Method and apparatus for utilizing a database

• US 20060004793A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Edwy, Tommy, Chan, Ahdee Quan, King, James Leslie, Stark, Randal Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method for utilizing a database for an inspection of an industrial plant includes downloading a spreadsheet from a remote database containing inspection-related data for the industrial plant, wherein the spreadsheet includes selection lists of inspection data. The method further includes entering inspection data into the spreadsheet utilizing the selection lists and uploading the spreadsheet with the entered inspection data to the remote computer to thereby update the remote database.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a database for an inspection of an industrial plant, said method comprising:

downloading a spreadsheet from a remote database containing inspection-related data for the industrial plant, wherein the spreadsheet includes selection lists of inspection data;

entering inspection data into the spreadsheet utilizing the selection lists; and

uploading the spreadsheet with the entered inspection data to the remote computer to thereby update the remote database.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said industrial plant is a nuclear power plant, and said inspection data includes a selection list of welds to be inspected.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein downloading said spreadsheet includes downloading macros configured to constrain inspection data entries entered into the spreadsheet.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said downloading a spreadsheet from a remote database containing inspection-related data for the industrial plant includes selecting an industrial plant from a list of industrial plants.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said entering inspection data into the spreadsheet utilizing the selection lists comprises entering inspection data for a plurality of examinations.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said industrial plant is a nuclear power plant, said downloading a spreadsheet from a remote database containing inspection-related data for the industrial plant further comprises logging into a secure web site, and said inspection is performed in response to a shutdown.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein downloading said spreadsheet includes downloading macros configured to constrain inspection data entries entered into the spreadsheet, and said macros include inspection types.

8. A method for utilizing a database, said method comprising:

in response to a request from a local computer, extracting selected data from a database;

arranging said data into a spreadsheet file;

including macros, specification lists, or both in the spreadsheet file to constrain entries into the spreadsheet file; and

transmitting the spreadsheet file with the macros, specification lists, or both to the local computer.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said selected data includes nuclear plant inspection data.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said nuclear plant inspection data includes data relating to welds.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said database and said selected data includes inspection data further comprising transmitting a list of industrial plants to said remote computer to solicit said request.

12. A method for utilizing a database, said method comprising:

receiving a spreadsheet containing inspection related data from a local computer;

parsing the spreadsheet to extract the inspection related data; and

inserting the inspection related data into the database.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the inspection related data comprises nuclear plant inspection data.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the nuclear plant inspection data includes data relating to welds.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising checking data in the spreadsheet for at least one of consistency and completeness.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising sending a verification report to the local computer.

17. A method for utilizing a database, said method comprising:

in response to a request from a local computer, extracting selected data from a database;

arranging said data into a spreadsheet file;

including macros, specification lists, or both in the spreadsheet file to constrain entries into the spreadsheet file;

transmitting the spreadsheet file with the macros, specification lists, or both to the local computer;

receiving the spreadsheet from a local computer with inspection related data added;

parsing the spreadsheet to extract the inspection related data; and

inserting the inspection related data into the database.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the database includes nuclear power plant inspection data and said inspection related data includes data relating to welds at a nuclear power plant.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising transmitting a list of industrial plants to said remote computer to solicit said request.

23. A computer network in accordance with claim 19 wherein said web server is a secure web server configured to login said local computers.

20. A computer network with a database for industrial plant inspections, said network comprising:

a plurality of local computers each having a spreadsheet program; and

a computer system including a database of inspection data, a query module, a web server, and an update module;

wherein said query module is configured to extract data from the database and rearrange the data into a spreadsheet and provide at least one of macros or selection lists to produce locked spreadsheet files, said update module is configured to parse uploaded spreadsheets and enter parsed inspection data into said database, and said plurality of local computers are configured to download locked spreadsheet files and upload spreadsheets to said web server via a network.

21. A computer network in accordance with claim 20 wherein said database of inspection data includes data relating to nuclear power plant inspections.

22. A computer network in accordance with claim 21 wherein said data relating to nuclear power plant inspections includes data relating to welds.