Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for computational aggregation of information from an infrastructure system process by analytical programs tracking condition, maintenance, and scoring for both. An integrated score provides additional insights into actual real-life expectations for continued operation for an infrastructure asset. The system may be accessed over a presentation interface that permits “what if” testing, searching for similarly situated assets, incorporation of actual data of inspections and maintenance efforts, as well as data from similarly situated environments and systems. The information may be processed through numerical methods systems and statistical modules in order to obtain correlations, calculations, and predictions of useful life of assets and systems of assets.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/827,525, filed May 24, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to computer systems and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for computer systems tracking, controlling, and managing information for physical plant infrastructure systems, such as for cities and industry. 
         [0004]    2. Background Art 
         [0005]    Machinery is typically visible, accessible, and comparatively smaller than city infrastructure. Accordingly, machines may be regularly maintained, may be replaced readily, may be repaired, accessed, inspected, torn down, rebuilt, and otherwise serviced. Moreover, inspection is possible by meters, measurements, sensors, cameras, and so forth. Meanwhile, tear downs and open inspections are always an option, with some degree of effort, which is typically reasonable. 
         [0006]    Thus, the reliability (typically measured by mean time between breakdowns), availability (typically the total percentage or fraction of time that a machine is available for operation), maintainability (typically measured in terms of service hours required per hour of operation, and sometimes by fraction of downtime required for maintenance), and durability (typically measured in lifetime or number of operations or number of output production quanta) may be documented. Meanwhile, the cost, frequency, interference, down time and the like associated with maintenance, repair, failures, and the like may be tracked. Accordingly, financial decisions and capital investment decisions may be made. 
         [0007]    In contrast, infrastructure, such as the infrastructure existing within and beneath, as well as overhead in, a city is difficult to monitor. City or industrial infrastructure may include numerous assets, including pipes, other lines, like cables, telephone, power, sewage, storm runoff, and so forth. These are often not available for ready inspection. Herein, a city is an example of any large infrastructure, meaning any plant or industry. 
         [0008]    Meanwhile, all types of lines may carry data, power, water, sewage, or the like. They may have fittings, junctions, connections, spans, upstream events in components, downstream events in components, and so forth. Fixtures, controls, connections, and the like may all be present. Cables, wires, poles, equipment, connection boxes, control boxes, and so forth may exist in various types of systems. Equipment, roads, canals, drainages, accesses, crossings, streets, trees, plants (biological or works plants), buildings, ports (whether airports, water ports, or otherwise), and so forth may all exist as infrastructure assets. Signs, walkways, pumps, other facilities, and so forth populate cities, as well as large industrial complexes. 
         [0009]    At present, all such assets have an operational lifetime. Operational lifetime is typically specified in a specification included with a request for bids. Accordingly, manufactures, builders, installers, and so forth bid to install a particular infrastructure asset for a particular price. 
         [0010]    Typically, a manufacturer or installer may provide a life curve. That life curve is effectively a curve or line that plots available useful life on a y or vertical axis and the passage of time in use on a horizontal or “x” axis. Like a depreciation curve, the asset degrades over time. Once an asset has reached a useful life remainder less than about twenty percent, an asset is subject to replacement. Often, when an asset has a useful life less than about forty percent, periodic failures, ongoing deterioration effects, and the like may begin to cause maintenance and service operations to become too costly. When maintenance costs begin to dwarf capitalization costs, an infrastructure asset may be replaced. 
         [0011]    Therein lies the rub. Many assets may be repaired, completely rebuilt, or otherwise put back into operational condition. At present, infrastructure is inspected for its condition. An experienced expert may be able to visually inspect or conduct certain tests on an infrastructure asset that has been opened up for inspection, such as a line that has been dug up. Accordingly, one may estimate the life status or the remaining useful life that appears to be present at a particular location in a particular asset. 
         [0012]    It would be an advance in the art to provide improved methods for estimating life of an infrastructure asset. It would be a further improvement to provide more analytic capability for projecting available life of an asset. It would be a further advance in the art to provide a mechanism for incorporating maintenance efforts into a projected life of an infrastructure asset. It would be a further advance in the art to provide analytically predicted life projection. Incorporating similarly situated infrastructure for which data is available, particularly in those cases where data is not available on a particular asset would be an improvement. It would be an improvement to increase data sources to include the attributes of similar assets elsewhere documented, either historically, or at the time of maintenance inspection and installation. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In view of the foregoing, in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, methods and apparatus are disclosed in certain embodiments of the present invention as including a system server maintaining a database of information and predictive analyses including a maintenance score, a maintenance scoring system, and an integrated scoring system incorporating maintenance scoring and condition scoring of infrastructure assets. 
         [0014]    In certain embodiments, an infrastructure system, such as the infrastructure of a city may be managed through a work station associated with an employee, agent, agency, responsible individual, or other management organization. Meanwhile, an oversight organization or oversight supervisor may also use information and predictions in order to assist in making decisions. Decisions may involve capital investment, maintenance investment, and analysis of tradeoffs between capital investment and maintenance investment. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment of an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention, information from inspection records, as-built records, expenses, assets and attributes of infrastructure elements and systems, work orders and historical accumulations of work done on work orders and the expense thereof in time, money, and so forth, may all be incorporated into a database of records by a work station, or collected by a work station and forwarded to a central or other system computer. 
         [0016]    Execution of functions and software may be on standalone computers, networked computers, or over an internetwork between computers. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, a geographical information system (GIS) database available from ESRI may be used. For example, a GIS-enabled database may link information and presentations to geographical positioning of assets, in order to improve the understanding of an individual conducting a query, analysis, or even inputs of data into the system. 
