System and process to ensure performance of mandated safety and maintenance inspections
First Claim
1. A method for providing a record that a location was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the inspection, said portable device including a sensor that detects when the portable device is disposed proximate the location, producing a signal indicative thereof;
(b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the location;
(c) in response to the sensor detecting that the portable device is disposed proximate the location, displaying to the operator a plurality of different possible conditions associated with the location;
(d) enabling the operator to select one of the plurality of different possible conditions, to indicate a condition associated with the location as determined by the operator; and
(e) storing in the portable device a record of said one of the plurality of different possible conditions selected by the operator, the record further including an indication that the sensor detected the portable device as being disposed proximate to the location, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the location to make an inspection of the location.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A handheld, portable device is used to store data that indicates an operator was sufficiently close to each of a plurality of components during a safety inspection to actually inspect the components. The portable device includes a sensor that detects tokens, such as radio frequency identification tags, which are affixed adjacent to the components. Messages appearing on a display of the portable device prompt the operator to proceed to each checkpoint, determine a state of the component disposed there, and if the component is not operating properly, indicate a plurality of predefined conditions from which the operator can choose to identify the observed condition of the component. The state and condition of each component entered during the safety inspection are stored as data that are subsequently transferred to a remote data storage site over a wire or wireless link.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing a record that a location was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the inspection, said portable device including a sensor that detects when the portable device is disposed proximate the location, producing a signal indicative thereof; (b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the location; (c) in response to the sensor detecting that the portable device is disposed proximate the location, displaying to the operator a plurality of different possible conditions associated with the location; (d) enabling the operator to select one of the plurality of different possible conditions, to indicate a condition associated with the location as determined by the operator; and (e) storing in the portable device a record of said one of the plurality of different possible conditions selected by the operator, the record further including an indication that the sensor detected the portable device as being disposed proximate to the location, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the location to make an inspection of the location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing a record that a location was visited during an inspection, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing; (i) a portable device for use in recording data related to the inspection, said portable device including a sensor that detects when the portable device is disposed proximate a token exhibiting a predefined characteristic, producing a signal indicative thereof; (ii) a first token that is disposed proximate a first location, such that the sensor must be disposed within at least a first distance from the first token in order to detect the first token; and (ii) a second token that is disposed proximate a second location, such that the sensor must be disposed within at least a second distance from the second token in order to detect the second token, the first distance being greater than the second distance; (b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate to the first and second locations; (c) in response to the sensor detecting that the portable device is disposed at least within the first distance from the first location, storing in the portable device a first record including an indication that the sensor detected that the portable device was disposed proximate the first location, said first record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the first location to make an inspection of the first location; and (d) in response to the sensor detecting that the portable device is disposed at least within the second distance from the second location, storing in the portable device a second record including an indication that the sensor detected that the portable device was disposed proximate the second location, said second record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the second location to make an inspection of the second location. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for providing evidence that a plurality of locations were visited during an inspection, comprising:
(a) a portable device adapted to be transported to each of the plurality of locations to be inspected during the inspection, said portable device including; (i) a housing; (ii) a display; (iii) an operator interface; (iv) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored; (v) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate any of the plurality of locations, and in response thereto producing a signal indicating that the portable device is proximate to one of the plurality of locations; and (vi) a controller coupled to the display, the memory, the operator interface, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and causing the memory to store a record indicative of each location visited during the inspection, in response to the signal produced by the sensor, such that whenever the sensor produces the signal indicating that the portable device is proximate to one of the plurality of locations, the controller further executes machine instructions causing a plurality of different possible conditions associated with the location to be presented to the operator on the display, the condition selected by the operator being added to the record for that location. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A system for providing evidence that a plurality of locations were visited during an inspection, comprising:
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(a) a first token disposed proximate a first location, the first token being configured to be detected when a sensor is disposed within at least a first distance from the first token; (b) a second token disposed proximate a second location, the second token being configured to be detected when the sensor is disposed within at least a second distance from the second token, the first distance being greater than the second distance; and (c) a portable device adapted to be transported to each location to be visited and inspected during the inspection, said portable device including; (i) a housing; (ii) a display; (iii) an operator interface; (iv) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored; (v) the sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate one of the first and second locations, said sensor producing a signal whenever the portable device is disposed within the first distance from the first token and whenever the portable device is disposed within the second distance from the second token; and (vi) a controller coupled to the display, the memory, the operator interface, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and causing the memory to store a record indicative of each location visited during the inspection, in response to the signal produced by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method for providing a record that a mandated vehicle inspection has been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying a plurality of components that must be inspected to comply with the mandated vehicle inspection; (b) for each component, identifying a location on the vehicle at which the component can be inspected; (c) installing a token at each such location; (d) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the mandated vehicle inspection, said portable device including a sensor capable of detecting the token installed at each location, the portable device producing a sensor signal when the portable device is proximate to each token; (e) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate to the token installed at each location; and (f) automatically producing a record of the sensor signal produced by the sensor, the sensor signal comprising data that are stored in the record within the portable device, said record providing evidence that the operator was actually present at each location on the vehicle at which the mandated inspection could have been performed. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for providing a record that a mandated inspection has been performed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying a plurality of components that must be inspected to comply with the mandated inspection; (b) for each component, identifying a location from which the component can be inspected; (c) installing a token at each such location; (d) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the mandated inspection, said portable device including a sensor capable of detecting the token installed at each location, the portable device producing a sensor signal when the portable device is proximate to each token; (e) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate to the token installed at each location; and (f) automatically producing a record of the sensor signal produced by the sensor, the sensor signal comprising data that are stored in the record within the portable device, said record providing evidence that the operator was actually present at each location from which the mandated inspection could have been performed.
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Specification