METHOD AND APPARATUS TO AUTOMATE DATA COLLECTION DURING A MANDATORY INPSECTION

• US 20090237245A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brinton, William JR., Brinton, Brett, McQuade, Charles Michael, Mayer, Daniel, Russell, Robie G., Lugash, Richard, Manegold, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for verifying that an operator was sufficiently close to one or more items to be inspected during an inspection to actually inspect the components, and storing an indication to that effect in a memory accessible via a computer network. In addition to the indication, the memory can store other inspection related data, such as a starting time or ending time of the inspection, or maintenance information about the item that was input during the inspection. The system and method enable a third party application, such as an accounting program or a maintenance program, to access any of the inspection related data.

Claims

1. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include at least an indication that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:

(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network;

(b) a portable device comprising;

(i) means for verifying that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected; and

(ii) means for conveying an indication that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected to the network accessible memory, such that the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory for the item to be inspected comprise the indication provided by the portable device, the indication providing evidence that a user of the portable device was actually proximate an item to be inspected; and

(c) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for verifying that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected comprises means to determine a geographical position of the portable device, such that the indication is generated by the portable device when the geographical position of the portable device matches a known geographical position of the item to be inspected.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for verifying that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected comprises a sensor configured to determine that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of unique tokens, each unique token being disposed at a different item to be inspected, and each unique token being detectable by the sensor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one token is coupled with a sensor configured to collect ancillary data for an item, such that the ancillary data are automatically conveyed to the portable device when the sensor detects the at least one token, the ancillary data being added to the inspection related data for that item.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for conveying the indication to the network accessible memory comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) a wireless communication component configured for wireless communication; and

(b) a data port configured for wired communication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) an inspection checklist configured to facilitate execution of an inspection; and

(b) a user interface configured to enable a user of the portable device to input data for an item, the data input by the user being added to the inspection related data for that item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data interface application is configured to implement at least one function selected from a group consisting of:

(a) extracting billing data from the inspection related data, and providing the billing data extracted to a third party accounting program; and

(b) extracting maintenance data from the inspection related data, and providing the maintenance data extracted to a third party maintenance management program.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the billing data comprises at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of:

a starting time record, a finishing time record, an employee timesheet record, an engine hour record, and a vehicle mileage record.

10. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include an indication verifying that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:

(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network;

(b) a portable data collection device configured to collect inspection related data, the portable data collection device comprising;

(i) means for verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected;

(ii) a user interface configured to enable a user of the portable data collection device to input data; and

(ii) means for conveying an indication that the portable data collection device is proximate the item to be inspected and any user input data to the network accessible memory, such that inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory for the item to be inspected comprises the indication provided by the portable device and any data input by the user relating to the item; and

(c) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected comprises means to determine a geographical position of the portable data collection device, such that the portable data collection device generates the signal when the geographical position of the portable data collection device generally matches a known geographical position of the item to be inspected.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected comprises a sensor configured to determine that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of unique tokens, each unique token being disposed at a different item to be inspected, and each unique token being detectable by the sensor.

14. A method for verifying that an inspection of an item has been performed, and enabling data associated with the inspection of the item to be readily disseminated, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable device configured to verify that the portable device is sufficiently close to an item to be inspected so as to enable an operator to inspect the item;

(b) positioning the portable device proximate the item to be inspected during an inspection;

(c) automatically verifying that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected, and producing an indication to that effect;

(d) conveying the indication that the portable device was proximate the item to be inspected during the inspection to a network accessible memory, such that data associated with the inspection of the item comprise at least the indication provided by the portable device;

(e) storing the data associated with the inspection of the item in the network accessible memory; and

(f) enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item that are stored by the network accessible memory.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of automatically verifying that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected comprises at least one step selected from a group consisting of:

(a) the step of comparing a geographical position of the portable device with a known geographical position of the item to be inspected; and

(b) the step of using a sensor in the portable device to determine if the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of using the sensor in the portable device to determine if the portable device is proximate to the item to be inspected comprises the step of using the sensor to automatically detect a token disposed proximate to the item to be inspected.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of using the sensor to automatically detect the token disposed proximate to the item to be inspected comprises the step of automatically conveying ancillary data collected by the token to the portable device when the sensor detects the token, the ancillary data being added to the data associated with the inspection of the item.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item stored by the network accessible memory comprises at least one step selected from a group consisting of:

(a) extracting billing data from the data associated with the inspection of the item, and providing the billing data to a third party accounting program; and

(b) extracting maintenance data from the data associated with the inspection of the item, and providing the maintenance data to a third party maintenance management program.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of enabling a user of the portable device to input inspection related data into the portable device, the inspection related data being conveyed to the network accessible memory along with the indication, such that data associated with the inspection of the item comprise the indication and any inspection related data input by the user for the item.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of automatically prompting the user of the portable device to input inspection related data for the item into the portable device when the portable device has verified that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the inspection related data input by the user comprise at least one type of data selected from a group consisting of:

(a) a starting time record;

(b) a finishing time record;

(c) an employee timesheet record;

(d) an engine hour record;

(e) a vehicle mileage record; and

(f) a condition of the item being inspected.

22. A method for verifying that an inspection of an item has been performed, and enabling data associated with the inspection of the item to be readily disseminated, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable device configured to verifying that the portable device is sufficiently close to an item to be inspected so as to enable an operator to inspect the item;

(b) positioning the portable device proximate the item to be inspected during an inspection;

(c) automatically verifying that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected, and producing an indication to that effect;

(d) enabling a user of the portable device to input inspection related data for the item into the portable device;

(e) conveying any inspection related data input by the user and the indication, to a network accessible memory, such that data associated with the inspection of the item comprise any user entered data and the indication provided by the portable device;

(f) storing the data associated with the inspection of the item in the network accessible memory; and

(g) enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item stored by the network accessible memory.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item stored by the network accessible memory comprises at least one step selected from a group consisting of:

(a) extracting billing data from the data associated with the inspection of the item, and providing the billing data to a third party accounting program; and

(b) extracting maintenance data from the data associated with the inspection of the item, and providing the maintenance data to a third party maintenance management program.

24. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include at least an indication that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:

(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network;

(b) a portable device configured to collect inspection related data; and

(c) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory.

25. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include at least an indication that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:

(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network; and

(b) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory.

26. A portable data collection device for verifying that a checkpoint was visited during an inspection by an operator carrying the portable device, comprising:

(a) means for automatically verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate to an item to be inspected;

(b) a user interface configured to enable a user of the portable data collection device to input data; and

(c) means for conveying an indication that the portable data collection device is proximate the item to be inspected and any data input by the user, to the network accessible memory, such that inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory comprises the indication provided by the portable device and any data input by the user relating to the item.

27. The portable data collection device of claim 26, wherein said means for automatically verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) means to determine a geographical position of the portable device, such that the indication is generated by the portable device when the geographical position of the portable device matches a known geographical position of the item to be inspected; and

(b) a sensor configured to determine that the portable data collection device is proximate the item to be inspected.