WO2017149500A1

WO2017149500A1 - System and method for facilitating maintenance of an equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2017149500A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/051241
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harish VYAS; Satyendra JAIN; Ashish PALIWAL; Amit KHABYA; Arpit BHATNAGAR; Shubhit JANI; Lokesh Puri GOSWAMI
Original assignee: Lipi Data Systems Ltd.
Priority date: 2016-03-04
Filing date: 2017-03-03
Publication date: 2017-09-08

Abstract

Method and a system for facilitating maintenance of an equipment are disclosed. The method includes receiving a maintenance request from a maintenance professional and initiating a maintenance mode in response to the request. A first identifier indicating a current operating status of the equipment is generated. The first identifier is transmitted to a central server in real time or near real time. A list of customized maintenance operations is displayed for the maintenance professional. The list of the maintenance operations is based on the current operating status and a historical operating data of the equipment. The maintenance professional is enabled to perform the maintenance operations. A second identifier indicating a completion status of each of the maintenance operations is generated and transmitted to the central server in real time. Further, a list of intermediate identifiers may be generated during a predefined time of the maintenance.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MAINTENANCE OF

AN EQUIPMENT

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY

[0001] The present application claims priority from Indian Patent Application No.

201621007725, filed on 04 March, 2016, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure in general relates to the field of maintenance and servicing of equipments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for servicing of self service equipments.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Self service equipments, such as Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), Interactive Kiosks, Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM), Bill Payment Kiosks, gaming machines, and the like are widely used for business as well as entertainment purposes. These equipments may be installed in banks, malls, entertainment parks, vestibules, and the like. Due to the extensive day-to-day usage of these equipments, their service and maintenance may be frequently required. Further, due to heavy reliance of people on these equipments for general purposes, prompt and timely fault correction and repair work may be needed.

[0004] Generally, self-service equipments are serviced by maintenance personal as and when a fault or a shut-down is reported. Once the maintenance personal reaches the site where faulty equipment is installed, he/she may repair the equipment based on previous knowledge and/or given instructions. Further, maintenance personal may take a decision about replacing certain parts of the equipment with spares, as per requirements. However, many a times, the maintenance personal, due to lack of experience or otherwise, may skip important steps of the service process. This may lead to repetitive breakdowns of the equipment in turn increasing maintenance costs. Also, tracking the service process, by a supervisor located at a remote location, may be difficult. SUMMARY

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to system and method for facilitating maintenance of an equipment, further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In one implementation, a method for facilitating maintenance of an equipment is disclosed. The method may include receiving, by a processor, a service request from a service professional and initiating a servicing mode for the equipment in response to the service request. The method may further include generating, by the processor, a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment. The method may further include transmitting, by the processor, the first identifier to a central server in real time. Further, the method may include displaying, by the processor, a list of one or more service operations to be performed on the equipment, wherein the list of one or more service operations may be based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment. The method may further include, enabling, by the processor, the service professional to perform the one or more service operations on the equipment. The method may further include, generating a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more service operations and transmitting the second identifier to the central server in real time.

[0007] In another implementation, a system for facilitating maintenance of an equipment is disclosed. The system may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The processor may execute a set of instructions stored in the memory in order to facilitate the servicing of an equipment. The processor may execute an instruction to receive a service request from a service professional. The processor may further execute an instruction to initiate a servicing mode for the equipment in response to the received service request. The processor may further execute an instruction to generate a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment and transmit the first identifier to a central server in real time. Further, the processor may execute an instruction to display a list of one or more service operations to be performed on the equipment. The list of one or more service operations may be based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment. Further, the processor may execute an instruction to enable the service professional to perform the one or more service operations on the equipment. The processor may further execute an instruction to generate a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more service operations and transmit the second identifier to the central server in real time.

