SYSTEM AND PROCESS TO ENSURE PERFORMANCE OF MANDATED INSPECTIONS
First Claim
1. A method for verifying whether at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following;
(i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip; and
(ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip;
(b) after the triggering condition has been detected, transmitting a signal indicating that a person has been disposed proximate to at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, while nominally conducting at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
(c) receiving the signal at a monitor that is not part of the vehicle, thereby enabling a person who is not disposed proximate to the vehicle to verify that the required inspection was performed; and
(d) determining whether the signal has been received at the monitor before a predefined event occurs, and if not, determining that the person cannot yet have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, wherein if it is determined that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, performing at least one of the following functions;
(i) storing data at a location other than at the vehicle, said data indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
(ii) displaying a status message at a location other than at the vehicle, said status message indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; and
(iii) producing an alarm at a location other than at the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus to provide evidence that a person who is intended to make a required inspection was actually physically present at a predefined location associated with the inspection, so that the inspection could have been done, and if not, to provide an indication of the failure to perform the inspection. This invention is particularly well suited to determine if required pre/post-trip inspections of vehicles have been performed. Detecting a triggering condition, such as powering on (or off) equipment, indicates the beginning of a period of time during which the inspection is to be performed. The monitoring system waits for a predetermined event to occur, which indicates the period of time has expired and determines if data corresponding to the inspection have been received. If not, it is concluded that the inspection has not been performed.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for verifying whether at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following; (i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip; and (ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip; (b) after the triggering condition has been detected, transmitting a signal indicating that a person has been disposed proximate to at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, while nominally conducting at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; (c) receiving the signal at a monitor that is not part of the vehicle, thereby enabling a person who is not disposed proximate to the vehicle to verify that the required inspection was performed; and (d) determining whether the signal has been received at the monitor before a predefined event occurs, and if not, determining that the person cannot yet have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, wherein if it is determined that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, performing at least one of the following functions; (i) storing data at a location other than at the vehicle, said data indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; (ii) displaying a status message at a location other than at the vehicle, said status message indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; and (iii) producing an alarm at a location other than at the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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11. A system for verifying whether at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising:
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(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition and produces a first signal indicative thereof, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following; (i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip; and (ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip; (b) a sensor configured to produce a second signal indicating that a person has reached at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, the at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection; and (c) a monitor that receives the first signal from the detector and the second signal from the sensor, said monitor producing an indication that the person cannot yet have performed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, if the second signal has not been received by the monitor before a predefined event occurs after the first signal was received by the monitor, the monitor being disposed separate from the vehicle, such that a person remote from the vehicle can use the monitor to determine if the inspection was performed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. A method for verifying whether at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle is likely to have been performed by a person, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following; (i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip; and (ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip; (b) waiting for a predefined event to occur; (c) determining if a second predefined event has occurred; (d) if the second predefined event has not occurred, determining that the person has not yet completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, and transmitting a signal indicating that the person has not yet completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; and (e) receiving the signal at a monitor that is not part of the vehicle, thereby enabling a person who is not proximate to the vehicle to verify whether the required inspection was performed. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A system for producing an indication when at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has not been performed, comprising:
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(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition and produces a first signal indicative thereof, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following; (i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip; and (ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip; (b) a sensor configured to receive the first signal, to produce a second signal, and to transmit the second signal, the second signal being a wireless communication not limited by a line of sight, the second signal being produced only if each of the following conditions are met; (i) the first signal has been received; (ii) a predefined event has occurred; and (iii) the sensor has not detected that a person has been proximate to at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, the at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection, the second signal thus indicating that a person has not yet completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; and (c) a monitor that receives the second signal from the sensor, the monitor being disposed separate from the vehicle, such that a person remote from the vehicle can use the monitor to determine if the inspection was performed.
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23. A method for verifying whether an inspection has likely been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition corresponding to a beginning of a period during which the inspection should be performed; (b) after the triggering condition has been detected, transmitting a signal indicating that a person has been proximate at least one predefined location associated with the inspection, while nominally performing the inspection; and (c) determining whether the signal has been received by a monitor, before a predefined event occurs, the monitor being disposed in a location remote from a detector used to detect the triggering condition and from the at least one predefined location, the monitor being configured to monitor signals from multiple detectors, and to monitor multiple inspections, the predefined event corresponding to the end of a period during which the inspection should be, and if not, determining that the person cannot yet have completed the inspection, wherein if it is determined that the person cannot yet have completed the inspection, performing at least one of the following functions; (i) storing data indicating that the person cannot yet have completed the inspection; (ii) displaying a status message indicating that the person cannot yet have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle; and (iii) producing an alarm at the monitor.
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24. A method for verifying whether an inspection has likely been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition corresponding to a beginning of a period during which the inspection should be performed; (b) waiting for a predefined event to occur, the predefined event corresponding to the end of a period during which the inspection should be performed; (c) determining whether a person has been disposed proximate to at least one predefined location associated with the inspection, while nominally performing the inspection, based upon an indication provided when the person is disposed proximate to the at least one predefined location; (d) if it has been determined that a person has not been disposed proximate to at least one predefined location, based upon a lack of the indication, then transmitting a signal indicating that the person has not yet performed the inspection; and (e) receiving the signal at a monitor disposed in a location remote from the at least one predefined location, thereby enabling a person who is not disposed proximate to the at least one predefined location to verify whether the required inspection was performed.
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25. A method for verifying whether an inspection has likely been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition corresponding to a beginning of a period during which the inspection should be performed; (b) waiting for a predefined event to occur, the predefined event corresponding to an end of the period during which the inspection should be performed; (c) determining if a second predefined event has occurred, and if not, determining that a person has not yet performed the inspection; and (d) transmitting a signal indicating that the person has not yet performed the inspection; and (e) receiving the signal at a monitor disposed in a second location remote from a first location associated with the inspection, thereby enabling a person who is not disposed proximate to the first location to verify whether the required inspection was performed.
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26. A system for producing an indication when an inspection has not been performed, comprising:
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(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition, the triggering condition corresponding to a beginning of a period during which the inspection should be performed, the detector producing a first signal indicative thereof, (b) a sensor disposed at a first location, the sensor being configured to receive the first signal, to produce a second signal, and to transmit the second signal, the second signal being a wireless communication not limited by a line of sight, the second signal being produced only if all of the following conditions are met; (i) the first signal has been received; (ii) a predefined event has occurred, the predefined event corresponding to an end of a period during which the inspection should be performed; and (iii) the sensor has not detected that a person has been disposed proximate to at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the inspection, the second signal thus indicating that a person has not yet completed the inspection; and (c) a monitor disposed in a second location remote from the first location, thereby enabling a person who is not disposed proximate to the first location to verify whether the required inspection was performed.
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Specification