Method and apparatus for classifying equipment in asset management database

A system comprising:

• a display monitor;
• software for displaying a graphical user interface on said display screen, said graphical user interface comprising a first screen comprising a search field and a display window;
• an operator input interface;
• a reference database comprising a first multiplicity of records, each record of said reference database containing manufacturer, model and article type information for a respective class of articles and not containing article identifiers that uniquely identify any particular article belonging to any class of articles;
• an asset management database comprising a second multiplicity of records, each record of said asset management database containing manufacturer, model, article type, and article identifier information for a respective article, each article identifier uniquely identifying each article in an inventory;
• software for controlling said display monitor to display a list of entries in said display window in response to input of a search word comprising a sequence of alphanumeric characters uniquely identifying a particular manufacturer in said search field on said first screen via said operator input interface, each of said entries comprising a manufacturer identifier identifying said particular manufacturer, a different model number representing respective models of equipment manufactured by said particular manufacturer, and a respective designation identifying one of a multiplicity of article types by which said respective model of equipment is classified, all of said information being retrieved from said reference database;
• and
• software for selecting one of said entries listed in said display window in response to input of an entry selection via said operator input interface,
• wherein said graphical user interface changes from said first screen to a second screen in response to said selection of said one of said entries, said second screen comprising an empty data field for entry of an article identifier uniquely identifying an article made by said particular manufacturer and having the model number for said selected entry, filled data fields containing the manufacturer identifier, model number and article type for said selected entry, and an activation area that is selectable via said operator input interface, and
• wherein said system further comprises software for creating a new record containing the information appearing in said fields on said second screen at the time when said activation area is selected after entry of said article identifier and storing said new record in said asset management database in response to selection of said activation area, said entry in said empty data field being treated as an article identifier of the article to be classified.

A system comprising:

• a display monitor;
• an operator input device;
• memory storing a reference database comprising a multiplicity of records, each record containing manufacturer, model and article type information for a respective class of articles and not containing article identifiers that uniquely identify any particular article belonging to any class of articles;
• and
• a computer programmed to perform the following steps:
• controlling said display monitor to display a graphical user interface on said display screen, said graphical user interface comprising a first screen comprising a search field and a display window;
• controlling said display monitor to display a list of entries in said display window in response to input of a search word comprising a sequence of alphanumeric characters uniquely identifying a particular manufacturer in said search field via said operator input device, each of said entries comprising a manufacturer identifier identifying said particular manufacturer, a different model number representing respective models of equipment manufactured by said particular manufacturer, and a respective designation identifying one of a multiplicity of article types by which said respective model of equipment is classified, all of said information being retrieved from said reference database;
• controlling said display monitor to visually indicate a selected one of said entries listed in said display window in response to input of an entry selection via said operator input interface;
• controlling said display monitor to change said graphical user interface from said first screen to a second screen following the input of said entry selection, said second screen comprising an empty data field for entry of an article identifier uniquely identifying an article made by said particular manufacturer and having the model number for said selected entry, and filled data fields containing the manufacturer identifier, model number and article type for said selected entry;
• and
• loading said manufacturer identifier, said model number and said article type in association with said article identifier in an asset management database in memory in response to input of a load data command via said operator input device.

A method for adding a record identifying and describing an article having a unique article identifier to an asset management database containing digital data, comprising the following steps:

• determining the manufacturer and model number of said article;
• inputting a search word comprising a sequence of alphanumeric characters uniquely identifying the particular manufacturer of said article in a search field on a first screen of a graphical user interface;
• displaying a pop-up pick list on said first screen in response to said inputting step, said pick list comprising a list of entries, each of said entries comprising a manufacturer identifier identifying said particular manufacturer, a different model number representing respective models of equipment manufactured by said particular manufacturer, and a respective designation identifying one of a multiplicity of article types by which said respective model of equipment is classified, wherein none of said entries includes an article identifier uniquely identifying said article;
• interacting with said graphical user interface to select the one of said listed entries that identifies the model number of said article;
• displaying a second screen in response to said selection of said one of said entries, said second screen comprising an empty data field for entry of an article identifier uniquely identifying said article, filled data fields containing the manufacturer identifier, model number and article type for said selected entry, and an activation area that is selectable by said selecting means;
• interacting with said graphical user interface to enter said article identifier of said article in said empty data field and then select said activation area;
• and
• storing in said asset management database a new record containing the information appearing in said fields on said second screen at the time when said activation area is selected, said new record comprising the manufacturer identifier, the model number, the article identifier and the article type for said article.