Monitoring system

• US 6,564,154 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc. (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kerkstra, Ronald J. Jr., Zimmerman, Lynn A., Hood, Patricia Robin, Kerkstra, James M., Trumble, Kenneth L., Smit, Edward C. Jr., Fingleton, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US09/724,796
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 702/1, 702/5, 702/12, 702/13, 702/22, 702/23, 702/24, 702/47, 702/50, 702/52-53, 702/122-124, 702/126, 702/176, 702/188, 702/189, 700/9, 700/11-12, 700/17-19, 700/23, 700/28, 700/67, 700/68, 700/75, 700/83, 700/84, 700/91, 700/171, 700/174, 700/266, 700/FOR.102, 73/10.2, 73/10.5, 73/11.6, 73/13.5, 73/13.6, 73/190.2, 73/233.5, 73/234.2, 427/331, 427/335, 427/336, 427/337, 427/349, 427/FOR.103, 427/FOR.104
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/006 Pressure or flow rate sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/32 Paints; Inks

Abstract

A system for monitoring the emission of VOCs in a workstation is disclosed including a sensor to obtain a signal representative of the amount of coating discharged in the workstation, a database for storing data values representative of the signal, a network configured for allowing access to the database and at least one computing device for access to the database over the network and providing a user interface for presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values. A method for monitoring the emission of VOCs in a workstation is disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the emission of volatile organic compounds in a workstation comprising:

a sensor configured to obtain a signal representative of an amount of a coating discharged in the workstation;

a local database configured to store data values representative of the coating;

a corporate database configured to retrieve the data values from the local database;

a network configured to permit manipulation of the data values in the corporate database;

wherein the coating comprises a surface finish.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the manipulation includes adding the data values.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the manipulation includes changing the data values.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the manipulation includes presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface for presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values over the network.

6. A method of monitoring the emission of volatile organic compounds in a workstation comprising:

measuring a signal representative of an amount of a coating discharged in the workstation;

storing in a database a first data value representative of an amount of the coating discharged in the workstation;

inputting a second data value representative of the coating in the database;

accessing the database over a network to generate a report representative of the first data value and the second data value;

wherein the coating comprises a finish.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising modifying at least one of the first data value and the second data value in the database.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating a report of volatile organic compounds emitted in the workstation.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising presenting information representative of the first data value and the second data value at a user interface.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising presenting information representative of the first data value and the second data value in a report.

11. A system for monitoring the emission of volatile organic compounds in a workstation comprising:

a sensor to obtain a signal representative of an amount of a coating discharged in the workstation;

a database for storing data values representative of the signal;

a network configured for allowing access to the database;

at least one computing device for access to the database over the network and providing a user interface for presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values;

wherein the coating comprises a paint.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the paint comprises a surface finish.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the paint includes a pigment.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the paint includes a solvent.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the paint includes a volatile organic compound.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the paint comprises a spray.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the database comprises a local database and a corporate database.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to, the local database.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to the corporate database.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at predetermined intervals.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at least about every 24 hours.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the local database and the corporate database provide referential integrity of the data values.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the data values are arranged in the database in third normal form.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the network comprises a local network.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the network includes the Internet.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the data values are representative of a parameter of the coating.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein at least one of the data values comprises the amount of the coating discharged in the workstation.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein at least one of the data values comprises an amount of time the coating is discharged in the workstation.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein at least one of the data values comprises an amount of volatile organic compounds of the coating.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein at least one of the data values comprises at least one of color information and batch information relating to the coating.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the sensor comprises a detector.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the sensor is coupled to a computing device.

33. The system of claim 19 wherein the sensor comprises a flow meter.

34. The system of claim 19 wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a microcomputer, a digital device, and a programmable logic controller.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the computing device comprises a computer.

36. The system of claim 19 wherein the computing device is configured to access the data values in substantially real time.

