Mobile application for assisting a technician in carrying out an electronic work order

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11113642-B2
Application number	US-201314037871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a mobile application executing on a smartphone that is used to assist a technician in carrying out electronic work orders. In some embodiments, the mobile application uses a camera in the smartphone to take photos that are associated with one or more steps of the work order. In some embodiments, the mobile application is used to cause one or more LEDs associated with a step of the work order to be illuminated or otherwise visually actuated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
generating an electronic work order, the electronic work order comprising a set of steps that are to be carried out by a single technician at a particular location, wherein at least one step of the set of steps includes adding, moving, or changing a connection made at a first port of a device;
communicating the electronic work order to a mobile application executing on a smartphone;
displaying information about the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order with the mobile application executing on the smartphone;
receiving a first user input, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, during performance of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, the first user input requesting that an electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order be visually actuated, wherein the electronic visual indicator is located on the device, distinct from the smartphone, having one or more ports to attach cables to the device, wherein the electronic visual indicator is associated with the first port of the one or more ports where a connection is changed as part of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order;
in response to the received first user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order be visually actuated, sending a request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone to an external entity, wherein the external entity visually actuates the electronic visual indicator in response to receiving the request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone;
receiving a second user input, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, during performance of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, the second user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order stop being visually actuated; and
in response to the received second user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order stop being visually actuated, sending a stop request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone to the external entity, wherein the external entity is configured to stop visually actuating the electronic visual indicator in response to receiving the stop request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone; and
wherein the method further comprises at least one of:
receiving an additional user input, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, indicating that a second step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order has been completed; and
receiving a communication from the external entity, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, verifying that the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device has been correctly completed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic visual indicator comprises at least one light emitting diode.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein visually actuating the light emitting diode comprises at least one of illuminating the light emitting diode, flashing the light emitting diode, and changing the color of the light emitting diode.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, a third user input indicating that the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, which includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device, has been completed.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
receiving an additional user input, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, indicating that a second step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order has been completed; and
receiving a communication from the external entity, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, verifying that the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, which includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device, has been correctly completed;
the method further comprising receiving a second communication from the external entity, at the mobile application executing on the smartphone, verifying that second step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order has been correctly completed.

6. A program product for implementing a mobile application on a smartphone, tangibly stored on a non-transitory storage medium, comprising instructions operable to cause at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to:
receive an electronic work order comprising a set of steps that are to be carried out by a single technician at a particular location, wherein at least one step of the set of steps includes adding, moving, or changing a connection made at a first port of a device;
display information about the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order;
receive a first user input during performance of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, the first user input requesting that an electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order be visually actuated, wherein the electronic visual indicator is located on a device, distinct from the smartphone, having one or more ports to attach cables to the device, wherein the electronic visual indicator is associated with the first port of the one or more ports where a connection is changed as part of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order;
in response to the received first user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order be visually actuated, send a request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone to an external entity, wherein the external entity visually actuates the electronic visual indicator in response to receiving the request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone;
receive a second user input during performance of the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order, the second user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order stop being visually actuated; and
in response to the received second user input requesting that the electronic visual indicator associated with visually assisting the technician in carrying out the at least one step of the set of steps included in the electronic work order stop being visually actuated, send a stop request from the mobile application executing on the smartphone to the external entity, wherein the external entity is configured to stop visually actuating the electronic visual indicator in response to receiving the stop request from the mobile application executing on the

Assignees

• Commscope Connectivity Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Marshall Owen
• Colley Simon
• Townend Kevin David
• Butler Ian

Classifications

• G06Q10/06316

  Sequencing of tasks or work · CPC title

• G06Q10/103

  Workflow collaboration or project management · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title

• G06Q10/063114 Primary

  Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group · CPC title