System and method for accessing and updating device security data by both owner and non-owner of device

Abstract

A record remotely stored for an organization includes first data matching device identification data coupled to a device and safety critical data for the device. These records are accessed by a mobile device operated by a user authorized by one of the organizations. An offline database is constructed on the mobile device for the one organization using only the records. A mobile device is used to obtain device identification data from a particular device. It is determined whether a first match exists between the device identification data and remotely stored first data, or whether a second match exists between the device identification data and first data in an offline database. When one of the first match and the second match exists, an update to the security critical data of the device is obtained via the mobile device and stored in a remotely stored record associated therewith.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of a co-pending application, serial number 17 / 154,408, filed on January 21, 2021, entitled "MOBILE DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING SAFETY OF GASCYLINDER FILL OPERATIONS." Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates generally to equipment, such as compressed gas cylinders, and more particularly to a system and method for accessing and maintaining equipment safety data by both owners and non-owners of the equipment in order to ensure safety aspects associated with the operation of the equipment and to update historical equipment safety data for the equipment, regardless of who uses the equipment or who provides maintenance to support continued use of the equipment. Background Art

[0003] Various industries and applications utilize refillable bottles to contain and distribute compressed gas. For example, compressed gas in the form of breathing air is used with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in atmospheric environments or with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) in underwater environments. As is known in the art, SCBA and SCUBA are general terms used to refer to various devices worn by rescue workers, firefighters, underwater divers, and other personnel for the purpose of supplying breathing air to personnel in immediately dangerous or health-damaging breathing environments. An SCBA or SCUBA includes a refillable tank or bottle that is filled / refilled with compressed breathing air.

[0004] Refilling of SCBA or SCUBA cylinders (also referred to herein as "cylinders" or simply "cylinders") can occur at the cylinder owner's location (e.g., a fire department or fire station), where cylinder maintenance and refilling are performed by the cylinder owner's personnel. However, it is also common for cylinder users, who are not the cylinder owners, to refill the cylinders while the cylinders are in use at the job site. In such situations, refilling can be performed using various types of breathing air filling systems. For example, when multiple organizations (each of which may own their own cylinders) are called to an emergency scene, it is very common for non-owners of the cylinders to refill the refilled cylinders on-site using equipment that is not used or owned by the cylinder owners. Currently, when non-owner refilling of a cylinder occurs, historical refilling data and safety data associated with the cylinder are typically not updated, resulting in incomplete refill and safety information regarding the cylinder.

[0005] To protect the health and safety of users of cylinders and those who refill them, numerous government regulations and reporting requirements have been enacted, and bottle owners, users, and fillers (i.e., owner and non-owner fillers) must comply with these regulations and reporting requirements. Unfortunately, the wide variety of cylinders, filling systems, filling locations / stations, and the potential for non-owner filling scenarios can make it difficult or impossible to manage and meet the regulations, reporting requirements, and filling and safety data updates associated with cylinder filling operations. Furthermore, the aforementioned variables, combined with human error, can result in cylinders being filled incorrectly, which presents a safety concern for the filler and / or the user of the incorrectly filled bottle. Summary of the Invention

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for accessing and maintaining device security data by both owners and non-owners of the device.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for accessing and updating security data associated with compressed gas cylinders during refilling operations by both owners and non-owners of the cylinders, regardless of where the filling operation occurs and regardless of who performs the filling operation.

[0008] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

[0009] According to the present invention, a method stores information for multiple organizations in a network-based, non-transitory storage medium. The information is arranged in standardized format records. Each record from the standardized format records: (i) is associated with a device, (ii) is uniquely identified in the storage medium, (iii) has first data that matches device identification data coupled to the device, (iv) has second data indicating the owner of the device, and (v) contains security-critical data for the device. Remote access to the storage medium is provided via a mobile device operated by an authorized user of one of the organizations. When the storage medium is accessible to the mobile device, an offline database for the one organization is automatically constructed on the mobile device using only the standardized format records. A user obtains device identification data from a device being evaluated via the mobile device. At the storage medium, when the storage medium is accessible, a first match is determined between the device identification data of the device being evaluated and the first data in the storage medium. At the mobile device, when the storage medium is inaccessible, a second match is determined between the device identification data of the device being evaluated and the first data in the offline database. When one of the first match and the second match exists, an update to the security-critical data of the device being evaluated is obtained from the user via the mobile device. When the storage medium is accessible, the update is stored in the storage medium for the device being evaluated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system for accessing and updating device security data by both owners and non-owners of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2 shows a data structure for a device such as a compressed gas cylinder used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a single mobile device for accessing and updating compressed gas cylinder safety data according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mobile device may be owned or authorized for use by both an owner of the cylinder and a non-owner of the cylinder;

[0014] Figure 4 is a side view of a portion of a compressed gas cylinder having an identification tag coupled thereto;