         [0018]    In certain embodiments, statistical modules may maintain statistics on attributes of assets. Attributes may include, for example, location, type, dimensions, area, a region or district of responsibility, soils, climate, topology (connections), topography (elevation and geography), geology, materials, dates, ages, manufacturers, event history, workers who have accessed an asset, assessments by those who have worked on or accessed infrastructure elements, records, links, loads, flows, chemistry of contents or surrounding environments, traffic, times, seasons, identifiers, capacities, use cycles or duty cycles, vendors, installers, condition from inspections and reports, costs, condition scores, maintenance scores, integrated scores, and so forth. 
         [0019]    Meanwhile, assets may include lines, pipes, fittings, fixtures, controls, connections, cables, poles, equipment, roads, canals, drainages, accesses, crossings, streets, trees, plants, buildings, ports, pumps, facilities, walks, signs, and any other asset that a city or industrial organization may choose to purchase, maintain, track, or the like. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment of an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention, those responsible for an asset or various systems of assets may include those with management responsibility, operations, or field work. Others, whether engineering, information technology, staff support, or outside services may provide support, and the like. Meanwhile, those with oversight, such as governmental oversight may also access a system and method in order to assess various information, such as maintenance scoring, integrated scoring, scoring information, and real-life availability, and lifetime expectations projected. 
         [0021]    A database in accordance with the invention may access a GIS database a record database, as well as various analyses. Analyses may be conducted based on data stored, and whichever analyses may provide outputs, graphs, charts, projections, predictions, recommendations, and the like. Analyses and visual representations of aggregations thereof may also be saved as records for future reference in order to document decisions, alter decisions, and rethink decisions. 
         [0022]    A system and method in accordance with the invention stand in contrast to prior art systems of adopting a manufacturer&#39;s lifetime curve of deterioration. With maintenance, deterioration may be slowed, repaired, reversed, or the like. Thus, straight line curves or any other curve provided at installation does not necessarily reflect reality. 
         [0023]    Moreover, a system in accordance with the invention may evaluate condition not as a simple function, but the change of condition as a first derivative (mathematically speaking) of the condition. Maintenance upgrades may be incorporated as an alteration or step change to improve or raise a condition. Other changes of the rate of deterioration of condition, or even the second derivative (the rate of change of the rate of change) of condition may be calculated. 
         [0024]    Statistical analysis modules as well as numerical methods systems may assist in tracking, correlating, analyzing, predicting, and otherwise modeling system life, system costs, and trade offs between life, usefulness, maintenance, condition, and expenses related thereto. 
         [0025]    In certain embodiments, a system and method in accordance with the invention may rely on similarly situated infrastructure assets within the same infrastructure system, within other remote infrastructure systems reported, or both in order to develop actual lifetime projections, predictions, and recommendations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    The foregoing features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a computer network, including several nodes or computers, one in detail, connected to a network, a server, and through a router to an internetwork suitable for implementing an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention and hosting software modules in accordance therewith; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of a system in accordance with the invention including hardware, software, and records for implementing an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a network architecture for a system of computers implementing one embodiment of a system in accordance with the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a map or topology of a system of infrastructure assets suitable for management by a system and method in accordance with the invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of computer readable memory storing records of assets and their attributes, including a listing of typical assets and a selection of typical attributes corresponding to various assets; 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram of a computer readable, non-transitory memory storing certain executable modules for loading into a processor for executing a system and method in accordance with the invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram illustrating various interactions between hardware information, executables, and records, in order to implement a system and method in accordance with the invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 8  is a chart illustrating a maintenance score curve and sample events or activities with scoring in order to create such a chart; 
           [0035]      FIG. 9  is a chart of a condition score with various historical sample scores taken, based on inspections made on an infrastructure asset; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 10  is an integrated chart illustrating a visual representation of condition and maintenance scores for direct correlation and presentation to a user. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of various embodiments of the invention. The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus  10  or system  10  for implementing the present invention may include one or more nodes  12  (e.g., client  12 , computer  12 ). Such nodes  12  may contain a processor  14  or CPU  14 . The CPU  14  may be operably connected to a memory device  16 . A memory device  16  may include one or more devices such as a hard drive  18  or other non-volatile storage device  18 , a read-only memory  20  (ROM  20 ), and a random access (and usually volatile) memory  22  (RAM  22  or operational memory  22 ). Such components  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  may exist in a single node  12  or may exist in multiple nodes  12  remote from one another. 
         [0039]    In selected embodiments, the apparatus  10  may include an input device  24  for receiving inputs from a user or from another device. Input devices  24  may include one or more physical embodiments. For example, a keyboard  26  may be used for interaction with the user, as may a mouse  28  or stylus pad  30 . A touch screen  32 , a telephone  34 , or simply a telecommunications line  34 , may be used for communication with other devices, with a user, or the like. Similarly, a scanner  36  may be used to receive graphical inputs, which may or may not be translated to other formats. A hard drive  38  or other memory device  38  may be used as an input device whether resident within the particular node  12  or some other node  12  connected by a network  40 . In selected embodiments, a network card  42  (interface card) or port  44  may be provided within a node  12  to facilitate communication through such a network  40 . 
         [0040]    In certain embodiments, an output device  46  may be provided within a node  12 , or accessible within the apparatus  10 . Output devices  46  may include one or more physical hardware units. For example, in general, a port  44  may be used to accept inputs into and send outputs from the node  12 . Nevertheless, a monitor  48  may provide outputs to a user for feedback during a process, or for assisting two-way communication between the processor  14  and a user. A printer  50 , a hard drive  52 , or other device may be used for outputting information as output devices  46 . 
