Method & system for providing orientation/training and controlling site access

• US 20040241627A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Waste Management Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Waste Management Incorporated
• Inventors: Delfing, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US10/804,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20040241627A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A computer aided training and certification method and system is provided that also serves to control jobsite access. A hosting center/central network stores multimedia content and administrative/certification information and communicates with training units to deliver the training and instructional scripts directed to site and task specific requirements and records trainee responses to inquiries and test questions. Site access is limited to only those qualified for the purpose and satisfying mandatory pre-employment safety orientations, including testing, and/or to only those having a pre-determined purpose for entry through system generated identification cards, administrative computer tracking and/or site located electronic card readers. Individual qualification, upon entry and for use in permitting entry, is also provided for a cataloging of those individuals/employees on site and identifying those on site by the skills and tasks to which they are qualified and/or certified.

Claims

1. A method for providing training and for qualifying individuals for employ at and access to one or more site locations, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving registration data directed to one or more participants desiring employ at and access to the one or more site locations and recording the data to a central storage media;

determining a relevant training topic;

providing training directed to the relevant topic;

providing a qualifying interface configured to receive participant input relating to one or more queries directed to the relevant topic;

receiving the participant input relating to the one or more queries and recording the participant input to the central storage media;

transmitting results data evidencing a relative level of participant success to the one or more site locations; and

providing an indication of participant qualification for employment at and access to the one or more site locations, wherein the indication serves to enable the participant entry to the one or more site locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the participant input relating to the one or more queries and before transmitting the results data, evaluating whether the participant input satisfies a predetermined criteria;

wherein if the predetermined criteria is not satisfied, providing supplemental or repeated training directed to the relevant topic, including providing one or more supplemental or repeated queries directed to the relevant topic for participant input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting direction to generate a badge or identification card, wherein the direction is based upon a review of the registration and the results data recorded to the central storage media for the participant, whereby the badge or identification card enables the participant to enter the one or more site locations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of analyzing the indication serving to enable the participant to enter the one or more site locations, the registration data and the results data recorded to the central storage media and transmitting applicable data relevant to the analysis to the one or more site locations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applicable data relevant to the analysis transmitted to the one or more site locations is an approval or disapproval for participant entry to the one or more site locations.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the applicable data relevant to the analysis transmitted to the one or more site locations is selected from the group consisting of an approval or disapproval of participant entry to the one or more site locations, an indication of the participant'"'"'s good standing, an indication of the participant'"'"'s certifications, and an indication of the participant'"'"'s limitations while on site.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving, upon participant access to the one or more site locations, and recording to the central storage media, data selected from the group consisting of a site location identifier for the site location accessed by the participant, a time of entry, a time of exit, and tasks performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing indication of participant qualification for employment at and access to the one or more site locations occurs with each participant request for entry at the one or more site locations upon a review of the registration and the results data for the participant recorded to the central storage media.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant training topic is a safety orientation related to work at sanitation sites and the one or more site locations are landfills.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the participant input related to the one or more queries is directed to an understanding of, and an agreement to comply with, mandatory and recommended safety precautions in place at the landfills.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant training topic is directed to a specific job skill or task, the queries are directed to testing competence in the specific skill or task, and the indication of participant qualification is a certification allowing the participant to perform the specific skill or task at the one or more site locations.

12. A system for providing training and for qualifying individuals for employ at and access to one or more site locations, the system comprising:

a centralized data store configured to receive, store and transmit general, registration, training, and qualifying data directed to one or more individuals;

server software designed to enforce rules relating to the receipt, storage, and transmission of the general, registration, training, and qualifying data;

a plurality of training units configured to transmit the general, registration, training, and qualifying data, wherein the data is generated and transmitted by the training units after the training units communicate training transmitted from the centralized data store, the training being directed to an employment activity at the one or more site locations, at least one of the training units being remotely located from the centralized data store;

