Proximal equipment data capture

• US 9,652,562 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Barrus, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Benjamin J
• Application Number:
  US13/789,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

A system and method for capturing logged data from proximal equipment onto a form. A form creation application determines equipment in proximity to a portable computing device, receives a selection of a piece of equipment from a user, extracts logged data from the piece of equipment that is selected, determines a form with a structure to fill in with the logged data, parses the logged data and fills in at least one field in the form, generates graphical data for displaying the form to the user, provides the form to the user, receives input on the form from the user and stores the form and the input received on the form.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a location of the portable computing device of a user;

measuring signal strength of a plurality of pieces of equipment at the location of the portable computing device;

determining a list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on signal availability at the location of the portable computing device;

ordering the list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on the signal strength;

determining a piece of equipment in proximity to the portable computing device as the piece of equipment having a highest signal strength;

providing, for display, a name of the piece of equipment on the portable computing device;

receiving, from the user, a selection of the piece of equipment;

determining a type of the piece of equipment;

extracting logged data from a data logger in the piece of equipment;

selecting a form specific to activity at the location, from a plurality of forms specific to activity at corresponding locations, based on the location of the portable computing device and the type of the piece of equipment, the form having a structure to fill in with the logged data, wherein selecting the form comprises selecting the form based on the proximity of the portable computing device to the piece of equipment;

parsing the logged data and filling in a first field in the form; and

providing, for display, the form on the portable computing device of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a calculation based on the logged data to generate calculated data; and

filling in a second field in the form with the calculated data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the user, user annotations including handwriting strokes on a third field of the form.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting logged data from the piece of equipment comprises extracting the logged data through a wireless connection with the piece of equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the logged data and filling in the first field in the form comprises:

parsing the logged data into a first item of data;

identifying a label of the first field in the form;

determining whether the label is matching with the first item of data; and

responsive to determining that the label is matching with the first item of data, filling the first item of data in the first field.

6. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

an extraction module stored on a memory and executable by the one or more processors, the extraction module configured to;

determine a piece of equipment in proximity to a portable computing device of a user by;

measuring signal strength of a plurality of pieces of the equipment at the location of the portable computing device, determining a list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on signal availability at the location of the portable computing device, ordering the list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on the signal strength, and determining the piece of equipment as having a highest signal strength;

provide, for display, a name of the piece of equipment on the portable computing device, receive, from the user, a selection of the piece of equipment, and extract logged data from a data logger in the piece of equipment;

a form identification module stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the form identification module coupled to the extraction module and configured to determine a location of the portable computing device, determine a type of the piece of equipment and select a form specific to activity at the location, from a plurality of forms specific to activity at corresponding locations, based on the location of the portable computing device and the type of the piece of equipment, the form having a structure to fill in with the logged data, wherein the form identification module selects the form based on the proximity of the portable computing device to the piece of equipment;

a combination module stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the combination module coupled to the form identification module and configured to parse the logged data and fill in a first field in the form; and

a user interface engine stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the user interface engine coupled to the combination module and configured to provide the form for display on the portable computing device of the user.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a calculation module stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the calculation module coupled to the combination module and configured to perform a calculation based on the logged data to generate calculated data and to fill in a second field in the form with the calculated data.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a stroke module stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors to receive, from the user, user annotations including handwriting strokes on a third field of the form.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the extraction module extracts logged data from the piece of equipment by extracting the logged data through a wireless connection with the piece of equipment.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the combination module parses the logged data and fills in the first field in the form by parsing the logged data into a first item of data, identifying a label of the first field in the form, determining whether the label is matching with the first item of data, and responsive to determining that the label is matching with the first item of data, filling the first item of data in the first field.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

determine a location of the portable computing device of a user;

measure signal strength of a plurality of pieces of equipment at the location of the portable computing device;

determine a list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on signal availability at the location of the portable computing device;

order the list of the plurality of pieces of equipment based on the signal strength;

determine a piece of equipment in proximity to the portable computing device as the piece of equipment having a highest signal strength;

provide, for display, a name of the piece of equipment on the portable computing device;

receive, from the user, a selection of the piece of equipment;

determine a type of the piece of equipment;

extract logged data from a data logger in the piece of equipment;

select a form specific to activity at the location, from a plurality of forms specific to activity at corresponding locations, based on the location of the portable computing device and the type of the piece of equipment, the form having a structure to fill in with the logged data, wherein to select the form, the computer readable program further causes the computer to select the form based on the proximity of the portable computing device to the piece of equipment;

parse the logged data and fill in a first field in the form; and

provide, for display, the form on the portable computing device of the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program, when executed, further causes the computer to:

perform a calculation based on the logged data to generate calculated data; and

fill in a second field in the form with the calculated data.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program, when executed, further causes the computer to receive, from the user, user annotations including handwriting strokes on a third field of the form.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein to extract logged data from the piece of equipment, the computer readable program further causes the computer to extract the logged data through a wireless connection with the piece of equipment.