SYSTEM AND PROCESS TO VALIDATE INSPECTION DATA

• US 20090256693A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• 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, Brett A., McQuade, Charles Michael, Manegold, Eric S., Mayer, Daniel R., Brinton, William JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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

Techniques are disclosed for validating that an operator has moved a portable device sufficiently close to an inspection point to enable the operator to perform an inspection. A first exemplary technique employs a first portable device that includes a sensor for detecting the inspection point, a speaker, and stored audible prompts to facilitate the inspection, but no display on which visual prompts for facilitating the inspection can be provided. An alternative second exemplary technique employs a second portable device having a sensor for detecting the inspection point, and a wireless transmitter. This second portable device generates and immediately transmits a signal to a remote receiver indicating that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection. Accordingly, the second portable device need not include a memory for storing the signal.

Claims

1. A method for providing a record that an inspection point was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:

(a) moving a portable device to a point proximate to the inspection point, wherein the portable device is moved by an operator making the inspection;

(b) automatically detecting that the portable device is proximate to the inspection point and producing a signal indicative that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection thereof, and

(c) immediately transmitting an indication that the operator was sufficiently close to the inspection point to make the inspection to an external device via a wireless communication, such that the indication need not be stored in the portable device, the indication providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the inspection point to perform the inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) the signal produced by the portable device; and

(b) a record generated in response to production of the signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically detecting that the portable device is proximate to the inspection point comprises the step of detecting a token disposed proximate to the inspection point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically detecting that the portable device is proximate to the inspection point comprises the step of detecting a geographical location corresponding to the inspection point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection point comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) a vehicular component;

(b) a specified location in or on a vehicle;

(c) a specified geographical location;

(d) a portion of a pipeline;

(e) a portion of an electrical power line system; and

(f) a condition proximate to a specified geographical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the external device comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) a data memory storage component disposed in a vehicle, the vehicle being used to enable the operator to access the inspection point; and

(b) a computer system used to archive or manipulate inspection data.

7. A portable device for verifying that an inspection point was visited during an inspection by an operator carrying the portable device, comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate to the inspection point during the inspection, the sensor producing a signal indicative that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection;

(c) a transmitter that transmits an indication that the operator was sufficiently close to the inspection point to make the inspection, to a remote receiver, the indication providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the inspection point to perform the inspection; and

(d) a controller coupled to the transmitter and the sensor, the controller causing the indication to be immediately transmitted to the remote receiver, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, such that the indication need not be stored in the portable device.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the controller is implemented using a hardware controller, such that a data memory is not included in the portable device.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the indication comprises the signal, and the controller causes the transmitter to transmit the signal to the remote receiver.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the indication comprises a record generated based on the signal, and the controller causes the record to be generated and the transmitter to transmit the record to the remote receiver.

11. A method for providing a record that an inspection point was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable device including a speaker and a stored audible prompt for facilitating the inspection;

(b) moving a portable device to a point proximate to the inspection point, said portable device being moved by an operator making the inspection;

(c) automatically detecting that the portable device is proximate to the inspection point and producing a signal indicative that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection;

(d) using the speaker to output the audible prompt to the operator to facilitate the inspection, without also providing a visual prompt for facilitating the inspection; and

(e) automatically performing at least one additional step selected from a group of additional steps consisting of;

(i) storing the signal in the portable device;

(ii) immediately transmitting the signal to a remote device;

(iii) producing a record based on the signal, and storing the record in the portable device; and

(iv) producing a record based on the signal, and immediately transmitting the record to a remote device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing the portable device comprises the step of providing a portable device that does not include a display that can be used to provide a visual prompt to facilitate the inspection.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of automatically detecting that the portable device is proximate to the inspection point comprises at least one step selected from a group of steps consisting of:

(a) the step of detecting a token disposed proximate to the inspection point; and

(b) the step of detecting a geographical location corresponding to the inspection point.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of using the speaker to output the audible prompt to the operator to facilitate the inspection comprises at least one step selected from a group of steps consisting of:

(a) in response to a predefined event, directing the operator to a specific inspection point; and

(b) in response to the signal, directing the operator to perform the inspection in a specified manner.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predefined event comprises at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of:

(a) a first event corresponding to turning on the portable device, such that the audible prompt directs the operator to an initial inspection point; and

(b) a second event corresponding to generation of the signal in response to detecting the inspection point, such that the audible prompt directs the operator to a subsequent inspection point.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the inspection point comprises at least one element selected from a group of elements consisting of:

(a) a vehicular component;

(b) a specified location in or on a vehicle;

(c) a specified geographical location;

(d) a portion of a pipeline;

(e) a portion of an electrical power line system; and

(f) a condition proximate to a specified geographical location.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the external device comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) a data memory storage component disposed in a vehicle used to enable the operator to access the inspection point; and

(b) a computer system used to archive or manipulate inspection data.

18. A portable device for verifying that an inspection point was visited during an inspection by an operator carrying the portable device, comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate to the inspection point during the inspection, the sensor producing a signal indicative that an operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection;

(c) a memory storing an audible prompt for facilitating the inspection;

(d) a speaker for outputting the audible prompt to an operator;

(e) a controller coupled to the memory, the speaker, and the sensor, the controller implementing the function of outputting the audible prompt stored in the memory using the speaker to facilitate the inspection, the controller further implementing at least one additional function selected from a group of additional functions consisting of;

(i) storing the signal in the portable device;

(ii) immediately transmitting the signal to a remote device;

(iii) producing a record based on the signal, and storing the record in the portable device; and

(iv) producing a record based on the signal, and immediately transmitting the record to a remote device; and

(f) wherein the portable device does not include a display that can be used to provide a visual prompt to facilitate the inspection.

19. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the controller implements the function of outputting the audible prompt stored in the memory using the speaker, to facilitate the inspection in response to at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of:

(a) a first event comprising a predefined event, wherein the audible prompt stored in the memory directs the operator to a specific inspection point; and

(b) a second event comprising the generation of the signal indicative that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection, wherein the audible prompt stored in the memory directs the operator to perform the inspection of the inspection point in a specific manner.

20. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the controller implements the function of outputting the audible prompt stored in the memory in response to at least one predefined event selected from a group of predefined events consisting of:

(a) a first predefined event corresponding to turning on the portable device, such that the audible prompt directs the operator to an initial inspection point; and

(b) a second predefined event corresponding to the generation of the signal indicative that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection, such that the audible prompt directs the operator to a subsequent inspection point.