         [0041]    Internally, a bus  54 , or plurality of buses  54 , may operably interconnect the processor  14 , memory devices  16 , input devices  24 , output devices  46 , network card  42 , and port  44 . The bus  54  may be thought of as a data carrier. As such, the bus  54  may be embodied in numerous configurations. Wire, fiber optic line, wireless electromagnetic communications by visible light, infrared, and radio frequencies may likewise be implemented as appropriate for the bus  54  and the network  40 . 
         [0042]    In general, a network  40  to which a node  12  connects may, in turn, be connected through a router  56  to another network  58 . In general, nodes  12  may be on the same network  40 , adjoining networks (i.e., network  40  and neighboring network  58 ), or may be separated by multiple routers  56  and multiple networks as individual nodes  12  on an internetwork. The individual nodes  12  may have various communication capabilities. In certain embodiments, a minimum of logical capability may be available in any node  12 . For example, each node  12  may contain a processor  14  with more or less of the other components described hereinabove. 
         [0043]    A network  40  may include one or more servers  60 . Servers  60  may be used to manage, store, communicate, transfer, access, update, and the like, any practical number of files, databases, or the like for other nodes  12  on a network  40 . Typically, a server  60  may be accessed by all nodes  12  on a network  40 . Nevertheless, other special functions, including communications, applications, directory services, and the like, may be implemented by an individual server  60  or multiple servers  60 . 
         [0044]    In general, a node  12  may need to communicate over a network  40  with a server  60 , a router  56 , or other nodes  12 . Similarly, a node  12  may need to communicate over another neighboring network  58  in an internetwork connection with some remote node  12 . Likewise, individual components may need to communicate data with one another. A communication link may exist, in general, between any pair of devices. 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a system  70  in accordance with the invention may rely on a station  72  or work station  72  operated by an employee, agent, responsible individual, responsible organization, or the like having responsibility with respect to certain aspects of infrastructure. Typically, infrastructure is associated with a city. Infrastructure may involve all those physical systems that make up the supporting systems of a city. 
         [0046]    Similarly, industrial plants may likewise have infrastructure. However, in cities, particularly, much of the infrastructure is literally buried and not available for ready viewing, inspection, maintenance, or the like. Nevertheless, upon failure of certain systems, they may be excavated and inspected. Similarly, in some situations, systems may be shut down while cameras are run into lines to inspect those lines for condition. 
         [0047]    The work station  72  may operate by a direct connection, or over an internetwork  96 , to a system server  74 . The system server  74  may access a database  76 . In fact, the database  76  may be created and maintained by the system server  74 . Nevertheless, the system server  74  may be connected to an internetwork  96  in order to provide information from the database  76  to users of that information, such as an operator of the work station  72 . 
         [0048]    A data server  78  or database server  78  may have responsibility for maintaining a database  76 . In other embodiments, the data server  78  is simply responsible for performing certain functions to serve data from the database  76 . For example, a database  76  may have a database engine that handles management of data inputs, reconciliations, verifications, as well as data outputs. 
         [0049]    Typically, a query engine will be required in order to handle queries to the database  76 . The data server  78  may have a query engine in a database engine programmed to operate therein. Similarly, the system server  74  may have a database engine. Typically, the database  76  will be controlled by only a single system or computer. Nevertheless, it is possible to have a synchronized database  76  accessed by multiple database engines, and reconciled in order to support such distributed access, input, and management. 
         [0050]    In the illustrated embodiment, various information  80  may be provided through the work station  72 . The information  80  may typically be uploaded to the database  76  by appropriate operation of the work station  72  in concert with the server  74  or the data server  78 . Typically, the information  80  may include a chart  82  having axes  83   a  and  83   b  illustrating the passage of time on the axis  83   a  and the percentage of expected remaining useful life on the axis  83   b.    
         [0051]    In the illustrated embodiment, a curve  81  may be displayed in the domain  85  defined by the axes  83   a ,  83   b . In the illustrated embodiment, the curve  81  is illustrated as a straight line. As a practical matter, the curve  81  may have a shape, but simple monotonic shapes are very typical. Straight lines are perhaps the most typical of manufacturers&#39; and installers&#39; life charts  82  provided with infrastructure assets installed. 
         [0052]    Prior art systems rely substantially exclusively on the charts  82 . Periodic inspections may result in the curve  81  being reset (elevated or depressed with respect to the vertical axis  83   b  according to an assessment of where in the remaining lifetime of an asset a particular asset has been revealed to be at a particular inspection). Meanwhile, a lifetime will typically be measured as a percentage of useful life. 
         [0053]    Accordingly, at a time  83   a  of zero, installation has just been completed and the expected life or usefulness is one hundred percent or has a value of one hundred percent. In contrast, when the entire life has run out, the expected life is zero. However, at about or below twenty percent of expected life, maintenance typically becomes more expensive than capital expenditures, and an asset may be reviewed for replacement or upgrading. 
         [0054]    However, as a practical matter, prior art practice has been to shift the curve  81  upward or downward, to reflect the actual, observed date or time on the axis  83   a  and the expected life value at that inspection on the axis  83   b  as represented by the curve  81 . However, such a shift belies the reality. The fact that the particular asset has not operated along the curve  81  may be evidence that the slope of the curve, intervening maintenance, or other factors require consideration or could benefit the accurate determination of remaining life. Such factors should be incorporated into a better, real-life assessment. 
         [0055]    Other information  80  may include, for example, inspections  84  or inspection records  84 . As-built records  86  may include blueprints and other information that reflect the facts, materials, locations, configurations, conditions, and so forth of an asset and its surrounding environment at the time at installation. Similarly, expense records  88  or expenses  88  reflect expenditures both capital and maintenance. Expense records  88  may be maintained along with certain analyses of use between assets, years, or other parameters associated with an asset. 
