Method and apparatus for controlling site-specific operations
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRobert Alan Wetzel, Patrick Joseph Venneman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling a site-specific activity at a plurality of remote locations, for example, the inspection of geographically remote equipment or the gathering of data for a census. A mobile operator transports a portable tool to a plurality of locations where a site-specific activity is to be conducted. The portable tool includes a location detection device. Processing of data using the portable tool is enabled only when the portable tool is located proximate a designated site, as determined by the location detection device. In various embodiments, the enabled site-specific activity may include data recordation, data transmission, data reception, data processing, and/or the display of a data entry form.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- determining a position of a portable electronic tool relative to a designated site;
- processing site-specific data in response to the position of the portable electronic tool being proximate to the designated site;
- and
- displaying designated site-specific information, inspection data, and equipment related information on the portable electronic tool.
A controller comprising:
- a first software code module configured to determine a position of a computing device relative to a designated site;
- a second software code module configured to process site-specific data in response to the position of the device being proximate to the designated site;
- and
- a third software code module configured to designate site-specific information, inspection data, and equipment related information on the portable electronic tool.
A system comprising:
- a controller operable to:
- process site-specific data if a location of a portable electronic tool is proximate to a designated site;
- process the site-specific data in response to the location of the device being proximate to the designated site;
- and
- display at least two of designated site-specific information, inspection data, and equipment related information on the portable electronic tool.
A portable electronic tool comprising:
- a location detection device;
- a data entry device comprising a display, a memory, and a processor;
- wherein the processor operatively connects the location detection device and the data entry device;
- and
- program code executable by the processor to enable entry of site-specific data into the memory when the location detection device determines that the portable electronic tool is within a predetermined distance of a designated site, and show at least two of designated site-specific information, inspection data, and equipment related information on the display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.