WO2001098945A1

WO2001098945A1 - Data collection apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2001098945A1
Application number: PCT/NO2001/000255
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vidar Blomvik
Original assignee: Verico
Priority date: 2000-06-22
Filing date: 2001-06-20
Publication date: 2001-12-27
Also published as: AU7468801A; NO20003249D0; NO20003249L

Abstract

A computer based apparatus for use in collection and systematised registration of data associated with furniture and other moveables as a basis for insurance, including an apparatus for photographing the object(s) that form part of said furniture/moveables and an apparatus for noting descriptive information about same, and where the apparatus that is designed to simplify the collection of object data and enable the creation of an object inventory arranged according to a hierarchical classification, in addition to said photographic apparatus/camera and said apparatus for noting descriptive object data in the computer, comprises a visual feedback unit in the form of a display screen (6) or similar, and possibly a microphone (4) and loudspeaker (5), which components are connected to the computer (2), and that the mobile/portable/transportable apparatus (1) thus formed is provided with an operator's panel (7) having several operating switches (8a-8f) that control the main functions of the apparatus (1) and are designed to be influenced by the operator during registration of information about the object(s), where the operation of a particular switch (e.g. 8d) can correspond to a selection of one level higher in the hierarchy of the inventory.

Description

DATA COLLECTION APPARATUS

This invention regards an apparatus for collecting and systematising data, in particular when registering furniture and other moveables.

Every day, loss of property occurs through fire, theft and other forms of damage. A systematic inventory of possessions would simplify a subsequent claim settlement. In many cases, an incomplete or non-existent inventory of objects results in objects being forgotten, and therefore no compensation is received for these.

The reason only a small number of all homes and businesses have prepared inventories of moveables may be that the existing methods are cumbersome and therefore costly, requiring a lot of resources. Typically, the preparation of a systematic inventory involves a number of operations including planning of the structure of the inventory, photographing and description of the objects, followed by the entry of collected data into the inventory. The object of the invention is to rationalise the collection and registration operations, so as to allow them to be carried out in a quick yet thorough manner. By so doing it will be possible to prepare high quality inventories at a reasonable cost.

The object is achieved by the characteristics described below, as well as by the appended claims.

The basic background of the invention is that the inventory is prepared and documented simultaneously and in parallel with the collection of information about individual objects. Typically, a person bringing the equipment for documentation collection and registration will document all the objects in a house while the information about the objects is simultaneously entered in the correct place in the inventory in question.

An inventory may have a hierarchical structure in which e.g. a drawer forms part of a unit located in a living room etc. During the collection of object data, this data is stored in the correct place in the hierarchy of the inventory. The object data may be retrieved in the form of a picture, a verbal or written description, or as a reference to e.g. a valuation document. For practical reasons, the use of digital computer-based equipment is probably the most relevant for achieving the object of the invention, although the use of other, less efficient means of collection and storage may be envisaged. Thus a device has been developed for quick entry of the collected data into a hierarchical inventory. An arrangement at a control panel is designed to co-ordinate object data from peripheral equipment connected thereto, e.g. a camera and a microphone, through appropriate operation, and to enter this into the correct place in the inventory.

The following describes a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a mobile/portable data collection apparatus;

Figure 2 schematically shows an operator panel;

Figure 3 shows an arbitrary situation displayed on a visual feedback unit;

Figure 4 shows the situation according to figure 3 after the switch "level up" has been operated;

Figure 5 shows the situation according to figure 4 after the switch "move down" has been operated;

Figure 6 shows the situation according to figure 5 after the switch "level down" has been operated; and

Figure 7 shows the situation according to figure 6 after the switch "move down" has been operated.

In the drawings, reference number 1 denotes a portable/mobile data collection apparatus, see figure 1, comprising a computer 2, a camera 3, a microphone 4, a loudspeaker 5 and a visual feedback unit ( "display" ) 6 , all of a type that is known per se. Components 2 to 5 are connected to each other, and are controlled from an operator's panel 7. In a preferred embodiment, the operator's panel 7, see figure 2, is equipped with six operating switches 8, the function of which will be described below. In the storage medium of the computer, object data is collected in the form of e.g. digital audio and video. Communication from an operator to the computer may in addition to operation of the switches 8 be voice activated, while the communication in the opposite direction may take place via sound e.g. from a loudspeaker and/or via a visual feedback unit, a display 6. Operation of the switches 8 controls the main functions of the collection apparatus, where one press on switch 8a initiates the procedure of taking a photograph, while operation of switch 8b activates voice control while operated. The remaining operating switches 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f are used to navigate the hierarchy of the inventory, and for creating object positions in the inventory as new objects are registered. The operation is best illustrated by an example in which information about a new object is to be entered into a selected position in the hierarchy of the inventory.

In a preferred embodiment the visual feedback unit is provided with several icons 9, where the type of icon also indicates the present level of the hierarchy. At the lowest level of the hierarchy is an object icon 9b, while a folder icon 9c comprises several objects/object icons 9b. The selected object icon 9b is indicated through being enclosed by a frame 10. The person registering the objects moves from one object to the next. When a new object is to be registered with a picture and/or a description, it must first be navigated to the correct position in an existing, alternatively new, inventory. As an example, object II is selected at an arbitrary point during the registration work, see figure 3. In order to register data e.g. concerning object V, the following method must be used. Operating switch 8d "Level up" selects one level higher in the hierarchy of the inventory, in this case folder icon I, see figure 4. The same operation can be carried out by activating voice control through operation of switch 8d, then saying "Level up", and then releasing switch 8d again. Operating switch 8c "Move down" selects the object or folder below at the same level, se figure 5. Voice control may be used for this operation, and also for the subsequent operations. Then switch 8e "Level down" is operated, selecting the first object at a lower level, see figure 6. When a photograph is to be taken, switch 8a "Take photograph" is operated; this sets the system up to take a photograph and store this and other data under a new object V, see figure 7. New objects may be registered continuously by operating switch 8a "Take photograph" every time. By using switches 8c to 8f, alternatively by using voice control, it is possible to navigate to any object or folder in the inventory in order to register new objects, or to adjust the contents under the object.

The device according to the invention simplifies the collection of object data considerably beyond known methods.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A computer based apparatus for use in collection and systematised registration of data associated with furniture and other moveables as a basis for insurance, including an apparatus for photographing the object(s) that form part of said furniture/moveables and an apparatus for noting descriptive data about same, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the apparatus that is designed to simplify the collection of object data and enable the creation of an object inventory arranged according to a hierarchical classification, in addition to said photographic apparatus/camera and said apparatus for noting descriptive object data in the computer, comprises a visual feedback unit in the form of a display screen (6) or similar, and possibly a microphone ( 4 ) and loudspeaker ( 5 ) , which components are connected to the computer (2), and that the mobile/portable/ transportable apparatus ( 1 ) thus formed is provided with an operator's panel (7) having several operating switches (8a-8f) that control the main functions of the apparatus (1) and are designed to be influenced by the operator during registration of data concerning the object(s), where the operation of a particular switch (e.g. 8d) can correspond to a selection of one level higher in the hierarchy of the inventory.

2. A computer based apparatus according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the visual feedback unit, the display screen (6), is equipped with a plurality of icons (9a, 9b), the type of which indicates the present position in the hierarchy, where the lowest level of the inventory is given an object icon, while a folder icon (9a) comprises several objects/object icons (9b).