METHOD FOR OPERATING A GAS CONCENTRATION MONITORING SYSTEM, GAS-MEASURING DEVICE, CENTRAL UNIT, GAS CONCENTRATION MONITORING SYSTEM AS WELL AS COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20150106033A1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Kaneblei, Ingo, Ostermann, Ulf, Beerndt, Malte
• Granted Patent: US 10,371,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0044 Sulphides, e.g. H2S
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0065 using more than one threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2200/00 Transmission systems for measured values, control or similar signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a gas concentration monitoring system as well as a gas-measuring device, a central unit, a gas concentration monitoring system as well as computer program product. The safety of persons or the safety of a situation is determined with respect to at least one hazardous gas. The concentration of the gas is provided to a memory and analysis device. A measured value rating number is determined for a preset period of use. A number of instances, of the measured concentration values exceeding of a preset gas concentration limit value is input. A safety code is determined from at least one of: the measured concentration values, the measured value rating numbers and from the a total number of instances in which a gas concentration limit value was exceeded.

Claims

1. A method for determining the safety of persons with respect to at least one hazardous gas, toxic gas, combustible gas, oxygen deficiency, and oxygen excess, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting the concentration of each gas determined, as measured concentration values for the concentration, by a plurality of gas-measuring devices into a memory and analysis device;

determining a measured value rating number, for a preset period of us, of each of the gas-measuring devices in the memory and analysis device from the measured concentration values for the concentration of each gas;

inputting a number of instances, of the measured concentration values exceeding a preset gas concentration limit value for each of the gas-measuring devices, into a memory; and

determining a safety code, for rating the safety situation/safety of persons for a plurality of measurement sites as a whole, at which the measurements performed by the gas-measuring devices were carried out, from at least one of;

the measured concentration values, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices; and

the measured value rating numbers determined from the measured concentration values, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices; and

a total number of instances in which a gas concentration limit value was exceeded, which is determined from the measured concentration values, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measured value rating number derived for a preset period of use of the respective gas-measuring device is an average determined for the preset period of use.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determination of the safety code is carried out by weighted addition of the measured concentration values and/or by weighted addition of the measured value rating number for a present period of use of the respective gas-measuring device derived from the measured value rating number and from a measured value rating number determined from a number of instances in which a gas concentration limit value is exceeded by the measured concentration values, and determination of the safety code further includes providing an identification code of the respective gas-measuring device.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a duration of the detected exceeding of the gas concentration limit value during the preset period of use of the respective gas-measuring device for each of the gas-measuring devices into the memory and analysis device, wherein the determination of the safety code is carried out such that the duration of the detected exceeding of the gas concentration limit value is taken functionally into account by a weighted addition of the duration.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining the safety code further comprises:

determining a number of checks performed on each of the gas-measuring devices during a checking interval, the checks including calibrations and/or bump tests;

comparing the number of checks determined in the checking interval with a desired number of checks value for the checking interval; and

taking into account a difference between the number of checks determined and the desired number of checks value in the determination of the safety code.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the step of taking into account the difference comprises the differently weighted addition of a number of skipped calibrations and bump tests.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the step of determining the safety code includes the weighting of a number of skipped calibrations with a first weighting factor, the weighting of a number of skipped bump tests with a second weighting factor, and the weighting of a duration of the detected exceeding of the gas concentration limit value with a third weighting factor.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

filtering data with respect to at least one of model of the gas-measuring device and field of use of the gas-measuring device and users of the gas-measuring device and user groups of the gas-measuring device and use time of the gas-measuring device before the step of determining the safety code.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a reset signal (RS), upon receipt of which the gas-measuring device generates new data after transmission of existing data.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data contain at least one of:

an identification number of the gas-measuring device; and

a model number of the gas-measuring device; and

gas concentration measured data detected with a gas sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

an operating time use interval duration, of the gas-measuring device; and

acceleration values detected with an acceleration sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

a user identification for identifying a user of the gas-measuring device.

