Method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment and actions of individuals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798992-B2
Application number	US-201615237745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2007
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment (PPE) and actions of individuals includes the following steps. An article of PPE configured with a smart tag is provided to an individual prior to performance of a task. After the individual performs the task, the article of PPE is processed. Information is retrieved from the smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE. After the performance of the task, the individual's data is read and the individual enters into a designated area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first plurality of articles of personal protective equipment (PPE) associated with a first user, wherein each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article;
a second plurality of articles of PPE associated with a second user, wherein each article of the second plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article;
a scanner configured to read each respective smart tag associated one or more of the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE; and
a computing device communicatively coupled to the scanner, wherein the computing device:
accesses a set of worker profiles, wherein each of the worker profiles corresponds to at least one of a common task set or a common job function, and wherein each worker profile corresponds to a different set of articles of PPE;
receives, from the scanner, a first plurality of identifiers that correspond to the first plurality of articles of PPE associated with the first user;
receives, from the scanner, a second plurality of identifiers that correspond to the second plurality of articles of PPE associated with the second user;
compare the first and second pluralities of identifiers to the worker profile that is associated with both of the first and second users; and
generates a notification based at least in part on whether at least one of the first and second pluralities of identifiers satisfies the worker profile.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device accesses a database that includes data indicating each of the first and second users are associated with the same common task set or a common job function.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein to compare the first and second pluralities of identifiers to the worker profile that is associated with both of the first and second users the computing device performs an accountability check for each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE with the worker profile and the computing device performs an accountability check for each article of the second plurality of articles of PPE with the worker profile.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein to generate the notification based at least in part on whether at least one of the first and second pluralities of identifiers satisfies the worker profile the computing device outputs at least one of a warning or recommendation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the warning is at least one of an audible or optical notification.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device further accesses an individual-specific profile that is unique to a third user and is associated with a different set of articles of PPE than the worker profile.

7. A method comprising:
accessing, by a computing device, a set of worker profiles, wherein each of the worker profiles corresponds to at least one of a common task set or a common job function, and wherein each worker profile corresponds to a different set of articles of PPE,
wherein a first plurality of articles of PPE is associated with a first user, wherein each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article,
wherein a second plurality of articles of PPE is associated with a second user, wherein each article of the second plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article;
receiving, from a scanner configured to read each respective smart tag associated one or more of the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE, a first plurality of identifiers that correspond to the first plurality of articles of PPE associated with the first user;
receiving, from the scanner, a second plurality of identifiers that correspond to the second plurality of articles of PPE associated with the second user;
comparing the first and second pluralities of identifiers to the worker profile that is associated with both of the first and second users; and
generating a notification based at least in part on whether at least one of the first and second pluralities of identifiers satisfies the worker profile.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
accessing a database that includes data indicating each of the first and second users are associated with the same common task set or a common job function.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein comparing the first and second pluralities of identifiers to the worker profile that is associated with both of the first and second users comprises performing an accountability check for each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE with the worker profile and performing an accountability check for each article of the second plurality of articles of PPE with the worker profile.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the notification based at least in part on whether at least one of the first and second pluralities of identifiers satisfies the worker profile further comprises outputting at least one of a warning or recommendation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the warning is at least one of an audible or optical notification.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the computing device further accesses an individual-specific profile that is unique to a third user and is associated with a different set of articles of PPE than the worker profile.

13. A computing device comprising:
one or more computer processors; and
a memory comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
accessing a set of worker profiles, wherein each of the worker profiles corresponds to at least one of a common task set or a common job function, and wherein each worker profile corresponds to a different set of articles of PPE,
wherein a first plurality of articles of PPE is associated with a first user, wherein each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article,
wherein a second plurality of articles of PPE is associated with a second user, wherein each article of the second plurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article;
receive, from a scanner configured to read each respective smart tag associated one or more of the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE, a first plurality of identifiers that correspond to the first plurality of articles of PPE associated with the first user;
receive, from the scanner, a second plurality of identifiers that correspond to the second plurality of articles of PPE associated with the second user;
compare the first and second pluralities of identifiers to the worker profile that is associated with both of the first and second users; and
generate a notification based at least in part on whether at least one of the first and second pluralities of identifiers satisfies the worker profile.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to access a database that includes data indicating each of the first and second users are associated with the same common task set or a common job function.

15. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to perform an accountability ch

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Farioli Brioschi Luca D
• Ramirez Chaidez Luis V
• Ptasienski Lawrence J
• Anderson Mark T
• Hamerly Michael E

Classifications

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G07C9/257

  electronically (G07C9/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06K7/10009

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title

• G06F16/951

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title