37. The system of claim 19 wherein the computing device is configured to provide a report.

38. A system for monitoring the emission of volatile organic compounds in a workstation comprising:

a sensor to obtain a signal representative of an amount of a coating discharged in the workstation;

a database for storing data values representative of the signal;

a network configured for allowing access to the database;

at least one computing device for access to the database over the network and providing a user interface for presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values;

wherein at least a portion of the data values are representative of a parameter of the coating, and wherein at least one of the data values comprises;

(a) the amount of the coating discharged in the workstation;

(b) an amount of time the coating is discharged in the workstation;

(c) an amount of volatile organic compound content of the coating; and

(d) at least one of color information and batch information relating to the coating.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the color information comprises a color of the coating.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the batch information comprises a batch of the coating.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the coating comprises a paint.

42. The system of claim 38 wherein the coating comprises a surface finish.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein the coating includes a pigment.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the coating includes a solvent.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the coating includes a volatile organic compound.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the coating comprises a spray.

47. The system of claim 41 wherein the database comprises a local database and a corporate database.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to the local database.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to the corporate database.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at predetermined intervals.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at least about every 24 hours.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the local database and the corporate database provide referential integrity of the data values.

53. The system of claim 51 wherein the data values are arranged in the database in third normal form.

54. The system of claim 49 wherein the network comprises a local network.

55. The system of claim 49 wherein the network includes the Internet.

56. The system of claim 49 wherein the sensor comprises a detector.

57. The system of claim 49 wherein the sensor is coupled to a computing device.

58. The system of claim 49 wherein the sensor comprises a flow meter.

59. The system of claim 49 wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a microcomputer, a digital device, and a programmable logic controller.

60. The system of claim 49 wherein the computing device comprises a computer.

61. The system of claim 49 wherein the computing device is configured to access the data values in substantially real time.

62. The system of claim 49 wherein the computing device is configured to provide a report.

63. A system for monitoring the emission of volatile organic compounds in a workstation comprising:

a sensor configured to obtain a signal representative of an amount of a coating discharged in the workstation;

a database for storing data values representative of the signal;

a network configured for allowing access to the database;

at least one computing device for access to the database over the network and providing a user interface for presenting information representative of at least a portion of the data values;

wherein the coating comprises a finish.

64. The system of claim 63 wherein the finish comprises a paint.

65. The system of claim 64 wherein the finish includes a pigment.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein the finish includes a solvent.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein the finish includes a volatile organic compound.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein the finish comprises a spray.

69. The system of claim 63 wherein the database comprises a local database and a corporate database.

70. The system of claim 69 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to the local database.

71. The system of claim 70 wherein the computing device is configured to provide at least one of the data values to the corporate database.

72. The system of claim 71 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at predetermined intervals.

73. The system of claim 72 wherein the corporate database is configured to obtain the data values from the local database at least about every 24 hours.

74. The system of claim 73 wherein the local database and the corporate database provide referential integrity of the data values.

75. The system of claim 73 wherein the data values are arranged in the database in third normal form.

76. The system of claim 71 wherein the network comprises a local network.

77. The system of claim 71 wherein the network includes the Internet.

78. The system of claim 73 wherein the data values are representative of a parameter of the coating.

79. The system of claim 78 wherein at least one of the data values comprises the amount of the coating discharged in the workstation.

80. The system of claim 78 wherein at least one of the data values comprises an amount of time the coating is discharged in the workstation.

81. The system of claim 78 wherein at least one of the data values comprises an amount of volatile organic compounds of the coating.

82. The system of claim 78 wherein at least one of the data values comprises at least one of color information and batch information relating to the coating.

83. The system of claim 71 wherein the sensor comprises a detector.

84. The system of claim 71 wherein the sensor is coupled to a computing device.

85. The system of claim 71 wherein the sensor comprises a flow meter.

86. The system of claim 71 wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a microcomputer, a digital device, and a programmable logic controller.

87. The system of claim 71 wherein the computing device comprises a computer.

88. The system of claim 71 wherein the computing device is configured to access the data values in substantially real time.

89. The system of claim 71 wherein the computing device is configured to provide a report.