Expert collaboration system and method

• US 9,684,903 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Connolly, Paul, Venkataramana, Raju, Paul, Sharoda, Modi, Piyush, Bolinger, Joseph William, Wood, Brandi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US14/459,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 709202, 709203, 709223, 709224, 709201, 701 291, 701 292, 701 314, 701 327, 701 332
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for remotely providing expert assistance receive identification information from a mobile device that is representative of a component and communicate the identification information to remotely located expert personnel. The system and method also receive an expert-identified work scope that includes guidance information for display on the mobile device to guide the operator through diagnosing, repairing, testing, and/or replacing the component. The system and method also store the expert-identified work scope and the identification information such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the identification information. The system and method compare subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information and automatically select and communicate the expert-identified work scope based on comparing the subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first identification information from a first mobile device of a remotely located operator, the first identification information representative of one or more components of a system;

communicating the first identification information to one or more expert personnel remotely located from the operator;

receiving an expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, the expert-identified work scope including a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the first mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system;

communicating the expert-identified work scope to the first mobile device;

receiving a request signal from the first mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the expert-identified work scope;

selecting a subset of the one or more expert personnel based on the request signal, the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system via the first mobile device; and

communicating an identification signal to the first mobile device that identifies the subset of the one or more expert personnel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel is automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between areas of expertise of the one or more expert personnel and the one or more components of the system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel is automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between availabilities of the one or more expert personnel to remotely assist the operator via the first mobile device during performance of the expert-identified work scope by the operator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the availabilities of the one or more expert personnel represent communication abilities of the one or more expert personnel to communicate with the operator via the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the one or more expert personnel is automatically selected from among the one or more expert personnel based on locations of the one or more expert personnel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a display signal to the first mobile device that directs the first mobile device to display a map and locations of the one or more expert personnel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of guidance information includes one or more manuals, guides, lists, images, videos, or audio files that direct the operator through the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the expert-identified work scope and at least some of the first identification information in one or more memory devices such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the at least some of the first identification information;

comparing subsequently received second identification information received from one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device with the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices; and

responsive to at least some of the second identification information matching the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, automatically selecting and communicating the expert-identified work scope from the one or more memory devices to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device without communicating the second identification information to the one or more expert personnel.

9. A services support system comprising:

an analysis system configured to receive first identification information from a first mobile device of a remotely located operator, the first identification information representative of one or more components of a system, the analysis system also configured to communicate the first identification information to one or more expert personnel remotely located from the operator and to receive an expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, the expert-identified work scope including a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the first mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system; and

one or more memory devices configured to store the expert-identified work scope and at least some of the first identification information such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the at least some of the first identification information,

wherein the analysis system is configured to compare subsequently received second identification information received from one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device with the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, and

responsive to at least some of the second identification information matching the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, the analysis system is configured to automatically select and communicate the expert-identified work scope from the one or more memory devices to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device without communicating the second identification information to the one or more expert personnel.

10. The services support system of claim 9, wherein the analysis system also is configured to receive a request signal from the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the expert-identified work scope, the analysis system also configured to select a subset of the one or more expert personnel based on the request signal and to communicate an identification signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device,

wherein the identification signal identifies the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

11. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between areas of expertise of the one or more expert personnel and the one or more components of the system.

12. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on a comparison between availabilities of the one or more expert personnel to remotely assist the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device during performance of the expert-identified work scope by the operator.

13. The services support system of claim 12, wherein the availabilities of the one or more expert personnel represent communication abilities of the one or more expert personnel to communicate with the operator via the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device.

14. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system is configured to automatically select the subset of the one or more expert personnel from among the one or more expert personnel based on locations of the one or more expert personnel.

15. The services support system of claim 10, wherein the analysis system also is configured to communicate a display signal to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that directs the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device to display a map and locations of the one or more expert personnel.

16. The services support system of claim 9, wherein the set of guidance information includes one or more manuals, guides, lists, images, videos, or audio files that direct the operator through the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system.

17. The services support system of claim 9, wherein the expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information is a first expert-identified work scope, and, responsive to the second identification information not matching the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, the analysis system is configured to communicate the second identification information to the one or more expert personnel and to receive a second expert-identified work scope based on the second identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel.

18. A method comprising:

receiving first identification information from a first mobile device of a remotely located operator, the first identification information representative of one or more components of a system;

communicating the first identification information to one or more expert personnel remotely located from the operator;

receiving a first expert-identified work scope based on the first identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, the expert-identified work scope including a set of guidance information configured to be displayed on the first mobile device in order to guide the operator through one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system;

communicating the first expert-identified work scope to the first mobile device;

storing the first expert-identified work scope and at least some of the first identification information in one or more memory devices such that the first expert-identified work scope is associated with the at least some of the first identification information;

comparing subsequently received second identification information received from one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device with the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices; and

responsive to at least some of the second identification information matching the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, automatically selecting and communicating the first expert-identified work scope from the one or more memory devices to the one or more of the first mobile device or the second mobile device without communicating the second identification information to the one or more expert personnel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, responsive to the second identification information not matching the at least some of the first identification information stored in the one or more memory devices, communicating the second identification information to the one or more expert personnel, receiving a second expert-identified work scope based on the second identification information that was communicated to the one or more expert personnel, and communicating the second expert-identified work scope to the one or more of the first mobile device or a second mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a request signal from the first mobile device, the request signal requesting assistance from the one or more expert personnel during performance of the first expert-identified work scope;

selecting a subset of the one or more expert personnel based on the request signal, the subset of the one or more expert personnel having an ability to remotely communicate with and assist the operator with the one or more of diagnosing, repairing, testing, or replacing the one or more components of the system via the first mobile device; and

communicating an identification signal to the first mobile device that identifies the subset of the one or more expert personnel.