Location Based Diagnostics Method And Apparatus

1 . A method for use with an enterprise operation and at least one processor linked to the operation, the method for requesting service from a most optimal enterprise user when at least one interesting condition related to the operation occurs, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless information device (WID) to each enterprise user;

monitoring the operation for at least one diagnostically interesting condition;

when at least one diagnostically interesting condition is identified, identifying at least one of the enterprise users as the most optimal user to address the diagnostically interesting condition; and

suggesting, via the user's WID, an appointment to address the interesting condition that may be added to the schedule of the most optimal user.

2 . The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, via the WID, requesting acceptance of the appointment from the optimal user and, when the appointment is accepted, amending the optimal user's schedule.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the step of requesting acceptance includes starting a timer after requesting acceptance and, after a query period expires, identifying a next most optimal user to address the interesting condition.

4 . The method of claim 3 further including the steps of suggesting, via the user's WID, an appointment to address the interesting condition that may be added to the schedule of the next most optimal user and requesting acceptance of the appointment from the next most optimal user.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying includes identifying the location of at least one WID and identifying the user of the WID that is most proximate the operation as the most optimal user.

6 . The method of claim 5 further including the step of providing a plurality of access points within the enterprise, the step of determining the relative location of the WID including transmitting signals from one of the WID and at least a subset of the access points to the other of the WID and at least a subset of the access points and using the transmitted signals to determine the location of the WID.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying includes identifying a sub-set of the users that is qualified to address the diagnostically interesting condition and selecting one of the qualified users as the most optimal user.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the step of selecting includes selecting the one of the qualified users that is most proximate the operation.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying includes accessing a schedule database that indicates the schedules of the enterprise users.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the step of identifying further includes identifying a sub-set of the enterprise users that is currently unoccupied and selecting one of the unoccupied users as the most optimal user.

11 . A system for use with an enterprise operation and at least one processor linked to the operation, the system for requesting service from a most optimal enterprise user when at least one interesting condition related to the operation occurs, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless information devices (WIDs), a separate WID for each enterprise user;

a processor running a program to perform the steps of monitoring the operation for at least one diagnostically interesting condition, when at least one diagnostically interesting condition is identified, identifying at least one of the enterprise users as the most optimal user to address the diagnostically interesting condition and suggesting, via the user's WID, an appointment to address the interesting condition that may be added to the schedule of the most optimal user.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the controller suggests an appointment by requesting acceptance of the appointment from the optimal user and, when an appointment is accepted, the WID is programmed to transmit an acceptance message to the processor, the processor further programmed to, when an acceptance message is received, amend the optimal user's schedule.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein, when acceptance is requested, the processor is programmed to start a timer and, after a query period expires, identify a next most optimal user to address the interesting condition.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of suggesting, via the user's WID, an appointment to address the interesting condition that may be added to the schedule of the next most optimal user and requesting acceptance of the appointment from the next most optimal user.

15 . The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is programmed to identify by identifying the location of at least one WID and identifying the user of the WID that is most proximate the operation as the most optimal user.

16 . The system of claim 15 further including a plurality of access points within the enterprise, the processor programmed to determine WID location by transmitting signals from at least one of the WID and at least a subset of the access points to the other of the WID and at least a subset of the access points and using the transmitted signals to determine the location of the WID.

17 . The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is programmed to identify by identifying a sub-set of the users that is qualified to address the diagnostically interesting condition and selecting one of the qualified users as the most optimal user.

18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is programmed to select by selecting the one of the qualified users that is most proximate the operation.

19 . The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is programmed to identify by accessing a schedule database that indicates the schedules of the enterprise users.

20 . The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is programmed to identify by identifying a sub-set of the enterprise users that is currently unoccupied and selecting one of the unoccupied users as the most optimal user.