Mobile crew management system for distributing work order assignments to mobile field crew units
DC CAFC
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for distributing work order assignment data to a field crew using a system having an enterprise computing system and at least one mobile field unit, comprising the following steps:
- (A) updating a database on the enterprise computing system to indicate an assignment has been assigned to the field crew;
(B) notifying the field crew of the assignment;
(C) in response to the input of field crew login data, verifying field crew identity;
(D) notifying the field crew of successful login;
(E) retrieving and presenting a list of assignments to the field crew;
(F) in response to field crew input selecting an assignment from the list of assignments, retrieving detailed assignment data for the selected assignment;
(G) displaying the detailed assignment data to the field crew; and
(H) in response to field crew input identifying an action was taken with regard to the assignment, updating the detailed assignment data.
6 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for multi-crew management comprises an enterprise computing system, a mobile field unit, and wireless communication network which supports terminal control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP). The enterprise computing network comprises application programs through which work orders may be assigned and managed, various server machines containing data related to the work orders, a local area network (LAN) connecting the server machines, and a gateway to the TCP/IP wireless network. A mobile field unit comprises a computing device and modem for communicating over the wireless network to the enterprise computing system. A mobile field unit and each machine in the enterprise computing system has a unique IP address assigned to it. Accordingly, commands and data can be communicated freely between all machines.
147 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for distributing work order assignment data to a field crew using a system having an enterprise computing system and at least one mobile field unit, comprising the following steps:
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(A) updating a database on the enterprise computing system to indicate an assignment has been assigned to the field crew;
(B) notifying the field crew of the assignment;
(C) in response to the input of field crew login data, verifying field crew identity;
(D) notifying the field crew of successful login;
(E) retrieving and presenting a list of assignments to the field crew;
(F) in response to field crew input selecting an assignment from the list of assignments, retrieving detailed assignment data for the selected assignment;
(G) displaying the detailed assignment data to the field crew; and
(H) in response to field crew input identifying an action was taken with regard to the assignment, updating the detailed assignment data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
at the enterprise computing system, generating an alert HTML page;
transmitting the alert HTML page and a command to open a web browser to the mobile field unit;
at the mobile field unit, launching a web browser in response to the command and loading the web browser with the alert HTML file.
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3. The method of claim 1 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of verifying field crew identity, further comprises the following steps:
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at the mobile field unit, upon a field crew member clicking on a link in the alert HTML file, displaying a login form;
at the mobile field unit, in response to a field crew entering login data, transmitting the login data to the enterprise computing system;
at the enterprise computing system, querying a database to verify the login data is correct.
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4. The method of claim 1 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of notifying the field crew of successful login, further comprises the following steps:
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at the enterprise computing system, generating a successful login HTML page;
at the enterprise computing system, generating a cookie having crew login data including a crew identifier;
transmitting the successful login HTML page to the mobile field unit; and
displaying the successful login HTML page in the web browser at the mobile field unit.
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5. The method of claim 4 for distributing work order assignment, wherein the step of generating a cookie is performed by a common gateway interface.
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6. The method of claim 4 for distributing work order assignment, wherein the step of generating a cookie is performed by a stored procedure that is invoked by an HTTP server.
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7. The method of claim 4 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of retrieving and presenting a list of assignments to the field crew, further comprises the following steps:
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at the mobile field unit, in response to a field crew member clicking on a continue link in the successful login HTML page, transmitting a request for a list of assignments;
at the enterprise computing system, in response to the request for list of assignments, querying the database for assignments;
at the enterprise computing system, generating an assignment HTML page;
transmitting the assignment HTML page to the mobile field unit; and
at the mobile field unit, loading the assignment HTML page into the web browser.
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8. The method of claim 7 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein said assignment HTML page contains a list of assignments assigned to the field crew and assignment links to additional data in the database corresponding to each assignment.
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9. The method of claim 7 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein each of the assignment links contains an assignment identifier for uniquely identifying the assignment.
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10. The method of claim 7 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of querying the database for assignments comprises the following steps:
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retrieving crew identifier data from the cookie;
querying the database for assignments related to the crew identifier data.
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11. The method of claim 7 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of generating an assignment HTML page is performed by a common gateway interface.
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12. The method of claim 7 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of generating an assignment HTML page is performed by a stored procedure invoked by an HTTP server.
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13. The method of claim 1 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of retrieving detailed assignment data for an assignment in the list of assignments, further comprises the following steps:
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at the mobile field unit, in response to a crew member clicking on an assignment link in the assignment HTML page, transmitting a request for data related to the selected assignment;
at the enterprise computing system, querying the database for assignment data related to the selected assignment;
at the enterprise computing system, generating a detailed assignment data HTML page; and
transmitting the detailed assignment data HTML page to the mobile field unit.
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14. The method of claim 13 for distributing work order assignment data wherein the assignment data HTML page has a plurality of HTML status links each of which when clicked upon causes a different update to the status data of the assignment in the database.
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15. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is an accepted link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to indicate the assignment has been accepted.
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16. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is an enroute link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to indicate the crew is enroute to the assignment location.
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17. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is a completed link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to indicate the assignment has been completed.
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18. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is a rejected link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to indicate the assignment has been rejected by the field crew.
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19. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is an arrived link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to indicate the field crew has arrived at the assignment location.
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20. The method of claim 14 for distributing work order assignment data wherein one of said plurality of HTML status links is a cancel link which when clicked upon causes the status data in the database to not be updated.
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21. The method of claim 13 for distributing work order assignment data wherein the assignment data HTML page comprises a refresh link which when clicked upon causes all of the data displayed in the assignment data HTML page to be refreshed.
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22. The method of claim 13 for distributing work order assignment data wherein the assignment data HTML page comprises a cause locator link which when clicked upon causes a cause HTML form to be displayed and into which data may be entered related to the cause of an outage.
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23. The method of claim 13 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein said step of querying the database for assignment data is initiated by a common gateway interface.
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24. The method of claim 13 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein said step of querying the database for assignment data is initiated by a stored procedure executed by an HTTP server.
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25. The method of claim 1 for distributing work order assignment data to field crews using a system having an enterprise computing system and at least one mobile field unit, wherein the step of updating the detailed assignment, further comprises the following steps:
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at the mobile field unit, in response to a crew member clicking on an HTML status link in the assignment status HTML page, transmitting updated status data;
at the enterprise system, updating the status data in the database;
at the enterprise system, alerting a dispatcher as to the change in status data.
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26. The method of claim 25 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of alerting a dispatcher as to change in status data comprises generating a sound to draw the attention of a dispatcher to the change in status data.
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27. The method of 25 for distributing work order assignment data, wherein the step of alerting a dispatcher as to change in status data comprises generating a dialog box to draw the attention of a dispatcher to the change in status data.
Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeIntellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
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Original AssigneeABB Incorporated (ABB Limited)
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InventorsKhalessi, Amir, Ardalan, Sasan H.
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Primary Examiner(s)Lim, Krisna
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Application NumberUS09/509,100Time in Patent Office1,266 DaysField of Search709/202, 709/223, 709/201, 709/224, 455/3.01, 455/39US Class Current709/202CPC Class CodesG06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or tas...H04W 12/086 using security domainsH04W 4/00 Services specially adapted ...H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbe...H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, ...H04W 88/14 Backbone network devicesH04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