         [0056]    Meanwhile, asset records  90  may be combined in various forms or formats in order to identify particular assets and their attributes. Work orders  92  or work records  92  reflect a history  92  of work. However, all the information  80  may be thought of as history. Inspection reports  84  indicate what has been inspected, when, and typically will identify a condition of various assets according to certain parameters. 
         [0057]    For example, a concrete pipe may have clogging, fracturing, pitting, or the like. Meanwhile, it may have a certain flow rate, may be sized to a certain capacity, might be documented as to its location, or the like. Meanwhile, as-built records  86 , expenses  88 , whether capital, maintenance, inspection, or otherwise, and other asset records  90  may all be useful as the total, agglomerated, historical record of an asset or system. 
         [0058]    A geographical information system database (GIS database) may be available online database, or may be a dedicated database. A GIS database  94  may be available commercially and used by an operator of the work station  72 . Moreover, the database  94  may be a partially extracted database  94  available from a larger database. In yet another embodiment, the database  94  may be a particular instance of a commercially available database, including non only geographical information but the local information regarding infrastructure locations linked to geographical information, in order to identify the locations, directions, dimensions, depth, and so forth, or other attributes and identifiers associated with various infrastructure assets. 
         [0059]    In the illustrated embodiment, the internetwork  96  may connect the work station  72 , the system server  74 , and the like to one another or other computers  108  and other databases  110 . Typically, other computers  108  may be other serves  108  that are responsible to provide data. For example, various websites are served by servers  108  providing information regarding products, services, organizations, and the like. 
         [0060]    Meanwhile, numerous repositories of data may be accessible on other computers  108 . In fact, online databases  110  may provide legacy information regarding any number of facts, systems, events, locations, and so forth. Thus, in certain embodiments, the work station  72 , the system server  74 , the data server  78 , or the like may access and mine other computers  108 , such as informational servers  108 , as well as databases  110  or other sources of information. This may be a valuable source of information for similarly situated systems. 
         [0061]    For example, a manufacturer, installer, or owner of other infrastructure may include similar materials, similar climate, or other attributes of similar infrastructure assets, or the like, or have data or reports regarding them. The system  70  may use that information in order to improve lifetime estimates or life projections. Meanwhile, such information may be used to perform statistical analyses or other analyses  98  on data. 
         [0062]    For example, a work station  72  may be a dedicated work station or a captive work station owned by or responsible to a particular owner (e.g., city, industry, etc.) of infrastructure. Accordingly, that work station  72  will collect and work with the information  80  in the various records  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 . However, a single system may be comparatively new and have no substantial history. Likewise, infrastructure, by its very nature, is not intended to see frequent service. 
         [0063]    For example, water pipes are installed for decades, centuries, or longer. Power systems similarly have long lives. The information  80  available on a new system may be quite limited. However, other systems  108 ,  110  may have data available to assist in statistical, numerical methods, correlations, projections, modeling, and so forth. 
         [0064]    If nothing else, other systems  108 ,  110  may simply provide additional data points for consideration. To the extent that the attributes of an asset can be identified in a system  70 , similar attributes and information from similarly situated assets identified in other systems  108 ,  110  may likewise be used. 
         [0065]    In the illustrated embodiment, analyses  98  may be performed by various analysis engines programmed for the task. Accordingly, integrated scoring records  100  or integrated scores  100  may be provided that reflect not only the actual status of particular infrastructure assets, but an integration of maintenance scores with condition scores, even augmented by life prediction scores. Life prediction scores may be actual, based on integrating condition scores and maintenance scores. They may include also projections of the effect of maintenance, and condition on the actual projected life of an asset. 
         [0066]    For example, a real-life chart  102  may be included as part of the integrated scoring  100 . Similarly, a user interface presentation  104  may provide opportunities for a user to graphically aggregate information and present it according to selection by attributes held in common, evidence comparatively similar, or the like. 
         [0067]    Other presentations  106  may provide an ability to submit queries, an ability to conduct analyses, and even an ability to input hypothetical, “what if” types of questions into analyses in order to investigate options. Ultimately, the maintenance integrated scoring  100  assists in weighing options between upgrading, replacing, and ignoring infrastructure assets. 
         [0068]    However, in a most simplified embodiment, simply providing a real-life chart  102  of actual life that incorporates maintenance scoring is valuable. A projection for the improvement in the life of an infrastructure asset is extremely valuable, and unavailable in prior art methods. 
         [0069]    Most prior art methods are largely subjective, limited to inspections, vendor life curves, and manual access. These preclude an effective assessment of rates of change (mathematical first derivative) of condition, rates of change of those rates of change (mathematical second derivative), and so forth. Moreover, projections are not available. Rather, an individual human being may review a condition, at the time of a repair or with the cost of a scheduled (and typically expensive inspection), and thereby estimate an expected remaining life percentage. 
         [0070]    Data available conventionally have been so sparse that such assessments are of only marginal value, and are not universal across an infrastructure system. For example, no city was built in a day. No city infrastructure assets of any type were typically installed all in a day. Accordingly, infrastructure systems will not deteriorate in a single day, or be deteriorated on a single day. 
         [0071]    For example, snow and temperature (climate) conditions may change throughout a city. Climate conditions change over elevation, and with respect to geological features, such as bodies of water, geologic formations, and the like. 
         [0072]    Climate may dramatically influence certain conditions. Frost heaving is ubiquitous in environments that have deep freezing in the wintertime, and substantial water. Thus, comparatively northern climates having comparatively large annual rainfall quantities or values may be more susceptible to frost damage to infrastructure elements such as pipes, roads, streets, and so forth. Similarly, installers vary from system to system, from project to project, and from week to week. 
         [0073]    For example, a particular project may be installed by one installer, and a second phase or a continuing phase may be installed by a separate installer years or decades later. The skills, practices, and other attributes of a particular installer may overwhelm other factors. Similarly, geology may overwhelm other factors. 
