US 8,948,355 B2Granted

System and method for dispatching field technicians based on locations of storage locations

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsMario Kosseifi, Sheldon K. Meredith

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Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining a technician to dispatch to a customer site requiring a service call. A first plurality of technicians assigned to a customer site requiring a service call is determined. A location of each of the technicians is also determined. A first plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of locations at which is disposed equipment needed for the service call. A second plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call. One of the technicians is dispatched to the customer site based on the location of each of the technicians, on the first plurality of distances, and on the second plurality of distances. A system for implementing the method is disclosed.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a system having a processor, a service-call notification indicating a customer site associated with a service call;
and
generating, by the system, in response to obtaining the service-call notification, and based on each of a group of characteristics, a technician dispatch for use in dispatching one of a plurality of technicians;
wherein:
the group of characteristics on which the generating is base comprises:
(a) a location of the customer site;
(b) a current inventory of equipment or each of plurality of service-vehicle storage locations;
(c) a current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of non-service-vehicle warehouse storage locations;
(d) a location of each of the service-vehicle storage locations;
(e) a location of each of the non-service-vehicle warehouse storage locations;
(f) a location of each of the plurality of technicians;
(g) a type of problem associated with the service call, the problem being indicated b the service-call notification;
and
(h) a plurality of total-transit times;
the type of problem is indicative of a part or tool needed at the customer site;
each of the plurality of total-transit times is an amount of time required for the respective technician to travel from the location of the respective technician to a waypoint, at which the part or tool is located, and from the waypoint to the location of the service call and
the waypoint, at which the part or tool is located, is selected from a group consisting of:
a first service vehicle of the plurality of service vehicles storage locations;
and
a first storage location, of the plurality of warehouse storage locations.

17 more elements

A system, comprising:

a server including:
a processor;
and
a computer-readable medium comprising:
data indicating a current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of service-vehicle storage locations;
data indicating a current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of non-service-vehicle warehouse storage locations;
data indicating a location of each of the service-vehicle storage locations;
data indicating a location of each of the storage locations;
and
computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining a service-call notification indicating a customer site associated with a service call;
and
generating, in response to obtaining the service-call notification, and based on each of a group of characteristics, a technician dispatch, for use in dispatching one of a plurality of technicians;
wherein:
the group of characteristics on which the generating is based comprises:
(a) a location of the customer site;
(b) the current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of service-vehicle storage locations;
(c) the current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of non-service-vehicle warehouse storage locations;
(d) the location of each of the service vehicle storage locations;
(e) the location of each of the non-service-vehicle warehouse storage locations;
(f) a location of each of he plurality of technicians;
(g) a type of problem associated with the service call, the problem being indicated by the service-call notification;
and
(h) a plurality of total-transit times;
the type of problem is indicative of a part or tool needed at the customer site;
each of the plurality of total-transit times is an amount of time required for the respective technician to travel from the location of the respective technician to a waypoint, at which the part or tool is located, and from the waypoint to the location of the service call;
and
the waypoint, at which the part or tool is located, is selected from a group consisting of:
a first service vehicle, of the plurality of service vehicles storage locations;
and
a first storage location, of the plurality of warehouse storage locations.

28 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/528,261Filed 20 Jun 2012 · continuation
Priority: 11 Dec 2008
Published: US 2012/0257733 A111 Oct 2012
Granted: 3 Feb 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06Q 10/00
Administration
G06Q 10/06311
Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations: scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person…
G06Q 10/06313
Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations: resource planning in a project environment
G06Q 10/083
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: shipping

Family

Application12/332,984Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2008
US 2012/0257733 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Oct 2012
US 8,219,467 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2010/0153165 A1Published application
US 8,948,355 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.