[0015] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method according to another embodiment of the present invention that further requires active form of user confirmation;

[0017] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method including building an offline database of safety-critical portions of historical data related to a bottle owner's bottle on a bottle owner's mobile device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method of preventing further processing when a bottle is non-compliant or has been previously marked as faulty according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0019] Figure 9 is a flow chart of a method for providing real-time message generation each time a bottle record regarding the operational life of the bottle is updated according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, a system for providing access to and updating of device security data by both owners and non-owners of the device is shown and is generally designated by reference numeral 10. Although the type of device is not limiting of the present invention, the following description will assume that the device is a gas cylinder. More specifically, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the gas cylinder of interest is designed to contain and be refillable with compressed gas, which may be breathing air, pure oxygen, or any other gas.

[0021] System 10 includes a plurality of mobile electronic devices 20-1, 20-2, ..., 20-N (hereinafter "mobile devices") and a remotely located data storage device 30 (e.g., a remotely located database facility providing a so-called cloud-based data storage device accessible by authorized users of the mobile devices via a global computer network), which is controlled / maintained by an administrator 32 independent of the individual owners of the gas cylinders utilizing system 10. Administrator 32 may include at least some autonomous functionality, as will be described later herein. In the illustrated example, the mobile devices are owned or authorized for use by N different gas cylinder owners utilizing system 10. That is, mobile device 20-1 is owned or authorized for use by a first gas cylinder owner (e.g., a local fire department); mobile device 20-2 is owned or authorized for use by a second gas cylinder owner (e.g., a hospital); and so on. The mobile devices may comprise dedicated hardware units configured to implement the present invention or existing smartphones, tablets, and the like.

[0022] Generally, data storage device 30 represents a non-transitory data storage medium that stores all operational life information (e.g., ownership data, safety data, filling data, historical reports, etc.) associated with all bottles owned by all N owners. The N owners are typically diverse and separate organizations or entities that may operate in various geographic areas. These owners may be, for example, fire departments, police departments, hospitals or hospital systems, state or federal entities, private contractors, or other organizations.

[0023] The present invention provides a standardized database record structure maintained in a data storage device 30 that supports the fact that gas cylinders owned by a particular owner (e.g., a local police department) may frequently be used and / or refilled by another user or owner of the cylinder (e.g., a fire department from the same or a different location as the police department). This scenario is not uncommon in emergency situations (e.g., building fires, wildfires, shootings, natural disasters, etc.) when multiple organizations or entities (each of which may have its own gas cylinders) gather to respond to an emergency. These intense and often chaotic situations are not suitable for using existing conventional systems to access or update the gas cylinder filling and safety / history data required for safe refilling operations and subsequent safe use of the refilled cylinders. Such existing conventional systems include paper documents maintained by the organization / entity and / or internal databases maintained by the cylinder owner at their office but accessible only to their own personnel. However, during chaotic emergency situations involving multiple organizations, there is often no ability or time to review paper records and / or no way to contact the cylinder owner's office to access the cylinder status and / or critical refill data. As a result, when an organization's gas cylinders are refilled by a filling operator authorized by the owner without access to their organization's records, or by a filling operator unaffiliated with the cylinder's owner, the cylinder's refilling operations are often performed using a patchwork of the refill operator's experience, guesswork, and intuition, potentially compromising the safety of the filling operation and the safety of users of the filled cylinders. Furthermore, when this occurs, updates to the cylinder's refill history and safety data records are often omitted. The resulting incomplete history of the cylinder impairs the cylinder owner's ability to track the cylinder's operational life.

[0024] The present invention's database record structure at the data storage device 30 and the unique processing provided by the system 10 eliminate the aforementioned omissions in refilling and safety data updates, providing cylinder owners and users with a high level of confidence that cylinders can be safely refilled, that cylinders are refilled to their proper specifications, that refilled cylinders can be safely used, and that refill and safety data records are updated and current. Furthermore, the present invention achieves this result in a manner that increases the efficiency and speed of safe refilling operations, thereby eliminating time delays in critical operational time encountered during emergency situations.

[0025] The structure of each record in the database maintained at the data storage device 30 is the same for all N owners of the gas cylinder. Figure 2, an exemplary data record structure 34 for each gas cylinder is shown in FIG. The records for the gas cylinders to be maintained at the data storage device 30. Each data record structure 34 is associated with a unique gas cylinder and provides relevant operational life information for that cylinder. Each data record structure 34 is identified by a unique number, a sequence of letters, an alphanumeric string, etc., in a UNIVERSAL_ID field that can be uniquely assigned by an administrator 32 of the data storage device 30. As mentioned above, the administrator 32 can be a programmed controller configured to create and assign a unique, non-repeating identifier to each gas cylinder. For example, the administrator 32 can implement an auto-incrementing integer function that adds a preset integer (e.g., 1, 2, etc.) to the previously created numeric identifier when a cylinder registration request is made, as explained later below. Other unique identifier schemes may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Regardless of the nature of the identifier used for UNIVERSAL_ID, the identifier remains constant throughout the life of the cylinder, even if ownership of the cylinder changes (e.g., if the cylinder is sold or exchanged between owners, multiple owners merge into a new organization, etc.).

