Patent ID: 7957990
Filing Date: 2011-06-07
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for managing and evaluating an asset comprising the steps of: generating a worksheet comprising a sequence of instructions and prompts related to an asset, wherein the instructions and prompts of the worksheet include an instruction and prompt to enter a serial number of the asset into a field, a prompt to respond to whether or not a particular component of the asset is needed, and a prompt to respond to whether or not installation of the asset is complete and working; transmitting the worksheet from a server to a plurality of handheld devices via a radio-frequency (RF) wireless network; displaying the worksheet with each handheld device; receiving worksheet data comprising responses to the instructions and prompts on each of the plurality of handheld devices, wherein the worksheet data comprises a digital image of the asset and a digital image of an asset tag, the asset tag comprising a barcode for uniquely identifying the asset; determining if the RF wireless network is available; sending a file index over the RF wireless network before any of the worksheet data is transmitted over the RF wireless network from each handheld device to the server; parsing with the server each file index received from the RF wireless network; cross-referencing each indexed file with the server against a list of files stored at the server and received previously from each handheld device; instructing each handheld device to only send files that have not been received previously by the server within a certain time frame; sending files comprising the worksheet data from each handheld device over the RF wireless network to the server; routing the worksheet data from the RF wireless network to a network device; and generating a report, based on the responses of the worksheet data, that displays a visual indicator of progress for the installation of the asset.