Unified Infrastructure Management System for Cross-Domain Asset Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional infrastructure management techniques are hindered by disparate data siloes that utilize different protocols, file structures, and are not unified or extensible, making it difficult to visualize, operate, and collaboratively manage infrastructure assets across multiple domains.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising hardware processors, memory, and software modules that import infrastructure domains, store and update location information of infrastructure assets, generate ratings based on standards and compliance parameters, and create workplans for activities related to infrastructure assets, using a geospatial paradigm to integrate and automate workflows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional infrastructure management techniques are used with disparate data silos, then each domain can maintain its own data structure, but integration and collaboration across domains becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal data model that serves multiple infrastructure domains (water, sewer, gas, electric, transit) through a single integrated platform. The common asset model and standardized data elements provide multi-functional capabilities, allowing the system to handle diverse infrastructure types without requiring separate specialized systems for each domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges previously separate data silos into a unified infrastructure management system. By combining asset information, work orders, inspections, and maintenance data from multiple domains into a single database structure with standardized protocols, the system eliminates data isolation and enables cross-domain collaboration while reducing overall system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a unified infrastructure management system is implemented, then integration across domains is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex unified system into modular components including domain-specific modules (water module, sewer module, gas module, electric module, transit module) that can be independently developed, maintained, and scaled. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity through organization while maintaining integration benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces standardized data elements and common asset models as intermediary layers between different infrastructure domains. These intermediaries translate and bridge data from various domain-specific formats into a unified representation, enabling collaborative management without requiring direct integration between every pair of domains.
3Productivity
If manual data collection and processing is used, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and real-time decision-making are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically collects data from infrastructure assets through sensors and inspections, processes information through standardized workflows, and generates maintenance recommendations without requiring manual intervention. This automation increases productivity while the standardized automated workflows manage the complexity through consistent, repeatable processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Advanced infrastructure management. In an embodiment, infrastructure domain(s) are imported. Each domain comprises representations of infrastructure asset type(s), activity type(s) related to the asset type(s), and standards and compliance parameters related to the asset type(s). A plurality of representations of infrastructure assets of the asset type(s) are stored. Each of the representations of infrastructure assets comprises location information representing a geolocation of the asset, and updated location information is continually received for infrastructure asset(s), such that the location information for those infrastructure asset(s) is continually updated. In addition, at least one rating is generated for each of the infrastructure assets based on the standards and compliance parameters, and workplan(s) comprising activity(ies) to be performed on infrastructure asset(s) may be generated.