[0026] In addition to its UNIVERSAL_ID, the data record structure 34 for each bottle also includes the following fields:

[0027] OWNER, identifies the owner of a particular bottle;

[0028] OWNER_CYLINDER_ID, internal identification information that identifies the owner of the bottle;

[0029] SERIAL_NO, identifies the serial number assigned to the bottle by the bottle manufacturer when it was manufactured.

[0030] RFID_NO, which identifies the unique ID of the RFID tag attached to the bottle;

[0031] BORN, which identifies the date the bottle was manufactured;

[0032] EXPIRES, identifies the end-of-life date of the bottle;

[0033] STATUS, which identifies the most recent storage status of the bottle, e.g., activated, expired, damaged, etc.;

[0034] MAX_PRES, identifies the maximum filling pressure of the bottle;

[0035] LAST_HYDRO, identifies the date of the most recent hydrostatic test;

[0036] NEXT_HYDRO, which identifies the date when the bottle should next be hydrostatically tested; and

[0037] REPORTS identifies one or more available reports about the bottle, such as a repair report, transfer report, inspection report, etc.

[0038] Regardless of who owns them, each of the mobile devices 20-1, ..., 20-N is identically configured to implement the present invention, as will be described later below. Therefore, it is sufficient to describe the operation of a single mobile device (hereinafter referred to as "device 20") herein. As will be further explained below, both device 20 and data storage device 30 are capable of communicating with each other via the Internet 50. Such communication facilitates data transfer between device 20 and data storage device 30 and can be performed in a wireless manner as will be well understood in the art.

[0039] The device 20 may be a stand-alone handheld device, making it readily available for use by bottle fillers at any filling location utilizing any compressed gas filling equipment. The device 20 may comprise a dedicated or multi-purpose portable electronic device having the properties described herein. Generally, the device 20 is a portable or mobile electronic device configured to:

[0040] - building or constructing an offline database on the device 20 using a portion of each data record structure 34 for all bottles owned by a specific owner (i.e., identified by the same identifier in the OWNER field) who also owns the device 20 or authorizes its use,

[0041] - provide filling operators with a means for identifying or registering compressed gas cylinders,

[0042] requiring the user of the device 20 to verify and certify key safety standards (e.g., standards specified by one or more entities regulating gas cylinders, standards specified by the owner of the gas cylinder to be filled, standards specified by the owner of the device 20, etc.),

[0043] - prompting the user of the device 20 (e.g., a cylinder filling operator) to enter specific cylinder filling data when key safety criteria are verified and confirmed by the user of the device 20, and

[0044] - Automatically updating the remotely located data storage device 30 with the user provided responses to include the user provided filling data, regardless of who owns the registered bottle.

[0045] The prompts related to key safety standards will generally identify various inspection standards that must be verified and confirmed by the cylinder filling operator in order for the cylinder owner (e.g., fire department) to comply with regulations and / or requirements. The inspection standards may be established by one or more relevant regulatory bodies such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and / or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as any internal regulations / requirements specified by the cylinder owner and / or the owner of the mobile equipment as described herein.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the device 20 has multiple hardware components, including: a processor or controller 21; a touch screen display 22 that presents a graphical user interface to the user; a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader 23; an optical scanner 24; a switch 25 for selecting one of a plurality of data reading input devices (e.g., an RFID reader 23 or an optical scanner 24); a local data storage memory 26 in which an offline database is constructed / stored / updated, as will be further described below; and a wireless interface 27 (e.g., one or more hardware components that can be configured to support one or more of Bluetooth, near field communication, cellular, and / or WIFI protocols). Without departing from the scope of the present invention, the device 20 may also have a single reading component (e.g., an RFID reader 23 or an optical scanner 24). Although not shown, the device 20 will typically also include: a housing; a power source (e.g., a battery (or batteries), a port for coupling to an external AC power source, etc.); and / or additional supporting electrical and mechanical features, the selection and inclusion of which in the device 20 will be well understood in the art.

[0047] Processor 21 represents one or more processors or functionally equivalent hardware or software components that can perform one or more of the functions described herein. Local memory 26 is operably coupled to processor 21 and represents one or more non-transitory memories that can be used to construct and store an offline database constructed using a portion of the data maintained at data storage device 30. Local memory 26 can also serve as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the operation of device 20 according to the methods described herein. Without departing from the scope of the present invention, processor 21 can also include its own integrated memory for storing computer-executable instructions.

