Patent Application
20150220246
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for managing, evaluation, treatment and reporting of pest control for a physical structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, the process of evaluation, management, treatment and reporting of pest control management of physical structures (typically homes, offices, retail and manufacturing facilities) has been a manual process. An inspector/evaluator, would arrive on site, survey the property, draw a sketch of the outer boundaries thereof, roughly indicate the location of pest problems, building deficiencies and high risk areas and locations of pest defenses if any. Photos may be taken of these elements, and then the whole lot of information could be shown to the property owner as a mass of unorganized, relatively inaccurate data.
Then the pest control representative might discuss the pest risk areas by pointing to the sketch and locating the appropriate photo. In the next step, a report would be manually assembled and an action plan would be priced and brought back to the property owner. If changes in the report/plan were proposed, the report and pricing would have to be recalculated and new drawings of defenses/risks would have to be drawn up.
To assist the reader in preparing to digest the detailed description and claims below, a short summary has been provided. It is far from complete and only provides a glimpse of the invention concepts. It is not intended to define the scope of the invention. The claims perform that function.
The present disclosures a system and method, such as by a graphical user interface computer program, for building a portfolio of user selected image screens and creating a data file output of images, running on a computer having memory, a microprocessor, data storage and display. It may have any or all of the following:
Also disclosed is an interface further includes a scroll bar of images appearing display pane said scroll bar displaying a plurality of icons corresponding to available programs, whereby the user can select a program from said scroll bar, tag images from said program, select an alternate program, tag images from said alternate program and build a data file of images from multiple program.
Also disclosed is an interface further includes a tile/scroll bar is located between said first display portion and said depository region.
Also disclosed is a method of building a user selected data file of user selected images from a plurality of data programs, including any or all of the following steps in any order:
Also disclosed is a method further including reserving said portion of said display pane for displaying an image of a running program, and displaying said display icons in a first scroll bar located below said reserved portion, and displaying said grabbed images in a second scroll bar under said first scroll bar.
Also disclosed is a graphical user interface computer program for assessing a physical structure for insect and pest control of the structure and generating a report therefor, having any or all of the following elements:
Also disclosed is an interface further including a bi-directional link between said report writer and said grid, so that increasing the tally of icons on the report, generates an increase in the number of icons on the grid.
Also disclosed is an interface further includes a bi-directional link between said report writer and said grid, so that decreasing the tally of icons on the report, generates an indicia in the icons on the grid, so that the user can identify which icons must be deleted for conform to the tally in the report.
Also disclosed is an interface further includes a bi-directional link between said report writer and said grid, so that decreasing the tally of icons on the report, generates a flashing indicia in the icons on the grid, so that the user can identify which icons must be deleted for conform to the tally in the report.
Also disclosed is an interface further includes a bi-directional link between said report writer and said grid, so that decreasing the tally of icons on the report, generates an indicia in the icons on the grid, in a specific location on the grids, so that the user can identify where such additional icons must be located on the grid to conform to the tally in the report.
Also disclosed is a graphical user interface using a display pane connected to a computer processor, memory and data storage, for creating a representation of a physical structure for assessment of pest and insect control and for generating a report interactively therefrom, comprising any or all of the following steps in any order:
Also disclosed is a method further displaying a pointer on said photo icon, so that when a representation of a physical structure has been drawn on the grid, and populated with icons, a report is generated with a tally of icons included in the report.
Also disclosed is a method using a computer processor, memory, storage and a display pane, of building a brief case of images from a plurality of separate programs displayed sequentially on a graphical user interface, the method comprising any or all of the following steps in any order:
Also disclosed is a handheld computing device having any or all of the following elements:
Referring to
A graphical user interface (GUI) module 26 provides a library of routines used to implement a GUI. A GUI module 26 also may be provided as part of operating system 22. For example, Microsoft Windows is sold as an operating system; however, it includes an operating system and a module. The software environment may include various libraries or extension modules that may be used by a software application 14/24. In this example, the GUI module 26 uses the underlying operating system to provide a graphical interface for software application. Software application also may use the operating system, the GUI module, and extensions provided by an extension module. For example, the extension module may provide a scroll bar widget supporting simulated scrolling to allow the software application provide list GUI elements with simulated scrolling as will be explained below.
