Collision avoidance

• US 20090083100A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Opdenbosch, Augusto, Darby, George Derrick JR., Santamaria, Juan Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In a method for avoiding a collision on a job site, information is received regarding a plurality of selected entities on the job site. The information is received at a location independent from the entities. The information is evaluated to determine whether a trigger has occurred. The trigger is associated with a potential collision situation involving an entity of the entities. A collision alert message is issued for the entity if the trigger has occurred.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding a collision on a job site, said method comprising:

receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site, said information received at a location independent from said entities;

evaluating said information to determine whether a trigger has occurred, said trigger associated with a potential collision situation involving an entity of said entities; and

issuing a collision alert message for said entity if said trigger has occurred.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

setting a condition for occurrence of said trigger.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

continuing said receiving and evaluating to determine whether an additional trigger has occurred, said additional trigger associated with an additional potential collision situation involving said entity; and

issuing an additional collision alert message if said additional trigger has occurred.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said collision alert message at said entity; and

in response to said collision alert message, automatically implementing a collision avoidance action at said entity.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said automatically implementing a collision avoidance action at said entity comprises:

implementing an action from the list of actions consisting of;

an operator notification, a visible warning, an audible warning, an intervention into the operation of said entity, and an intervention into the operation of another entity.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving said information in a triplet data format, said triplet data format comprising an entity identification field, a value field, and a units field associated with said value field.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving location information regarding said entity.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving operation information regarding said entity.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said evaluating said information to determine whether a trigger has occurred comprises:

evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred comprises:

comparing said location of said entity with a location of a second entity of said plurality of selected entities to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred comprises:

comparing said location of said entity to a location of a virtual entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating operation information of said entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating operation information of a second entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said issuing a collision alert message for said entity if said trigger has occurred comprises:

wirelessly transmitting said collision alert message from said location independent of said entities.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for avoiding a collision on a job site, said method comprising:

receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site, said information received at a location independent from said entities;

evaluating said information to determine whether a trigger has occurred, said trigger associated with a potential collision situation involving an entity of said entities; and

issuing a collision alert message for said entity if said trigger has occurred.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

setting a condition for occurrence of said trigger.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

continuing said receiving and evaluating to determine whether an additional trigger has occurred, said additional trigger associated with an additional potential collision situation involving said entity; and

issuing an additional collision alert message if said additional trigger has occurred.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving said information in a triplet data format, said triplet data format comprising an entity identification field, a value field, and a units field associated with said value field.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving location information regarding said entity.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said receiving information regarding a plurality of selected entities on a job site comprises:

receiving operation information regarding said entity.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said evaluating said information to determine whether a trigger has occurred comprises:

evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred comprises:

comparing said location of said entity with a location of a second entity of said plurality of selected entities to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said evaluating a location of said entity on said job site to determine whether said trigger has occurred comprises:

comparing said location of said entity to a location of a virtual entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

evaluating operation information of said entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

evaluating operation information of a second entity to determine whether said trigger has occurred.

26. A collision avoidance system, said system comprising:

a data transceiver configured for receiving information regarding a plurality of entities on a job site;

a real time server coupled with said data transceiver, said real time server configured for providing said information in real time to a subscribed module; and

a collision avoidance module coupled with said real time server and subscribed to receive selected portions of said information, said collision avoidance module configured for evaluating said information for occurrence of a trigger associated with a potential collision situation involving an entity of said entities, said collision avoidance module further configured for issuing a collision alert message to at least one entity upon the occurrence of said trigger.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said data transceiver is further configured to wirelessly transmit said collision alert message to said at least one entity.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said collision avoidance module is located independently from said plurality of entities.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said collision avoidance module comprises:

a user interface configured for facilitating user interaction with and modification of settings of said collision avoidance module.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said user interface comprises:

a viewer module configured for outputting a viewable rendering of said entities with respect to said job site.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said user interface comprises:

an entity assigner configured for allowing assignment of an entity to said job site and modification of characteristics associated with said entity.

32. The collision avoidance system of claim 26, wherein said collision avoidance module comprises:

a trigger tracker configured for evaluating said information for occurrence of a plurality of triggers.

33. The collision avoidance system of claim 26, wherein said collision avoidance module comprises:

a collision alert messenger configured for issuing a collision alert message in response to occurrence of one of a plurality of triggers.

34. A job site collision avoidance device, said device comprising:

a means for wirelessly transmitting information regarding an entity with which said device is coupled, said information transmitted to a collision avoidance system located independent from said entity;

a means for wirelessly receiving an collision alert message transmitted to said entity from said collision avoidance system; and

a means for implementing a collision avoidance action to avoid a collision involving said entity and a second entity of said job site, said collision avoidance action initiated in response to receiving said collision alert message.

35. The device of claim 34, further comprising a location information source coupled with said means for transmitting information, said location information source for providing location information regarding said entity.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein said information comprises location information.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein said information comprises operation information.

38. The device of claim 34, wherein said entity comprises a person.

39. The device of claim 34, wherein said entity comprises a vehicle.

40. The device of claim 34, wherein said entity comprises a crane boom.

41. The device of claim 34, wherein said entity comprises a construction equipment asset.

42. The device of claim 34, wherein said second entity comprises a physical entity.

43. The device of claim 34, wherein said second entity comprises a virtual entity.

44. The device of claim 34, wherein said a means for implementing a collision avoidance action to avoid a collision involving said entity and a second entity of said job site comprises:

a means for notifying an operator.

45. The device of claim 34, wherein said a means for implementing a collision avoidance action to avoid a collision involving said entity and a second entity of said job site comprises:

a means for providing an audible warning.

46. The device of claim 34, wherein said a means for implementing a collision avoidance action to avoid a collision involving said entity and a second entity of said job site comprises:

a means for providing a visible warning.

47. The device of claim 34, wherein said a means for implementing a collision avoidance action to avoid a collision involving said entity and a second entity of said job site comprises:

a means for intervening into the operation of said entity for the purpose of avoiding said collision.