[0008] In yet another implementation, a non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device for facilitating maintenance of an equipment is disclosed. The program includes program code for receiving a maintenance request from a maintenance professional. The program may further include program code for initiating a maintenance mode for the equipment in response to the received maintenance request. The program may further include program code for generating a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment and a program code for transmitting the first identifier to a central server in real time. Further, the program may include program code for displaying a list of one or more maintenance operations to be performed on the equipment, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations is based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment. Further, the program may include program code for enabling the maintenance professional to perform the one or more maintenance operations on the equipment. Furthermore, the program may include program code for generating a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more maintenance operations and program code for transmitting the second identifier to the central server in real time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer like features and components.

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a network implementation of a system for enabling maintenance of an equipment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates detailed workings of the system, in according with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [0012] Figure 3 illustrates a method for servicing an equipment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present systems and methods will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown. However, the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the representative embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be both thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure and enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make, use and practice the disclosure. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the various drawings.

[0014] Referring to Figure 1, a network implementation 100 of a system 102 for enabling maintenance of an equipment 104 is described. The equipment 104, in an example, may be a self-service terminal, such as an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), an Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM), a bill payment kiosk, and the like. The equipment 104 may be connected to a central server 106. In one implementation, the central server 106 may be a server located at a financial institution to which the equipment 104 may belong. In another implementation, the central server 106 may belong to a third -party maintenance provider. The central server 106, in one embodiment, may be configured to keep track of a maintenance activity performed on the equipment 104. Further, in another embodiment, the central server 106 may obtain real time information regarding the maintenance activity performed on the equipment 104.

[0015] In an embodiment, during the maintenance activity, the central server 106 may be connected to a user device 108. The user device 108 may be used by a maintenance professional (MP) to authenticate his/her credentials with the central server 106. Examples of the user device 108 may include, but are not limited to, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held device, a smart phone, and the like. The user device 108 is communicatively coupled to the central server 106 through a network 110.

[0016] In one implementation, the network 110 may be a wireless network, a wired network or a combination thereof. The network 110 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the internet, and the like. The network 110 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network. The shared network represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and the like, to communicate with one another. Further the network 110 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, and the like.

[0017] In operation, an MP may request for initiation of a maintenance mode for the equipment 104, whenever a fault or shut-down is reported. In an example, the MP may receive a maintenance notification on the user device 108 as and when an equipment, such as the equipment 104, needs maintenance. In one implementation, the MP may receive maintenance notifications for one or more equipments, based on a current location of the MP. To this end, the central server 106 may garner the current location of the MP using location data of a user device, such as the user device 108, associated with the MP. The central server 106 may transmit the maintenance notifications for equipment(s) in the vicinity of the current location of the MP on the user device of the MP.

[0018] In an implementation, once the MP reaches a site where the equipment 104 is installed, the user device 108 may automatically transmit an acknowledgement to the central server 106. The acknowledgement may be indicative of a fact that the MP has reached the site where the equipment 104 is installed. The acknowledgement may include the current location of the MP, as derived from the location information of the user device 108, and current time. This acknowledgement may thus be useful for a supervisor to remotely keep track of the MP's activities.

[0019] In an embodiment, the system 102 may be configured to initiate the maintenance mode for the equipment 104 once the MP is authenticated and the equipment 104 is validated by the central server 106. The system 102 may be configured to enable the MP to perform one or more maintenance operations on the equipment 104, based on instructions from the central server 106. Further, the system 102 may transmit details of each of the one or more maintenance operations to the central server 106 in real time or near real time. Operation of different modules of the system 102, during the maintenance mode is initiated, is further explained with reference to Figure 2.

[0020] Figure 2 illustrates the system 102 in detail, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the system 102 may include at least one processor 202, an input/output (I/O) interface 204, and a memory 206. The at least one processor 202 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the at least one processor 202 is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions or modules stored in the memory 206.