         [0074]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment of a system  70 , various hardware assets  132  or apparatus assets  132  may be involved. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a work station  72  may be embodied in any management computer  112  serving individuals in a management capacity over an infrastructure system. Meanwhile, an operations computer  114  may serve those who work in operations. Typically, management  112  may be thought of as city managers, departments&#39; managers, and so forth. Meanwhile, an operations computer  114  may serve the day to day operations of particular individuals and organizations responsible to actually purchase, maintain, service, repair, and otherwise work on infrastructure assets. 
         [0075]    Similarly, others, such as engineering departments, information technology departments, GIS support organizations, and other administrative staff and operational staff may rely upon other computers  116  or other computing devices  116 . 
         [0076]    Field organizations may rely on field computers  118 . For example, crews onsite may rely on mobile computers  118  in order to obtain data, conduct tests or checks, or report in on particular activities of installation, maintenance, repair, inspection, or the like. 
         [0077]    An oversight computer  120  may be thought of as a computer  120  operated by or on behalf of those having oversight over a system of infrastructure. For example, those with responsibility to make decisions on purchase, maintenance, service, and the like may be thought of as those having oversight  120 . In many embodiments, an oversight computer  120  may actually be under the use and control of a governmental agency having oversight over those who may manage through a management computer  112  an infrastructure system. 
         [0078]    In the illustrated embodiment, the various computers  112  through  120  may operate directly with one another, over a network, or over an internetwork  96 , such as the internet, for example. 
         [0079]    Meanwhile, a server  74  accessing a GIS database  94  may maintain a City Works™ database  76  for use by the computers  112  through  120 . Typically, the database  76  may be dedicated to a particular infrastructure. In certain embodiments, the server  74  may actually be either dedicated to a particular infrastructure system, such as that owned by a single city, or may be an online server  74  available over internetworks  96 , and hosting databases  76  of various, different, independent infrastructure systems. 
         [0080]    Typically, although a GIS database  94  may be accessible, and even resident in a server  74 , an ESRI server  122  may maintain a generic or generalized GIS database  94   124 . Typically, the GIS database  94  is an extract, and may include additional information related to the various assets. Thus, the GIS database  94  may actually permit any particular user to access geographical information integrated with infrastructure information, in accordance with the invention, in order to integrate geography, space, assets, attributes and the like, in a single representation presented to a user. 
         [0081]    Various communications  126  exist between the elements of the system  70 . In the illustrated embodiment, and throughout this specification, a trailing reference letter indicates a specific instance of the base reference numeral. Accordingly, the communication  126   a  between the server  74  and an internetwork  96  is simply a specific instance of communications  126 . Accordingly, the communications  126   b ,  126   c ,  126   d ,  126   e ,  126   f ,  126   g ,  126   h ,  126   j  are specific instances of communication used by the various devices in communicating with one another to upload, download, and otherwise access information, such as the information  80 . 
         [0082]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a map  130  or chart  130  represents a topology  130 . In certain embodiments, the topology  130  may actually be viewed as schematic representations of various infrastructure assets overlaid on an actual map. That map may be provided in any amount of graphic detail, accuracy, reality, scaling, or the like. In certain embodiments, the topology  130  may integrate information from the GIS database  94  along with asset information or attributes from the database  76 . 
         [0083]    In the illustrated embodiment, various assets  132  are shown. These assets  132  may be, for example, valves, control boxes, or various junctions, junctures, or the like. Meanwhile, such assets  132  may include various lines  132   b ,  132   c ,  132   d . Those lines  132  may represent any type of an interconnection between other assets. For example, the asset  132   a  may be a valve controlling water. The water may be distributed through various lines  132   b ,  132   c ,  132   d . For example, a main  132   d  may deliver water to a spur line  132   c , which also delivers water to a specific delivery location line  132   b . Meanwhile, other terminal units  132   g  may exist at the terminus of a particular delivery line  132   b . Various lines  132   e  and controls  132   f  may exist within the infrastructure topology  130 . 
         [0084]    Meanwhile, the area, where the divide may be shown schematically according to responsibility, or physically according to region or area, may be identified by some particular parameter or indicator. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the topology  130  is divided between districts  134   a ,  134   b . A boundary  136  establishes the limits of the adjacent districts  134 . 
         [0085]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , various assets  132  may be characterized or identified by an identifier  138  or ID  138 . Associated with each asset  132  may be various attributes  140 . In the illustrated embodiment, a particular asset  132  may have associated therewith an ID  138  and a host of attributes  140  in an asset record  142 . Asset records  142  may be individual records, or may simply be entries, lines, or rows within a particular table  144 . 
         [0086]    In the illustrated embodiment, a list of assets  132  or names  146  of assets is shown. They are schematically illustrated as the names  146  or the list  146  of names of assets  132  corresponding to the identification  138 . Similarly, a list  148  of attributes  140  is illustrated schematically. They  140  appear in an underlying list  148  from which attributes  140  may be selected, or indicated. 
         [0087]    In the illustrated embodiment, assets  132  include, for example, lines, pipes, fittings, fixtures, controls, connections, cables, poles, equipment, roads, canals, drainages, accesses, crossings, trees, streets, plants, buildings, ports, airports, water ports, ports of entry, signs, walks, pumps, facilities, and other possible assets  132 . Meanwhile, some typical attributes  140  include such characteristics as location, type, dimensions, area, region, district, soil, climate, topology, topography, geology, materials, dates, ages, times, manufacturers&#39;, events, history, workers, assessments, records, links, traffic, seasons, identifiers, capacities, installers&#39;, vendors, conditions, integrated scores, costs, loads, flows, chemistry, maintenance scores, integrated scores, and other attributes  140  that may characterize a particular asset  132 . 