2. A method for determining the safety situation/safety of persons with respect to at least one gas, toxic gas, combustible gas, oxygen deficiency, and oxygen excess, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting measured concentration values for each gas into a memory and analysis device from each of a plurality of gas-measuring devices;

determining a measured value rating number, derived for a preset period of use of the respective gas-measuring device in the memory and analysis device from the measured concentration values;

inputting a number of instances, in which a preset gas concentration limit value was exceeded by the measured concentration values for each of the gas-measuring devices, into a memory; and

determining a safety code for rating a safety situation/safety of persons for a plurality of measurement sites, at which the measurements performed by the gas-measuring device were carried out, from at least one of;

the measured concentration values of the plurality of gas-measuring devices and

the measured value rating numbers determined from the measured concentration values of the plurality of gas-measuring devices and

the total number of instances in which a gas concentration limit value was exceeded, which is determined from the measured concentration values of the plurality of gas-measuring devices.

12. A gas-measuring device comprising:

a gas sensor for measuring a gas concentration of at least one gaseous substance to provide gas concentration measured data;

a comparison means for comparing the gas concentration measured data detected with the gas sensor with a gas concentration limit value;

a monitoring means for detecting whether prescribed operability checks, including calibrations and/or bump tests, of the gas-measuring device were performed within a checking interval, and for comparison with a desired value for the number of checks performed and for generating a difference between the number of checks performed and the desired value;

a data set generation module for generating data, which are generated when the measured gas concentration measured data exceed the gas concentration limit value, and/or when the desired value for the number of checks is greater than the number of checks performed; and

a gas-measuring device interface for transmitting the data.

17. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 12, further comprising an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations acting on the gas-measuring device.

18. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the gas-measuring device is designed to generate new data upon receiving a reset signal.

19. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the data set generation module is designed to generate data that contains at least one of:

an identification number of the gas-measuring device; and

a model number of the gas-measuring device; and

gas concentration measured data detected with the gas sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

an operating time, especially use interval duration, of the gas-measuring device; and

acceleration values detected with an acceleration sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

a user identification number for identifying a user of the gas-measuring device.

13. A gas-measuring device with a gas sensor for measuring the gas concentration of at least one gaseous substance, also having:

a comparison means for comparing the gas concentration measured data detected with the gas sensor with a gas concentration limit value;

a monitoring means for detecting whether prescribed operability checks, including calibrations and/or bump tests, of the gas-measuring device were performed within a checking interval, and for comparison with a desired value for the number of checks performed and for generating a difference between the number of checks performed and the desired value;

a data set generation module for generating data, which are generated when the measured gas concentration measured data exceed the gas concentration limit value, and/or when the desired value for the number of checks is greater than the number of checks performed; and

a memory and analysis unit for analyzing the data to determine a safety code for rating a safety situation in a predetermined operating area by analyzing the data.

14. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the memory and analysis unit is designed to determine a number of checks performed on the gas-measuring device in a checking interval, including calibrations and/or bump tests, for comparing the number of checks performed in a checking interval with a desired value for checks in the checking interval, and/or for taking into account the difference between the number of checks performed and the desired value in the determination of the safety code.

15. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 14, wherein memory and analysis unit is designed to take into account a difference of the skipped calibrations and bump tests.

16. A gas-measuring device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the memory and analysis unit is designed to weight the number of skipped calibrations with a first weighting factor, the skipped bump tests with a second weighting factor, and/or the duration of the detecting exceeding of the gas concentration limit value with a third weighting factor.

20. A memory and analysis device for a gas concentration monitoring system for detecting the gas concentration of at least one gaseous substance the memory and analysis device comprising:

an input interface for inputting data transmitted from a gas-measuring device to a data bank of a central unit, wherein the data are generated by the gas-measuring device upon a detection of an exceeding of the gas concentration limit value and/or of a smaller number of operability checks performed on the gas-measuring device compared to a desired value for the number of checks performed;

a data bank module for storing and reading out the data; and

an analysis module for analyzing the data being stored to determine a safety code for rating a safety situation in a predetermined operating area by analyzing the data being stored in the data bank.

21. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the analysis module is designed to determine the number of checks performed on each gas-measuring device in a checking interval, of the checks including calibrations and/or bump tests, to compare the number of checks determined in a checking interval with a desired value for the number of exceedings in a checking interval, and taking into account a difference between the checks determined and the desired value in the determination of the safety code.

22. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the analysis module is designed to take into account the difference in the number of skipped calibrations and bump tests.

23. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the analysis module is designed to weight a number of skipped calibrations with a first weighting number, a number of skipped bump tests with a second weighting number, and a duration of detected exceeding of the gas concentration limit value with a third weighting factor.

24. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the analysis module has a filter function, with which the data are filtered with respect to a model of the gas-measuring device and/or to a field of use of the gas-measuring device and/or to users of the gas-measuring device and/or to a user groups of the gas-measuring device and/or to a use time of the gas-measuring device before the determination of the safety code.

25. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the memory and analysis device is designed to generate a reset signal, upon receipt of which a gas-measuring device generates new data.

26. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the data contain at least one of:

an identification number of the gas-measuring device; and

a model number of the gas-measuring device; and

gas concentration measured data detected with the gas sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

an operating time use interval duration, of the gas-measuring device; and

acceleration values detected with an acceleration sensor within a use interval of the gas-measuring device; and

a user identification number for identifying a user of the gas-measuring device, can be stored and read out with the data bank module and can be analyzed with the analysis module.

27. A memory and analysis device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the memory and analysis device has a device for checking the gas-measuring device operability, which is designed to carry out calibrations and/or bump tests.

29. A memory and analysis device according to claim 20, wherein the device comprises a computer program product, which can be loaded into a computer of the central unit to execute, when the computer program product is being executed in the computer, method steps comprising the steps of:

inputting a concentration of each gas determined, as measured concentration values for the concentration, by a plurality of gas-measuring devices into a memory and analysis device;

determining a measured value rating number, for a preset period of use, of each of the gas-measuring devices in the memory and analysis device from the measured concentration values for the concentration of each;

inputting a number of instances, of the measured concentration values exceeding of a preset gas concentration limit value for each of the gas-measuring devices, into a memory; and

determining a safety code, for rating the safety situation/safety of persons for a plurality of measurement sites as a whole, at which the measurements performed by the gas-measuring devices were carried out, from at least one of;

the measured concentration values, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices, and;

the measured value rating numbers determined from the measured concentration values, for the concentration, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices; and

a total number of instances in which a gas concentration limit value was exceeded, which is determined from the measured concentration values, for the concentration, of the plurality of gas-measuring devices.

28. A gas concentration monitoring system comprising:

a memory and analysis device comprising;

an input interface for inputting data transmitted from a gas-measuring device to a data bank of a central unit, wherein the data are generated by the gas-measuring device upon a detection of an exceeding of the gas concentration limit value and/or of a smaller number of operability checks performed on the gas-measuring device compared to a desired value for the number of checks performed;

a data bank module for storing and reading out the data; and

an analysis module for analyzing the data being stored to determine a safety code for rating a safety situation in a predetermined operating area by analyzing the data being stored in the data bank; and

a plurality of gas-measuring devices, each of the gas-measuring devices comprising;

a gas sensor for measuring a gas concentration of at least one gaseous substance to provide gas concentration measured data;

a comparison means for comparing the gas concentration measured data detected with the gas sensor with a gas concentration limit value;

a monitoring means for detecting whether prescribed operability checks, including calibrations and/or bump tests, of the gas-measuring device were performed within a checking interval, and for comparison with a desired value for the number of checks performed and for generating a difference between the number of checks performed and the desired value;

a data set generation module for generating data, which are generated when the measured gas concentration measured data exceed the gas concentration limit value, and/or when the desired value for the number of checks is greater than the number of checks performed; and

at least one of a gas-measuring device interface for transmitting the data and a memory and analysis unit for analyzing the data to determine a safety code for rating a safety situation in a predetermined operating area by analyzing the data.