Lubrication program management system and methods

Abstract

System for scheduling plurality of selected maintenance tasks, having storage media and a processor. The storage media store data indicative of a plurality of maintenance points, task templates, and maintenance task definitions associated between maintenance points and task templates. At least one maintenance point(s) has a plurality of maintenance point parameters associated with task template(s) having a plurality of task parameters. Upon accessing at least one maintenance task definition, the maintenance task definition is dynamically generated from the plurality of maintenance point parameters of maintenance point(s) and from task parameters of task template(s). The processor selectively applies queries to stored data to generate assignments including selected maintenance tasks. The queries have a plurality of filter criteria and logical relationships defined between the filter criteria to selectively include maintenance task definitions matching queries and exclude definitions not matching queries.

1 . A system for scheduling a plurality of selected user performable maintenance tasks, comprising:
 one or more storage media storing data indicative of a plurality of maintenance points,
 a plurality of task templates, 
 and a plurality of maintenance task definitions as associations between maintenance points and task templates, 
 at least one maintenance point having a plurality of maintenance point parameters and associated with at least one task template having a plurality of task parameters,
 such that upon accessing at least one of the maintenance task definitions, 
 such maintenance task definition is dynamically generated from the plurality of maintenance point parameters of the at least one maintenance point and from the plurality of task parameters of the at least one task template; 
 
   a processor selectively applying one or more queries to the stored data to generate a user perceivable assignment including one or more selected user performable maintenance tasks,
 the one or more queries having a plurality of filter criteria and a plurality of logical relationships defined between the filter criteria to selectively include maintenance task definitions matching the one or more queries and exclude maintenance task definitions not matching the one or more queries; and 
   at least one means for outputting the assignment to a user, in a user perceivable format.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the task templates are globally-defined, such that changes to the one or more globally-defined task templates are reflected in all of the maintenance task definitions associated with the respective globally-defined task templates. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more means for permitting a user to selectively define one or more queries by selecting a plurality of filter criteria and a plurality of logical relationships between the filter criteria,
 the one or more queries corresponding to one or more parameters associated with one or more maintenance task definitions to be selectively included or excluded by the one or more queries; 
 and for permitting the user to selectively store the one or more queries to be selectively accessible. 
   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of maintenance point parameters are associated with the at least one maintenance point in a hierarchical fashion,
 and wherein the plurality of task parameters are associated with the at least one task template in an hierarchical fashion.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more queries includes a virtual hierarchy. 
     
     
         6 . A system for scheduling a plurality of selected user performable maintenance tasks, comprising:
 one or more storage media storing data indicative of a plurality of user performable maintenance tasks to be performed on a plurality of maintenance points,
 at least a portion of the plurality of user performable maintenance tasks having a task importance and at least one criticality; 
   a processor selectively applying one or more queries to the stored data to select a plurality of currently-due user performable maintenance tasks matching the one or more queries,
 the processor further ordering the plurality of selected maintenance task definitions in accordance with a prioritization metric derived independently of whether or not the selected user performable maintenance tasks are due; and 
   at least one means for outputting an assignment including the selected maintenance task to a user, in a user perceivable format.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the prioritization metric is derived for each selected maintenance task from at least the respective task importance and at least one criticality. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more queries includes at least one virtual hierarchy. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more queries includes at least one virtual set. 
     
     
         10 . A computer method for enabling a customer to practice a method of scheduling a plurality of selected user performable maintenance tasks, the computer method comprising:
 associating a plurality of maintenance points with a plurality of task templates to generate a plurality of maintenance task definitions defined by the association of maintenance points and task templates,
 at least one maintenance task definition defined by the association of a maintenance point having a plurality of maintenance point parameters and a task template having a plurality of task parameters; 
   providing instructions to the customer for:
 accessing data stored on or more storage media,
 the stored data indicative of the plurality of maintenance task definitions, the plurality of maintenance points, and the plurality of task templates,
 such that upon accessing at least one maintenance task definition, 
 such maintenance task definition is dynamically generated from the plurality of maintenance point parameters of the at least one maintenance point and from the plurality of task parameters of the at least one task template; 
 
 
 applying a query to the stored data to generate an assignment for a user including selected maintenance task definitions matching the query, the query having a plurality of filter criteria and a plurality of logical relationships defined between the filter criteria to selectively include maintenance task definitions matching the query and exclude maintenance task definitions not matching the query; and 
 outputting the assignment to a user, in a user perceivable format. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer method of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the task templates are globally-defined, such that changes to the one or more globally-defined task templates are reflected in all of the maintenance task definitions associated with the respective globally-defined task templates. 
     
     
         12 . The computer method of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions provided are further for:
 selecting a plurality of filter criteria and a plurality of logical relationships between the filter criteria to define one or more queries corresponding to one or more parameters associated with one or more maintenance task definitions to be selectively included or excluded by the one or more queries; and   storing the one or more queries.   
     
     
         13 . The computer method of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions are provided in the form of software comprising the instructions stored one or more computer-readable media. 
     
     
         14 . The computer of method of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable media is selectively executed by a processor associated with a computer accessing the one or more computer-readable media.