Maintenance management systems and methods

• US 9,726,715 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Schlichting, Jordan, McManus, Thomas, Bergstrom, Peter, Berdan, Lindsey, Stuart, Michael Devin, Ferrante, Joseph V., Neeley, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/566,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

Systems and techniques for obtaining and maintaining maintenance records for various assets are described. In one embodiment, a computing device may be wirelessly coupled to a measurement device when the computing device is placed in proximity with the computing device. Upon measuring one or more parameters of a device under test (DUT), the measurement device may provide the measured parameters to the computing device in the form of measurement data. In some embodiments, the computing device associates the measured parameters with the corresponding DUT from which the measurements were obtained and provides the associated measured parameter to, for example, a service provider for future access. In another embodiment, the measurement device itself is configured to associate the measurement parameters with the DUT and provide the associated measurement parameters to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining and maintaining maintenance records, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a computing device and a measurement device that is configured to measure one or more electrical or physical parameters of a device under test (DUT), wherein the measurement device includes an imaging system;

prior to or after establishing the communication link, measuring, using the measurement device, one or more electrical or physical parameters of the DUT to obtain measurement data;

transmitting the measurement data from the measurement device to the computing device via the communication link, the measurement data including the measured one or more electrical or physical parameters of the DUT;

generating, by the computing device, associated measurement data, the associated measurement data including the measurement data received from the measurement device and an indication of the DUT, wherein said generating associated measurement data comprises creating, at the computing device, a DUT record for the device under test including at least one of a DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location;

receiving, via user input at the computing device, data to be associated with testing of the DUT and storing said data with the associated measurement data in the DUT record, wherein the data to be associated with testing of the DUT is in one or more of the following formats;

an audio format;

a video format; and

a text format;

obtaining a first image of the DUT as previously tested and displaying, by the computing device, the first image as a reference image with a first reference frame that corresponds to a center of the reference image;

receiving a live image of the DUT from an image sensor in the imaging system and displaying, by the computing device, the live image with a second reference frame that corresponds to the first reference frame, wherein the display of the live image further includes a cursor that represents a center of the image sensor, and wherein the cursor moves on the display as the measurement device moves in a two-dimensional plane parallel to the DUT;

aligning the cursor with the second reference frame and obtaining a second image of the DUT that is substantially aligned with the reference image;

storing the second image with the associated measurement data in the DUT record; and

providing the associated measurement data for the DUT from the computing device to a service provider via a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a communication link between the measurement device and the computing device occurs by executing an interface that causes communication circuitry to automatically perform a coupling process when the computing device is placed in proximity of the measurement device such that the computing device is capable of receiving one or more signals from the measurement device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a communication link between the measurement device and the computing device occurs upon input to the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is selected from a group consisting of a multimeter, an oscilloscope, a thermal imaging system, a thermometer, a calibration tool, and a cable tester.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more electrical or physical parameters are selected from a group consisting of electrical parameters, temperature, pressure, visible light waves, and invisible light waves.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on the computing device, displaying the associated measurement data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with testing of the DUT is selected from a group consisting of status of the device under test, severity of a problem of the device under test, one or more actions that need to be taken based on the results of the test, one or more notes that need to be documented, and additional information that may be helpful to another technician.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the associated measurement data includes:

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the associated measurement data includes:

obtaining, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT; and

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the associated measurement data includes:

on the computing device, selecting the device under test from a list of devices.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT, wherein the DUT record includes measurement data collected from a prior test of the DUT; and

comparing, by the computing device, the measurement data collected from the prior test of the DUT to the associated measurement data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference image is obtained from the service provider.

13. A system for obtaining and maintaining maintenance records, comprising:

a measurement device configured to measure at least one electrical or physical parameter of a device under test (DUT), wherein the measurement device includes an imaging system;

a computing device configured to be placed in communication with the measurement device, wherein the measurement device measures the at least one electrical or physical parameter of the DUT prior to or while in communication with the computing device, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive the at least one measured electrical or physical parameter from the measurement device and to generate at least one associated measured parameter, the at least one associated measured parameter including the at least one measured electrical or physical parameter received from the measurement device and an indication of the DUT, wherein generating the at least one associated measured parameter includes creating, at the computing device, a DUT record for the device under test including at least one of a DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location; and

a service provider in communication with the computing device, wherein the service provider includes one or more interconnected computing devices and is configured to receive the at least one associated measured parameter and to store said at least one associated measured parameter,

wherein the computing device is also configured to receive, via user input at the computing device, data to be associated with testing of the DUT and store said data with the associated measurement data in the DUT record, wherein the data to be associated with testing of the DUT is in one or more of the following formats;

an audio format;

a video format; and

a text format; and

wherein the computing device is further configured to;

obtain a first image of the DUT as previously tested and display the first image as a reference image with a first reference frame that corresponds to a center of the reference image;

receive a live image of the DUT from an image sensor in the imaging system and display the live image with a second reference frame that corresponds to the first reference frame, wherein the display of the live image further includes a cursor that represents a center of the image sensor, and wherein the cursor moves on the display as the measurement device moves in a two-dimensional plane parallel to the DUT;

when the cursor is aligned with the second reference frame, obtain a second image of the DUT that is substantially aligned with the reference image and store the second image with the associated measurement data in the DUT record.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the measurement device is selected from a group consisting of a multimeter, an oscilloscope, a thermal imaging system, a thermometer, a calibration tool, and a cable tester.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one electrical or physical parameter is selected from a group consisting of electrical parameters, temperature, pressure, visible light waves, and invisible light waves.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is further configured to generate the at least one associated measured parameter by performing at least one of:

retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT;

obtaining, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT, and retrieving, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information;

or

selecting the device under test from a list of devices generated by the computing device or obtained from the service provider.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

establish a data communication link between the computing device and a measurement device when the measurement device is in proximity with the computing device such that the computing device is capable of receiving one or more signals from the measurement device;

receive measurement data from the measurement device, the measurement data including one or more measured parameters of a device under test (DUT) measured by the measurement device;

generate associated measurement data, the associated measurement data including the measurement data received from the measurement device and an indication of the DUT, wherein to generate the associated measurement data, the instructions cause the computing device to create a DUT record for the device under test including at least one of a DUT name, DUT type, and DUT location;

receive, via user input at the computing device, data to be associated with testing of the DUT and store said data with the DUT record, wherein the data to be associated with testing of the DUT is in one or more of the following formats;

an audio format;

a video format; and

a text format;

obtain a first image of the DUT as previously tested and display the first image as a reference image with a first reference frame that corresponds to a center of the reference image;

receive a live image of the DUT from an image sensor in the imaging system and display the live image with a second reference frame that corresponds to the first reference frame, wherein the display of the live image further includes a cursor that represents a center of the image sensor, and wherein the cursor moves on the display as the measurement device moves in a two-dimensional plane parallel to the DUT;

when the cursor is aligned with the second reference frame, obtain a second image of the DUT that is substantially aligned with the reference image and store the second image with the associated measurement data in the DUT record; and

provide the associated measurement data to a service provider via a network.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform at least one of:

select the device under test from a list of devices;

retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT;

or

obtain, using an automation system, identity information of the DUT, and retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT based on the identity information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to

display the associated measurement data.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to obtain the reference image from the service provider.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

retrieve, from the service provider, a DUT record corresponding to the DUT, wherein the DUT record includes measurement data collected from a prior test; and

compare the measurement data collected from a prior test to the associated measurement data.