Abstract:
A computer system for performing asset analysis on remote assets. More particularly, the computer system uses a methodology whereby an asset operating entity is able to electronically view the status of such assets as if the operating entity had personally attended to the asset.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The presently claimed and disclosed invention(s) relate to asset analysis system. More particularly, the presently claimed and disclosed invention(s) use a methodology whereby an operator of assets, such as operated properties, is able to know and view the status of such assets without the need to be physically at the site of the asset. Such system is particularly useful for equipment inventory, governmental regulatory maintenance, environmental remediation, asset analysis, and the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE ART  
       [0003]    In order to inspect assets, such as operated properties that are remote from their operating entities, currently, the operating entities have to attend to such assets at the asset location or hire someone to attend to these assets. The operating entity attending to the assets personally is usually inconvenient, difficult, and time consuming. In addition, the analyses of such assets, such as the inspection of operated properties, require a level of expertise that most operating entities usually do not possess. If the operating entity chooses to hire a third party to attend to such assets, the third party is usually the only party that views the condition of such assets; thus, leaving the operating entity in a position that requires trusting a third party. Therefore, there is a need for a system that would allow the operating entity to retrieve the information relating to remote assets without the operating entity having to travel to the location of the assets, while at the same time, allowing the operating entity to view the status or condition of the remote assets. 
         [0004]    Example of such assets is operated property and the like. Operated properties require regular maintenance and inspection. Most governments require that operated property comply with certain regulations. Moreover, the operating entity is required to always have periodic inspection documents completed with current information ready for submittal to governmental personnel at random times. Operated properties are usually located in remote locations. Traveling to such locations is usually difficult, costly, and time consuming. In addition, the inspections of the operated properties require knowledge of the regulations and experience in performing the operated properties&#39; inspections. Therefore, most of the operating entities hire a field inspector for operated property analysis. As a result, the operating entities are usually removed from the process and are unable to personally view their operated properties condition, equipment, inventory deficiencies, pollution and imminent failure. Today, there is no solution to such problem. 
         [0005]    This invention details a means to allow asset operating entities to perform asset analysis such that the above limitations are overcome. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0006]    This invention allows operating entities to perform asset analysis for assets in remote locations. More particularly, this invention related to an operated property analysis sequence of instructions stored on at least one computer readable medium for running on a computer system. The instructions at least receive factual data, receive operated property status, and compare the factual data to the operated property status, and allow an operating entity to view data and analysis over the Internet as if viewing operated property at the location of the operated property. This invention also relates to the method of using, enhancing, and configuring the same. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the hardware forming an exemplary embodiment of a computer system constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of an exemplary software/function flow chart of a method for performing asset analysis. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of an exemplary system diagram of a method for performing operated property analysis. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY DISCLOSED AND CLAIMED  INVENTION  
       [0010]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, experiments, exemplary data, and/or the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. 
         [0011]    The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0012]    The presently claimed and disclosed invention(s) relate to asset analysis and methods for doing the same. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    It should be noted that the term “operating entity” referred herein is any person or entity that has ownership, control, or allowed control or access to the operation or monitoring of an operated property. 
         [0014]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , shown therein and designated by a reference numeral  10  is an exemplary computer system constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the computer system  10  is distributed, and includes a host system  12 , communicating with one or more user devices  14  via a network  16 . The network  16  can be the Internet or other network. In either case, the host system  12  typically includes one or more servers  18  configured to communicate with the network  16  via one or more gateways  20 . When the network  16  is the Internet, the primary user interface of the computer system  10  is delivered through a series of web pages, but the primary user interface can be replaced by another type of interface, such as a Windows-based application. This method is also used when deploying the computer system  10  in a stand-alone environment such as a kiosk. 
         [0016]    The network  16  can be any type of network although Internet and Internet  2  networks are preferred because of the wide support of their underlying technologies. The preferred embodiment of the network  16  exists in an Internet environment, which means a TCP/IP-based network. It is conceivable that in the near future, the preferred or other embodiments, may wish to use more advanced networking topologies. 
         [0017]    The servers  20  can be networked with a LAN  30 . The gateway  20  is an entity responsible for providing access between the LAN  30  and the network  16 . The gateway  20  can also be used as a security means to protect the LAN  30  from attack from external networks such as the network  16 . 
         [0018]    The LAN  30  network can be based on a TCP/IP network such as the Internet, or it can be based on another underlying network transport technology. The preferred embodiment uses an Ethernet network with TCP/IP because of the availability and acceptance of underlying technologies, but other embodiments may use other types of networks such as Fibre Channel, SCSI, Gigabit Ethernet, etc. 
         [0019]    As discussed above, in one preferred embodiment, the host system  12  includes the servers  18 . The configuration of the server hardware will depend greatly upon the requirements and needs of the particular embodiment of the computer system  10 . Typical embodiments, including the preferred embodiment, will include multiple servers  18  with load balancing to increase stability and availability. It is envisioned that the servers  18  will include database servers and application/web servers. The database servers are preferably separated from the application/web servers to improve availability and also to provide the database servers with improved hardware and storage. 
         [0020]    The user devices  14  can be any number and type of devices. The most typical scenario of the user device  14  involves a user  32 , using a computer  34  with a display  36 , keyboard  38 , and mouse  40 . In the preferred embodiment, the user  32  is required to use a type of software called a “browser” as designated by a reference numeral  42 . The browser  42  is used to render content that is received from a source. In the modern vernacular, a “browser” refers to a specific implementation called a Web Browser. Web Browsers are used to render HTML/XHTML content that is generated when requesting resources from a web server. In the preferred embodiment, the computer system  10  is designed to be compatible with major Web Browser vendors (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Opera). Other embodiments may wish to focus on one particular browser depending upon the common user base using the computer system  10 . 
