METHOD AND APPARATUS TO AUTOMATE DATA COLLECTION DURING A MANDATORY INSPECTION
First Claim
1. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data includes at least verification that a portable inspection device was proximate a particular item to be 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 inspection device comprising;
(i) means for verifying that the portable inspection device is proximate an item to be inspected; and
(ii) means for conveying verification that the portable inspection 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 comprises the verification provided by the portable inspection device, the verification providing evidence that a user of the portable inspection device was actually proximate the item to be inspected; and
(c) a data interface application configured to enable third party applications to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory, the data interface application implementing the functions of;
(i) receiving a request for inspection related data from a first requesting computer executing a first third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a first formatting scheme;
(ii) determining if the first requesting computer is approved;
(iii) identifying the inspection related data being requested;
(iv) reformatting the inspection related data into the first formatting scheme;
(v) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the first formatting scheme, to the first requesting computer;
(vi) receiving a request for inspection related data from a second requesting computer executing a second third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a second formatting scheme, different from the first formatting scheme;
(vii) determining if the second requesting computer is approved;
(viii) identifying the inspection related data being requested;
(ix) reformatting the inspection related data into the second formatting scheme; and
(x) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the second formatting scheme, to the second requesting computer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data includes at least verification that a portable inspection device was proximate a particular item to be inspected, the system comprising:
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(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network; (b) a portable inspection device comprising; (i) means for verifying that the portable inspection device is proximate an item to be inspected; and (ii) means for conveying verification that the portable inspection 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 comprises the verification provided by the portable inspection device, the verification providing evidence that a user of the portable inspection device was actually proximate the item to be inspected; and (c) a data interface application configured to enable third party applications to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory, the data interface application implementing the functions of; (i) receiving a request for inspection related data from a first requesting computer executing a first third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a first formatting scheme; (ii) determining if the first requesting computer is approved; (iii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (iv) reformatting the inspection related data into the first formatting scheme; (v) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the first formatting scheme, to the first requesting computer; (vi) receiving a request for inspection related data from a second requesting computer executing a second third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a second formatting scheme, different from the first formatting scheme; (vii) determining if the second requesting computer is approved; (viii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (ix) reformatting the inspection related data into the second formatting scheme; and (x) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the second formatting scheme, to the second requesting computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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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:
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(a) providing a portable inspection device configured to verify that the portable inspection device is sufficiently close to an item to be inspected so as to enable an operator to inspect the item; (b) positioning the portable inspection device proximate the item to be inspected during an inspection; (c) automatically verifying that the portable inspection device is proximate the item to be inspected, and producing an indication to that effect; (d) conveying the indication that the portable inspection 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 inspection device; (e) storing the data associated with the inspection of the item in the network accessible memory; and (f) enabling a first third party application, which requires input data to be formatted in a first formatting scheme, to access the data associated with the inspection of the item that are stored by the network accessible memory, wherein the step of enabling the third party application to access the data comprises the steps of; (i) receiving a request for inspection related data from a first requesting computer executing a first third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a first formatting scheme; (ii) determining if the first requesting computer is approved; (iii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (iv) reformatting the inspection related data into the first formatting scheme; (v) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the first formatting scheme, to the first requesting computer; (vi) receiving a request for inspection related data from a second requesting computer executing a second third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a second formatting scheme, different from the first formatting scheme; (vii) determining if the second requesting computer is approved; (viii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (ix) reformatting the inspection related data into the second formatting scheme; and (x) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the second formatting scheme, to the second requesting computer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. 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:
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(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.
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21-1. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for enabling data associated with inspection related data stored on a network to be readily disseminated to third party applications, the machine instructions, when implemented by a processor, carrying out the functions of:
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(a) in response to receiving a request for inspection related data from a first requesting computer executing a first third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a first formatting scheme, implementing the functions of; (i) determining if the first requesting computer is approved; (ii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (iii) reformatting the inspection related data into the first formatting scheme; (v) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the first formatting scheme, to the first requesting computer; (b) in response to receiving a request for inspection related data from a second requesting computer executing a second third party program, which requires input data to be formatted in a second formatting scheme, implementing the functions of; (i) determining if the second requesting computer is approved; (ii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (iii) reformatting the inspection related data into the second formatting scheme; (v) providing the inspection related data, formatted in the second formatting scheme, to the second requesting computer;
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Specification