Dynamic Service Assignment for Industrial Equipment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for assigning service and maintenance responsibilities to industrial equipment are inefficient when the equipment is moved outside its original operating region, leading to confusion and increased costs due to the need for manual transfer of responsibilities and potential errors in notification.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic assignment system that uses communication logic in industrial equipment to transmit its location to a central hub, which determines the new regional group and assigns the appropriate service provider, allowing for seamless transfer of service responsibilities as the equipment moves between regions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual transfer of service responsibility is used when equipment moves regions, then service provider can be notified of location change, but the process is time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of service provider notificationVSAvoidtime required for manual transfer

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The equipment itself initiates the service provider transfer process by automatically transmitting its location data to the central hub, which then autonomously determines the appropriate service provider and updates the assignment without requiring manual intervention from service providers or administrators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors equipment location and provides automatic feedback to update service provider assignments in real-time, ensuring that service responsibilities are dynamically adjusted as equipment moves between regions without manual reassignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If equipment is assigned to a fixed service provider region, then service responsibility is clear, but the system cannot adapt when equipment moves to another region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem adaptability to equipment relocationVSAvoidservice arrangement simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The service provider assignment system transitions from a static fixed assignment to a dynamic real-time assignment based on equipment location, allowing automatic reassignment when equipment crosses regional boundaries while maintaining clear service responsibility through continuous location-based tracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If service provider manually contacts new region provider for transfer, then responsibility can be transferred, but confusion and errors may occur during transfer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of responsibility transferVSAvoidtransfer process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A central hub acts as an intermediary between equipment and service providers, automatically managing the transfer process by receiving location data, determining the appropriate service provider, and updating assignments without requiring direct communication or manual coordination between multiple parties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of service provider communication and form-filling is replaced with an automated electronic system that uses data transmission, processing logic, and database updates to handle the entire transfer process automatically

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8706095B2System for providing dynamic group and service assignments

Publication Date: 2014.04.22 OMNITRACS LLC

AI summary

System for providing dynamic group and service assignments. In one embodiment, a method is provided for dynamically assigning regional groups and service providers to provide services for equipment. The method includes determining that the equipment has moved into a selected regional group, and assigning the equipment to the selected regional group. The method also includes selecting a service provider associated with the selected regional group, and assigning the service provider to provide services for the equipment.