Inspection data recording apparatus and method

• US 7,832,638 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wetzel, Robert Alan, Venneman, Patrick Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US10/901,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20050023347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 705/28, 324/307, 701/50
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems

Abstract

A system (10) and method for recording inspection data for geographically remote equipment assets. A portable inspection data recording device (14) is transported by a mobile inspector to a plurality of locations of equipment (12) to be inspected. The data recording device includes a location detection device (32), and a unique equipment identifier is associated with each remote equipment location, so that travel instructions may be displayed for directing the inspector to the location of selected equipment. Recordation of inspection data for selected equipment is enabled only when the portable inspection data recording device is located proximate the selected equipment. Data recordation may be enabled by displaying an equipment-specific data recordation form on input/output display (40) having selected data field automatically populated in response to the selected unique equipment identifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording inspection information for geographically dispersed assets, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor and containing data associating a plurality of unique asset identifiers with a respective plurality of physical locations;

a portable inspection data recording device for recording asset inspection data;

a data input device associated with the portable inspection data recording device and in communication with the processor and enabling a mobile inspector to input a select one of the plurality of unique asset identifiers that is associated with a selected asset for which an inspection is to be conducted;

a location detector transported with the portable inspection data recording device and providing to the processor a position signal indicative of a current physical location of the portable inspection data recording device; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the recordation of inspection data for the selected asset using the portable inspection data recording device only if the current physical location of the portable inspection data recording device corresponds to a physical location associated in the database with the unique asset identifier inputted by the operator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a timer providing input to the portable inspection data recording device for recording temporal data in association with the inspection data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display associated with the portable inspection data recording device; and

logic executable by the processor and responsive to the unique asset identifier inputted by the inspector for displaying on the display a selected data recordation form associated with the selected asset from among a plurality of data recordation forms stored in the memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising logic executable by the processor to automatically populate a data field of the selected data recordation form with data responsive to the position signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising logic executable by the processor to automatically populate a data field of the selected data recordation form with data related to the selected asset.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable inspection data recording device further comprises a bar code reader.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a database remote from the portable inspection data recording device for maintaining data related to a plurality of assets at a plurality of locations; and

a communication channel between the portable inspection data recording device and the database for populating the database with the inspection data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic executable by the processor and responsive to unique asset identifier inputted by the operator and to the position signal for displaying travel directions for directing the mobile inspector to the selected asset.

9. An apparatus for controlling the gathering of data regarding persons who are associated with a designated location, the apparatus comprising:

a portable electronic tool comprising a processor for performing a data handling operation and a location detector for determining a current location of the portable electronic tool;

logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable tool to be commanded by an operator to perform the data handling operation for data regarding a person associated with the designated location only when the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location; and

logic executable by the processor for automatically populating a data recordation form with data responsive to the designated location when the location detector detects that the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising logic executable by the processor for enabling the recordation of data regarding the person into a memory via a data input device only when the location detector detects that the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising logic executable by the processor for displaying a data recordation form associated with the designated location only when the location detector detects that the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the portable electronic tool comprising a display; and

logic executable by the processor for displaying on the display travel directions from a current location of the portable electronic tool to the designated location.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the travel directions comprise a map displayed on the display.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location detector comprises a global positioning system receiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a transmitter; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the transmitter to transmit data regarding the person associated with the designated location to another location only when the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a memory remote from the portable electronic tool; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the transmitter to transmit data regarding the person associated with the designated location to the remote memory only when the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a receiver; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the receiver to receive data from another location only when the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

18. A portable hand-held electronic tool for performing a site specific operation commanded by an operator when at a designated site, the portable electronic tool comprising:

a processor;

an input device in communication with the processor for enabling the hand-held tool to receive commands from the operator to perform a site-specific operation;

a location detector in communication with the processor providing a signal indicative of a current physical location of the portable hand-held electronic tool; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable hand-held electronic tool to perform the site-specific operation in response to a command that is inputted by the operator only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site at the time of the command input; and

logic executable by the processor for automatically populating a data recordation form with data responsive to the designated location when the location detector detects that the portable electronic tool is located proximate the designated location.

19. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising:

a memory accessible by the processor; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the input of data associated with the designated site to the memory only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

20. The portable electronic tool of claim 19, wherein the memory is located remote from the portable hand-held electronic tool, the portable hand-held electronic tool further comprising:

a transmitter; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the transmitter to transmit data associated with the designated site to the remote memory only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

21. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising:

a transmitter; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the transmitter to transmit data associated with the designated site to another location only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

22. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising:

a receiver; and

logic executable by the processor for enabling the receiver to receive data from another location only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

23. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable hand-held electronic tool to process data related to a physical object at the designated site only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

24. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 23, further comprising logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable hand-held electronic tool to process data related to a piece of operating equipment at the designated site only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

25. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable hand-held electronic tool to process data related to a person associated with the designated site only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.

26. The portable hand-held electronic tool of claim 18, further comprising logic executable by the processor for enabling the portable hand-held electronic tool to process data related to activities performed at the designated site only when the portable hand-held electronic tool is located proximate the designated site.