[0021] The I/O interface 204 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, and the like. The I/O interface 204 may enable the system 102 to communicate with other computing devices, such as web servers and external data servers (not shown). The I/O interface 204 can facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of networks and protocol types, including wired networks, for example, LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, such as WLAN, cellular, or satellite. The I/O interface 204 may include one or more ports for connecting a number of devices to one another or to another server.

[0022] The memory 206 may include any computer-readable medium or computer program product known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or nonvolatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, a compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disc or digital video disc (DVDs) and magnetic tapes. The memory 206 may include modules 208 and data 210.

[0023] The modules 208 include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In one implementation, the modules 208 may include a maintenance module 214, a display module 216 and other modules 218. The other modules 218 may include programs or coded instructions that supplement applications and functions of the system 102. [0024] The data 210, amongst other things, serves as a repository for storing data processed, received, and generated by one or more of the modules 208. The data 210 may also include maintenance data 220, log information 222 and other data 224. Each of the aforementioned modules is explained in detail in subsequent paragraphs of the specification.

[0025] In operation, the MP may initiate the maintenance mode, for the equipment 104, by submitting a maintenance request to the equipment 104. The maintenance request may be received by the processor 202 of the system 102. Once the maintenance request is received, the equipment 104 may initiate the maintenance mode. Further, in order to validate the MP, the central server 106 may receive login credentials of the MP from the user device 108. The MP may enter the login credentials in the user device 108 and the login credentials may be transmitted to the central server 106. The login credentials, in an example, may include login ID and password belonging to the MP, employee ID of the MP, facial image of the MP (taken from a camera unit of the user device 108), and the like. The central server 106 may validate the login credentials of the MP with previously stored login credentials. After successful authentication, the central server 106 may send a success notification to the user device 108.

[0026] After the initiation of the maintenance mode, the maintenance module 214 may determine a current operating status of the equipment 104. In one example, the current operating status may include information regarding, hardware information, software information, equipment configuration, equipment ID, transaction history, equipment errors, and the like. In one implementation, the at least few of aforementioned information including hardware information, software information, equipment configuration, equipment ID, transaction history, equipment errors, and the like are stored as the log information 222 in the data 210. Based on the current operating status, the maintenance module may generate a first identifier comprising information associated with the current operating status. In an example, the first identifier may be a barcode or a QR code. The first identifier may be displayed, by the display module 216, on a display screen (not shown) of the equipment 104.

[0027] The first identifier, in an implementation, may be transmitted to the central server 106 in real-time or near real-time. In an example, the MP may need to scan the first identifier using the user device 108. As soon as the first identifier is scanned using the user device 108, the first identifier may be transmitted automatically to the central server 106 by a processing unit (not shown) of the user device 108. [0028] In an implementation, the central server 106 may have stored historical operating data associated with the equipment 104. In an implementation, the historical operating data may include information about last maintenance performed on the equipment 104 such as, time since last maintenance activity, parts serviced during last maintenance activity, parts replaced during last maintenance activity, type of maintenance activity, completion status of last maintenance activity, and the like. The central server 106, in one embodiment, may utilize the historical operating data and the current operating status extracted from the first identifier, to generate a customized list of maintenance operations to be performed on the equipment 104. The customized list of maintenance operations may be sent from the central server 106 to the user device 108. The customized list may be displayed onto the display unit (not shown) of the user device 108.

[0029] In an example, the customized list may include information such as type of maintenance operations to be performed, priority levels of the maintenance operations, parts to be serviced/replaced, total time required for performing the maintenance operations, and the like. In another example, the customized list may further include one or more media items for assisting the MP in performing the maintenance operations. The media items may include audio-video clips, images, interactive tutorials, and the like.