[0048] The apparatus 20 is to be used by a filling operator before filling a cylinder with compressed gas. Figure 4, a portion of a typical compressed gas tank or cylinder 60 is shown in FIG. As is known in the art, compressed gas cylinders typically have one or more identifying markings, labels, and / or tags coupled or attached thereto that uniquely identify the particular cylinder. At least each compressed gas cylinder has a serial number label 70 attached somewhere thereto when it is manufactured. The label 70 may include alphanumeric characters, a bar code, a QR code, or any other "code" that can be read by an optical reader that indicates the cylinder's serial number. Once placed in service, many cylinders have an RFID tag 72 attached, coupled, or integrated with the cylinder 60. At a minimum, the RFID tag 72 has a unique identifier stored thereon that is associated with the particular cylinder serial number specified on the tag 70. As will be further explained below, this association is maintained in the data storage device 30. In some embodiments and as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,867,729, an RFID tag associated with a gas cylinder may advantageously store only a unique identifier for the tag, with all relevant data about the gas cylinder being stored in, accessed from, and updated in a remotely located database, such as data storage device 30.

[0049] In addition, now refer to Figure 5 , illustrates an embodiment of a process flow performed by the device 20 during its use. The process is typically embodied in computer-executable instructions stored on the device 20 and executed by the processor 21. At the beginning of the process, a user enters login credentials at step 100 using a graphical user interface presented on the touchscreen display 22. Following a properly authenticated login event, step 102 causes the display 22 to present a screen / interface that assumes the gas cylinder to be filled is coupled to an RFID tag (not shown). Such login processes and authentication operations are well understood in the art.

[0050] Assuming that the gas cylinder to be filled is coupled with an RFID tag, the filling operator (or "user," as they will be referred to hereinafter) is instructed at step 104 to position the apparatus 20 proximate to the RFID tag so that the RFID reader 23 can read the identifier of the RFID tag. Such instructions may be provided via a visual prompt presented on the display 22 and / or using an audible or tactile prompt. The switch 25 may be set to a default position that selects the RFID reader 23 as the data reading input device for the apparatus 20, as many gas cylinders have RFID tags attached to or coupled to them.

[0051] If the cylinder to be filled does not have an RFID tag associated with it, it will still have a serial number tag 70 attached ( Figure 4). As mentioned above, any alternative identification tag that can be read by the optical scanner 24 is acceptable. When the user is presented with this scenario, the switch 25 is engaged at step 106 to select the optical scanner 24 as the data reading input device of the device 20. Without departing from the scope of the present invention, the switch 25 can be any of a variety of user-controlled switch devices (e.g., a toggle switch, a shake-activated switch, etc.). Once the optical scanner 24 is selected, the user is instructed at step 108 to position the device 20 to scan the identification tag. Such instructions can be provided via a visual prompt presented on the display 22 and / or using an audible or tactile prompt.

[0052] At step 110, the identifier of the gas cylinder read at step 104 or 108 is used to query the remotely located data storage device 30 to see if the gas cylinder is registered, i.e., has a UNIVERSAL_ID. Briefly, processor 21 passes the cylinder's identifier (e.g., RFID_NO or SERIAL_NO) to wireless interface 27 for transmission to remotely located data storage device 30, which in turn compares the cylinder's identifier with identifiers already stored in the data storage device's database. Remotely located data storage device 30 provides a response to device 20 indicating whether the cylinder is registered (i.e., has a UNIVERSAL_ID) or whether the cylinder is unregistered. In some embodiments of the present invention, step 110 is limited to checking for cylinders owned by the same organization authorized to use device 20, e.g., if the data in the OWNER field of the bottle's data record structure 34 matches the owner identifier associated with device 20. However, in some embodiments of the present invention, which will be described below and assumed for the remainder of the description, step 110 may be configured to check whether the scanned bottle is registered in the data storage device 30 , regardless of who owns the bottle.

[0053] If the bottle's identifier (e.g., RFID_NO or SERIAL_NO) is registered (i.e., has a UNIVERSAL_ID) in the data storage device 30 and there is no previously recorded inspection failure warning associated with the identified bottle (to be explained further below), then at step 112, the processor 21 causes the display 22 to present a plurality of prompts to the user, which are "Bottle Inspection Questions" (CIQs). That is, whenever the bottle's identifier is found in the data storage device 30, the CIQ is presented to the user of the device 20, regardless of who owns the bottle. The CIQ lists a series of key visual inspection criteria that must be answered / confirmed by the user. The CIQ can be configured / customized based on the requirements of the regulatory entity and, if desired, based on the needs and / or policies of the customer. By way of non-limiting illustrative example, the CIQ may include the following checklist or criteria, requiring a binary "YES" or "NO" response from the user:

[0054] -Does the bottle have an inoperable or damaged valve?

[0055] -Is there any damage to the body of the bottle?

[0056] -Are any of the bottle threads damaged?

