Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of related resources using a computer having a memory, including the steps of: creating a data base of information (Case; Phase) about at least some of said resources; identifying some of said resources as being primary, and other resources as being secondary; establishing temporal relationships between at least some of said resources; prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources and at least some of said secondary resources; determining whether any of said scheduled utilizations of one of said resources is incompatible with the scheduled utilization of the same or another resource; communicating, by means of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), the existence of any said incompatible scheduled utilizations.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of related resources using a computer having a memory, including the steps of: creating a data base of information (Case; Phase) about at least some of said resources; identifying some of said resources as being primary, and other resources as being secondary; establishing temporal relationships between at least some of said resources; prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources and at least some of said secondary resources; determining whether any of said scheduled utilizations of one of said resources is incompatible with the scheduled utilization of the same or another resource; communicating, by means of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), the existence of any said incompatible scheduled utilizations.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
97 words
The method of prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of related resources using a computer having a memory, including the steps of: creating a data base of information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; including in said data base permissible and impermissible uses of at least some of said resources; prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said resources; searching said data base to determine if any of said scheduled utilizations constitutes an impermissible use; communicating, by means of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), said impermissible scheduled utilizations.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
97 words
The method of prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of related resources using a computer having a memory, including the steps of: creating a data base of information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; including in said data base permissible and impermissible uses of at least some of said resources; prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said resources; searching said data base to determine if any of said scheduled utilizations constitutes an impermissible use; communicating, by means of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), said impermissible scheduled utilizations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein communication of at least some of said conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8) is by means of sound.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein communication of at least some of said conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C8) is by means of light, radio waves or other electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
44 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising an optical display and wherein said communication of at least one of said conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8) is accomplished by having same appear on said display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said prospectively scheduled utilization is reflected on said display in the form of scheduling indicia.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of: obtaining information representing actual utilization of at least one of said resources at a point in time subsequent to the first scheduled utilization of said resource; communicating said actual utilization information by having same appear on said display in the form of status indicia.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of: determining whether said actual utilization is inconsistent with any prior scheduled utilizations of any resource; rescheduling at least one of said inconsistent previously scheduled utilizations.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of recording said actual utilizations.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
77 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 9 further comprising the steps of: obtaining information representing actual utilization of at least one of said resources at a point in time subsequent to the first scheduled utilization of said resource; determining whether said actual utilization is incompatible with any of said temporal relationships or with any information stored in said data base; and communicating, by means of conflict indicia, the existence of any such incompatible utilizations.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
121 words
A system for prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of resources, at least some of which are interrelated, comprising: a computer having a memory; a data base stored in said memory containing information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; a set of primary resources and a set of secondary resources; scheduling means for prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources as a function of time; means for comparing at least one of said scheduled utilizations with at least one other scheduled utilization or with information in said data base, to detect incompatibilities; and means for communicating, by use of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C3; C4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8) the existence of detected incompatibilities.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
121 words
A system for prospectively planning utilization of a multiplicity of resources, at least some of which are interrelated, comprising: a computer having a memory; a data base stored in said memory containing information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; a set of primary resources and a set of secondary resources; scheduling means for prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources as a function of time; means for comparing at least one of said scheduled utilizations with at least one other scheduled utilization or with information in said data base, to detect incompatibilities; and means for communicating, by use of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C3; C4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8) the existence of detected incompatibilities.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
The system of claim 11 further comprising an optically recognizable display.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 12 wherein at least some of said scheduling information is made to appear, by means of scheduling indicia, on said display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 12 or 13 wherein at least some of said conflict indicia (C1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8) are made to appear on said display.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
30 words
The system of any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein said scheduling indicia reflect planned utilization of at least some of said primary resources as a function of time.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 15 wherein at least some of said scheduling indicia incorporate information about utilization of at least some of said secondary resources.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
187 words
A system for prospectively scheduling, periodic monitoring and managing utilization of a plurality of resources, at least some of which are interrelated, comprising: a computer having a memory; a data base stored in said memory, containing information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; a set of primary resources and a set of secondary resources; scheduling means for prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources as a function of time; means for communicating at least some of said prospectively scheduled utilization information through use of scheduling indicia; means for comparing at least one of said scheduled utilizations with at least one other scheduled utilization or with information in said data base to detect incompatibilities; means for communicating, by use of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), the existence of detected incompatibilities; means for collecting information about actual utilization of at least one of said primary resources subsequent to the first scheduled use of a resource; means for modifying at least one of said scheduled utilizations to reflect variances between said actual utilization and said prospectively scheduled utilization.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
187 words
A system for prospectively scheduling, periodic monitoring and managing utilization of a plurality of resources, at least some of which are interrelated, comprising: a computer having a memory; a data base stored in said memory, containing information (Case, Phase) about at least some of said resources; a set of primary resources and a set of secondary resources; scheduling means for prospectively scheduling utilization of at least some of said primary resources as a function of time; means for communicating at least some of said prospectively scheduled utilization information through use of scheduling indicia; means for comparing at least one of said scheduled utilizations with at least one other scheduled utilization or with information in said data base to detect incompatibilities; means for communicating, by use of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8), the existence of detected incompatibilities; means for collecting information about actual utilization of at least one of said primary resources subsequent to the first scheduled use of a resource; means for modifying at least one of said scheduled utilizations to reflect variances between said actual utilization and said prospectively scheduled utilization.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 17 further comprising means for inputting the actual status of utilization of at least one of said primary resources at a point in time subsequent to the initial planned utilization of at least one of said primary resources.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising means for collecting information about actual utilization of at least one of said primary resources at a point in time subsequent to the first prospectively scheduled utilization thereof and means for communicating said actual utilization information by use of status indicia.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 19 further comprising means for comparing said actual utilization of at least one of said primary resources with the prospectively scheduled utilization of said resource and means for communicating, through use of status indicia, the results of said comparison.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
49 words
The system of any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein at least one of said means for collecting said actual utilization information; said means for inputting said actual utilization status of resources; and said means for collecting information about actual utilization of resources includes real time clock means.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
37 words
The system of any one of claims 17 to 21 further comprising means for detecting modification-caused incompatible utilizations and communicating said detected modification-caused incompatibilities by use of conflict indicia (C-1, C-2, C-3; C-4, C-5; C-6, C-7, C-8).
Claim 27
Independent Claim
31 words
The system of any one of claims 17 to 22 further comprising optical display means for displaying at least one of said scheduling indicia, said conflict indicia or said status indicia.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
36 words
The system of any one of claims 17 to 23 wherein said modifying means includes means for automatically altering at least one of said scheduled utilizations in response to detection of at least one modification-caused incompatibility.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
29 words
The system of any one of claims 11 to 24 wherein at least some of said scheduling, conflict and status indicia appear in the form of a graphical display.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 25 wherein said graphical display is made to appear concurrently with a textual display of information about utilization of at least some of said primary or secondary resources.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
34 words
The system of any one of claims 11 to 26 wherein information stored in said data base about at least one of said resources can be accessed and made to appear on a/said display.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
26 words
The system of any one of claims 18 to 26 further comprising means for recording the time of said inputting of said actual status utilization data.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
22 words
The system of any one of claims 18 to 27 further comprising means for recording the time of said actual status utilization.