Method for monitoring lockout procedures

• US 10,329,798 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ebner, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US15/896,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20180171663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0067 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/04 with counting or registering devices time recording locks G07C1/32
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/00 Padlocks permutation locks E05B37/00; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/383 Staples or the like for padlocks; Lock slings; Arrangements on locks to cooperate with padlocks
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/08 in connection with the locking of doors, covers, guards, or like members giving access to moving machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In a method of monitoring lockout procedures, a first lockout device is secured with a first component in a lockout condition to block operation of the first component, and a corresponding first data signal is received, with the first data signal including at least a first identification code corresponding to the first lockout device. A second lockout device is secured with a second component in a lockout condition to block operation of the second component, and a corresponding second data signal is received, with the second data signal including at least a second identification code corresponding to the second lockout device. The first and second data signals are monitored to determine an order in which the first and second lockout devices have been locked out, which is compared with a predefined lockout procedure. An alert is provided if the order is inconsistent with the predefined lockout procedure.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring lockout procedures for a multi-process arrangement having first and second components, the method comprising:

securing a first lockout device with the first component in a lockout condition to block operation of the first component;

receiving a first data signal corresponding to the first lockout device being secured with the first component in the lockout condition, the first data signal including at least a first identification code corresponding to the first lockout device;

securing a second lockout device with the second component in a lockout condition to block operation of the second component;

receiving a second data signal corresponding to the second lockout device being secured with the second component in the lockout condition, the second data signal including at least a second identification code corresponding to the second lockout device;

monitoring the first and second data signals to determine an order in which the first and second lockout devices have been locked out; and

comparing the order in which the first and second lockout devices have been locked out with a predefined lockout procedure, and providing an alert if the order is inconsistent with the predefined lockout procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering information corresponding to the first and second data signals to a central computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data signals further include a condition code identifying a lockout condition of the first and second lockout devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data signals are generated by the first and second lockout devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein securing the first and second lockout devices in the lockout conditions comprises securing first and second lock units to first and second lockout interfaces of the first and second lockout devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second data signals are generated by the first and second lock units.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a third data signal corresponding to the first lockout device being secured with the first component in the lockout condition, the third data signal including at least a third identification code corresponding to the first lock unit, and receiving a fourth data signal corresponding to the second lockout device being secured with the second component in the lockout condition, the fourth data signal including at least a fourth identification code corresponding to the second lock unit.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first lock unit comprises a first padlock and the second lock unit comprises a second padlock.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the third and fourth data signals are generated when the first and second lock units are placed in a locked condition.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second data signals are generated when the first and second lock units are secured to the first and second lockout interfaces.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying system users that locked out the first and second components based on the third and fourth identification codes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data signals are generated when the first and second lockout devices are moved to the lockout condition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data signals are generated by first and second RFID tags.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data signals are received at a receiver proximate to the first and second components.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver comprises one of a smart phone and an RFID reading device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data signal is received at a first receiver proximate to the first component, and the second data signal is received at a second receiver proximate to the second component.