         [0088]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , in memory  16  associated with a particular computer  12  or computing device  12  in accordance with the invention, may be hosted a number of modules  150  for loading into a processor  14  for execution. In the illustrated embodiment, a history module  151  may be responsible for gathering, maintaining, and otherwise handling historical information. This may involve accessing, creating, downloading, or otherwise handling various records as having been discussed hereinabove. 
         [0089]    Meanwhile, a similarity module  152  may be responsible for gathering historical information and linking information that relates similarly situated assets  132  and attributes  140  for use in combination with the historical data obtained by the historical module  151 . Of course, a database  76  will maintain information, such as records  153 . However, the history module  151  and the similarity module  152  may also be tasked with the job of mining, locating, perusing, parsing, and otherwise extracting data either from the records  153  of the database  76 , or from other servers  108  or other databases  110  as described hereinabove. 
         [0090]    In the illustrated embodiment, a database engine  154  may be responsible for managing a database  76 . For example, a management module  155  may be responsible for the intake of records  153 , and the proper storing, indexing, and other administrative functions of the database engine  154  in maintaining records  153 . Meanwhile, a query engine  156  may be responsible for receiving queries and to output responses thereto from the records  153  for users of the database  76 . 
         [0091]    A scoring module  158  may be thought of as a set of other modules responsible for various evaluation or scoring activities. 
         [0092]    For example, a maintenance scoring module  160  may be responsible for gathering and maintaining scoring for particular assets  132 . Maintenance scoring modules  160  may be created for specific assets, or may be programmed into a single module  160  for handling any one of several assets  132 . For example, a maintenance scoring module  160  may be responsible for providing templates and dialogue boxes in order for a user to input various events, activities, records, numbers, values, and the like that reflect activities that will eventually be managed in order to create maintenance scoring. Meanwhile, the maintenance scoring module  160  may be responsible to process the data in order to develop and maintain a current maintenance score for a particular asset  132 , a system, or the like. 
         [0093]    Similarly, a maintenance scoring module  161  may be responsible to integrate the results of a condition scoring module  162  and a maintenance scoring module  160 . For example, a condition scoring module  162  may be responsible for receiving, inputting, outputting, processing, and otherwise obtaining and maintaining condition scores associated with a particular article  132  of infrastructure. 
         [0094]    For example, to the degree of granularity that an infrastructure may identify specific assets  132 , the maintenance scoring module  160  and condition scoring module  162  may be responsible for collecting information and using information, processing. This may include information regarding maintenance activities and condition inspections needed to provide an integrated score from the integrated scoring module  161 . 
         [0095]    In various embodiments, a maintenance scoring module  160  may operate alone. In other situations, a condition scoring module  162  may operate alone. On the other hand, an integrated scoring module  161  may rely on both maintenance and inspection information in order to provide an integrated score that reflects a prediction of remaining life (useful life, or utility) in a particular asset  132 . 
         [0096]    A financial module  163  may be responsible for collecting, analyzing, processing, and otherwise handling financial information. For example, whenever maintenance occurs or an inspection occurs, certain financial costs are involved. A capital expenditure, whether it be a new acquisition or an actual payment against a particular mortgage of an asset  132 , will create a financial event. Accordingly, the financial module  163  is responsible for collecting, tracking, processing, and outputting information regarding financial information related to the acquisition, inspection, maintenance, repair, and so forth of a particular asset  132 . 
         [0097]    In certain embodiments, a performance metrics module  164  may be responsible for obtaining, processing, outputting, presenting, and otherwise managing performance metrics. For example, performance metrics  164  may be related directly to a condition or maintenance of an asset  132 . 
         [0098]    On the other hand, performance metrics  164  may relate to the teams, crews, organizations, departments, and the like responsible for particular assets  132  or collections thereof. For example, certain performance metrics  164  may include the average, maximum, minimum, or other time by which a service request is completed. 
         [0099]    Likewise, certain types of work orders may be identified as to the date of their opening, their closing, and all days on which work was performed against the order. Meanwhile, costs of particular operations, such as maintaining lines, cleaning lines, re-lining pipes, and so forth may be identified. Also, performance metrics  164  may involve minimum, maximum, continuing, periodic, or net annual costs for a particular operation. 
         [0100]    Meanwhile, labor costs, overtime costs, and the like may be performance metrics tracked by the performance metrics module  164  in order to give some clear indication of the effects of the condition, maintenance, and the like of an asset  132 . Particularly, performance metrics  164  may be indicators that maintenance is required. By the same token, performance metrics  164  may also indicate the benefit to be realized by an upgrade. For example, maintenance or repair has affected the cost, life, or both of a particular asset  132 . 
         [0101]    Key performance indicators  165  maintained by the performance metrics module  164  may involve any or all of the parameters by which performance is measured. Typically, a lead time or time between a request for work and a response, whether a contact response to the requester, the initiation of work, the completion of work, or the like. Any or all such time spans may be set as a performance parameter. 
         [0102]    Even a goal or standard may be set as a key performance indicator  165  for any particular activity, cost, or other parameter. Such goals then may work into key performance parameters by way of whether or not a particular key performance parameter, when measured as reported, meets a minimum, maximum, average, or other quantifiable standard. 
         [0103]    Other parameters  166  or outputs  166  may be obtained, processed, output, or managed by the performance metrics module  164 . These may be selected by individuals responsible for oversight, management, operations, support, or field completion of tasks. 
         [0104]    Other modules  167  may exist within the system  150  of modules, within the scoring module  158  or life module  158 , or both. 
         [0105]    A presentation module  168  may provide for graphical presentation to a user of information related to individual records  153 , combination of records  153 , historical aggregations, comparisons with similarly situated systems or assets  132 , and the like. 
