System and method for remotely managing maintenance operations associated with an asset

• US 7,707,054 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hecker, Yaron, Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Pimentel, Leonard, Ehrman, Kenneth S., Pinzon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORT, ELAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/426,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/7, 705/9, 705/22, 705/23, 705/24, 705/25, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A commercially acceptable solution to provide for monitoring battery voltage of an asset, managing charging of batteries of a group of assets, and managing scheduled maintenance of assets may utilize system architecture having intelligent wireless devices associated with the individual assets. The use of intelligent wireless devices allows for the asset management system to operate and maintain functionality substantially without loss of data in the event of a loss of communication between the wireless devices and a management computing system via a network, including an out-of-range condition of the wireless devices with respect to a local monitor.

Claims

1. A system for managing maintenance of a mobile asset, comprising:

a fixed location management computer system having a first processing unit for managing information and a first communication unit in communication with the first processing unit;

a wireless infrastructure having a local monitor with a second processing unit operating therein, said wireless infrastructure further having a second and a third communication unit, the second communication unit communicating with the first communication unit; and

a mobile asset communicator having a third processing unit, display unit, and fourth communication unit, said mobile asset communicator associated with the mobile asset and communicating with said wireless infrastructure via the third and fourth communication units;

a mobile asset monitor for monitoring utilization information of said mobile asset, the mobile asset monitor being coupled to the mobile asset communicator for transmitting the utilization information to the fixed location management computer system;

the first processing unit of the fixed location management computer system for;

receiving the utilization information from the mobile asset;

scheduling a first maintenance date for maintenance to be performed on the mobile asset based upon the utilization information;

receiving one or more responses from an operator of the mobile asset to one or more predetermined questions relating to the utilization of the mobile asset;

determining if the mobile asset requires maintenance and a second maintenance date by which maintenance should be performed based upon the one or more responses from the operator;

adjusting the first maintenance date if it is determined from the one or more responses that the second maintenance date is before the first maintenance date previously scheduled; and

disabling the mobile asset if maintenance is not performed by the first maintenance date.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an input interface in communication with said mobile asset communicator for receiving an indication from a maintenance operator of maintenance having been performed to the mobile asset, the third processing unit of said mobile asset communicator receiving the indication of the maintenance having been performed from said input interface and deactivating the maintenance notification message in response thereto.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the deactivation of the maintenance notification message is performed wirelessly.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the third processing unit of said mobile asset communicator:

generates a transaction code; and

associates the transaction code to the maintenance notification message.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile asset communicator further includes a memory unit in communication with the third processing unit, the third processing unit maintaining the maintenance notification message at least until receiving notification that maintenance work has been performed on the mobile asset.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein disabling the mobile asset comprises limiting movement of the mobile asset.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein disabling the mobile asset comprises limiting lift operation of the mobile asset.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein disabling the mobile asset comprises limiting access to the mobile asset to predetermined individuals.

9. A system for managing maintenance of a mobile asset, comprising:

a fixed location management computer system having a first processing unit for managing information and a first communication unit in communication with the first processing unit;

a wireless infrastructure having a local monitor with a second processing unit operating therein, said wireless infrastructure further having a second and a third communication unit, the second communication unit communicating with the first communication unit; and

a mobile asset communicator having a third processing unit, display unit, and fourth communication unit, said mobile asset communicator associated with the mobile asset and communicating with said wireless infrastructure via the third and fourth communication units;

a mobile asset monitor for monitoring utilization information of said mobile asset, the mobile asset monitor being coupled to the mobile asset communicator for transmitting the utilization information to the fixed location management computer system;

the first processing unit of the fixed location management computer system for;

receiving the utilization information from the mobile asset;

calculating a projected maintenance expiration date for maintenance to be performed on mobile asset based upon the utilization information;

scheduling maintenance to be performed on the mobile asset if the projected maintenance expiration date is within a predetermined period of time from the current date; and

placing the mobile asset in a limited operational mode if maintenance is not performed by the projected maintenance expiration date;

receiving one or more responses from an operator of the mobile asset to one or more predetermined questions relating to the utilization of the mobile asset;

determining if the mobile asset requires maintenance based upon the one or more responses from the operator; and

scheduling maintenance to be performed on the mobile asset if it is determined from the one or more responses that the mobile asset requires maintenance.

10. The system of claim 9, placing the mobile asset in a limited operational mode comprising placing the mobile asset in a creeper mode limiting movement of the mobile asset.

11. The system of claim 9, placing the mobile asset in a limited operational mode comprising limiting lift operation of the mobile asset.

12. The system of claim 9, the first processing unit limiting access to the mobile asset during limited operational mode to predetermined individuals specifically authorized to access the vehicle during the limited operational mode.