[0057] -Is the bottle's locking ring damaged?

[0058] The user must respond to all CIQs on the device 20 before the process will flow to its next step. In this way, the user-provided responses can be used as passive confirmation of the stated inspection criteria. As will be explained further below, active user confirmation can also be employed. Once all CIQs have been answered, obtained, or otherwise received at the device 20, the processor 21 compares (at step 114) the user-provided responses with predetermined acceptable responses to the CIQs, where the acceptable responses indicate a safety gas cylinder. The processor 21 identifies whether there are any discrepancies between the user-provided responses to the CIQs and the predetermined acceptable responses. For example, if all CIQs are constructed to have a yes or no answer and at least one user-provided response does not match the predetermined acceptable response, a discrepancy is identified.

[0059] If one or more discrepancies are identified, the device 20 generates a cylinder failure warning indicator indicating an unsafe cylinder and displays a warning message (e.g., a "DO NOT FILL" message) on the display 22. Then, at step 116, the device 20 transmits the user-provided response, along with the cylinder failure warning indicator for the particular cylinder, to the remotely located data storage device 30 via the wireless interface 27, and concludes processing for the particular cylinder. In this manner, the historical safety data associated with the particular cylinder stored at the data storage device 30 is updated, regardless of the cylinder's ownership, such that the cylinder is marked as requiring repair or out of service. The updated historical data is immediately available for review by the cylinder owner / manager who has access to the data storage device 30. Furthermore, because the discrepancy between the user-provided response and the acceptable response caused processing to terminate at step 116, subsequent processing steps are prevented from proceeding. Specifically, the discrepancy between the user-provided response and the acceptable response prevents the display of any prompts related to the entry of cylinder filling data at step 118, as described further below.

[0060] When there is no discrepancy between the user-provided response to the CIQ and an acceptable response, thereby indicating that the cylinder can be safely filled, processing proceeds to step 117, where the owner identification of the device 20 being used is checked against the ownership of the cylinder (e.g., the data in the OWNER field). A match at step 117 means that the cylinder is owned by the same organization that authorized the particular device 20 being used, thereby allowing processing to proceed to step 118. If there is no owner match at step 117, then the user of the device 20 is asked at step 130 whether they would like to perform a "guest fill." If the user selects a guest fill, then the bottle's identifier is marked as a "GUEST" fill for eventual transmission to the data storage device 30. If the user of the device 20 does not want to perform a guest fill, then a "DO NOT FILL" (or similar) message is displayed at step 131 and processing for that bottle ends.

[0061] If the bottle is owned by the same entity authorized to use the device 20 (i.e., a match occurs at step 117) or if non-owner visitor filling is selected at step 130, processing proceeds to step 118, where the user is presented with prompts on the display 22 identifying bottle filling information or data that needs to be entered. By way of non-limiting example, such bottle filling data may include the time / date of filling, the compressor system to be used to fill the gas bottle, the filling pressure, the filling location, the name of the filler, etc. The filling information may be presented to the user for confirmation before continuing.

[0062] Referring again to step 110, if the bottle's identifier (e.g., RFID_NO or SERIAL_NO) is not registered in the remotely located database, the user is provided with the option to register the bottle at step 120. If the user chooses not to register the bottle, the user is presented with the option to perform a "guest fill" at step 121. If the user agrees to the guest fill, the process proceeds to step 112 described above, where the CIQ is presented on the display 22 and the data entered, including the bottle serial number, is marked as a "GUEST" fill for eventual transmission to the remotely located database. If registration is desired, a registration interface is presented on the display 22 at step 122, where the information entered by the user is transmitted to the remotely located data storage device 30. During bottle registration, the administrator 32 ( Figure 1 ) assigns a UNIVERSAL_ID to the bottle, and processing then proceeds to step 112. The information entered by the user may include the information described above with respect to data record structure 34. Registration interface 122 may include instructions for the user to associate a new RFID tag with the bottle's serial number for future identification and filling operations. If the user does not respond "yes" to either the registration step 120 or the guest filling at step 121, a "Do Not Fill" (or similar) message is displayed at step 123, and processing for that bottle ends.

[0063] At step 124, the fill data entered at step 118 is prepared for submission (i.e., for either an owned and registered bottle, an unowned but registered bottle, or an unowned and unregistered bottle). For example, the present invention can prepare the user-provided response data to cooperate with a unique "handshake" operation to ensure the integrity of the data reporting and recording that can be performed by the device 20. In short, the user-provided response / fill data associated with the bottle can be transmitted to the data storage device 30 using any secure data transmission protocol that will be well understood in the art. Additionally or alternatively, the submission preparation step 124 can include automatically associating a permanent current date stamp with the user-provided response data, thereby providing confidence in the reported response data.

