System and methods for management of mobile field assets via wireless handheld devices

• US 9,299,044 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Barbosa, Frank A., Ortiz, Luis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/480,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/66.1, 455/90.01, 455/90.02, 455/90.03, 705/400, 705/500, 705/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Communication from enterprise servers to handheld devices in the field supports dispatch, data synchronization, logistics and personnel. Bi-directional data delivery from enterprise-based servers over wireless data networks is enabled using wireless capabilities resident in handheld personal computing devices. Real time communications facilitates real-time access to remote programs, assistance and/or information related to the field operations and asset (personnel and inventory) resource management. Management is facilitated for at least one of: construction industry project analysis, HVAC system analysis, project management, equipment readiness inspection, troubleshooting, inventory tracking, inventory ordering, sales (e.g., providing cost estimates to customers), customer invoicing, conducting legal investigations, field data collection, and multi-user remote function coordination.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing, at a beginning of a work shift using a handheld device, at least one template stored on a server located remotely from the handheld device, the at least one template listing tasks that are assigned to be completed before an end of the work shift;

reporting a status of each of the tasks at least once during the work shift by synchronizing the handheld device to the server; and

updating the at least one template stored on the server in response to the status with unfinished or new tasks.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one template corresponds to a worker;

and

wherein the worker is to complete the tasks before the end of the work shift.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising triggering generating at least another template corresponding to at least another worker in response to the updating, wherein the at least another template lists tasks assigned to the at least another worker to be completed by the at least another worker before an end of a work shift corresponding to the at least another worker.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly synchronizing the handheld device to the server.

5. A device, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions; and

a processing device configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to;

access, at a beginning of a work shift using a handheld device, at least one template stored on a server located remotely from the handheld device, the at least one template listing tasks that are assigned to be completed before an end of the work shift;

report a status of each of the tasks at least once during the work shift by synchronizing the handheld device to the server; and

update the at least one template stored on the server in response to the status with unfinished or new tasks.

6. The device of claim 5,

wherein the at least one template corresponds to a worker;

and

wherein the worker is to complete the tasks before the end of the work shift.

7. The device of claim 6,

wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to enable generating at least another template corresponding to at least another worker in response to the update;

and

wherein the at least another template lists tasks assigned to the at least another worker to be completed by the at least another worker before an end of a work shift corresponding to the at least another worker.