[0030] In an embodiment, a second identifier may be generated by the maintenance module 214, as soon as the MP switches off the maintenance mode for the equipment 104. In an implementation, the second identifier may be indicative of a completion status of each of the maintenance operations listed in the customized list. In another embodiment, the second identifier may be further indicative of information such as actual time taken for each of the maintenance operations, product IDs of parts serviced/replaced, product IDs of spare parts used, order in which the maintenance operations were performed, and the like. In an implementation at least few of the aforementioned information including actual time taken for each of the maintenance operations, product IDs of parts serviced/replaced, product IDs of spare parts used, order in which the maintenance operations were performed may be stored as the log information 222 in the data 210. In an exemplary implementation, the second identifier may be displayed on the display screen of the equipment 104, by the display module 216. The MP may then scan the second identifier using the user device 108 and transmit the second identifier to the central server 106. In an embodiment, the second identifier may be transmitted to the central server 106 in real time or near real-time.

[0031] In an implementation, log information of one or more parts of the equipment 104 may be used by the maintenance module 214 to generate the second identifier. In the implementation, the log information may be indicative of operating parameters of a part of the equipment 104. For example, if the MP replaces a toner of a printing unit (not shown) of the equipment 104, log information of the printing unit may indicate a timestamp at which the toner was replaced as well as product ID and configuration of the new toner. This may in turn indicate that the MP has actually replaced the toner, as directed in the customized list, and thus the completion status for the operation may be marked as "completed". Such an arrangement may add an extra level of scrutiny on the maintenance activity. In one implementation, log information for one or more parts of the equipment 104 may be stored as log information 222.

[0032] In another embodiment, one or more intermediate identifiers may be generated during a predefined stage of the maintenance activity. In one example, an intermediate identifier may be generated after each completion of each individual maintenance operation listed in the customized list. In another example, an intermediate identifier may be generated at a predefined time interval, e.g. every ten minutes. In yet another example, an intermediate identifier may be generated every time a "high-priority" maintenance operation is completed. In an implementation, the intermediate identifiers may be transmitted to the central server 106 in real time or near real-time by the maintenance module 214. The intermediate identifiers may thus be useful in tracking each step of the maintenance activity on a periodic basis. This may in turn assist a supervisor to remotely monitor the maintenance operation in a hassle-free manner.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, one or more alerts may be generated by the maintenance module 214 if any of the maintenance operations listed in the customized list is performed incorrectly. For example, an alert may be generated and displayed to the MP on the user device 108 if a spare part installed does not match a given configuration. In another example, an alert may be generated if actual time taken by the MP for a maintenance operation exceeds a given time. These alerts may thus ensure that the maintenance activity is performed in a correct and timely manner. [0034] In an exemplary implementation, a maintenance report for the MP may be automatically generated for the equipment 102 by the maintenance module 214, when the maintenance mode is switched off. The maintenance report may be inclusive of information about all the maintenance operations performed by the MP on the equipment 104. The maintenance report may further include a performance rating for the MP, generated based on the maintenance operations performed. The performance rating may be based on factors such as time taken for each of the maintenance operations, number of alerts generated, and the like. The maintenance report may be stored in the maintenance data 220.

[0035] In an embodiment, if connectivity between the network 110 and the central server 106 is faulty or unavailable, the MP may perform the maintenance activity and send details of the maintenance activity, along with the second identifier, to the central server 106, at a later stage. The details of the maintenance activity may then be verified by the central server 106 and a notification for successful maintenance or unsuccessful maintenance may be transmitted to the user device 108.

[0036] Referring now to Figure 3, a method 300 for enabling a maintenance activity of an equipment is disclosed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, etc., that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The method 300 may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0037] The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300 or alternate methods. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 300 without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. However, for ease of explanation, in the embodiments described below, the method 300 may be considered to be implemented in the above described system 102.

[0038] The method starts at step 302, wherein a maintenance request from a maintenance professional (MP) may be received for performing one or more maintenance operations on an equipment. The maintenance request may be submitted by the MP to the equipment 104.

[0039] At step 304, a maintenance mode may be initiated for the equipment in response to the received maintenance request. At step 306, a first identifier may be generated for the equipment. The first identifier may include a current operating status of the equipment. The first identifier, in one example, may be a barcode or a QR code.