[0064] After preparing the fill data for submission, device 20 (via processor 21 and wireless interface 27) monitors the availability of a wireless connection at step 126. For example, if an Internet connection is available, processor 21 instructs wireless interface 27 to transmit the user-provided response data (including the fill data) to a remotely located data storage device 30 at step 128. However, if no connection is available at step 126, processor 21 causes the response / fill data to be stored locally in memory 26 at step 129. Device 20 then continuously or periodically performs connection monitoring step 126 (e.g., as a background processing function) to automatically transmit (at step 128) to data storage device 30 any response / fill data stored locally at step 129. In all cases, the response / fill data is used to update the bottle's standardized format data record structure 34 in data storage device 30, which is then immediately available to subsequent users.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the filling operator may be required to proactively confirm his response to the user provided by the CIQ. Figure 6 As shown in FIG, at step 113, the user may be presented with a confirmation interface in which the user must actively confirm their response to the CIQ presented and answered in step 112. If the user confirms their response at step 113, processing proceeds to a discrepancy check at step 114. If the user does not actively confirm their response to the CIQ, processing for the particular bottle is terminated. Such active confirmation may require entry of the user's employee number, their signature, etc.

[0066] As mentioned above, it is not uncommon for cylinders to be present in emergency situations and for multiple owners to have inconsistent or unavailable internet connectivity. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, when the device 20 is turned on and has access to the data storage device 30, a portion of the cylinder history data for the cylinder owners stored at the data storage device 30 is used to construct an offline database at the device 20, as will now be referenced. Figure 7 After the device 20 is powered on, has an internet connection and the login step 100 has been successfully completed, step 101 automatically builds an offline database at the local memory 26 using a portion of the historical data of all bottles registered for the owner (i.e., the same OWNER data) stored at the data storage device 30. More specifically and again with reference to Figure 2The offline database construction process step 101 constructs an offline database in local memory 26 using only the critical safety and filling data from the per-bottle data record structure 34 maintained in the data storage device 30 for that particular owner. For example, the safety and filling data for each of the owner's bottles may include BORN, EXPIRES, STATUS, MAX-PRES, LAST_HYDRO, and NEXT_HYDRO. The offline database is constructed using the most recently updated refill and safety data for the owner's bottles available at the data storage device 30. By limiting the offline database to only the safety / fill data for the owner's bottles, the reduced size of the offline database (compared to the database maintained at the data storage device 30) reduces memory requirements at the device 20 and shortens processing time associated with data acquisition. The offline database is reconstructed or refreshed each time the device 20 logs in or a user requests a refresh. The offline database eliminates the need to repeatedly access the data storage device 30 and is readily accessible, allowing the filling operator to proceed with the remaining process steps described herein in all situations.

[0067] After the offline database is constructed in the local memory 26 of the device 20 being used, the identifier of the bottle being read or scanned can be checked against the identifier stored in the data storage device 30 when an internet connection is present as described above. However, even without an internet connection, the bottle's identifier can still be checked against the identifier stored in the offline database at step 150. If the bottle's identifier (i.e., RFID_NO or SERIAL_NO) is found in the offline database, processing proceeds to step 112 and continues as previously described herein. If the bottle's identifier is not found in the offline database, the user is presented with the option to perform a guest fill at step 151. If a guest fill is selected, processing proceeds to step 112. If the user decides not to perform a guest fill, a "Do Not Fill" message is displayed on the device 20 at step 152, and processing for that bottle ends. For any filled bottle (i.e., owner fill or guest fill), the fill data is locally processed and stored as previously described herein for eventual transmission to the data storage device 30 when an internet connection is again available.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present invention, the date compliance of a bottle and its fault warning history can be used to prevent further filling processes on that bottle. Figure 8As shown in FIG, step 111 checks the bottle's historical data to see if the identified bottle has exceeded its expiration date, is overdue for its hydrostatic or other safety testing, or has a previously recorded bottle failure warning associated with it due to a previous CIQ discrepancy as previously explained herein. If the identified bottle has any date / test compliance or failure warning issues associated with it, then step 111 ends the process for that particular bottle.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present invention, whenever one of the bottles in the bottle owner's possession is refilled by an authorized user, refilled as a guest fill, or marked with a warning (e.g., bottle damaged, etc.), the bottle owner will be notified so that the bottle data record structure 34 is updated in the data storage device 30. For example and as Figure 9 As shown in FIG, each time a registered bottle data record structure 34 is updated, a message originating from the data storage device 30 is automatically generated at step 160. Then, at step 162, the message (e.g., at least one of an email, text message, instant message, voice message, etc.) is sent or transmitted to one or more individuals of the bottle owner via, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, and / or a landline telephone line. In this manner, the bottle owner is informed in real time that the operational life information for any of their bottles has been updated, regardless of who initiated the information update.