         [0106]    The presentation module  168  may be operated through a user interface  169  by which a user may select various information for presentation by the presentation module  168 . 
         [0107]    Typically, the presentation module  168  will be responsible to obtain information from other modules  150  in order to provide a graphical presentation. Thus, a presentation module  168  may actually do a certain analysis, but will typically be involved with analysis associated with graphical representations, aggregations, historical tracking, and the like. 
         [0108]    In certain embodiments, a system of modules  150  may include an analysis module  170 . Typically, a predictor module  171  may be of most value. The predictor module  171  may operate, for example, by using numerical methods solutions to complex equations, curve fits, and the like in order to predict more precisely the life expectancy or the remaining life utility of a particular asset  132  or combination thereof. In certain embodiments, a recommendation module  172  may actually use the predictor module  171 , or the outputs thereof, or both in order to compare costs and render a recommendation. 
         [0109]    An analysis module  170  may include several other modules  171 ,  172 ,  173 . Typically, one basic module is a statistical engine  173 . For example, various information may be of statistical significance from the various records  153  associated with various infrastructure assets  132 . The frequency of repairs, the times and duration offline for repairs, the actual usable time, the duty time, time between failures, times during failures, repair time, the man hours required for repairs, the costs, and so forth may all give rise to statistics that may be analyzed by the statistical engine  173 . 
         [0110]    By analyzing statistics, the statistical engine  173  may correlate various assets  132  according to selected attributes  140 . For example, correlations between assets  132  having similar attributes  140  may provide information regarding suitability of materials, installers, vendors, seasons, ages, regions, geographies, geologies, climates, and the like. They may inform oversight agencies and managers in making determinations as to expected life, expected costs, and so forth. Similarly, a predictor module  171  may use numerical methods, curve fitting, and other sophisticated analysis to predict functions, remaining life percentage values, rates of change of condition, maintenance activities, or function, capacity, or other attributes  140  as they depend upon other facts, factors, or attributes  140 . Typically, the predictor module  171  may prepare prediction equations that provide predictions of life, life increase, rate of life decay, rate of life improvement, and so forth. 
         [0111]    For example, certain activities by way of repair, service, and the like may provide an increase in the expected life or the useful life of an asset  132 . Every activity will not provide the same restoration of life. Thus, a predictor module  171  may provide predictor equations by way of numerical methods, curve fits or the like. Typically it  171  will identify the increase in life based on particular events or activities, such as repairs, replacements, refurbishments, and the like. Thus, the predictor module  171  greatly enhances the accuracy of predicted life or the expected life of a particular asset. 
         [0112]    By the same token, a recommendation module  172  may go a step further and use the predictor module  171 , or the outputs thereof, in order to compare financial costs from the financial module  163  with predicted life from the predictor module  171 . Accordingly, one with oversight or management responsibility may then learn how much life may properly be added to the useful term of an asset  132  if certain activities are undertaken. Thus, the recommendation module  172  may be programmed for providing a sensitivity analysis of how much life per dollar may be provided by any particular service or rehabilitation activity in the maintenance of an asset  132 . 
         [0113]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a process  180  for implementing an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention may rely on the database  76  and records  153  in order to provide for viewing, considering, analyzing, comparing, and otherwise extracting information from data in order to provide information for decision makers. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a particular analysis engine  170  or a module therewithin may analyze information from a query to determine, select, and pass information based on a query  182  to a query engine  156 . The query engine  156 , may thus communicate  194   c  with a database  76 . 
         [0114]    The query engine  156 , querying the database  76 , may elicit a communication  194   d  providing records  153  back to the query engine  156  for formulation and delivery  194   f  of a response  184 . The response may include a condition, data, charts, graphs, figures, and the like. In one embodiment, a maintenance score (e.g. adjustment of remaining percentage of life) may be returned. 
         [0115]    In other embodiments, an integrated score integrating both maintenance scores and condition scores to provide an effective life may be returned. In certain embodiments, an analysis engine  170  may implement other modules  186 ,  188 ,  190  in order to accomplish its desired results. For example, a statistical module  186  may do correlations, curve fits, and so forth of historical, statistical, or other data. 
         [0116]    Meanwhile, a hypothetical data module may provide for inputs of hypothetical conditions in order to test the expected or probable percentage change in life expectancy if certain hypothetical actions were taken. 
         [0117]    Likewise, a numerical methods module  190  may implement functionality, such as that of a predictor module  171  discussed hereinabove. Accordingly, the analysis engine  170  eventually communicates  194   h  predictions  195 . In the illustrated embodiment, a real-life chart  102  may be presented. In the illustrated embodiment, the chart  191  may include a life curve  102  much improved over that of a manufacturer or installer. For example, the chart  191  may present a real-life curve  102  that indicates the actual historical life, and a predicted life, based on integrating a maintenance score into the upgraded life profile  102 . 
         [0118]    Similarly, a chart  189  may provide an integrated score based on certain events occurring at certain times to alter the life. A comparison chart  187  may provide a Juxtaposition of certain curves. For example, it may combine for comparison and display the cost of maintenance, cost of ownership, capital expenditure, or the like. Accordingly, trade offs may be determined by a comparison chart  187  that contains predictors of life, expense, maintenance costs, capitalization costs, technology improvements, or the like. 
         [0119]    In one embodiment, a presentation  192  may be provided from the analysis engine  170  directly, or from storage  16 , in response to inputs from a user, or the like. Communication  194   j  between the analysis engines  170  and the presentation  192  may permit interaction. A user, through a user interface  169  may obtain underlying support from the presentation module  168  in order to prepare the presentation  192 , and provide the outputs to a user. 