[0040] At step 308, the first identifier may be transmitted to a central server in real time or near real time. At step 310, a customized list of one or more maintenance operations on the equipment may be displayed. The customized list of one of more maintenance operations may be based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment. In one implementation, the customized list may be generated by the central server.

[0041] At step 312, the MP may be enabled to perform the one or more maintenance operations on the equipment. At step 314, a second identifier may be generated. The second identifier may be indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more maintenance operations performed on the equipment.

[0042] Although implementations for methods and systems for enabling a maintenance activity of an equipment have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of implementations for performing a maintenance activity on an equipment.

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A method for facilitating maintenance of an equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a maintenance request from a maintenance professional;

initiating, by the processor, a maintenance mode for the equipment in response to the received maintenance request;

generating, by the processor, a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment;

transmitting, by the processor, the first identifier to a central server in real time;

displaying, by the processor, a list of one or more maintenance operations to be performed on the equipment, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations is based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment;

enabling, by the processor, the maintenance professional to perform the one or more maintenance operations on the equipment;

generating, by the processor, a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more maintenance operations; and

transmitting, by the processor, the second identifier to the central server in real time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current operating status of the equipment comprises one of hardware information, software information, transaction information and previous maintenance data associated with the equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processor, one or more media items for assisting in the maintenance of the equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second identifier is further indicative of time elapsed during each of the one or more maintenance operations performed on the equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations comprises at least one of type of a maintenance operation to be performed, priority level of the maintenance operation, a part of the equipment to be replaced and total time required for performing the maintenance operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, at a pre-defined stage during the maintenance of the equipment, an intermediate identifier comprising information associated with a maintenance operation; and

transmitting, by the processor, the intermediate identifier to the central server in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, the second identifier based on a log information associated with at least one part of the equipment, wherein the log information is indicative of one or more operating parameters associated with the at least one part, and wherein the at least one part undergoes maintenance.

8. A system for facilitating maintenance of an equipment, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor executes a plurality of modules stored in the memory, and wherein the plurality of modules are configured to:

receive a maintenance request from a maintenance professional; initiate a maintenance mode for the equipment in response to the received maintenance request;

generate a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment;

transmit the first identifier to a central server in real time;

display a list of one or more maintenance operations to be performed on the equipment, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations is based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment; enable the maintenance professional to perform the one or more maintenance operations on the equipment;

generate a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more maintenance operations; and transmit the second identifier to the central server in real time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further capable for executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to provide one or more media items for assisting the maintenance of the equipment.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second identifier is further indicative of time elapsed during each of the one or more maintenance operations performed on the equipment.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further capable for executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

generate the second identifier based on a log information associated with at least one part of the equipment, wherein the log information is indicative of one or more operating parameters associated with the at least one part, and wherein the at least one part undergoes maintenance.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further capable for executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

generate, at a predefined stage during the maintenance of the equipment, an intermediate identifier comprising information associated with a maintenance operation; and

transmit the intermediate identifier to the central server in real time.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations comprises at least one of type of a maintenance operation to be performed, priority level of the maintenance operation, a part of the equipment to be replaced and total time required for performing the maintenance operation.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device for facilitating maintenance of an equipment, the program comprising:

a program code for receiving a maintenance request from a maintenance professional;

a program code for initiating a maintenance mode for the equipment in response to the received maintenance request; a program code for generating a first identifier comprising a current operating status of the equipment;

a program code for transmitting the first identifier to a central server in real time;

a program code for displaying a list of one or more maintenance operations to be performed on the equipment, wherein the list of one or more maintenance operations is based on the current operating status and a historical operating data associated with the equipment;

a program code for enabling the maintenance professional to perform the one or more maintenance operations on the equipment;

a program code for generating a second identifier indicative of a completion status of each of the one or more maintenance operations; and

a program code for transmitting the second identifier to the central server in real time.