[0070] It should be understood that without departing from the scope of the present invention, Figures 5 to 9 Some or all of the features described in the embodiments shown in FIGURE 1 may be combined and incorporated into embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, while the present invention has been described for compressed gas cylinders, it can be readily adapted for use with other types of equipment requiring routine safety inspections and maintenance. In the case of SCBA or SCUBA, such equipment includes, but is not limited to, air packs, backplates, and masks.

[0071] The advantages of the present invention are numerous. The method and system simplify and ensure that operational life information for equipment such as gas cylinders is up-to-date and complete, regardless of the ownership of the cylinder at the time it is refilled. The present invention provides remotely accessible data records in a standardized format for multiple owners, as well as a portion of the data records on a current offline database constructed using only the safety-critical data of the owner's cylinders, thereby allowing owner-authorized mobile devices to function as designed even in the most extreme situations. Even when "guest fills" are performed on cylinders that are not owned by the filling operator's organization / entity, critical fill and safety data are ultimately updated to the integrated remote data storage facility, thereby preventing the loss of cylinder operational life history. By requiring the filling operator to manually enter and verify key pass / fail inspection criteria before collecting fill data, the present invention greatly reduces the chance that a faulty cylinder will remain in service. In addition, faulty cylinders automatically record their identifiers in the remote database as a warning to any operator using the present invention to avoid filling them in the future.

[0072] While the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, numerous variations and modifications will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing teachings. For example, the device's touchscreen may be replaced with a dedicated / separate display and input device without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other embodiments of the present invention, historical data for registered and currently compliant bottles may be displayed on a mobile device's display after step 110 for the user to review. It should be understood, therefore, that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be implemented otherwise than as specifically described.

[0073] The following are the contents that are to be applied for U.S. patent protection and claimed as new inventions:

Claims

1. A method comprising the following steps: storing information of a plurality of organizations in a network-based non-transitory storage medium, the information being arranged in standardized format records, each record from the standardized format records: (i) being associated with a device, (ii) being uniquely identified in the storage medium, (iii) having first data matching device identification data coupled to the device, (iv) having second data indicating an owner of the device, and (v) having security-critical data of the device; providing remote access to the storage medium via a mobile device operated by a user authorized by one of the organizations; automatically constructing an offline database for said one of said organizations on said mobile device using only said standardized format records when said storage medium is accessible by said mobile device; obtaining, by the mobile device, the device identification data from a device being evaluated by the user of the mobile device; determining, at the storage medium, whether a first match exists between the device identification data of the device being evaluated when the storage medium is accessible and the first data in the storage medium; determining, at the mobile device, whether a second match exists between the device identification data of the device being evaluated when the storage medium is inaccessible and the first data in the offline database; obtaining, from the user via the mobile device, an update to the security-critical data of the device being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; as well as The update is stored in the storage medium for the device being evaluated when the storage medium is accessible.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: When the update is stored in the storage medium, a message is transmitted to the owner of the device being evaluated.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: automatically generating a message at the storage medium each time the update is stored in the storage medium for the device being evaluated; as well as The message is transmitted from the storage medium to the owner of the device being evaluated, wherein the owner is notified of the occurrence of the update.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: automatically displaying, by the mobile device, a plurality of yes-no questions related to the device being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; obtaining, by the mobile device, a response provided by a user to the yes-no question; automatically generating, by the mobile device, a confirmation interface on the mobile device after obtaining the response to the yes-no question, the confirmation interface requesting a user-provided confirmation response at the mobile device, wherein the confirmation response indicates confirmation of the response to the yes-no question; comparing, by the mobile device, the response to the yes-no question with predetermined acceptable responses only when the confirmatory response is provided, wherein a first state is identified when there is no difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response, and wherein a second state is identified when there is at least one difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response; Only when the second state is recognized, the mobile device automatically outputs a warning; Automatically displaying maintenance information of the device being evaluated by the mobile device only when the first state is identified; and The response to the yes-no question is automatically transmitted by the mobile device to the storage medium when the storage medium is accessible.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: When neither the first match nor the second match exists, the yes-no question is automatically displayed.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: An indication of the warning is added, by the mobile device, to the safety-critical data for the device being evaluated, wherein the warning is included in the update stored in the storage medium.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: Prior to said step of automatically transmitting, said response to said yes-no question is stored at said mobile device.