         [0021]    The user devices  14  can also be implemented as a portable device such as a laptop computer  50  (or handheld computer); a cellular telephone  52  with a micro or embedded Web Browser; a Portable Digital Assistant  54  (PDA) capable of wireless network access; a pen-based or tablet computer  56 . In another embodiment, the user device  14  can be a cable box  60  or other similar device for viewing through a display  62  or television. Current embodiments of computer system  10  can also be modified to use any of these or future developed devices. 
         [0022]    The computer system  10  is designed in this way as to provide flexibility in its deployment. Depending upon the requirements of the particular embodiment, the Engine could be designed to work in any environment such as a desktop application, a web application, or even simply as a series of web services designed to communicate with an external application. 
         [0023]    The hardware and system software are designed with two key concerns; flexibility and scalability. Although some specifics for software and hardware components may be mentioned herein, it will be understood that a wide array of different components could be substituted, such as using different database vendors or even replacing the databases with XML-based document stores. 
         [0024]    When the computer system  10  is used to execute the logic of the processes described herein, such computer(s) and/or execution can be conducted at a same geographic location or multiple different geographic locations. Furthermore, the execution of the logic can be conducted continuously or at multiple discrete times. 
         [0025]    The computer system  10  includes a computer readable medium storing instructions for allowing operated property asset analysis. The instructions for allowing operated asset analysis may run on any system; such as, but not limited to, the user devices  14  or the host system  12 . The operating entity of the asset is preferably able to view the asset status as if the operating entity had traveled to the asset. For example, an operating entity would be able to view photos of operated property, continuous surveillance (video surveillance or the like), equipment inventory, pictures, and comparison of the status of an operated property in relation to governmental regulations, and the like. 
         [0026]    Shown in  FIG. 2  is an example of a process of the asset analysis system. The first step  198  is to create an account. The account preferably includes information related to the operating entity, operated property, and maybe the user information. The account is preferably used to create a web service capability between the operating entities, third parties, users, and/or administrative personnel. In addition, administrative personnel may use such web services to allow communications amongst personnel at the asset location and in house personnel. The next step  200  is to retrieve factual data. The factual data could be any data inputted directly into the asset analysis system, extracted from another system or device, or any other way that would make such information available for the asset analysis system. In the example of the operated property asset analysis system, such data would be regulation data, historic data, map data, or the like. The second step  202  is preferably to retrieve status of at least one asset. Similarly, the status could be inputted directly into the asset analysis system, extracted from another system or device, or any other way that would make such information available for the asset analysis system. It should be noted that in the preferred embodiment, steps  202  can precede step  200 . 
         [0027]    The third step  204  is to compare at least two of the data available to the asset analysis system. The fourth step  206  is to provide electronic access to the data inputted; whereas the fifth step  208  is to provide access to the comparison information. It should be noted that access may be available prior to the retrieval of the data; on the other hand, such data can not be viewed until it is available to the asset analysis system. 
         [0028]    The sixth step  210  is to provide reports and/or pre-populated forms that preferably contain at least one of the retrieved data and/or at least one of the analyzed data. It should be noted that the system may also have the ability of restricting and allowing the printing of any output generated by the asset analysis system. The seventh step  212  is to allow the addition and/or removal of assets from the system. In the preferred embodiment, the removal and/or addition of assets can be done at any time, before, during, or after any of the above steps. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the asset analysis can preferably accept at least one input and at least one output. In the example shown in  FIG. 3 , an operated property asset analysis system  300  is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the operated property asset analysis system  300  has the functionality of providing information to the operating entity as if the operating entity has personally traveled to the operated property site. In addition, the operated property analysis system  300  preferably is able to retrieve inputs from experts such as field inspectors, government agency, and the like in order to provide expert analysis to the operating entities. 
         [0030]    The operated property asset analysis  300  accepts regulation input  302  and operated property status input  304 . The regulation input  302  can be retrieved from another system or manually inputted into the operated property asset analysis system  300 . In the preferred embodiment, the regulations input  302  may be automatically retrieved from official agencies or governmental institution. Similarly, the operated property status  304  may be retrieved from another system or manually inputted into the operated property asset analysis system  300 . 
         [0031]    The operated property asset analysis system  300  may include an analysis mechanism  306 . The analysis device  306  preferably contains computer instructions that run on a system  12  and communicates with network  16  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The analysis mechanism  306  is preferably able to receive at least one input, such as regulations or well data, and preferably can output at least one output, such as a report or pre-populated form. In the example shown in  FIG. 3 , the analysis mechanism  306  is able to receive at least regulation input  302  and operated property status  304  inputs. The analysis mechanism  306  may then analyze assets of the operated property and compare the asset of the current operated property to other inputs such as regulation, past inspections, historic production, other operated properties and the like. The analysis mechanism  306  preferably is able to keep track of inventory, images of operated properties, and the like. 
         [0032]    The analysis mechanism may output resulting data  308  that are preferably accessible by the operating entities. In the preferred embodiment, the operating entities are capable of accessing the resulting records via the internet, remote computers, terminals, or the like. The output resulting data  308  preferably reside on a system  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The output resulting data  308  may be, but are not limited to, pre-populated governmental forms, inventory reports, profit analysis, oil production, and the like. 
         [0033]    In should be noted, that the operated property asset analysis system  300  may also be used for scheduling inspections, maintaining scheduling of inspections and maintenance, and/or directing inspectors. In such use, the operated property asset analysis systems  300  is preferably capable of producing maps and/or connect to a GPS capable system to direct inspectors of well locations. 
         [0034]    Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as described in this specification and as defined in the appended claims below.