Method and system for enabling training of field service personnel and field service of machines

• US 7,010,549 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Frowein, Richard Lee, Shah, Rasiklal Punjalal, Grothman, Richard Alan, Ward, Bruce Taylor, Hofstetter, Douglas Robert, Hahn, Kenneth Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N.
• Application Number:
  US10/687,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/2, 707/6, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/740
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for enabling training of field service personnel such as field engineers and field service of machines such as medical diagnostic machines, e.g., CT, MRI, and x-ray machines. The system (100) is desirably implemented over the Internet in which field service personnel using handheld computers are able to selectively search cataloged items relating to reference materials such as portions of product installation manuals, service manuals, field modification information or updates, training manuals, safety information, design diagrams, parts lists, etc., and retrieve copies of the relevant portions of the reference materials. The reference materials are cataloged and searchable using, for example, data relating to a product type and model, a skill level, a service task, and an authorization level.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling training of field service personnel for at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, the computer implemented method comprising:

obtaining a reference material search request;

providing a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to training of field service personnel for said at least one machine based on the reference material search request; and

providing a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reference material search request comprises data relating to at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reference material search request comprises data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the list comprises generating the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items regarding a plurality of different machine types.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the list comprises generating the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items based on an authorization level.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the copy comprises retrieving the copy from a data storage unit comprising data relating to at least one of training manuals for said at least one machine and service manuals for said at least one machine.

11. A computer implemented method for enabling field service of at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, the computer implemented method comprising:

obtaining a reference material search request;

providing a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to field service of said at least one machine based on the reference material search request; and

providing a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the reference material search request comprises data relating to at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

16. A method for enabling training of field service personnel for at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, the method comprising:

obtaining at a first computing unit a reference material search request from a second computing unit coupled to the first computing unit via a communications network;

providing to the second computing unit a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to training of field service personnel for said at least one machine from the first computing unit based on the reference material search request; and

providing to the second computing unit a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item from the first computing unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the reference material search request comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to a service task comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the copy comprises retrieving the copy from a data storage unit comprising data relating to at least one of training manuals and service manuals for said at least one machine.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the second computing unit is a handheld computer.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the communications network is a global computer network.

24. A method for enabling field service of at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, the method comprising:

obtaining at a first computing unit a reference material search request from a second computing unit coupled to the first computing unit via a communications network;

providing to the second computing unit a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to field service of said at least one machine from the first computing unit based on the reference material search request; and

providing to the second computing unit a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item from the first computing unit.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the reference material search request comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the reference material search request comprises data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to a service task comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the providing the list comprises generating the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items regarding a plurality of different machine types.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the providing the list comprises generating the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items based on an authorization level.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data relating to said at least one machine comprises data relating to a product type and a model of said at least one machine, the data relating to the skill level of the field service personnel comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to the service task for said at least one machine comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification of said at least one machine.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the providing the copy comprises retrieving the copy from a data storage unit comprising data relating to at least one of training manuals and service manuals for said at least one machine.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the second computing unit is a handheld computer.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the communications network is a global computer network.

35. A system for enabling training of field service personnel for at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MIRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, said system comprising at least one processor adapted to obtain a reference material search request,

wherein said at least one processor is adapted to provide a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to training of field service personnel for said at least one machine based on the reference material search request, and

wherein said at least one processor is further adapted to provide a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the search request comprises data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, and data relating to a service task for said at least one machine.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the data relating to the machine comprises data relating to product type and model, the data relating to a skill level comprises data relating to at least one of novice and expert, and the data relating to a service task comprises data relating to at least one of installation, maintenance, and modification.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to generate the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items regarding a plurality of different machine types.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to generate the list from a data storage unit comprising a plurality of cataloged items based on an authorization level.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one cataloged item comprises at least one of data relating to said at least one machine, data relating to a skill level of the field service personnel, data relating to a service task for said at least one machine, and data relating to an authorization level.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to retrieve the copy from a data storage unit comprising data relating to at least one of training manuals for said at least one machine and service manuals for said at least one machine.

42. A system for enabling field service of at least one machine selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT) machines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, mammography machines, ultrasound machines, and x-ray machines, said system comprising at least one processor adapted to obtain a reference material search request,

wherein said at least one processor is adapted to provide a list of at least one cataloged item associated with at least one reference material relating to field service of said at least one machine based on the reference material search request, and

wherein said at least one processor is further adapted to provide a copy of the at least one reference material associated with the at least one cataloged item.