Patents by Inventor Kathy Ball

Kathy Ball has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9188453
    Abstract: A method of determining service routes for a plurality of crews is provided. Outage data identifying a plurality of service outage source locations, a number of affected customers associated with each location of the plurality of locations, and a type of repair to perform at each location of the plurality of locations is received. A repair time is estimated for each location. Crew data identifying a plurality of crews and a start location for the plurality of crews is received. A service route for each crew is determined based on a crew skill indicator associated with each crew satisfying the type of repair to perform at each location and based on the estimated repair time for each location. The service route for a crew of the plurality of crews includes the start location as a first location and at least one location of the plurality of locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Kathy Ball, Albert Hopping
  • Publication number: 20140257895
    Abstract: A method of determining service routes for a plurality of crews is provided. Outage data identifying service outage source locations, a number of affected customers associated with each location, and a type of repair to perform at each location is received. Crew data identifying a start location and a crew skill indicator for each crew is received. A service route is determined for each crew using a mixed integer linear program minimizing a total customer time without the service subject to the crew skill indicator satisfying the type of repair to perform at each location. The service route for a crew includes the start location as a first location and at least one location of the plurality of locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Kathy Ball, Albert Hopping
  • Publication number: 20140257694
    Abstract: A method of determining service routes for a plurality of crews is provided. Outage data identifying a plurality of service outage source locations, a number of affected customers associated with each location of the plurality of locations, and a type of repair to perform at each location of the plurality of locations is received. A repair time is estimated for each location. Crew data identifying a plurality of crews and a start location for the plurality of crews is received. A service route for each crew is determined based on a crew skill indicator associated with each crew satisfying the type of repair to perform at each location and based on the estimated repair time for each location. The service route for a crew of the plurality of crews includes the start location as a first location and at least one location of the plurality of locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Kathy Ball, Albert Hopping
  • Publication number: 20140257913
    Abstract: A method of predicting equipment failures is provided. Potentially-effected equipment located in a path projection for a weather event is identified based on a current characteristic data describing equipment supporting a service. A likelihood of failure for each equipment of the identified potentially-effected equipment is calculated by executing a failure prediction model with the current characteristic data and weather event data describing characteristics of the weather event. Equipment failures of the identified potentially-effected equipment are predicted by comparing the calculated likelihood of failure for each equipment of the identified potentially-effected equipment to a predefined threshold. Information identifying the predicted equipment failures is output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Kathy Ball, Albert Hopping