System and method for workorder management

• US 8,676,620 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EFC Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunt, Aaron Dale, Dearborn, Jeffrey Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US13/117,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A system and method for managing workorders from a single location is provided. The system includes functionality to create workorders, to transmit workorders to equipment at a job site, e.g., an agricultural field, and to log the results of a completed workorder.

Claims

1. A system for assigning workorders to equipment having a global positioning system (GPS) device, the system comprising:

a first computer;

a second computer associated with said equipment, said second computer including a display device;

a workorder management system comprising;

a first computer algorithm executable by a microprocessor from the first computer, the first computer algorithm being configured to permit a user to create a workorder for the piece of equipment and transmit the workorder to the second computer with the piece of equipment; and

a second computer algorithm executable by a microprocessor from the second computer, the second computer algorithm being configured to permit an operator to retrieve the transmitted workorder from the first computer, integrate additional information into the transmitted workorder and transmit information on the completed work order to the first computer;

a list of workorders stored on said first computer;

a list of prescriptions stored on said first computer, each said prescription relating to a geographic zone;

a list of predetermined locations stored on said first computer;

the GPS device adapted for providing positioning data of said piece of equipment to said first and second computers;

a first workorder chosen from said list of workorders by said first computer, said first workorder comprising information on at least one action to be completed by the piece of equipment and information on a first predetermined location chosen from said list of predetermined locations by said first computer, and where the piece of equipment is to perform the at least one action to be completed;

a second workorder chosen from said list of workorders by said first computer, said second workorder comprising information on at least one action to be completed by the piece of equipment and information on a second predetermined location chosen from said list of predetermined locations by said first computer, and where the piece of equipment is to perform the at least one action to be completed;

wherein said first predetermined location is located remotely from said second predetermined location;

a prescription chosen from said list of prescriptions by said first computer, said prescription applied to said equipment based upon said equipment location determined by said GPS device;

a map displayed by said display device, said map showing generally the location of said equipment in relation to said first and second predetermined locations, and showing an outline of the zone associated with said prescription;

wherein the at least one action to be completed comprises at least one of an action to take one or more agricultural field data samples from the predetermined location, and action to apply a prescription to the predetermined location or an action for a chemical application or fertilizer application to the predetermined location;

wherein said map is updated based upon said action; and

wherein said first computer updates said list of workorders, said list of prescriptions, and said list of predetermined locations based upon the updates applied to said map.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the workorder comprises a plurality of jobs having a plurality of actions for a predetermined location, each job of the plurality of jobs relating to at least one of a different action of the plurality of actions or a different area of the predetermined location from the other jobs of the plurality of jobs.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitted information on the completed workorder includes an indication that the workorder has been completed and log data collected during completion of the workorder.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer algorithm is configured to transmit information relating to a partial completion of the transmitted workorder by the piece of equipment to the first computer.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third computer associated with a second piece of equipment, said third computer including a second display device and a GPS device;

a third workorder chosen from said list of workorders by said first computer, said third workorder comprising information on at least one action to be completed by the second piece of equipment and information on a third predetermined location chosen from said list of predetermined locations by said first computer, and where the piece of equipment is to perform the at least one action to be completed;

wherein said third predetermined location is remote to each of said first and second predetermined locations;

a second prescription chosen from said list of prescriptions by said first computer, said second prescription applied to said second equipment based upon said second equipment location determined by said GPS device;

a second map displayed by said second display device, said second map showing generally the location of said second equipment in relation to said third predetermined location, and showing an outline of the zone associated with said second prescription;

wherein the at least one action to be completed comprises at least one of an action to take one or more agricultural field data samples from the predetermined location, an action to apply said second prescription to the third predetermined location or an action for a chemical application or fertilizer application to the third predetermined location;

wherein said second map is updated based upon said action; and

wherein said first computer updates said list of workorders, said list of prescriptions, and said list of predetermined locations based upon the updates applied to said second map.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said agricultural field data samples include at least one of soil samples, tissue samples or nematode samples.

7. A method for assigning work orders to vehicles, the method comprising the steps:

providing a first computer;

providing a piece of equipment at a remote location from the first computer, the piece of equipment comprising a second computer and a global positioning system (GPS) device;

combining the analysis information with the stored log data for the collected plurality of samples with the computer;

generating a list of predetermined locations;

generating a list of workorders for each of said list of predetermined locations with said first computer, each workorder including at least one action to collect a plurality of samples at the predetermined location;

preparing a prescription plan for each of said predetermined locations;

selecting a first predetermined location from said list of predetermined locations with said first computer;

transmitting the prescription plan to the predetermined piece of equipment based upon said first predetermined location;

selecting a second predetermined location from said list of predetermined locations with said first computer;

transmitting a first prescription plan to the predetermined piece of equipment based upon said first predetermined location;

transmitting a second prescription plan to the predetermined piece of equipment based upon said second predetermined location;

storing application data associated with the applied first and second prescription plans at said second computer;

transmitting a first workorder associated with said first predetermined location from said first computer to said second computer, including providing directions to the first predetermined location;

transmitting a second workorder associated with said second predetermined location from said first computer to said second computer, including providing directions to the first predetermined location;

applying the first prescription plan to the first predetermined location comprises monitoring a status of the predetermined piece of equipment with said first computer and monitoring the prescription plan with said second computer;

displaying the first prescription plan for the first predetermined location on a map via a display device associated with said second computer;

displaying the location of said equipment relative to said first predetermined location on said map;

performing said first workorder at said first predetermined location, wherein said first workorder includes at least the step of collecting at least one of soil samples, tissue samples or nematode samples;

storing log data associated with the collected plurality of samples of said first workorder;

transmitting the stored log data on the collected plurality of samples of said first workorder to said first computer;

analyzing said stored log data of said first workorder with said first computer;

updating said list of predetermined locations, said list of workorders, and each of said prescriptions for each of said predetermined locations based upon the analysis of said stored log data of said first workorder;

applying the second prescription plan to the second predetermined location comprises monitoring a status of the predetermined piece of equipment with said first computer and monitoring the second prescription plan with said second computer;

displaying the second prescription plan for the second predetermined location on said map via a display device associated with said second computer;

displaying the location of said equipment relative to said second predetermined location on said map;

performing said second workorder at said second predetermined location, wherein said second workorder includes at least the step of collecting at least one of soil samples, tissue samples or nematode samples;

storing log data associated with the collected plurality of samples of said second workorder;

transmitting the stored log data on the collected plurality of samples of said second workorder to said first computer;

analyzing said stored log data of said second workorder with said first computer; and

updating said list of predetermined locations, said list of workorders, and each of said prescriptions for each of said predetermined locations based upon the analysis of said stored log data of said second workorder.