinghouse is adapted to create a notification event for said server to send a message of said inspection data being within predefined tolerances to a contact person.

33. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein during said work-request-processing event said authorized client is operable to accept or reject a selected open work-request data from said list.

34. A system as defined in claim 33 wherein during said work-request-processing event said authorized client is operable to enter an approval code when said authorized client accepts a selected open work-request data from said list.

35. A system as defined in claim 34 wherein during said work-request-processing event said server is operable to save said work-request data including said approval code in said database.

36. A system as defined in claim 35 wherein during said work-request-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a work-order event for said work-request data having said approval code.

37. A system as defined in claim 33 wherein during said work-request-processing event said authorized client is operable to enter an explanation for said selected work-request data when said authorized client rejects a selected open work-request data stored in said database.

38. A system as defined in claim 37 wherein during said work-request-processing event said authorized client is operable to request a new work-request event of another job site for approval from an authorized client according to contact data stored in said database when said authorized client selects to request a new work-request event.

39. A system as defined in claim 38 wherein during said work-request-processing event said server is operable to save said new work-request event in said database.

40. A system as defined in claim 39 wherein during said work-request-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a notification event for server to send a message of said new work-request event to said authorized client for approval.

41. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein during said work-order-processing event said server is operable to display a list of all open work-order data from said clearinghouse available to said authorized client for completion when said authorized client does not identify a specific job site.

42. A system as defined in claim 41 during wherein said work-order-processing event said server is operable to:

display an existing open work-order data of a specific job site for completion when said authorized client identifies a specific job site;

display open work-order data for completion for a specific job site from said list for completion when said authorized client selects a specific job site from said list.

43. A system as defined in claim 42 wherein during said work-order-processing event said authorized client is operable to revise said open work-order data indicating completion of said work-order data.

44. A system as defined in claim 43 wherein during said work-order-processing event said authorized client is operable to send said revised work-order data to said clearinghouse upon completion.

45. A system as defined in claim 44 wherein during said work-order-processing event said server is operable to:

receive said revised work-order data indicating completion from said authorized client; and

,

check whether said revised work-order data are valid.

46. A system as defined in claim 45 wherein during said work-order-processing event said authorized client is operable to save said revised work-order data in said database when said work-order data is valid.

47. A system as defined in claim 46 wherein during said work-order processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a notification event for said server to send a message of said revised work-order data indicating completion to a contact person.

48. A system as defined in claim 47 wherein during said work-order-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to make an entry in an exception log when said work-order data is not valid.

49. A system as defined in claim 45 wherein during said work-order-processing event said authorized client is operable to save said revised work-order data onto said database when said work-order data are valid.

50. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said clearinghouse is operable to schedule events in response to being triggered by a timer.

52. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said client is a mobile computing device and said communication link to said client is a wireless communication link.

55. The system as defined in claim 52 wherein said mobile computing device (MCD) includes a GPS system which identifies the location of the MCD, said system including signals indicating said location when predefined events are communicated to one of said server or said clearinghouse.

51. A method for managing the maintenance of building facilities using predefined events to carry out managing operations for the building facilities, wherein the events are exchanged between at least one client having a unique login identity and at least one server connected to a clearinghouse over a communication link, the method comprising the steps of:

selectively sending, by the client, events including building inspection events to at least one server via communication link;

forwarding, by the server, said events to a clearinghouse via the communication link; and

,

authorizing, by the clearinghouse, said events from each client according to said login identity of each such client;

storing, by the clearinghouse, said events in a database;

selectively scheduling, by the clearinghouse, predefined events in response to said events stored in said database, and

monitoring, by the clearinghouse, the status of all events stored in said database.

54. The method according to 51, wherein said authorizing step further comprising the step of defining, by the clearinghouse, various levels of authorization for access to said events according to said login identity of the client.

53. The method according to 51 further comprising the step of accessing, by the server, selected data from the clearinghouse to forward to client for display.