Apparatus and Method for Preventive-Maintenance Procedures Management

Abstract

An apparatus and method that manages preventive-maintenance procedures among users and machines in a cloud network. It employs machine-readable language to: collect written documentation; convert digital audio recordings of crowd-sourced information; parse data; aggregate, normalize, compile and output the data into user-specified reports. Procedures, manuals, equipment maintenance data, and credential data go in; detailed histories of equipment maintenance and user information go out. The apparatus and method facilitates documentation of institutional-equipment-maintenance procedures at various participating locations as the maintenance is performed by a technician. It provides reports about machines in an organization, and groups of machines of identical model numbers among organizations, for use by technicians, managers and manufacturers. It serves to share the workload of managing preventive-maintenance procedures among organizations that use the data, and to provide information lifecycles of equipment.

Claims

1. A computer-readable recording medium storing a data-transmission program, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process comprising: receiving preventive-maintenance manual information for a piece of equipment from a central data repository; and receiving input data defining at least one preventive maintenance procedure, as performed by a technician; and uploading received input data defining said at least one preventive maintenance procedure to said central data repository; and collecting received input data, defining preventive-maintenance procedures; and generating documentation, reporting the input data defining preventive-maintenance procedures performed by said technician; and generating equipment-maintenance procedure history from said input data defining preventive-maintenance procedures; and generating equipment lifecycle data from said equipment-maintenance procedure history, for dissemination to participating manufacturers, managers and technicians; wherein preventive-maintenance procedures as written in manufacturer's manuals, and as performed by technicians, are collected in a central data repository for the purpose of informing, updating and editing preventive-maintenance procedures which are recorded, documented and used to generate equipment-procedure history and equipment-lifecycle data, which is disseminated to participating manufacturers, managers and technicians.

2. The computer-readable recording medium storing a data-transmission program of claim 1, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process further comprising: receiving voice-input data defining said at least one preventive maintenance procedure from a technician during a preventive maintenance procedure; and storing said voice-input data as text while said preventive-maintenance procedure is performed; and uploading received voice-input data defining said at least one preventive-maintenance procedure to said central data repository; wherein documentation defining preventive-maintenance procedures may be updated based on voice input from said technician while said technician is performing the preventive-maintenance procedure.

3. The computer-readable recording medium, storing a data-transmission program of claim 1, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process further comprising: receiving input data defining preventive-maintenance procedures from manufacturers; and receiving input data defining preventive-maintenance procedures from managers; wherein technicians, manufacturers and managers contribute to the documentation defining preventive-maintenance procedures.

4. A system for interpreting and managing preventive-maintenance data comprising: a user interface for downloading preventive-maintenance manuals from a central data repository; and a user interface for manual input of information derived from performing tasks defined in said preventive-maintenance manual; and information derived from manual data entry is converted to non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing instructions; and said instructions store preventive maintenance-manual data in a central data repository; and said instructions store said information derived from performing tasks defined in said preventive-maintenance manual in said central data repository; and said stored information is parsed, aggregated, normalized and compiled for output; and said output generates preventive-maintenance procedure history; and said preventive-maintenance procedure history is interpreted and compiled to generate equipment-lifecycle data.

5. The system for interpreting and managing preventive-maintenance data of claim 4, further comprising: a user interface for voice-input of information derived from performing tasks defined in said preventive-maintenance manual; and voice-input information is stored in said central data repository; wherein documentation defining preventive-maintenance procedures may be updated based on voice-input from said technician while said technician is performing the preventive-maintenance procedure.

6. The system for interpreting and managing preventive-maintenance data of claim 4, further comprising: a user interface for manual input of descriptions of preventive-maintenance procedures; and manually input information is stored in said central data repository; wherein documentation defining preventive-maintenance procedures may be updated based on manual input from said technician while said technician is performing the preventive-maintenance procedure.

7. The system for interpreting and managing preventive-maintenance data of claim 4, further comprising: a user interface for manufacturers to input descriptions of preventive-maintenance procedures.

8. The system for interpreting and managing preventive-maintenance data of claim 4, wherein said central data repository stores manufacturer-uploaded descriptions of preventive-maintenance procedures, technician-uploaded descriptions of preventive maintenance procedures, and manager-uploaded descriptions of preventive-maintenance procedures for use by said manufacturers, technicians and managers.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a data-transmission program, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process comprising: receiving a user profile from a technician; and receiving a training certificate from said technician; and linking said training certificate to said user profile; and receiving a maintenance event and maintenance event location, as recorded by said technician when maintenance is performed; and storing said user profile and said linked training certificate in a central data repository; and storing maintenance events and locations in a central data repository; and generating documentation relating to technician-training certificates for validation; and validating said technician-training certificates; and generating equipment-maintenance history according to stored maintenance events; generating a warning when a maintenance event is received without a validated technician certificate; wherein a technician's training certificate is validated and referenced upon commencement of a maintenance event; maintenance events are compiled to generate maintenance history of a piece of equipment; and warnings are generated when a maintenance event is attempted without a validated technician certificate.

