Apparatus, system and method for automating an interactive inspection process

• US 7,324,905 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary Steven Kaplan, Robert James Droubie
• Original Assignee: Gary Steven Kaplan, Robert James Droubie
• Inventors: Droubie, Robert James, Kaplan, Gary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Bryan
• Application Number:
  US11/127,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81, 702/82, 702/83, 702/84, 702/182, 702/186, 702/188, 700/28, 700/32, 700/108, 700/109, 700/216, 707/3, 382/141
• US Class Current: 702/82
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method to automate an interactive quality control inspection process. The apparatus may query a user for a response to an audit question integral to a quality control inspection process, such as, for example, a regulatory compliance question or a standard operating procedures question. The apparatus may determine, based on the response, compliance with predetermined quality control criteria. To maximize data security and privacy, the response and/or the predetermined quality control criteria may be stored in a storage device under the exclusive control of the user, and access to such information may be restricted to authorized users according to access rights. Further, the apparatus may facilitate quality and safety assurance by conditioning continuation of the quality control inspection process on completion of a corrective action where the response fails to comply with the predetermined quality control criteria.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automating an interactive quality control inspection process, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device configured to store executable and operational data, the memory device comprising,

a query module configured to query a user for a response to at least one audit question;

a storage module configured to store the response in a storage device under the exclusive control of the user;

a determination module configured to determine, based on the response, compliance with predetermined quality control criteria; and

an access control module configured to restrict access to at least one of the response and the predetermined quality control criteria to authorized users according to access rights.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a correction module configured to require a corrective action where the response does not comply with the predetermined quality control criteria, and to selectively query the user for a response to a next audit question in response to completion of the corrective action.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sanitation module configured to detect and analyze a sanitary sample corresponding to a control point to generate the response.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sanitation module is further configured to identify at least one variable corresponding to the sanitary sample and adjust the response to reflect the variable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reporting module configured to rate the response and to cumulate a plurality of ratings to assess overall compliance with the predetermined quality control criteria.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a termination module configured to terminate the interactive quality control inspection process where the response repeatedly fails to comply with the predetermined quality control criteria for a predetermined number of audit questions.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an education module configured to present training information to the user with respect to at least one of the audit question, the predetermined quality control criteria, and the corrective action.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audit question comprises at least one of a regulatory compliance question and a standard operating procedures compliance question.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the query module is configured to dynamically modify the audit question in response to administrator input.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module is further configured to selectively modify the predetermined quality control criteria to reflect updated quality control criteria.

11. A system for automating an interactive quality control inspection process, the system comprising:

a sanitation device adapted to detect and analyze at least one of biological material and other sanitary conditions to generate information; and

a portable audit device in communication with the sanitation device, the portable audit device comprising a processor and a memory device configured to store executable and operational data, the memory device comprising;

a query module configured to query a user for a response to at least one audit question, the response comprising the information;

a storage module configured to store the response in a storage device under the exclusive control of the user;

a determination module configured to determine, based on the response, compliance with predetermined quality control criteria; and

an access control module configured to restrict access to at least one of the response and the predetermined quality control criteria to authorized users according to access rights.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a correction module configured to require a corrective action where the response does not comply with the predetermined quality control criteria, and to selectively query the user for a response to a next audit question in response to completion of the corrective action.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a reporting module configured to rate the response and to cumulate a plurality of ratings to assess overall compliance with the predetermined quality control criteria.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a termination module configured to terminate the interactive quality control inspection process where the response repeatedly fails to comply with the predetermined quality control criteria for a predetermined number of audit questions.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising an education module configured to present training information to the user with respect to at least one of the audit question, the predetermined quality control criteria, and the corrective action.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the audit question comprises at least one of a regulatory compliance question and a standard operating procedures compliance question.

17. A computer readable medium tangibly encoded with a program of machine-readable instructions to perform operations when executed by a computer processor to automate an interactive quality control inspection process, the operations comprising:

querying, via a portable audit device, a user for a response to an audit question of a quality control inspection process;

storing the response in a storage device under the exclusive control of the user;

determining, based on the response, compliance with predetermined quality control criteria;

restricting access to at least one of the response and the predetermined quality control criteria to authorized users according to access rights; and

outputting an audit result, the audit result indicating whether or not the response complied with the predetermined ciuality control criteria.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

requiring a corrective action where the response does not comply with the predetermined quality control criteria; and

selectively querying the user for a response to a next audit question in response to completion of the corrective action.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising analyzing, via a sanitation device, at least one of biological material and other sanitary conditions to generate the response.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

rating the response; and

cumulating a plurality of ratings to assess overall compliance with the predetermined quality control criteria.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising terminating the interactive quality control inspection process where the response repeatedly fails to comply with the predetermined quality control criteria for a predetermined number of audit questions.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising presenting training information to the user with respect to at least one of the audit question, the predetermined quality control criteria, and the corrective action.

23. An apparatus for automating an interactive quality control inspection process for a food service establishment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device configured to store executable and operational data, the memory device comprising,

a query module configured to query a user for a response to at least one food safety audit question;

a storage module configured to store the response in a storage device under the exclusive control of the user;

a determination module configured to determine, based on the response, compliance with predetermined food safety control criteria;

a reporting module configured to rate the response and cumulate a plurality of ratings to assess overall compliance with the predetermined food safety control criteria; and

an access control module configured to restrict access to at least one of the response and the predetermined food safety control criteria to authorized users according to access rights.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a correction module configured to require a corrective action where the response does not comply with the predetermined food safety control criteria and selectively query the user for a response to a next food safety audit question in response to completion of the corrective action.