a plurality of network clients configured to receive the general, registration, training, and qualifying data from the centralized data store, the clients being operable upon direction of one or more site facilitators;

a first set of network connections providing communication between the centralized data store and the plurality of training units; and

a second set of network connections providing communication between the centralized data store and the plurality of network clients.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the qualifying data is directed to successful completion of a safety orientation, the remote locations are the site locations, and the site locations are sanitation sites.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the employment activity is safety rules and precautions and the data generated and transmitted by the training units is responses to queries directed to an understanding of, and agreement to comply with, the safety rules and precautions.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the qualifying data is directed to successful completion of testing associated with training directed to a specific job skill or task, the successful completion of the testing indicating an individual'"'"'s competence in the specific skill or task, the qualifying data being a certification for the individual to perform the skill or task at the one or more site locations.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the network clients are badging devices to generate a badge or identification card indicating that access to the one or more site locations is permissible for a respective individual.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the network clients are recording devices to monitor and track individual access to the one or more site locations.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the training units are personal computers and the network connection is the internet.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a software deployment module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed, provides training, qualifies individuals for employ, and provides indication of access to one or more site locations by;

receiving registration data directed to one or more participants desiring employ at and access to the one or more site locations and recording the data to the memory;

providing training directed to a relevant topic;

providing a qualifying interface configured to receive participant input relating to one or more queries directed to the relevant topic;

receiving the participant input relating to the one or more queries and recording the participant input to the memory;

transmitting results data evidencing a relative level of participant success to the one or more site locations; and

providing an indication of participant qualification for employment at and access to the one or more site locations, wherein the indication serves to enable the participant entry to the one or more site locations.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising, after receiving the participant input relating to the one or more queries and before transmitting the results data, evaluating whether the participant input satisfies a predetermined criteria;

wherein if the predetermined criteria is not satisfied, providing supplemental or repeated training directed to the relevant topic, including providing one or more supplemental or repeated queries directed to the relevant topic for participant input.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising the step of transmitting direction to generate a badge or identification card, wherein the direction is based upon a review of the registration and the results data recorded to the central storage media for the participant, whereby the badge or identification card enables the participant to enter the one or more site locations.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising the step of analyzing the indication serving to enable the participant to enter the one or more site locations, the registration data and the results data recorded to the central storage media and transmitting applicable data relevant to the analysis to the one or more site locations.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the applicable data relevant to the analysis transmitted to the one or more site locations is an approval or disapproval for participant entry to the one or more site locations.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the applicable data relevant to the analysis transmitted to the one or more site locations is selected from the group consisting of an approval or disapproval of participant entry to the one or more site locations, an indication of the participant'"'"'s good standing, an indication of the participant'"'"'s certifications, and an indication of the participant'"'"'s limitations while on site.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising the step of receiving, upon participant access to the one or more site locations, and recording to the central storage media, data selected from the group consisting of a site location identifier for the site location accessed by the participant, a time of entry, a time of exit, and tasks performed.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein providing indication of participant qualification for employment at and access to the one or more site locations occurs with each participant request for entry at the one or more site locations upon a review of the registration and the results data for the participant recorded to the central storage media.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the relevant training topic is a safety orientation related to work at sanitation sites and the one or more site locations are landfills.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the participant input related to the one or more queries is directed to an understanding of, and an agreement to comply with, mandatory and recommended safety precautions in place at the landfills.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein disagreement by a participant to three consecutive attempts to respond to a single query results in participant lock-out from continuing training.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the relevant training topic is directed to a specific job skill or task, the queries are directed to testing competence in the specific skill or task, and the indication of participant qualification is a certification allowing the participant to perform the specific skill or task at the one or more site locations.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein transmitting results data evidencing a relative level of participant success to the one or more site locations includes indication of a participant'"'"'s agreement or disagreement to comply with safety precautions in place at the site locations, the indication noting a number of disagreement responses of the participant prior to providing an agreement response.