System and method for mobile data collection
First Claim
1. A method for mobile data collection comprising the steps of:
- (a) inputting one or more forms of data into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, wherein said data is inputted into said handheld device using a data collection template;
(b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and promoting for a photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template,(c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and
(d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data at said one or more handheld devices,wherein said data is inputted into said one or more handheld devices in step (a) using a data collection template and said digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for mobile data collection in which a handheld device collects and integrates one or more forms of data. For example, data can include text, digital photographs, digital video, barcodes, sketches, digital signatures, audio, GPS, GIS, document scan, print scan, CAD/CAM scan, and interactive data retrieval from other systems data. Firmware on the handheld device provides a data collection template as a visual display on the handheld device to provide a user interface for collecting the forms of data. The data collection template can comprise consecutive questions nested in menus or submenus, data collection prompts and commands for guiding a user through data collection activities. A permanent record is generated from the collected data. The permanent record is synchronized to manipulate data in the record for later use such as optimization of the data collection template, production of reports from the collected data and storage of the collected data. The data collection template can be optimized during use of the handheld device to organize selections on the data collection template based on certain criteria, such as frequency of use or to reduce redundancy of text data entry and re-order menus or submenus to provide expedient data entry of the most frequently entered selections.
-
Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A method for mobile data collection comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting one or more forms of data into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, wherein said data is inputted into said handheld device using a data collection template; (b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and promoting for a photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template, (c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and (d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data at said one or more handheld devices, wherein said data is inputted into said one or more handheld devices in step (a) using a data collection template and said digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for mobile data collection in inspection of a fire barrier comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting one or more forms of data of an inspection of said fire barrier into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, using data collection templates; (b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and promoting for a digital photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template, (c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and (d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data at said one or more handheld devices, wherein said digital data is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method for mobile data collection in a quality assurance application comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting one or more forms of data of quality assurance into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, using data collection templates; (b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and prompting for a digital photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template, (c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and (d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data at said one or more handheld devices, wherein said digital data is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method for mobile data collection in a boat survey application comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting one or more forms of data of a boat survey into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, using data collection templates; (b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and prompting for a digital photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template, (c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and (d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data on said one or more handheld devices, wherein said digital data is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
47. A method for data collection in a police department application comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting one or more forms of data of a police department application into one or more handheld devices, the handheld devices including a digital camera, using data collection templates; (b) toggling between said step (a) of inputting data using a data collection template and prompting for a digital photograph and/or video and/or image to be taken with the one or more handheld devices for inputting digital data of said photograph and/or video and/or image into said data collection template, (c) organizing said inputted data from said data collection template into a record at said one or more said handheld devices at the site of the photograph and/or video and/or image; and (d) synchronizing data from said record for manipulating said data into one or more classifications to form synchronized data on said one or more handheld devices, wherein said digital data is inputted into said record with said data from said data collection template at the time of capture of said photograph and/or video and/or image from said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
-
Specification