         [0120]    Typically, a presentation  192  will include spatial (e.g. geographic, regional), temporal (time-based), color, and other features in order to render the information presented more isolated, identifiable, aggregated, grouped, collected, reduced, or otherwise made more understandable. Meanwhile, the presentation  192  may include information extracted, filtered, and otherwise collected and presented. This may be done according to space, time, asset  132  type, attribute  140 , or the like. Thus, one may search for particular assets  132  of a particular type that share certain attributes. 
         [0121]    The presentation  192  may provide various charts comparing assets and attributes. It may thus provide great insight to an individual responsible for execution, inputs, decisions, management, oversight, or operation of a system  70  in accordance with the invention. 
         [0122]    The communications  194   a  through  194   j  may operate to collect, fetch, output, read, write, process, or otherwise transfer data between modules, between hardware, between the individuals, between databases, or the like. Accordingly, a user may access any particular information or data, and have it presented as useful information informative for decisions. 
         [0123]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 through 10 , in certain embodiments, information may be obtained with minimal complexity, minimal mathematical manipulation, and so forth. For example, prior art methods and apparatus known to Applicant have no inclusion of maintenance as a separate life-extending factor. Maintenance represents a cost in any physical system. However, maintenance may be of several different types. A repair may simply return a non-functioning unit or asset  132  into a functioning unit. It may not extend the life at all. Similarly, certain types of maintenance are simply required. Lubrication of machine parts, removal of debris, and so forth are routine maintenance that may not affect life. 
         [0124]    On the other hand, replacement of key components may extend life. Repair of key components may extend life. For example, water lines that have existed for decades or centuries in certain cities may be re-lined by modern techniques. 
         [0125]    Such re-lining procedures may give a structure an entirely new life. For example, new polymeric tubes may be inserted into a conventional stone, concrete, or cast line, greatly improving the life. Meanwhile, cleaning, removing roots, and the like from drain lines may provide increased life, but may also be required periodically simply to maintain function. 
         [0126]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , a table  196  is shown along with a graphical representation of a chart  198 . In the illustrated embodiment, a score  200  (or a curve  200  providing a value  200  representing a score) of remaining percentage of life is illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, a year  202  is represented and various events  204  are identified. Associated with each event  204  or activity  204  is a value  206  called points  206 . Here, the points  206  amount to a percentage of life extended by virtue of the respective activity  204  or event  204 . 
         [0127]    A cumulative score  208  represents the total number of points  206  accumulated. The accumulated or cumulative points  208  effectively should be subtracted from the degradation of an asset  132 . Put another way, the points  208  represent percentage points by which the life of an asset  132  is extended by virtue of the combination of various activities  204  or events  204 . 
         [0128]    Illustrating the data from the table  196  in the chart  198 , the life  210  or the value  210  along an axis  210  represents a percentage of life. Meanwhile, another axis  212  represents the years  202  from the table  196 . In various locations, certain events  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  are illustrated schematically. 
         [0129]    Associated with each event  204  is a particular resultant change or establishment of the value of the curve  200 . Thus, the curve  200  represents the life  210  or percentage of life added by virtue of the particular activities  204  or events  204 . Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, a value of remaining life originally was between ten and fifteen percent remaining. It was extended to about forty percent. Thus degradation was reversed and the life score  200  was extended. 
         [0130]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a condition score is illustrated. A table  214  contains information relating the numerical values of the chart  216  therein. At any chart location or year  202 , a value  217  is associated. One may think of each of the entries in the table  214  is representing an inspection. Thus, for any year  202  listed, a value  217  of a score  220  is listed. In the illustrated embodiment, various inspections  218  identify particular years  202  along the timeline  212  or axis  212 . Accordingly, the condition score  220  alters between inspections  218  occurring at various dates  202 . 
         [0131]    In general, a condition score  220  simply reflects an assessment by a knowledgeable professional who has inspected a particular asset  132 . A score  220  may have a certain amount of uncertainty and subjectivity. To the extent that information may be obtained quantitatively (such as by testing), the score  220  may be more reliable and objective. 
         [0132]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , an integrated or combined chart  230  illustrates an axis  232  representing remaining life. The life  232  or the life axis  232  represents a percentage of remaining useful life corresponding to a particular asset  132 . In the illustrated embodiment, the charts  198 ,  216  are combined. Thus, each relies on the same timeline  212  or time axis  212 . Similarly, each relies on the same life axis  232 . 
         [0133]    One may see how the maintenance score  200  integrated with the inspection score  220  results in a different value  217  for the condition score  220 . Due to the knowledge imparted by the points  206  and the accumulated or cumulative points  208  additional life  232  is credited to an asset  132 . An integrated chart  230  provides greater insight, and a more realistic, or real-life, curve  102  (see  FIG. 7 ) for the life expectancy of the asset  132 . 
         [0134]    In many instances, the chart  220  may not even be available. That is, the curve  220  represents a condition that may or may not be available for inspection. However, maintenance scores  200  provide the ability to augment condition scores  220  in order to provide a more realistic condition score  220  or an integrated condition score  220 . In certain embodiments, an integrated, maintenance, condition score  200  may provide a better detail on the expected life. 
         [0135]    Meanwhile, the analysis engine  170  takes the chart  230  to a different level. Using the predictions  195  from the analysis engine  170 , other information, such as that obtained from other databases  110 , other servers  108 , and the like may provide similarity data from the similarity module  152 . For example, certain records  153  may actually represent documentation from the similarity module  152 . Thus, modeling by the analysis engines  170  may provide additional data to the system  70  in situations where either condition scores  220 , maintenance scores  200 , or both are either absent, or sparse. Thus, interpolation, extrapolation, and modeling by the analysis engines  170  may provide more realistic life charts  230 . 
         [0136]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its purposes, functions, structures, or operational characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.