System and method for job management between mobile devices

• US 8,688,770 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Webtech Wireless Incorporated (GeoTab Incorporated)
• Inventors: Siira, Juhani, Lian, Haiping
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/076,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system for job management between mobile devices includes a processor configured to store in a storage messages and data pertaining to job assignments and reassignments to build a historical record concerning each job assignment and reassignment, to receive from a dispatch terminal requests containing messages and data pertaining to creating and allocating job assignments and reassignments at and between mobile devices, to communicate via a communication interface with the mobile devices, to execute the requests by creating and allocating the job assignments and reassignments at and between the mobile devices, and to output to a storage the messages and data pertaining to the allocation of job assignments and reassignments in order to add to and maintain the historical record in the storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A system for job management between mobile devices, comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of mobile devices;

a storage coupled to said processor and storing messages and data pertaining to job assignments and reassignments at and between said mobile devices;

a communication interface coupled to said processor and enabling communication between said processor and said mobile devices;

a dispatch terminal coupled to said processor and adapted to send requests to said processor containing messages and data pertaining to creating and allocating job assignments and reassignments at and between said mobile devices; and

a historical record in said storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to the mobile devices, said record comprised of said messages and data;

wherein said processor is configured to

store, in said storage, messages and data pertaining to job assignments and reassignments at and between said mobile devices,

build and maintain the historical record in said storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to the mobile devices,

receive the requests from said dispatch terminal,

communicate via said communication interface with said mobile devices,

execute the requests by creating and allocating the job assignments and reassignments at and between said mobile devices, and

output to the storage the messages and data pertaining to the allocation of job assignments and reassignments to add to and maintain the historical record in said storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to said mobile devices;

wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to reorder priority of jobs;

wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to track the history of jobs using a single job reference number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to create jobs by sending job details to said processor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to request said processor to leave the created job unassigned to any of said mobile devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to request said processor to assign a job to one of said mobile devices.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to request said processor to reassign a job from one to another of said mobile devices.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to request said processor to assign an unassigned job to one of said mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to view the historical record of any job assigned or unassigned to any mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispatch terminal is operable to display one of a plurality of windows which is used by a dispatcher to change status of a job or delete a job.

9. A method for job management between mobile devices, comprising the steps of:

storing, in a storage, messages and data pertaining to job assignments and reassignments at and between mobile devices;

building and maintaining a historical record in said storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to the mobile devices;

sending by a dispatch terminal to a processor requests containing messages and data pertaining to creating and allocating job assignments and reassignments at and between mobile devices;

receiving the requests by the processor;

the processor communicating via a communication interface with the mobile devices;

executing the requests by the processor therefore creating and allocating the job assignments and reassignments at and between the mobile devices; and

outputting by the processor to the storage the messages and data pertaining to the allocation of job assignments and reassignments to add to and maintain the historical record in the storage concerning each job assignment and reassignment with respect to the mobile devices;

wherein said sending a request includes;

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to reorder priority of lobs;

wherein said sending a request includes;

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to track the history of jobs using a single job reference number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal;

using the one window to request the processor to create a job; and

sending details of the job from the dispatch terminal to the processor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said sending a request further includes leaving the job unassigned to one of the mobile devices.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to assign a job to one of the mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to reassign a job from one mobile device to another mobile device.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to assign an unassigned job to one of the mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to display the historical record of any job assigned or unassigned to any mobile device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said sending a request includes:

displaying one of a plurality of windows on the dispatch terminal; and

using the one window to request the processor to change the status of a job or delete a job.