RFID/biometric area protection

• US 20070205861A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Nair, Suresh, Galera, Richard, Rollins, George, Dogul, James, Schuster, George, Delcher, Ray, Jones, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 7,932,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.610
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/081 With randomly actuated stopping means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/159 Including means to compensate tool speed for work-feed variations

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates providing a safety mechanism associated with a protective zone in an industrial automation environment. An radio frequency identification (RFID) component can receive data from an RFID tag to identify a location. A safety component can employ a safe mode to a device based at least in part upon the location to employ a protected zone in proximity with the device.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates providing a safety mechanism, comprising:

an radio frequency identification (RFID) component that receives data from an RFID tag to identify a location; and

a safety component that employs a safe mode to a device based at least in part upon the location associated with a protected zone in proximity with the device.

2. The system of claim 1, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

3. The system of claim 1, the device is at least one of the following:

a blade;

a door;

a press;

a robot;

welder;

a machine;

a roller;

a welder;

a laser;

a scanner;

a belt conveyor;

a pump;

a press;

a fan;

a fly-wheel;

a movable machine part;

a vent for harmful fumes;

a drain for harmful material;

a heat source;

a cold source;

a container with a material;

an electrical source.

4. The system of claim 1, the RFID tag is a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tag.

5. The system of claim 4, the RFID tag is associated with at least one of a badge, a pass, an identification card, an access pass, a keycard, a nametag, and a driver'"'"'s license.

6. The system of claim 5, the RFID tag includes biometric data that is at least one of an inductance, retina data, iris data, a facial pattern, a hand measurement, a fingerprint, and a voice pattern.

7. The system of claim 1, the safety component provides at least one of an approval and a denial in association with access to the protected zone.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls the device based at least in part upon the safe mode implemented.

9. The system of claim 8, the controller directly controls the device based at least in part upon the wirelessly received data within the RFID tag.

10. The system of claim 1, the safe mode is at least one of the following:

a safety shutdown;

a slow mode;

a non-movement mode;

a non-normal operation mode;

a normal operation mode; and

a stepping mode.

11. The system of claim 1, the protected zone is a pre-defined area based at least in part upon a range of the device that invokes danger.

12. The system of claim 1, the protected zone automatically defined based on the device location.

13. The system of claim 1, the safety component manipulates an industrial automation process associated to the device based at least in part upon the data received wirelessly from the RFID tag.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor utilized in conjunction with the RFID tag to provide an indication on when to wirelessly transmit data.

15. The system of claim 14, the sensor is at least one of an optical sensor, a motion sensor, a safety mat, area scanners, and a light curtain.

16. The system of claim 14, the sensor is associated with at least one of the RFID component, the safety component, and the device.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a verify component to employ a verification technique to ensure the RFID tag is associated with a correct entity.

18. The system of claim 17, the verify component utilizes biometric data associated with the RFID tag to ensure a relationship with the correct entity.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a track component that employs tracking of the RFID tag.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligent component that employs a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer at least one of an access, a denial, and a device mode to be automatically performed.

21. The system of claim 1, the RFID tag includes at least one of a tag identification, user data, extended data, user defined data, reader identification, security data, location data, biometric data, access data, personal data, and automation environment data.

22. A method that facilitates invoking a safety mechanism within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

receiving a signal at a radio frequency identification (RFID) component from an RFID tag;

decoding and translating data from the RFID tag;

ascertaining a location associated with the RFID tag; and

manipulating a device based on the location of the RFID tag.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

including biometric data with the RFID tag; and

verifying an entity utilizing the RFID tag with the biometric data.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing an access level to the RFID tag respective to a status of the entity; and

allowing at least one of an approval and a denial to access to an area based on the access level.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising tracking the RFID tag within an industrial automation environment.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

utilizing biometric data for verification; and

manipulating an industrial automation process related to the device based on the RFID tag.

27. The method of claim 22, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

28. The method of claim 22, the device is at least one the following:

a blade;

a door;

a press;

a robot;

welder;

a machine;

a roller;

a welder;

a laser;

a scanner;

a belt conveyor;

a pump;

a press;

a fan;

a fly-wheel;

a movable machine part;

a vent for harmful fumes;

a drain for harmful material;

a heat source;

a cold source;

a container with a material;

an electrical source.

29. The method of claim 22, the RFID tag is a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tag.

30. A system that facilitates implementing a safety zone to provide an additional safety mechanism within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for receiving data from an RFID tag;

means to identify a location associated with the RFID tag; and

means to employ a safe mode to a device based at least in part upon the location.