METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING SITE-SPECIFIC OPERATIONS

• US 20090082039A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wetzel, Robert Alan, Venneman, Patrick Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.600
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42249 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a site-specific activity at a plurality of remote locations, for example, the inspection of geographically remote equipment or the gathering of data for a census. A mobile operator transports a portable tool (14) to a plurality of locations where a site-specific activity is to be conducted. The portable tool includes a location detection device (32). Processing of data using the portable tool is enabled only when the portable tool is located proximate a designated site, as determined by the location detection device. In various embodiments, the enabled site-specific activity may include data recordation, data transmission, data reception, data processing, and/or the display of a data entry form.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the processing of site-specific data, the method comprising:

using a position detection device associated with a portable electronic tool to determine a current location of the portable electronic tool;

enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by an operator to process site-specific data when the position detection device determines that a current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate a designated site; and

preventing the portable electronic tool from being commanded by the operator to process site-specific data when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is remote from the designated site.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to transmit information to another location only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to receive information transmitted from another location only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to process inspection data relating to equipment located at the designated site only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to display selected information relating to the designated site only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to display a data recordation form only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the portable electronic tool to be commanded by the operator to populate data into a data recordation form only when the position detection device determines that the current location of the portable electronic tool is proximate the designated site.

8. A computer readable medium for use on a portable computing device associated with a location detector, with the medium including program instructions comprising:

a software code module controlling operation of the location detector for determining a current position of the computing device relative to a designated site; and

a software code module enabling operation of the computing device under the control of the operator to process site-specific data when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site and preventing operation of the computing device under the control of the operator to process site-specific data when the current position of the computing device is remote from the designated site.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the program instructions further comprising a software code module enabling data storage on a memory device when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the program instructions further comprising a software code module enabling operation of a transmitter for transmitting data from the computing device to a remote location when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the program instructions further comprising a software code module enabling operation of a receiver for receiving data from a remote location when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the program instructions further comprising a software code module enabling the computing device to display information related to the designated site when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the program instructions further comprising a software code module enabling the computing device to display a data recordation form related to the designated site when the current position of the computing device is proximate the designated site.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the software code module enabling operation of the computing device comprises required proximity values that are not the same in each of three dimensions.

15. A portable electronic tool comprising:

a location detection device;

a data entry device;

a display;

a memory;

a processor operatively connecting the location detection device, the data entry device, the display and the memory; and

program code executable by the processor to enable entry of site-specific data into the memory via the data entry device only when the location detection device determines that the portable electronic tool is within a predetermined distance of a designated site.

16. The portable electronic tool of claim 15, further comprising:

a transmitter; and

program code executable by the processor to enable transmission of data by the transmitter only when the location detection device determines that the portable electronic tool is within the predetermined distance of the designated site.

17. The portable electronic tool of claim 15, further comprising:

a receiver; and

program code executable by the processor to enable the receipt of data by the receiver only when the location detection device determines that the portable electronic tool is within the predetermined distance of the designated site.

18. The portable electronic tool of claim 15, further comprising program code executable by the processor to enable the entry into the memory of site-specific data associated with a specific asset associated with a specific asset identifier only when the location detection device determines that the portable electronic tool is within a predetermined distance of a designated site associated in the memory with the specific equipment.