8. A method comprising the following steps: storing information from a plurality of organizations in a network-based non-transitory storage medium, the information arranged in a standardized format record, each record from the standardized format record: (i) associated with a compressed gas cylinder, (ii) uniquely identified in the storage medium, (iii) having first data matching cylinder identification data coupled to the cylinder, (iv) having second data indicating an owner of the cylinder, and (v) having safety-critical data for the cylinder; providing remote access to said storage medium via a mobile device operated by a user authorized by one of said organizations; automatically constructing an offline database for said one of said organizations on said mobile device using only said standardized format records when said storage medium is accessible by said mobile device, said offline database including said first data and said safety-critical data for each bottle owned by said one of said organizations; obtaining, by the mobile device, the bottle identification data from a bottle being evaluated by the user of the mobile device; determining, at the storage medium, whether a first match exists between the bottle identification data of the bottle being evaluated when the storage medium is accessible and the first data in the storage medium; determining, at the mobile device, whether a second match exists between the bottle identification data of the bottle being evaluated when the storage medium is inaccessible and the first data in the offline database; obtaining, from the user via the mobile device, an update to the safety-critical data of the bottle being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; as well as When the storage medium is accessible, the update is stored in the storage medium for the bottle being evaluated.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: When the update is stored in the storage medium, a message is transmitted to the owner of the bottle being evaluated.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: automatically generating a message at said storage medium each time said update is stored in said storage medium for said bottle being evaluated; as well as The message is transmitted from the storage medium to the owner of the bottle being evaluated, wherein the owner is notified of the occurrence of the update.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: automatically displaying, by the mobile device, a plurality of yes-no questions related to the bottle being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; obtaining, by the mobile device, a response provided by a user to the yes-no question; automatically generating, by the mobile device, a confirmation interface on the mobile device after obtaining the response to the yes-no question, the confirmation interface requesting a user-provided confirmation response at the mobile device, wherein the confirmation response indicates confirmation of the response to the yes-no question; comparing, by the mobile device, the response to the yes-no question with predetermined acceptable responses only when the confirmatory response is provided, wherein a first state is identified when there is no difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response, and wherein a second state is identified when there is at least one difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response; Only when the second state is recognized, the mobile device automatically outputs a warning; Only when the first state is identified, automatically displaying bottle filling information of the bottle being evaluated by the mobile device; and The response to the yes-no question is automatically transmitted by the mobile device to the storage medium when the storage medium is accessible.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: When neither the first match nor the second match exists, the yes-no question is automatically displayed.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: An indication of the warning is added, by the mobile device, to the safety-critical data for the bottle being evaluated, wherein the warning is included in the update stored in the storage medium.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: Prior to said step of automatically transmitting, said response to said yes-no question is stored at said mobile device.

15. A method comprising the steps of: storing information from a plurality of organizations in a network-based non-transitory storage medium, the information arranged in a standardized format record, each record from the standardized format record: (i) associated with a compressed gas cylinder, (ii) uniquely identified in the storage medium, (iii) having first data matching cylinder identification data coupled to the cylinder, (iv) having second data indicating an owner of the cylinder, and (v) having safety-critical data for the cylinder; providing remote access to said storage medium via a mobile device operated by a user authorized by one of said organizations; automatically constructing an offline database for said one of said organizations on said mobile device using only said standardized format records when said storage medium is accessible by said mobile device, said offline database including said first data and said safety-critical data for each bottle owned by said one of said organizations; obtaining, by the mobile device, the bottle identification data from a bottle being evaluated by the user of the mobile device; determining, at the storage medium, whether a first match exists between the bottle identification data of the bottle being evaluated when the storage medium is accessible and the first data in the storage medium; determining, at the mobile device, whether a second match exists between the bottle identification data of the bottle being evaluated when the storage medium is inaccessible and the first data in the offline database; obtaining, from the user via the mobile device, an update to the safety-critical data of the bottle being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; storing the update in the storage medium for the bottle being evaluated when the storage medium is accessible; as well as When the update is stored in the storage medium, a message is automatically transmitted to the owner of the bottle being evaluated.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: The message is automatically generated at the storage medium each time the update is stored in the storage medium for the bottle being evaluated.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: automatically displaying, by the mobile device, a plurality of yes-no questions related to the bottle being evaluated when one of the first match and the second match exists; obtaining, by the mobile device, a response provided by a user to the yes-no question; automatically generating, by the mobile device, a confirmation interface on the mobile device after obtaining the response to the yes-no question, the confirmation interface requesting a user-provided confirmation response at the mobile device, wherein the confirmation response indicates confirmation of the response to the yes-no question; comparing, by the mobile device, the response to the yes-no question with predetermined acceptable responses only when the confirmatory response is provided, wherein a first state is identified when there is no difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response, and wherein a second state is identified when there is at least one difference between the response to the yes-no question and the predetermined acceptable response; Only when the second state is recognized, the mobile device automatically outputs a warning; Only when the first state is identified, automatically displaying bottle filling information of the bottle being evaluated by the mobile device; and The response to the yes-no question is automatically transmitted by the mobile device to the storage medium when the storage medium is accessible.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: When neither the first match nor the second match exists, the yes-no question is automatically displayed.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: An indication of the warning is added, by the mobile device, to the safety-critical data for the bottle being evaluated, wherein the warning is included in the update stored in the storage medium.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: Prior to said step of automatically transmitting said response to said yes-no question, said response to said yes-no question is stored at said mobile device.

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