IP Library Granted Patent US 9,753,970
Granted Patent B2
US 9,753,970 · App. 13/797,244 · Granted Sep 5, 2017

Limiting access to asset management information

Inventors: Robert William Petrie (Queensland, AU); Daniel Wallace (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Trimble Inc.
G06F17/30386G06Q10/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,753,970
App. No.
13/797,244
Granted
Sep 5, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for limiting access to asset management information is disclosed. According to one embodiment, information is received from a first reporting source about an asset. Information from a second reporting source about the asset is also recited. The information from the first reporting source and the information from the second reporting source is stored in a database such that the information from the first reporting source and the information from the second reporting source can be accessed from the database. A first entity is enabled to access a first subset of the information stored in the database while a second entity is not allowed to access the first subset of the information stored in the database.

Claims (25)

1. An asset management system comprising:

a first mountable reporting source coupled to a first asset, the first asset comprising a first mobile construction equipment, wherein the first mountable reporting source comprises:

a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver for determining real-time location information about the first asset;

a first communication component configured to communicate the location information about the first asset to a transceiver of the asset management system;

a first motion detector for detecting motion of the first asset; and

a first controller communicatively coupled to the first GNSS receiver, the first communication component, and the first motion detector, wherein the first controller controls receiving and executing commands for determining a location of the first asset, and controls communicating the location of the first asset to the transceiver;

wherein the first mountable reporting source is configured to be in an idle mode when the first asset is stationary and in an operating mode when the first asset is in motion as determined by the first motion detector;

a second mountable reporting source coupled to a second asset, the second asset comprising a second mobile construction equipment, wherein the second mountable reporting source comprises:

a second global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver for determining real-time location information about the second asset;

a second communication component configured to communicate the location information about the second asset to the transceiver of the asset management system;

a second motion detector for detecting motion of the second asset; and

a second controller communicatively coupled to the second GNSS receiver, the second communication component, and the second motion detector, wherein the second controller controls receiving and executing commands for determining a location of the second asset, and controls communicating the location of the second asset to the transceiver;

wherein the second mountable reporting source is configured to be in an idle mode when the second asset is stationary and in an operating mode when the second asset is in motion as determined by the second motion detector;

a first electronic sensor coupled to the first asset for determining real-time operation information about the first asset;

a second electronic sensor coupled to the second asset for determining real-time operation information about the second asset;

a third GNSS receiver attached to a first service truck for determining real-time location information about the first service truck;

a fourth GNSS receiver attached to a second service truck for determining real-time location information about the second service truck;

the transceiver communicatively coupled to the first mountable reporting source, the second mountable reporting source, the first electronic sensor, the second electronic sensor, the third GNSS receiver, and the fourth GNSS receiver for receiving the location information and the operation information about the first asset, the location information and operation information about the second asset, the location information about the first service truck, and the location information about the second service truck;

a database communicatively coupled to the transceiver for storing the location information and the operation information about the first asset, the location information and the operation information about the second asset, the location information about the first service truck, and the location information about the second service truck received at the transceiver; and

a processor comprising a permission module communicatively coupled to the database, wherein the permission module stores a first password for a first construction company that owns only the first asset, a second password for a second construction company that rents only the second asset, and a third password for a dealer, wherein the dealer does not own the first asset but provides maintenance for the first asset, and the dealer owns the second asset and rents the second asset to the second construction company, the permission module is configured to:

associate the first password with the location information and the operation information about only the first asset, so as to enable the first construction company to access the location information and the operation information only about the first asset;

associate the second password with the location information and the operation information about only the second asset, so as to enable the second construction company to access the location information and the operation information only about the second asset; and

associate the third password with the location information and the operation information about both the first asset and the second asset, and the location information about the first service truck and the second service truck, so as to enable the dealer to use the location information and the operation information about both the first asset and the second asset to determine whether one of the first asset and the second asset needs maintenance, and to use the location information about the first service truck and the second service truck to determine whether the first service truck or the second service truck is closer to a construction site where the one of the first asset and the second asset is located.

2. The asset management computer system of claim 1 , wherein the processor uses user preferences to determine a portion of the location information and a portion of the operation information about the first asset and a portion of the location information and a portion of the operation information about the second asset to be accessed.

3. The asset management computer system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first asset and the second asset comprises a grader, a leveler, a bull dozer, a digger, a paver, a crane, or a geo-fence.

Assignments (1)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 5, 2017
From: TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED; TRIMBLE INC.
To: TRIMBLE INC.
Reel/Frame 042260/0568 →
Continuity (3)
Division 11801101 · May 7, 2007
Provisional Application 60850106 · Oct 5, 2006
Related Publication 20130191417A1 · Jul 25, 2013