System and method for assuring a correct performance of a manual operation

• US 20150294319A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Veritrack AS
• Original Assignee: Veritrack AS
• Inventors: Dyrdal, Knut Are, Roald, Arne
• Application Number:
  US14/408,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294319A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/005 Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A system is disclosed that ensures the proper execution of a manual operation of an equipment according to a procedure, including a measuring device mounted in association with the equipment, the measuring device being adapted to measure a condition of the equipment before, during and after the execution of the operation on the equipment, a micro-transmitter attached to the measuring instrument, which wirelessly sends the measurement value and the changes of the measurement value caused by the operation, the micro transmitter'"'"'s identity and position to a communicator, the communicator being adapted to verify the received data against the expected state of the equipment according to the procedure, wherein the procedure is stored in the communicator or transferred from a system computer to the communicator, a discrepancy between expected state and measurement data triggering an alarm in the communicator or in other equipment that the operation is not executed according to the procedure.

Claims

1. A system to ensure proper execution of a manual operation on equipment (5) according to a procedure, comprising a measuring device mounted in association with the equipment (5), as the measuring instrument is designed to measure a condition of the equipment before, during and after the execution of the work operation of the equipment (5),

characterized in a micro-transmitter (4) associated with the measuring instrument, which wirelessly sends the measurement value and the changes of the measurement value resulting from the working operation, micro-transmitter identity and position of a communicator (3), where the communicator (3) is adapted to verify the received data against the expected equipment condition, according to the procedure, wherein the procedure is stored in the communicator (3) or transferred from a system computer (1) to the communicator (3), if a discrepancy between expected state and the measured data providing an alarm on the communicator (3) or other equipment that the work operation is not performed in accordance with the procedure.

2. A system according to claim 1, where the communicator (3) is adapted to provide directional instructions to the next equipment in that it identifies its position and provides photo or map indication of the direction to the next equipment.

3. A system according to claim 1, where operations that cannot be measured, are verified by one or more of the following variables as the correct order according to the procedure, the presence at a position and on time and within set time frames acknowledged for execution by an operator on the communicator (3).

4. A system according to claim 1, where all the necessary electrical energy for operating the micro-transmitter is supplied wireless electromagnetically (radio waves, inductive, etc.), optically (light energy, etc.), electrically via a process connection or generated internally by means of external kinetic energy transferred through the process connection (pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical) or the natural movement of the equipment (5) the micro-transmitter (4) is mounted on, or by energy that has been present over a given time that can be stored within a battery or a capacitor or other media for use when needed.

5. A system according to claim 1, where the communicator (3) is arranged to receive position data from GPS or other systems for positioning, or other wireless location data as passive RFID from fixed location references, or by comparing signals from adjacent micro-transmitters (4) to determine their own position.

6. A system according to claim 1, where the communicator (3) is arranged so that all communication with the micro-transmitter (4) and computer system (1) is secured against unauthorized use.

11. Use of the system according to claim 1 to verify that the manually performed operations are conducted in accordance with approved procedures before a vehicle or train or boat is used for transport purposes.

12. Use of the system according to claim 1 for the control of conveyance such as vehicle or train or boat, including

information about movement, time, position and temperature and other measured variables as well as image and/or video recording at programmed time or place or when it is outside the accepted zone, speed or movement is recorded and stored,

the measuring equipment and micro-transmitter (4) attached to the transport measures and transmits position and tension and vibration to the communicator (3),

the communicator (3) verifying data in accordance with the procedure and forward deviations to the system computer (1) forwarding an alarm about deviations to a control center.

13. Use of the system according to claim 1 for the control of vehicles, including

that it is used to regularly verify the operational data from the wheels, axles and brakes etc from measuring equipment that is permanently mounted on the vehicle in motion,

that micro-transmitters (4) record measurement data periodically and transmit it wirelessly to communicators (3) that are permanently located at fixed crossing points or operated by an operator at fixed stops for vehicles,

that the communicator(s) (3) verifies the data according to the procedure and forwards deviations to the system computer which forwards an alarm about the deviation of a control center, and to the driver of the vehicle.

14. Use of the system according to claim 1 for electronic location and retrieval of vehicles and other equipment that is equipped with measuring equipment and micro-transmitters (4) and optionally a system for settlement of the cost of such location/parking and that the communicator(s) (3) can also monitor the unauthorized removal of equipment, as the:

communicator(s) (3) will send out location information to a mapping software or receive GPS information and provide its exact position to the mapping software in the computer,

communicator(s) (3) will send out location information in the same way as satellites in the GPS system,

communicator(s) (3) transmits the data on the wireless/wired computer network to the computer system (1),

computer system (1) dynamically registers all micro-transmitters (4) with its own ID and location information.

15. Use of the system according to claim 1 for the control of cleanliness, hygiene and condition, including measurements with micro-transmitters (4) and

observations in accordance with the procedure and planned time intervals are performed and the verification is transmitted to a follow-up system.

16. Use of the system according to claim 1 for monitoring the sealing of the packaging used once or multiple times for the shipment of goods such as medicine or other components to ensure prevention of confusion or loss of the contents during transportation, including:

that one or more micro-transmitter (4) mounted on the packaging register a digital coded identification of one or more seals after they are used to seal the container,

that an operator uses a communicator (3) to transmit the digital ID from the sealing to the micro-transmitter(s) (4), together with other data relating to the shipment as content, sender, recipient and time information stored in the micro-transmitter in the packaging,

that the same information stored in the micro-transmitter(s) (4) are transmitted wirelessly to the computer system (1) from the communicator (3),

that the digitally encoded information in the micro-transmitter(s) (4) are read at the receiving point of shipment with a communicator (3), and compared with stored information from the transmitter site in the system computer (1),

that the operator observes that the seal of the packaging is unbroken and intact.

7. A method which ensure a proper execution of a manual operation of a device according to a predetermined procedure;

characterized in that the procedure involves the following steps;

measuring at least one condition of the equipment before, during and after the execution of the work operation,

transmission of data for measuring values, identity and position of the equipment to a communicator (3),

verification of data against an expected state of equipment in accordance with the predetermined procedure, when a discrepancy between expected state and the measured data provides alarm on the communicator or other equipment that the work operation is not performed in accordance with the predetermined procedure.

8. A method according to claim 7, where the alarm is transmitted to other communicators (3) and the system computer (1).

9. A method according to claim 7, including the additional steps to identify the communicator'"'"'s (3) position and gives directions to the next equipment.

10. A method according to claim 7, where the communicator'"'"'s (3) position is identified by receiving positional data from GPS or other systems for positioning, or other wireless location data as passive RFID from fixed location references, or by comparing signals from micro-transmitter (4) in the vicinity.