Method and apparatus to automate data collection during a mandatory inspection
First Claim
1. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include at least an indication that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:
- (a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network;
(b) a portable device comprising;
(i) a sensor configured for determining, and thereby for verifying, that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected;
(ii) means for conveying an indication that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected to the network accessible memory, such that the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory for the item to be inspected comprise the indication provided by the portable device, the indication providing evidence that a user of the portable device was actually proximate an item to be inspected;
(c) a plurality of unique tokens, each unique token being disposed at a different item to be inspected, and each unique token being detectable by the sensor; and
wherein at least one token is coupled with a second sensor configured to collect ancillary data for an item, where the second sensor is not part of the portable device, such that the ancillary data are automatically conveyed to the portable device when the sensor included in the portable device detects the at least one token, the ancillary data being added to the inspection related data for that item, wherein the at least one token is configured to convey the ancillary data to the portable device by implementing the following functions;
(i) detecting the presence of the portable device;
(ii) acquiring ancillary data from the second sensor in response to the detection of the portable device; and
(iii) conveying the ancillary data from the token to the portable device; and
(d) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory, the data interface application implementing the functions of;
(i) receiving a request for inspection related data from at least one of a third party accounting program and a third party maintenance program;
(ii) determining if the requestor is approved;
(iii) identifying the inspection related data being requested;
(iv) reforming the inspection related data as required; and
(v) providing the inspection related data that was requested.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for verifying that an operator was sufficiently close to one or more items to be inspected during an inspection to actually inspect the components, and storing an indication to that effect in a memory accessible via a computer network. In addition to the indication, the memory can store other inspection related data, such as a starting time or ending time of the inspection, or maintenance information about the item that was input during the inspection. The system and method enable a third party application, such as an accounting program or a maintenance program, to access any of the inspection related data.
268 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include at least an indication that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:
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(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network; (b) a portable device comprising; (i) a sensor configured for determining, and thereby for verifying, that the portable device is proximate an item to be inspected; (ii) means for conveying an indication that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected to the network accessible memory, such that the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory for the item to be inspected comprise the indication provided by the portable device, the indication providing evidence that a user of the portable device was actually proximate an item to be inspected; (c) a plurality of unique tokens, each unique token being disposed at a different item to be inspected, and each unique token being detectable by the sensor; and
wherein at least one token is coupled with a second sensor configured to collect ancillary data for an item, where the second sensor is not part of the portable device, such that the ancillary data are automatically conveyed to the portable device when the sensor included in the portable device detects the at least one token, the ancillary data being added to the inspection related data for that item, wherein the at least one token is configured to convey the ancillary data to the portable device by implementing the following functions;(i) detecting the presence of the portable device; (ii) acquiring ancillary data from the second sensor in response to the detection of the portable device; and (iii) conveying the ancillary data from the token to the portable device; and (d) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory, the data interface application implementing the functions of; (i) receiving a request for inspection related data from at least one of a third party accounting program and a third party maintenance program; (ii) determining if the requestor is approved; (iii) identifying the inspection related data being requested; (iv) reforming the inspection related data as required; and (v) providing the inspection related data that was requested. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for storing inspection related data, wherein the inspection related data include an indication verifying that a particular item has been inspected, the system comprising:
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(a) a network accessible memory for storing inspection related data, the memory being accessible via a data communications network; (b) a portable data collection device configured to collect inspection related data, the portable device being configured to tag accounting related data and maintenance related data during collection, so that such types of data can be readily extracted from the inspection related data at a later time, the portable data collection device comprising; (i) means for verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate an item to be inspected; (ii) a user interface configured to enable a user of the portable data collection device to input data; and (ii) means for conveying an indication that the portable data collection device is proximate the item to be inspected and any user input data to the network accessible memory, such that inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory for the item to be inspected comprises the indication provided by the portable device and any data input by the user relating to the item; and (c) a data interface application configured to enable a third party application to access the inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory, the data interface application implementing the function of using the tags included during the collection of the inspection related data to determine what data to allow the third party application to access. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for verifying that an inspection of an item has been performed, and enabling data associated with the inspection of the item to be readily disseminated, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a portable device configured to verify that the portable device is sufficiently close to an item to be inspected so as to enable an operator to inspect the item; (b) positioning the portable device proximate the item to be inspected during an inspection; (c) automatically verifying that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected, and producing an indication to that effect; (d) conveying the indication that the portable device was proximate the item to be inspected during the inspection to a network accessible memory, such that data associated with the inspection of the item comprise at least the indication provided by the portable device; (e) storing the data associated with the inspection of the item in the network accessible memory; and (f) enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item that are stored by the network accessible memory, wherein the step of enabling the third party application to access the data comprises the steps of; (i) receiving a request for inspection related data from at least one of a third party accounting program and a third party maintenance program; (ii) determining if the requestor is approved; (iii) identifiying the inspection related data being requested; (iv) reforming the inspection related data as required; and (v) providing the inspection related data that was requested. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for verifying that an inspection of an item has been performed, and enabling data associated with the inspection of the item to be readily disseminated, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a portable device configured to verifying that the portable device is sufficiently close to an item to be inspected so as to enable an operator to inspect the item; (b) positioning the portable device proximate the item to be inspected during an inspection; (c) automatically verifying that the portable device is proximate the item to be inspected, and producing an indication to that effect; (d) enabling a user of the portable device to input inspection related data for the item into the portable device, wherein the step of enabling such input includes the steps of; (i) tagging any accounting related data input into the portable device, so that such accounting related data can be readily extracted from the inspection related data; and (ii) tagging any maintenance related data input into the portable device, so that such maintenance related data can be readily extracted from the inspection related data; (e) conveying any inspection related data input by the user and the indication, to a network accessible memory, such that data associated with the inspection of the item comprise any user entered data and the indication provided by the portable device; (f) storing the data associated with the inspection of the item in the network accessible memory; and (g) enabling a third party application to access the data associated with the inspection of the item stored by the network accessible memory, wherein the step of enabling the third party application to access the data comprises the step of using the tags included during the collection of the inspection related data to determine what data to allow the third party application to access. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A portable data collection device for verifying that a checkpoint was visited during an inspection by an operator carrying the portable device, comprising:
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(a) means for automatically verifying that the portable data collection device is proximate to an item to be inspected; (b) a user interface configured to enable a user of the portable data collection device to input data; (c) a controller configured to tag accounting related data and maintenance related data during collection, so that such types of data can be readily extracted from inspection related data collected by the portable data collection device; and (d) means for conveying an indication that the portable data collection device is proximate the item to be inspected and any data input by the user, to the network accessible memory, such that inspection related data stored by the network accessible memory comprises the indication provided by the portable device and any data input by the user relating to the item. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification