Adaptive web-based asset control system

• US 7,685,207 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Helms, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, ELIYAH STONE
• Application Number:
  US10/627,144
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/8, 707/1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 707/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an adaptive Internet-based product control system that utilizes web technology to gather and present asset control data in an environment with constantly changing requirements due to various third party demands and/or funding restrictions. The present system tracks third party assets, provides real-time data regarding current status, and assists in returning the assets to the customer in a more timely fashion. The system can adapt to constantly changing user requirements by use of a Cold Fusion database interface to a set of data files that can be constructed and reconstructed on-the-fly. Multiple third party structures are supported with one central data file that handles the security logs and one central tasking data bank for tracking specific third party funding/tasking. The system also interfaces with bar code readers to gather of asset data and to upload it at a later time.

Claims

1. A distributed access asset control system comprising:

A storage medium;

a first plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with a first customer group adapted to enable user interaction, access, data collection and data, retrieval, and display, said first plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces comprising;

an access control section adapted to selectively authorize access to portions of said distributed asset control system;

a production control section, wherein said production control section is adapted to associate tasks with at least one federal appropriation related accounting code and an available federal appropriation amount;

a repair or acceptance technician section;

a system administration section;

a repair action section;

a asset warranty management section;

a report section;

an approved and funded task scheduler section, said scheduler section enables association of tasks with an asset owner, asset possessors or asset managers who fund tasks associated with one or more assets;

an acceptance action section;

a second plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with a second customer group comprising one or more processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with said first plurality of processing sequences including processing sequences and graphical user interfaces which has modifications associated with a customer within said second customer group, wherein said second plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces is selected based on a plurality of customer related data including user login identification;

an interface section adapted to interface with at least one another asset control system adapted to identify data interface parameters associated with said at least one another asset control system, determine data associated with an asset related request to said at least one another asset control system and a section for sending said data associated with an asset related request to said at least one another asset control system; and

a plurality of data structures adapted to store data including;

a plurality of asset data, a plurality of entity data associated with said plurality of asset data including said asset owner, asset possessors or asset managers;

a plurality of task data including new, in-process, and completed tasks data;

a plurality of asset repair processes data;

a plurality of asset storage data;

a plurality of at least one federal appropriation related accounting code data;

a plurality of available federal appropriation amount data;

a plurality of repair cost data;

a plurality of first part identifier data;

a plurality of repair code data;

a plurality of failure code data adapted to be associated with repair or acceptance actions;

a plurality of labor cost data associated with repair or acceptance actions including hourly rate data and technician identifier data;

a plurality of repair and acceptance criteria data associated with specific repair and acceptance actions;

a plurality of quality assurance results data;

a plurality of second part identifier data; and

a plurality of asset warranty data.

2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a report section adapted to produce reports including at least one current event reports, at least one task reports, at least one production management control reports, wherein said production management control reports are based on data comprising equipment identification data, status data, inventory count data, part cost data, work type data, history data, repair code data, part number data, trend analysis data associated with said asset owner data, asset possessor data or asset manager data.

3. A distributed access asset control system comprising:

A storage medium;

a first plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with a first customer group adapted to enable user interaction, access, data collection and data, retrieval, and display, said first plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces comprising;

an access control section adapted to selectively authorize access to portions of said distributed asset control system;

a production control section, wherein said production control section is adapted to associate tasks with at least one federal appropriation related accounting code and an available federal appropriation amount;

a repair or acceptance technician section;

a system administration section;

a repair action section;

a asset warranty management section;

a report section;

an approved and funded task scheduler section, said scheduler section enables association of tasks with an asset owner, asset possessors or asset managers who fund tasks associated with one or more assets;

an acceptance action section;

a second plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with a second customer group comprising one or more processing sequences and graphical user interfaces associated with said first plurality of processing sequences including processing sequences and graphical user interfaces which has modifications associated with a customer within said second customer group, wherein said second plurality of processing sequences and graphical user interfaces is selected based on a plurality of customer related data including user login identification;

an interface section adapted to interface with at least one another asset control system adapted to identify data interface parameters associated with said at least one another asset control system, determine data associated with an asset related request to said at least one another asset control system and a section for sending said data associated with an asset related request to said at least one another asset control system; and

a plurality of data structures adapted to store data including;

a plurality of asset data, a plurality of entity data associated with said plurality of asset data including said asset owner, asset possessors or asset managers;

a plurality of task data including new, in-process, and completed tasks data;

a plurality of asset repair processes data;

a plurality of asset storage data;

a plurality of at least one federal appropriation related accounting code data;

a plurality of available federal appropriation amount data;

a plurality of repair cost data;

a plurality of first part identifier data;

a plurality of repair code data;

a plurality of failure code data adapted to be associated with repair or acceptance actions;

a plurality of labor cost data associated with repair or acceptance actions including hourly rate data and technician identifier data;

a plurality of repair or acceptance criteria data associated with specific repair and acceptance actions;

a plurality of quality assurance results data;

a plurality of second part identifier data; and

a plurality of asset warranty data.

4. A system as in claim 3, further comprising a report section adapted to produce reports including at least one current event reports, at least one task reports, at least one production management control reports, wherein said production management control reports are based on data comprising equipment identification data, status data, inventory count data, part cost data, work type data, history data, repair code data, part number data, trend analysis data associated with said asset owner data, asset possessor data or asset manager data.