The typical display pane is a touch screen tablet, but be any display screen device. When a pest control evaluator arrives at a physical structure (building), an early step is to create a floor plan/blue print map of the structure. This may be done by the drawing tool 50 shown in
Alternatively, the user can draw the floor plan 54 by using tools from the tool bar 56 shown on the side of the screen. Each icon shown provides for a different function, which are exemplary, and may vary. The icons shown are: 56a for inputting customer information input to a linked database which produces a report output; 56b materials and dimensions input to a linked database which produces a report output; 56c are numerical/alphabetical tags which may be placed/dropped on the floor plan and which correspond to a look up data table corresponding to observed pest issues or pest treatment specification which may be recommended/ordered by the evaluator. The numbers in circles show in on the floor plan indicate treatment observations and the circled letter indicate treatments have been specified/recommended; 56d with the letter “T” places text wherever it is placed on the grid; 56e brings up a pop up screen of further icons, 70 such as shown in
Using the toolbar 56, a user can draw the floor plan, and if multiple floors are needed, the user can select an additional floor and generate subsequent new blank grids.
To start the property/structure evaluation, the user can draw the floor plan on the grid using the tools. Alternatively, the user can import a file from the data base, such as a jpg file which can be made partially transparent, such as 25%, 50%, 75% transparent or any amount in between, so that the grid lines and icons will be visible through the transparency.
Alternatively, the non vector (i.e. image only file) can be converted by known means to vector file so that its lines with “snap to” the grid and additional lines and shapes can be concatenated thereto. Likewise photos may be used.
One the basic floor plan(s) have been drawn, the tools are used to post other artifacts of the structure and environment there around. If there are other levels to the structure, the grid which has already been drawn for one level can be duplicated onto other levels and then this copied grid can be further amended/modified.
Icon type and their count and location may be stored in the data base so that that information can be used for generating of a report.
For example, an icon for a bait station (see
In
To assist in knowing where the direction of the camera was pointed when the photo was taken, the icon may include a pointer/arrow/camera lens and the icon can be rotated/oriented to point in the direction where the photo was taken. This is particularly important when it is not clear in which direction the photo was taken, such as in a corner or ceiling shot. The photo icon would include a short arrow/pointer extending therefrom to indicate the direction of the shoot.
Once the grid has been fully populated, a report can be generated from preexisting forms, text and fields which are populated from the data collected. Some icons, such as those which the pest control evaluator would install, will be associated with pricing and where the report includes a file for that icon the tally of such icons on the screen is tallied and associated with the price data to produce a line-item cost for that icon installation. Then a total cost can be tallied including other costs entered into the report.
If the customer/user/evaluator then wishes to increase/decrease/alter the number of installations (icons), the amount is adjusted on the report and price is recalculated.
To keep the report and grid map in agreement (synchronized), if icons are added in the report, then can appear on the grid. Because the report will not inherently know where the icons should be placed on the grid, they can be placed in a designated holding area (bull pen) and made to flash, vibrate, change color, or have some other indicia until they are dragged into the proper location desired, whereupon the indicia will terminate.
If the count of icons is decreased, to keep the grid map synchronized, all of that type of icons which are to be decreased, can be made to display a form of indicia which will make them recognizable, such as flashing, vibrating, shimmering, changing color or other available indicia. Then the user can review the grid map and delete selected icons with indicia until the icons lose their indicia, meaning the reduction in could have been met and the map and report are in sync.
It is possible that the synchronization can also be achieved by having a pop-up image of the grid map appear adjacent the report and the icons can be moved, removed, placed immediately in the report mode without the user having to switch back to the grid.
The evaluator may also want to present to the customer, a series of slides, photos, company information, etc., such as in connection with the report.
To do this, a present mode is initiated such as in
In one region is found a “briefcase” icon or tab 90 and a book mark icon/tab 92 which perform functions and later explained.
The display area 84 provides a larger screen pane area for videos, PowerPoint® presentations and any other desired display. Band 86 includes a plurality of icons 86a which are preferably representation of programs, images, display elements which, when activated, run in window 84.
When running, the customer/user may wish to review certain slides from a particular presentation 86a. By clicking the book mark 92 on the currently displayed image in region 84, a thumbnail 88a will appear in field 88 in a sequence of thumbnails. These images are then stored in a database for later retrieval and possible export to a report.
When a customer/user views several presentations 86a but wishes to save certain images from variety of images from different programs. When a program is displaying an image in area 84, the user can activate briefcase tab 90 and a copy of that image will be placed in tray 88 as icon 88a. The user can switch to any program 86a and tag a sequence of images which will then be placed in try 88.
At any time, the user can press export and create a report or file of the sequence of images.
Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application explicitly incorporates the entire contents of the U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/936,041 filed 5 Feb. 2014, titled as Method and System for Managing, Evaluation and Treatment of Physical Structures for Pest Control.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61936041 | Feb 2014 | US |
