Managing maintenance of serviceable items based on unique identification labeling

• US 20060217995A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Meyer, Bernhard, Sagnak, Cemal
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and managing maintenance of serviceable items based on unique identification labeling affixed to the items is disclosed. The serviceable items are described as filters within a common environment that require routine maintenance to adhere to certain expectations relative to the operability of the items. Such operability may relate to any type of filtering of contaminants from a liquid or gaseous substance that flows through the filters. A unique identifier (ID) label is affixed to each filter. The unique ID label represents a unique filter ID that uniquely identifies the filter relative to all other filters in the common environment. A handheld computing device communicatively connected to a local computer reads the unique ID label of each filter following maintenance of the filter to track maintenance of the filters over time.

Claims

1. A method for tracking maintenance of a plurality of serviceable items, the method comprising:

reading a first unique identifier associated with a first serviceable item in response to maintenance being performed on the first serviceable item;

reading a second unique identifier associated with a second serviceable item in response to maintenance being performed on the second serviceable item;

storing the first unique identifier in a data structure in association with a first time reference indicating at least a calendar date that the first unique identifier was read;

storing the second unique identifier in the data structure in association with a second time reference indicating at least a calendar date that the second unique identifier was read;

generating a report characterizing maintenance of the first serviceable item based on the first time reference and the second serviceable item based on the second time reference.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the reading and storing acts are performed by a handheld computing system, the method further comprising:

uploading the data structure from the handheld computing system to a local computing system, wherein the local computing system performs the generating act.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second serviceable items comprise filters for filtering contaminants from a substance.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the substance is a fluid.

5. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the substance is a gas.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a target time reference representing a maximum service interval for the first and the second serviceable item; and

analyzing the first and second time references stored in association with the first and the second unique identifiers against the target time reference to determine whether maintenance for the first serviceable item or the second serviceable item is overdue.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the generating act further comprises:

in response to the analyzing act, adding notation on the report that the first serviceable item is overdue for maintenance.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

in response to the analyzing act, notifying a responsible field service person that the first serviceable item is overdue for maintenance by electronically initiating contact with the responsible field service person.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

uploading the data structure to a remote computer for storage and analysis.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the remote computer performs the generating act.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

at the remote computer, determining a target time reference representing a maximum service interval for the first and the second serviceable item;

at the remote computer, analyzing the first and second time references stored in association with the first and the second unique identifiers against the target time reference to determine whether maintenance for the first serviceable item or the second serviceable item is overdue; and

notifying a responsible field service person that the first serviceable item is overdue for maintenance by electronically initiating contact with the responsible field service person.

12. A method for tracking maintenance of serviceable items, the method comprising:

reading a unique identifier associated with a serviceable item in response to maintenance being performed on the serviceable item;

storing the unique identifier in a data structure in association with a time reference indicating at least a calendar date that the unique identifier was read;

determining a target time reference representing a maximum service interval for the serviceable item; and

analyzing the time reference stored in association with the unique identifier against the target time reference to determine whether maintenance for the serviceable item is overdue.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

notifying a responsible field service person that the serviceable item is overdue for maintenance by electronically initiating contact with the responsible field service person.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the reading and storing acts are performed by a handheld computing system, the method further comprising:

uploading the data structure from the handheld computing system to a local computing system, wherein the local computing system performs the determining and analyzing acts.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the local computing system comprises a display device, the notifying act comprising:

displaying on the display device a message to a user responsible for maintaining the serviceable item that the serviceable item is overdue for maintenance in response to start-up of the local computer system.

16. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

generating a report characterizing maintenance of the serviceable item based on the associated time reference.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

uploading the data structure to a remote computer for storage and analysis, wherein the remote computer performs the determining, analyzing and generating acts.

18. A system for tracking maintenance of a plurality of serviceable items, the system comprising:

a plurality of unique identification labels each representing a unique identifier (ID), each of the plurality of serviceable items having one of the plurality of unique identification labels affixed thereto;

a handheld computing device operable to read each of the plurality of unique identification labels from the plurality of serviceable items to identify therefrom the represented unique ID'"'"'s and associate each identified unique ID with a time reference indicating at least a calendar date that each unique ID was read;

a local computer communicatively connected to the handheld computing device, wherein the local computer is operable to receive the identified unique ID'"'"'s from the handheld computing device and generate therefrom a report characterizing maintenance of the plurality of serviceable items based on the associated time references.

19. A system as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a remote computer communicatively connected to the local computer and operable to receive the identified unique ID'"'"'s and associated time references from the local computer for storage and analysis, wherein the remote computer is operable to generate a report characterizing maintenance of the plurality of serviceable items based on the associated time references.

20. A system as defined claim 18, wherein the local computer is further operable to determine a target time reference representing a maximum service interval for the each of the plurality of serviceable items, analyze the time references associated with each of the identified unique ID'"'"'s against the target time reference and, based on the analysis, notify a responsible field service person that one or more of the serviceable items are overdue for maintenance by electronically initiating contact with the responsible field service person.