Determining compatibility of components for assembling approved personal protection configurations

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for determining whether at least a first component and a second component of a personal protection (PP) configuration are compatible so as to be assembled into an approved PP configuration, responsive to being compared against at least one predetermined criterion. Included is a smart tag for each of the first and second components. The first and second smart tags include respective first and second data. A data acquiring system is provided for acquiring the first and second data and a data processing system processes the acquired first and second data for determining if the first and second components are compatible to be assembled as an approved PP configuration.

1 . A method of determining compatibility of at least a first component and a second component for forming an approved PP configuration as determined by at least one predetermined criterion, the method comprising:
 a) providing a first component with a smart tag configured with first data;   b) providing a second component with a smart tag configured with second data;   c) acquiring the first and second data;   d) determining if the first and second components are compatible to be assembled as an approved PP configuration by processing the acquired first and second data in a data processing system against a predetermined criterion.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second tags provide location information data. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acquired first and second data are stored in memory. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein results of the determining of compatibility are stored in memory. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second data stored by the respective first and second smart tags include at least model number information with respect to a particular model type of the corresponding first and second components. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a third component with a smart tag configured with third data;   acquiring the third data; and   determining if the third component is compatible to be assembled with the first and second components as an approved PP configuration by processing the acquired third data in a data processing system against a predetermined criterion.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the model number information data from the first, second, and third tags are acquired, and then processed by the data processing system to determine if the first component is compatible to one or more of second components. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is updatable. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising sensing at least one condition of a work environment, wherein the predetermined criterion is updatable based on sensing the at least one condition of the work environment. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising acquiring information relating to a worker and determining whether the worker is compatible to the approved PP configuration. 
   
   
       11 . A system for determining compatibility of at least a first component and a second component for forming an approved PP configuration as determined by at least one predetermined criterion, the system comprising: a) at least a first component having a first smart tag configured with first data; b) at least a second component having a second smart tag configured with second data; c) a data acquiring system for acquiring the first and second data; and, d) a data processing system for processing the acquired first and second data against a predetermined criterion for determining if the first and second components are compatible to be assembled as an approved PP configuration. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second tags provide location information data. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the data processing system further includes memory wherein the acquired first and second data are stored. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the memory stores results of a determination regarding compatibility of the first and second components. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11 , further including a sensing device for sensing a work environment whereby the predetermined criterion may change based on sensed data. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11 , further including:
 a third component with a smart tag configured with third data;   a data acquiring system for acquiring the third data; and   a data processing system for processing the acquired third data against the predetermined criterion for determining if the third component is compatible to be assembled as an approved PP configuration.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second smart tags include at least model number information with respect to a particular model type of the corresponding first and second components. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second tags provide location information data. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second tags provide information relating to a worker. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined criterion is updatable.