SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ENHANCE THE UTILITY OF VEHICLE INSPECTION RECORDS BY INCLUDING ROUTE IDENTIFICATION DATA IN EACH VEHICLE INSPECTION RECORD

摘要

A handheld, portable device is used to facilitate inspection of vehicles, by generating an electronic vehicle inspection record that can be used by fleet operators to provide evidence of complying with required vehicle inspections. When the vehicle inspection record is generated, route identification data is added to the inspection record. The route identification data defines which of a plurality of predefined routes the vehicle has serviced, or will service, during a time period proximate the inspection of the vehicle. Fleet operators can thus use archived inspection records as evidence of compliance with inspection requirements, and to document what route a vehicle serviced at a particular time.

主权项

1. A method for incorporating route identification (ID) data into a vehicle inspection record such that analysis of the vehicle inspection record enables a specific route associated with that vehicle inspection record to be identified, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an inspection tool including a non-transitory memory and a processor performing the function of generating an inspection record based on information input into the inspection tool during the inspection by an inspection tool user; (b) using the inspection tool to prompt the inspection tool user to input route ID data defining a specific route to be serviced at a time proximate the inspection; (c) automatically generating inspection data while performing an inspection of a vehicle using the inspection tool; and (d) automatically incorporating route ID data into the inspection record, the inspection record comprising at least one computer data file stored at least initially in the inspection tool non-transitory memory, the inspection record including the following types of data:
(i) time data identifying when the vehicle was inspected;(ii) the inspection data generated during the vehicle inspection that was performed; and(iii) route ID data defining the route serviced by the vehicle at a time period proximate the inspection, the inspection record providing documentation that the inspection was performed, and indicating what route the vehicle serviced during the time period proximate the inspection.