10. A computer-readable recording medium storing a data-transmission program of claim 9, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process further comprising: receiving training certificate start date and expiration date; and storing certificate start date and expiration date in said central data repository; and generating a notification of said expiration date prior to said expiration date; and disseminating said notification to managers; wherein the expiration of a certificate is sent to a manager when a maintenance event occurs.

11. A computer-readable recording medium storing a data-transmission program, the data-transmission program causing a computer to perform a process further comprising: receiving training certificate start date and expiration date; and storing certificate start date and expiration date in said central data repository; and generating a warning of said expiration date after said expiration date has occurred; and disseminating said warning to managers; wherein said warning is sent to a manager when a maintenance event occurs after a certificate has expired.

12. A system for interpreting and managing technician user-profile and training-certificate data comprising: a user interface for inputting a user profile; and a user interface for inputting training certificate information to said user profile; and uploading of said user profile with said training certificate information to a central data repository; and validation of said uploaded training certificate information; and interpretation of start date and end date of said uploaded training certificate information; and correlation between a training certificate and referenced equipment; and correlation between a training certificate and referenced procedures; and a user interface for inputting the start of a maintenance procedure, the equipment upon which the maintenance procedure is to be performed, and the location of said equipment; and generation of a signal when a maintenance procedure is performed on a piece of equipment during the pendency of a training certificate; and generation of a signal when a maintenance procedure is performed on a piece of equipment when the pendency of a training certificate is near expiration; and generation of an alert signal when a maintenance procedure is performed on a piece of equipment when a training certificate has expired; wherein a manager receives said alert signals when maintenance procedures are performed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing user, equipment and site validation.

DESCRIPTION

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, in example embodiment 100:

[0033] 110 End-user loads preventive-maintenance manual for specific equipment.

[0034] 112 End-user begins performing preventive maintenance on the equipment, narrating the steps through voice input 114 or documenting the steps in writing 116.

[0035] 118 Apparatus automatically stores data while the procedure is performed. End-users may elect to alter procedures as they perform them; the apparatus records all input.

[0036] 120 Data is uploaded to the embodiment's cloud database.

[0037] 122 At any time end-users upload preventive-maintenance procedures in the form of manufacturers' manuals, and/or in the form of their own amended procedures, for new equipment to the cloud database (also described as the cloud server).

[0038] 124 At any time, manufacturers enter or upload their preventive-maintenance procedures manuals to the cloud database 126 (also described as the cloud server 126).

[0039] 126 Uploaded data is stored in the cloud database.

[0040] 128 The embodiment performs data collection, normalization, aggregation, sorting and output to specific formats. This data reports procedure results for equipment in a participating organization, as well as for groups of specified equipment models from organizations across the community of users.

[0041] 130 Preventive-maintenance manuals, reports and ancillary documentation are output by user request.

[0042] 132 Reports or other documentation are downloaded.

[0043] 134 Manufacturers download and use manuals, reports and ancillary documentation. They may opt to view preventive-maintenance procedure reports of their equipment or detailed lifecycle data.

[0044] 136 End-users and participating end-user organizations download and use manuals, reports and ancillary documentation. They may opt to view specific instances of equipment behavior or a lifecycle history. Participating manufacturers may obtain aggregate views of equipment behavior for all models and/or lifecycle data for a particular model number.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows data movement as user, equipment and sites are validated. A central data repository 138 manages technician certificates, profiles and maintenance histories which are uploaded from various participating locations.

[0046] 140 A technician may access their profile from any participating work location; upload their current training certificate; and select or enter the name of the organization where they are currently performing equipment maintenance.

[0047] Once received at its central data repository 138, the embodiment 100 collects, parses, aggregates, normalizes, and compiles requested reports on preventive-maintenance procedures data.

[0048] 142 The embodiment validates or rejects the technician's uploaded training certificate and sends that information to a workplace manager.

[0049] 144 The embodiment notifies the workplace manager if untrained work is attempted, or when a technician's certification nears expiration.

[0050] 146 A workplace manager checks the technician's uploaded credentials or any validation alerts from the embodiment.

[0051] 148 The embodiment receives automatically uploaded equipment maintenance history each time maintenance is performed.