US 7,117,121 B2 · System and process to ensure performance of mandated inspections

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide evidence that a person who is intended to make a required inspection was actually physically present at a predefined location associated with the inspection, so that the inspection could have been done, and if not, to provide an indication of the failure to perform the inspection. This invention is particularly well suited to determine if required pre/post-trip inspections of vehicles have been performed. Detecting a triggering condition, such as powering on (or off) equipment, indicates the beginning of a period of time during which the inspection is to be performed. The monitoring system waits for a predetermined event to occur, which indicates the period of time has expired and determines if data corresponding to the inspection have been received. If not, it is concluded that the inspection has not been performed.

Claims77

Dependent claims

A method for verifying whether a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting that the vehicle has completed a trip;
(b) after the trip has been completed, transmitting a signal indicating that a person has moved through the vehicle to a predefined location within the vehicle, while nominally conducting the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
and
(c) determining whether the signal has been received before a predefined event occurs, and if not, determining that the person has not yet completed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, wherein if it is determined that the person has not yet completed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, performing at least one of the following functions:
(i) storing data indicating that the person has not yet completed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
(ii) displaying a status message indicating that the person has not yet completed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
and
(iii) producing an alarm.

5 more elements

A system for verifying whether a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising:

(a) a detector that detects when the vehicle has completed a trip, by producing a first signal indicative thereof
(b) a sensor that produces a second signal indicating that a person has reached a predefined location within the vehicle, said predefined location being accessible only by moving through an interior of the vehicle while nominally completing a post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
and
(c) a monitor that receives the first signal from the detector and the second signal from the sensor, said monitor producing an indication that the person cannot yet have performed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, if the second signal has not been received by the monitor before a predefined event occurs after the first signal was received by the monitor.

1 more element

A method for verifying whether at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has been performed, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following:
(i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip;
and
(ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip;
(b) after the triggering condition has been detected, transmitting a signal indicating that a person has been proximate at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, while nominally conducting at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
and
(c) determining whether the signal has been received before a predefined event occurs, and if not, determining that the person cannot yet have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, wherein if it is determined that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, performing at least one of the following functions:
(i) storing data indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
(ii) displaying a status message indicating that the person cannot have completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle;
and
(iii) producing an alarm.

8 more elements

A system for producing an indication that at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has not been performed, comprising:

(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition and produces a first signal indicative thereof, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following:
(i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip;
and
(ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip;
(b) a sensor configured to produce a second signal indicating that a person has reached at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, the at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection;
and
(c) a monitor that receives the first signal from the detector and the second signal from the sensor, said monitor producing an indication that the person cannot yet have performed the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, if the second signal has not been received by the monitor before a predefined event occurs after the first signal was received by the monitor.

4 more elements

A system for producing an indication when at least one of a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection of a vehicle has not been performed, comprising:

(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition and produces a first signal indicative thereof, the triggering condition indicating at least one of the following:
(i) the vehicle is about to start at least a segment of a trip;
and
(ii) the vehicle has completed at least the segment of the trip;
and
(b) a sensor configured to receive the first signal, to produce a second signal, and to transmit the second signal, the second signal being a wireless communication not limited by a line of sight, the second signal being produced only if each of the following conditions are met:
(i) the first signal has been received;
(ii) a predefined event has occurred;
and
(iii) the sensor has not detected that a person has been proximate at least one predefined location associated with the vehicle, the at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection, the second signal thus indicating that a person has not yet completed the at least one of the pre-trip inspection and the post-trip inspection of the vehicle.

7 more elements

A system for producing an indication when an inspection has not been performed, comprising:

(a) a detector that detects a triggering condition, the triggering condition corresponding to the beginning of a period during which the inspection should be performed, the detector producing a first signal indicative thereof;
and
(b) a sensor configured to receive the first signal, to produce a second signal, and to transmit the second signal, the second signal being a wireless communication not limited by a line of sight, the second signal being produced only if all of the following conditions are met:
(i) the first signal has been received;
(ii) a predefined event has occurred, the predefined event corresponding to an end of a period during which the inspection should be performed;
and
(iii) the sensor has not detected that a person has been proximate at least one predefined location generally corresponding to an area to be inspected during the inspection, the second signal thus indicating that a person has not yet completed the inspection.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and process to ensure performance of mandated inspections

Life of this patent

System and process to ensure performance of mandated inspections

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims77