METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT AND WARN PROXIMATE ENTITIES OF INTEREST

• US 20150158428A1
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Inventors: Beggs, Ryan P., Boerger, James C., Hoffmann, David J., Markham, Ken, McNeill, Matthew, Muhl, Timothy, Nelson, Kyle, Oates, James, Senfleben, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2673 on parts worn by the driver, e.g. clothes, gloves or bags, specially adapted to provide auxiliary vehicle signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2800/20 Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Systems and methods to detect and warn proximate entities of interest are described herein. An example method includes sending an interrogation signal generated by a vehicle within a first area, detecting the interrogation signal from the first area, in response to detection of the interrogation signal from the first area, receiving a first responsive signal from a first transponder in the first area, and determining a directional resolution of the first responsive signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending an interrogation signal generated by a vehicle within a first area;

detecting the interrogation signal from the first area;

in response to detection of the interrogation signal from the first area, receiving a first responsive signal from a first transponder in the first area; and

determining a directional resolution of the first responsive signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a distance between the vehicle and the first transponder generating the first responsive signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a warning to at least one of the vehicle or the first transponder when the distance between the vehicle and the first transponder is less than a threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the distance comprises measuring a time delay between transmission of the interrogation signal and receipt of the first responsive signal within a pre-determined time range.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a location of the first transponder on a graphic user interface of a display of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving an identifier having information relating to an object carrying the first transponder.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising modifying a symbol on the graphic user interface based on the information provided by the identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier comprises information representative of an experience level of a person carrying the first transponder.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a second responsive signal from a second transponder positioned in the first area in response to the second transponder detecting the interrogation signal.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the location of the second transponder on the graphic user interface of the display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second transponder is positioned on a fixed object.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the first responsive signal via an array of antennas positioned on the vehicle and determining the directional resolution of the first responsive signal generated by the first transponder via triangulation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the interrogation signal is indicative of a velocity of the vehicle.

14. A method comprising:

broadcasting, via a signal generator, a first signal representative of absolute location coordinates delineating a safety zone of a first entity of interest;

receiving the first signal via a receiver of a second entity of interest, the receiver to determine an absolute location of the second entity of interest;

determining whether the second entity of interest is within the safety zone of the first entity of interest; and

generating a threat-specific warning in response to determining the second entity of interest being within the safety zone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is representative of the safety zone extending along a projected path of the first entity of interest based on at least one of a temporally static or dynamic basis.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the safety zone comprises a first safety zone and a second safety zone, the first safety zone being different than the second safety zone.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether a third entity of interest is within at least one of the first safety zone or the second safety zone.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a first threat-specific warning to the second entity of interest in response to the second entity of interest being within the first safety zone.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a second threat-specific warning to the third entity of interest in response to the third entity of interest being in the second safety zone, the first threat-specific warning being different than the second threat-specific warning.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a warning to at least one of the first entity of interest or the second entity of interest in response to a proximity between the first and second entities of interest being less than a threshold.

21. A method comprising:

obtaining a location of a first entity of interest in a building identified with a plurality of zones;

obtaining directional information of the first entity of interest;

determining a first zone of the plurality of zones in which the first entity of interest is approaching;

determining a presence of a second entity of interest within the first zone; and

generating a threat-specific warning in response to the second entity of interest being within the first zone and the first entity of interest approaching the first zone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the presence of the second entity of interest comprises sensing, via a sensor, the second entity of interest in the first zone.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising activating the sensor only upon detection of the first entity of interest approaching the first zone.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first zone comprises a double-blind intersection adjacent two rows of racking within the building.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising a centralized absolute location system to determine at least one of the location of the first entity of interest or the presence of the second entity of interest in the first zone.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein obtaining the location comprises using at least one of a global position system (GPS), a limited range radio frequency (RF) field, a machine-vision system, or RFID tags.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the presence of the second entity of interest comprises using at least one of RFID radar, triangulation with RFID, actual or localized GPS, ultra-wideband UWB detection, or a motion sensor.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a threat-specific warning comprises generating a directional audible warning.