Systems and methods for managing infrastructure systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015350260-A1
Application number	US-201414292595-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes a physical server that is configured to be operatively coupled to a communications system and to connect with a plurality of clients. The physical server is further configured to provide an application programming interface (API) that enables the plurality of clients to communicatively couple to each other via the communications system, an operator system to place a conference call to the plurality of clients and the plurality of clients to send and to receive status updates for a smart grid system via the communications system. The physical server is also configured to monitor a status of calls between connected clients of the plurality of clients and broadcast a global state update to the connected clients.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a physical server configured to be operatively coupled to a communications system and configured to:
connect with a plurality of clients;
provide an application programming interface (API) to enable the plurality of clients to communicatively couple to each other via the communications system;
provide the API to enable an operator system to place a conference call to the plurality of clients;
provide the API to enable the plurality of clients to send and to receive status updates for a smart grid system via the communications system;
monitor a status of calls between connected clients of the plurality of clients; and
broadcast a global state update to the connected clients.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of clients comprises a processor configured to:
display a current state of the smart grid system, wherein displaying the current state comprises displaying at least one unresolved issue; receive a user selection of the at least one unresolved issue; receive from the physical server a first list of human resources based on a set of data, wherein the human resources may resolve the at least one unresolved issue; receive from the physical server a second list of physical resources based on the set of data, wherein the physical resources may be used to resolve the at least one unresolved issue; display a communication action for each of the human resources in the first list of human resources; Receive a user request to communicate with at least one of the human resources using the displayed communication action; and utilize the API to communicatively couple to a client belonging to the at least one of the human resources.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of data comprises the at least one unresolved issue, a location of the at least one unresolved issue, a time stamp of the at least one unresolved issue, an impact of the at least one unresolved issue, an expertise requirement for at least one of the human resources, an assignment for the human resources, the physical resources, or a combination thereof.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein displaying the current state further comprises displaying a geographical view of the smart grid system.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the communication action comprises a telephone conference call, a video conference call, a short messaging service message, an email, a chat message, a bulletin board posting, a forum posting, or a combination thereof.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the physical server is further configured to derive a contact list for the conference call based on the global state update.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the global state update comprises:
a list of a plurality of physical servers within the system, wherein the plurality of physical servers includes the physical server; a first list of a plurality of users and a log-in status of each of the plurality of users; a second list of a plurality of users and a communication action for each of the plurality of users; a log of communication actions; or a combination thereof.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operator system is configured to display a current state of the smart grid system comprising:
a map view comprising a visual representation of the smart grid system; and a contact list view comprising a contact list related to the smart grid system.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operator system, at least one of the plurality of clients, or a combination thereof is configured to display a map view of a geographic area having an issue affecting the smart grid system, wherein the map view comprises a geometric shape representative of a number of customers affected by the issue.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the map view comprises a semantic zoom configured to present different information related to the issue affecting the smart grid system based on a zoom level.

11 . A system, comprising:
a physical server configured to operatively couple to a communications system included in an infrastructure system, to at least one client, and to a database repository, wherein the physical server is configured to:
provide a conferencing service to the at least one client via the communications system;
receive a first status update of the infrastructure system from the communications system;
receive a second status update of the infrastructure system from the at least one client; and
transmit the first status update and the second status update to the database repository;
wherein the database repository is configured to:
update a global state of the infrastructure system based on the first status update and the second status update;
transmit the global state update to a second database repository; and
transmit the global state update to the physical server; and wherein the at least one client is configured to:
display a state of the infrastructure system;
display a plurality of users and a user status for each of the plurality of users, wherein the user status for each of the plurality of users comprises a log-in status for a respective user, a list of communication actions associated with the respective user, or a combination thereof;
receive the global state update from the physical server;
change the display of the state of the infrastructure system and the display of the plurality of users and the user status for each of the plurality of users based on the global state update; and
communicatively couple to another client.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first status update and the second status update comprise a first communication action, a content of a second communication action, or a combination thereof.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first communication action and the second communication action comprise a telephone conference call, a video conference all, a short messaging service message, an email, a voicemail, a chat message, a bulletin board posting, a forum posting, or a combination thereof.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the global state update comprises:
a list of a plurality of physical servers within the system, wherein the plurality of physical servers includes the physical server; a first list of a plurality of users and a log-in status of each of the plurality of users; a second list of a plurality of users and a communication action for each of the plurality of users; a log of communication actions; or a combination thereof.

15 . The system of claim 11 , comprising a distribution management system, an outage management system, or a combination thereof, having the physical server.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one client comprises a mobile device, a cell phone, a tablet, a notebook, a laptop, a personal computer, or a combination thereof.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the infrastructure system comprises a smart grid system, a cloud computing system, an airport infrastructure system, a transit infrastructure system, or a telecommunications infrastructure system.

18 . A method, comprising:
connecting with a plurality clients; providing an application programming interface (API) to enable the plurality of clients to communicatively couple to each other via a communications system; providing the API to enable the plurality of clients to place a conference call to the plurality of clients; providing the API to enable the plurality of clients to send and to receive status updates for a smart grid infrastructure s

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tadepalli Venu M
• Astafurov George
• Yembra Temidayo Temidoyo
• Imran Asheq

Classifications

• H04L12/6418

  Hybrid transport · CPC title

• H04L41/0686

  Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• Y04S10/12

  Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation · CPC title

• G06Q10/10 Primary

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title