Patent ID: 9672486
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: G01N,G05B,G06Q,G06T,H04N,Y02P

Claim:
1. A tool for conducting inspections, the tool comprising: an inspection-item presenting process operating on a hand held computing device, the inspection-item presentation process causing the display of a map showing a plurality of assets, the selection of an asset bringing up a list of selectable inspection items related to the asset, each inspection item being associated with an identifier, wherein the map is at least one of a plan view, sky view and 3-dimensional rendering of a facility and wherein each of the plurality of assets are represented on the map according to a corresponding physical location of each of the plurality of assets in the facility; an information-gathering process also initiated upon the selection of a particular inspection item having a particular identifier, the information-gathering process opening up an inspection form for the particular item selected on the hand held computing device, the form posing standardized questions relating to at least one condition relating to a fire-protection coating existing on the particular asset, the standardized questions made to be unalterable by a user of the handheld device; a camera-interfacing process which is turned on by the user by interfacing with the hand held computing device, the camera-interfacing process causing a signal to be transmitted by the handheld computing device, the signal enabling interfacing with, and downloading photos from a camera; a photo-association process which, after the camera-interfacing process is turned on, automatically incorporates at least one photo taken using the camera into the inspection form, associates the photo with the particular identifier; the photo-association process automatically terminating when the user closes the form on the hand-held device so that a subsequently taken photo will be associated with a subsequent identifier; and a coating thickness-reading-device-interfacing process enabling the handheld to download thickness readings into the inspection form by directly interfacing with a thickness reading device which determines thickness by sending and receiving waves to determine coating depth.