Method and system for resource management and evaluation

• US 8,960,535 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Inventors: Bonalle, David S., Barnes, Brian T., Saunders, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US10/883,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,890 Days
• Field of Search: 235/377, 235/380, 235/381, 235/385, 235/492, 235/383, 235/379, 340/988, 340/991, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/38, 705/8, 705/9, 705/11, 705/7, 705/2, 705/7.42, 455/456, 455/461, 455/466, 713/186, 714/4.11, 707/104.1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 235/377
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A system and method for using RFID technology to track resource performance and task completion is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a system for facilitating a transaction comprising a transponder, an RF reader, a transaction completion system, and a resource engine. In another exemplary embodiment, the transponder system is configured to provide an account number in ISO/IEC 7816 magnetic stripe Track1/Track 2 format. In accordance with another aspect the transponder may transmit to the RFID reader information identifying the resource'"'"'s performance tracking account to which the transponder is associated. The RFID reader may receive and forward the information to facilitate performance tracking.

Claims

1. A method for resource tracking comprising:

detecting, by a resource engine, a problem with an application;

creating, by the resource engine, a plurality of tasks in response to the detecting the problem with the application;

associating by the resource engine, a Radio Frequency (RF) transponder system with a resource and with the plurality of tasks; and

monitoring, by the resource engine, performance of the resource based on association of the transponder system with the resource and the plurality of tasks, wherein the monitoring includes;

determining by the resource engine, a resource skill level;

associating, by the resource engine, the resource skill level with the transponder system;

determining, by the resource engine, a task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks by combining an individual task skill level of each of the plurality of tasks;

assigning, by the resource engine, the plurality of tasks to the resource based on the resource skill level being at least equal to the task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks;

receiving, by the resource engine, an indication from the transponder system that all tasks in the plurality of tasks are complete; and

evaluating, by the resource engine, performance of the resource in response to receiving the indication from the transponder system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transponder system comprises encrypted authentication information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the resource engine, a confirmation from an RF reader that interrogates the transponder system, wherein the confirmation indicates that the transponder system is authenticated by the RF reader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the resource engine, with at least one third-party merchant system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the resource engine, at least one of an operating time or a location of the resource.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling, by the resource engine, the resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating, by the resource engine, at least one of performing a transaction, purchasing at least one product, or checking out.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing the transponder system, by the resource engine, with a customizable transponder identifier; and

receiving, by the resource system, a confirmation that the transponder system is authenticated based on the customizable transponder identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource has a plurality of skills, and wherein the determining the resource skill level comprises:

assigning, by the resource engine, a respective score to each of the plurality of skills of the resource to determine a total resource score; and

comparing, by the resource engine, the total resource score to a plurality of skill ranges to determine the resource skill level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring the performance of the resource further includes:

tracking, by the resource engine, performance of the resource during the plurality of tasks; and

grading, by the resource engine, all of the plurality of tasks based on the resource skill level associated with the resource and an aggregate of time spent by the resource on all of the plurality of tasks.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the computer system to perform the following;

detect a problem with an application;

create a plurality of tasks in response to the detecting the problem with the application;

associate a Radio Frequency (RF) transponder system with a resource and with the plurality of tasks; and

monitor performance of the resource based on association of the transponder system with the resource and the plurality of tasks,

wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer system to further perform the following as part of monitoring the performance of the resource;

determine a resource skill level;

associate the resource skill level with the transponder system;

determine a task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks by combining an individual task skill level of each of the plurality of tasks;

assign the plurality of tasks to the resource based on the resource skill level being at least equal to the task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks;

receive an indication from the transponder system that all tasks in the plurality of tasks are complete; and

evaluate performance of the resource in response to receiving the indication from the transponder system.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer system to report location information of the resource.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer system to facilitate at least one of performing a transaction, purchasing at least one product, or checking out.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer system to further perform the following:

track performance of the resource during the plurality of tasks; and

grade all of the plurality of tasks based on the resource skill level associated with the resource and an aggregate of time spent by the resource on all of the plurality of tasks.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource has a plurality of skills, and wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer system to determine the resource skill level by performing the following:

assigning a respective score to each of the plurality of skills of the resource to determine a total resource score; and

comparing the total resource score to a plurality of skill ranges to determine the resource skill level.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer-based system, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by the computer-based system, a problem with an application;

creating, by the computer-based system, a plurality of tasks in response to the detecting the problem with the application;

associating, by the computer-based system, a Radio Frequency (RF) transponder system with a resource and with the plurality of tasks; and

monitoring, by the computer-based system, performance of the resource based on association of the transponder system with the resource and the plurality of tasks, wherein the monitoring includes;

determining, by the computer-based system, a resource skill level;

associating, by the computer-based system, the resource skill level with the transponder system;

determining, by the computer-based system, a task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks by combining an individual task skill level of each of the plurality of tasks;

assigning, by the computer-based system, the plurality of tasks to the resource based on the resource skill level being at least equal to the task skill level associated with the plurality of tasks;

receiving, by the computer-based system, an indication from the transponder system that all tasks in the plurality of tasks are complete; and

evaluating, by the computer-based system, performance of the resource in response to receiving the indication from the transponder system.

17. The data storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

customizing the transponder system, by the computer-based system, with a customizable transponder identifier; and

receiving, by the computer-based system, a confirmation that the transponder system is authenticated based on the customizable transponder identifier.

18. The data storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring, by the computer-based system, at least one of an operating time or a location of the resource.

19. The data storage medium of claim 16, wherein the resource has a plurality of skills, and wherein the operation of determining the resource skill level comprises:

assigning, by the computer-based system, a respective score to each of the plurality of skills of the resource to determine a total resource score; and

comparing, by the computer-based system, the total resource score to a plurality of skill ranges to determine the resource skill level.

20. The data storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operation of monitoring the performance of the resource further includes:

tracking, by the computer-based system, performance of the resource during the plurality of tasks; and

grading, by the computer-based system, all of the plurality of tasks based on the resource skill level associated with the resource and an aggregate of time spent by the resource on all of the plurality of tasks.