System and method for managing maintenance of building facilities

• US 8,566,434 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• 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:
  US12/490,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/229, 709/203, 705/305
• 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

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 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:

receiving via the communication link, by the clearinghouse, from the at least one client via a server, events including building inspection events,

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.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the building inspection events include inspection data, further including the steps of:

storing the inspection data in a database via the clearinghouse;

comparing the inspection data to a pre-defined tolerance by the clearinghouse;

based on the comparison, using the clearinghouse to selectively and automatically schedule a work order.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communications link comprises a web-based interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one client is a mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one client further includes a GPS system for identifying the location of the client.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the location of the at least one client is obtained periodically and is stored in the database.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the inspection data is received from the at least one client having a unique login identity.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-defined tolerance is specified as a numeric range.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the work order is selectively and automatically scheduled if the inspection data does not lie within the pre-defined tolerance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined tolerance is specified as a subset of multiple options, wherein at least one of the options is associated with the work order.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the subset of multiple options is associated with the work order.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if the inspection data falls within any one of the multiple options, selectively and automatically scheduling the work order associated with said pre-defined tolerance.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the building inspection events include inspection data and further comprising the steps of:

comparing the inspection data to a pre-defined tolerance by the clearinghouse;

the clearinghouse obtaining a location of a first client;

the clearinghouse obtaining a location of a second client;

if the comparison determines that the inspection data does not fall within the pre-defined tolerance, using the clearinghouse to selectively schedule a work order to the second client based on location of the second client with respect to the location of the first client.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second client is a mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the second client is obtained using a GPS system associated with the second client.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the first client and the second client is stored in the database.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the building inspection events include inspection data and further comprising the steps of:

comparing the inspection data to a pre-defined tolerance by the clearinghouse;

based on the comparison, using the clearinghouse to selectively and automatically schedule a work order.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inspection data is received from the at least one client over the Internet.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one client is a mobile computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one client further includes a GPS system for identifying the location of the at least one client.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the location of the at least one client is stored in a database.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the communications link comprises a web-based interface implemented using XML.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the database and the clearinghouse are housed in a server.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein said authorizing step further comprises the step of defining, by the clearinghouse, various levels of authorization for access to said events according to said login identity of each client.

25. 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 clearinghouse operable to receive predefined events including building inspection events through at least one server and from at least one client located at the building facilities, via a communication link;

said clearinghouse being 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 being operable to authorize selected predefined events performed by each client according to a 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.

26. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein each clearinghouse has data which may be transmitted through said server to each client for display on a visual display associated with said client.

27. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein said clearinghouse includes means for defining various levels of authorization for limiting access to predefined events.

28. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein said clearinghouse includes predefined templates for selected events, wherein said templates comprise a plurality of checklist items and possible responses to said checklist items.

29. A system as defined in claim 25 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.

30. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein said clearinghouse selectively provides authorization to said at least one client to request events in response to said at least one client communicating its unique login identity to said server.

31. A system as defined in claim 30 wherein said clearinghouse is operable to receive a request for a download-tasks event from each client after authorized communication is established.

32. A system as defined in claim 31 wherein during said perform task event said clearinghouse is operable to forward task-list data for said login identity to said at least one server.

33. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during said perform task event said clearinghouse is operable to forward checklist-item data for said task to said at least one server.

34. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein the clearinghouse is arranged to permit an authorized client to input and edit inspection-templates data for a specific job site data in said database for said inspection-templates-setup event.

35. A system as defined in claim 34 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.

36. A system as defined in claim 29 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 each authorized client are valid.

37. A system as defined in claim 36 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.

38. A system as defined in claim 36 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.

39. A system as defined in claim 38 wherein during said inspection-processing event said clearinghouse is adapted to create a notification event for said at least one server to send a message of said inspection data being within predefined tolerances to a contact person.

40. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during a work-request-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a work-order event for said work-request data having an approval code entered by an authorized client.

41. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during said work-request-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a notification event for each server to send a message of a new work-request event requested by said authorized client to said authorized client for approval.

42. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein during said work-order-processing event said clearinghouse is operable to send to said at least one server, for display, a list of all open work-order data available to said authorized client for completion when said authorized client does not identify a specific job site.

43. A system as defined in claim 42 wherein during said work-order-processing event said clearinghouse is arranged to receive revised work-order data from said authorized client upon completion.

44. A system as defined in claim 43 wherein during said work-order processing event said clearinghouse is operable to create a notification event for said at least one server to send a message of said revised work-order data indicating completion to a contact person.

45. A system as defined in claim 44 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.

46. A system as defined in claim 29 wherein said clearinghouse creates a notification event responsive to preselected ones of said predefined events not having been completed as prescribed and are therefore overdue.

47. A system as defined in claim 46 wherein said notification event responsive to said event being overdue created by said clearinghouse is sent from said clearinghouse to a designated contact person.

48. A system as defined in claim 47 wherein said clearinghouse retrieves said designated contact person and contact information from said database during creation of said notification event.

49. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein said communication link from said clearinghouse to each client includes a wireless communication link.

50. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein said clearinghouse is operable to schedule events in response to being triggered by a timer.