Ensuring the performance of mandated inspections combined with the collection of ancillary data
First Claim
1. A method for providing a record on a portable device that a location was visited during an inspection, while contemporaneously collecting ancillary data on the portable device, comprising the steps of:
- (a) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the location;
(b) in response to the portable device being moved proximate the location, automatically producing a record stored within the portable device that the portable device was proximate the location, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the location to perform an inspection at the location; and
(c) further in response to the portable device being moved proximate the location, automatically transferring and storing the ancillary data in the recording device, said ancillary data having been collected by a data collection device disposed proximate the location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
During an inspection discrete checkpoints provide data to a portable reader, enabling a record to be generated identifying each checkpoint visited during an inspection. At least one checkpoint associated with the inspection will convey ancillary data to the portable device, either in lieu of, or in addition to, a checkpoint ID uniquely identifying a location or component inspected. The ID is not ancillary data, because the only function of the ID is to verify that an inspector was present at a particular location or component. In contrast, ancillary data are data that have an additional utility. For example, a sensor may be disposed in proximity of the component or location to be inspected. Data collected by such a sensor represents ancillary data, because such data does more than uniquely identify a particular location or component that was visited during an inspection.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for providing a record on a portable device that a location was visited during an inspection, while contemporaneously collecting ancillary data on the portable device, comprising the steps of:
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(a) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the location;
(b) in response to the portable device being moved proximate the location, automatically producing a record stored within the portable device that the portable device was proximate the location, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the location to perform an inspection at the location; and
(c) further in response to the portable device being moved proximate the location, automatically transferring and storing the ancillary data in the recording device, said ancillary data having been collected by a data collection device disposed proximate the location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for using a portable device for collecting ancillary data that include data values of interest and indicate that a location was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a portable device for use in recording ancillary data related to the inspection, said portable device being capable of receiving the ancillary data from a data collection device that is disposed proximate the location, only when the portable device is also disposed proximate the location, the ancillary data having been collected by the data collection device; and
(b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the location, such that the portable device automatically interrogates the data collection device, causing the ancillary data to be transferred to the portable device and thereby providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the location to perform the inspection at the location. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for providing evidence that a plurality of locations were visited during an inspection, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of tokens, each token being associated with a different location that is to be visited during the inspection and affixed adjacent to the location, each token being configured to provide at least one of unique identification data that uniquely identifies the token, and at least one of the tokens being adapted to transfer ancillary data that have been collected by a data collection device to which the token is adapted to be coupled; and
(b) a portable device adapted to be transported to each location to be visited and inspected during the inspection, said portable device including;
(i) a housing;
(ii) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored;
(iii) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate each of the plurality of tokens, and thus within a predetermined maximum distance from each of the locations associated with the plurality of tokens, said sensor producing a signal indicating when the portable device is within the predetermined maximum distance from any of the locations;
(iv) a reader configured to collect ancillary data when the portable device is proximate any of the plurality of tokens that are coupled to a data collection device, and thus within the predetermined maximum distance from the location associated with the token, the reader responding to the signal that is produced by the sensor, by receiving the ancillary data from the token; and
(v) a controller coupled to the memory, the reader, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, causing the memory to store data indicative of each location visited during the safety inspection, the stored data comprising the unique identification data and any ancillary data transferred from the token at the location. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A system for providing evidence that a plurality of locations were visited during an inspection, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of tokens, each token being associated with a different location that is to be visited during the inspection and affixed adjacent to the location, each token being configured to convey ancillary data collected by a data collection device adapted to be coupled to the token, the ancillary data conveyed by each token being uniquely discriminable and associated with only one of the plurality of locations to be inspected with which the token is associated; and
(b) a portable device adapted to be transported to each location to be visited and inspected during the inspection, said portable device including;
(i) a housing;
(ii) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored;
(iii) a reader configured to collect ancillary data conveyed by any of the plurality of tokens when the portable device is proximate the token, and thus within a predetermined maximum distance from the location with which the token is associated, the reader receiving the ancillary data, said ancillary data being indicative that the portable device is within the predetermined maximum distance from said location; and
(iv) a controller coupled to the memory, the reader, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, causing the memory to store the ancillary data that are indicative of each location visited during the inspection, as the ancillary data for the location are collected by the reader.
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Specification