Mine Personnel Carrier Integrated Information Display

• US 20120001743A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Cotten, Steven A., Giraldo, Luis B., Renner, Aaron A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 11/00 Rescue devices or other safety devices, e.g. safety chambers or escape ways breathing aids for curative purposes A61H31/00; respiratory apparatus A62B7/00; breathing apparatus for accidentally buried persons A62B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/004 Staff transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a mine personnel carrier includes an integrated information display and one or more processing units. The processing units may access life support data from devices associated with a life support subsystem of a mine personnel carrier. The life support subsystem provides breathable air to passengers of the mine personnel carrier, and the life support data indicates a remaining level of air available via at least a portion of the life support subsystem. The processing units access guidance data from guidance devices associated with a guidance subsystem of the mine personnel carrier. Each guidance device can detect entities within a detection range of the guidance device. The processing units initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the life support data and the guidance data. The integrated information display comprises a unified electronic display of the mine personnel carrier.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more memory units; and

one or more processing units operable to;

access life support data from one or more devices associated with a life support subsystem of a mine personnel carrier, the life support subsystem being operable to provide breathable air to one or more passengers of the mine personnel carrier, the life support data indicating a remaining level of air available via at least a portion of the life support subsystem;

access guidance data from one or more guidance devices associated with a guidance subsystem of the mine personnel carrier, each of the one or more guidance devices operable to detect entities within a detection range of the guidance device;

initiate display in an integrated information display of at least a portion of the life support data and at least a portion of the guidance data, the integrated information display comprising a unified electronic display of the mine personnel carrier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more devices associated with the life support subsystem comprise one or more atmospheric sensors operable to detect one or more gases, the accessed life support data comprising one or more readings indicating the presence of one or more gases from the one or more atmospheric sensors; and

the integrated information display comprises an indication of at least a portion of the one or more readings from the one or more atmospheric sensors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access vehicle data from one or more devices associated with a chassis of the mine personnel carrier, the vehicle data providing one or more indications of vehicle health, and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the vehicle data from the one or more devices associated with the chassis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access navigation data from one or more navigation subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the navigation data from the one or more navigation subsystems.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access communication data from one or more communication subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the communication data from the one or more communication subsystems.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to initiate substantially simultaneous display in an integrated information display of the at least a portion of the life support data and the at least a portion of the proximity data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the life support subsystem comprises a sensor operable to determine a remaining amount of breathable air for at least one breathable air supply; and

the one or more processing units are operable to;

determine a breathable air usage rate for the at least one breathable air supply; and

determine, at a particular time and based on the breathable air usage rate and the remaining amount of breathable air at the particular time, an estimated remaining time until the breathable air from the at least one breathable air supply expires.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more guidance devices comprise one or more of the following:

one or more infrared cameras, the guidance data comprising one or more infrared images; and

one or more proximity sensors, the guidance data comprising proximity data.

9. A method comprising:

accessing, by one or more processing units, life support data from one or more devices associated with a life support subsystem of a mine personnel carrier, the life support subsystem being operable to provide breathable air to one or more passengers of the mine personnel carrier, the life support data indicating a remaining level of air available via at least a portion of the life support subsystem;

accessing, by the one or more processing units, guidance data from one or more guidance devices associated with a guidance subsystem of the mine personnel carrier, each of the one or more guidance devices operable to detect entities within a detection range of the guidance device;

initiating, by the one or more processing units, display in an integrated information display of at least a portion of the life support data and at least a portion of the guidance data, the integrated information display comprising a unified electronic display of the mine personnel carrier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more devices associated with the life support subsystem comprise one or more atmospheric sensors operable to detect one or more gases, the accessed life support data comprising one or more readings indicating the presence of one or more gases from the one or more atmospheric sensors; and

the integrated information display comprises an indication of at least a portion of the one or more readings from the one or more atmospheric sensors.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

accessing vehicle data from one or more devices associated with a chassis of the mine personnel carrier, the vehicle data providing one or more indications of vehicle health, and

initiating display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the vehicle data from the one or more devices associated with the chassis.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising:

accessing navigation data from one or more navigation subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiating display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the navigation data from the one or more navigation subsystems.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising:

accessing communication data from one or more communication subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiating display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the communication data from the one or more communication subsystems.

14. The method of claim 9, comprising initiating substantially simultaneous display in an integrated information display of the at least a portion of the life support data and the at least a portion of the proximity data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the life support subsystem comprises a sensor operable to determine a remaining amount of breathable air for at least one breathable air supply; and

the method comprises;

determining a breathable air usage rate for the at least one breathable air supply; and

determining, at a particular time and based on the breathable air usage rate and the remaining amount of breathable air at the particular time, an estimated remaining time until the breathable air from the at least one breathable air supply expires.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more guidance devices comprise one or more of the following:

one or more infrared cameras, the guidance data comprising one or more infrared images; and

one or more proximity sensors, the guidance data comprising proximity data.

17. A mine personnel carrier, comprising:

an integrated information display;

one or more processing units operable to;

access life support data from one or more devices associated with a life support subsystem of a mine personnel carrier, the life support subsystem being operable to provide breathable air to one or more passengers of the mine personnel carrier, the life support data indicating a remaining level of air available via at least a portion of the life support subsystem;

access guidance data from one or more guidance devices associated with a guidance subsystem of the mine personnel carrier, each of the one or more guidance devices operable to detect entities within a detection range of the guidance device;

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the life support data and at least a portion of the guidance data, the integrated information display comprising a unified electronic display of the mine personnel carrier.

18. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more devices associated with the life support subsystem comprise one or more atmospheric sensors operable to detect one or more gases, the accessed life support data comprising one or more readings indicating the presence of one or more gases from the one or more atmospheric sensors; and

the integrated information display comprises an indication of at least a portion of the one or more readings from the one or more atmospheric sensors.

19. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access vehicle data from one or more devices associated with a chassis of the mine personnel carrier, the vehicle data providing one or more indications of vehicle health, and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the vehicle data from the one or more devices associated with the chassis.

20. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access navigation data from one or more navigation subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the navigation data from the one or more navigation subsystems.

21. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to:

access communication data from one or more communication subsystems of the mine personnel carrier; and

initiate display in the integrated information display of at least a portion of the communication data from the one or more communication subsystems.

22. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to initiate substantially simultaneous display in an integrated information display of the at least a portion of the life support data and the at least a portion of the proximity data.

23. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein:

the life support subsystem comprises a sensor operable to determine a remaining amount of breathable air for at least one breathable air supply; and

the one or more processing units are operable to;

determine a breathable air usage rate for the at least one breathable air supply; and

determine, at a particular time and based on the breathable air usage rate and the remaining amount of breathable air at the particular time, an estimated remaining time until the breathable air from the at least one breathable air supply expires.

24. The mine personnel carrier of claim 17, wherein the one or more guidance devices comprise one or more of the following:

one or more infrared cameras, the guidance data comprising one or more infrared images; and

one or more proximity sensors, the guidance data comprising proximity data.