Mobile operating device and method for using said device

• US 7,990,096 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Griessnig, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US12/221,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 318/587, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 701/23, 701/28, 180/168, 901/1, 901/46
• US Class Current: 318/587
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar

Abstract

There is described a method to operate a mobile operating device and a mobile operating device, with which machines within of effective ranges which are spanned by RFID transponders can be operated wirelessly. A safety module is provided in the operating device, with which both measured values assigned to the RFID transponders and also reference values of two reference transponders simulated in the operating device are checked in order to ensure the correct measurement and further processing in this way.

Claims

1. A method for using a mobile operating device to operate at least one machine in a safety-relevant manner in a plant, comprising:

providing the mobile operating device having a read device for receiving radio signals and an evaluation unit for evaluation of the radio signals;

operating the machine within an effective range assigned to the machine, which is delimited by one or more RFID transponders;

receiving the radio signals of an RFID transponder located in the receive zone of the read device by the read device;

receiving the radio signals by the evaluation unit;

determining an identification number of this RFID transponder by the evaluation unit based upon the received radio signals;

determining a distance of the RFID transponder to the operating by the evaluation unit based upon the received radio signals;

forwarding the data to a safety module in the operating device by the evaluation unit;

receiving from at least one reference transponder its identification number and distance at predetermined intervals by the safety module via the transmission chain read device, evaluation unit and safety module; and

checking as to whether the data of the reference transponder as regards the identification number and the distance as well as the predetermined intervals, is being received as expected by the safety module.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference transponders are simulated by upwards modulation of corresponding reference transponder signals in the read device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a first and a second of the reference transponders is assigned an identification number respectively and the entire range of identification numbers of the RFID transponders located in the plant is covered by these two identification numbers.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the reference transponder signals modulated up in the read device are delayed downstream from the read device by which an additional distance is simulated.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reference transponder signals of a first reference transponder and of a second reference transponder are modulated up alternately in the read device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and a second of the reference transponders is assigned an identification number respectively and the entire range of identification numbers of the RFID transponders located in the plant is covered by these two identification numbers.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reference transponder signals modulated up in the read device are delayed downstream from the read device by which an additional distance is simulated.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reference transponder signals of the first reference transponder and of the second reference transponder are modulated up alternately in the read device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference transponder signals of the first reference transponder and of the second reference transponder are modulated up alternately in the read device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are expected values in the safety module for a first and second reference transponder in respect of the identification number and the distances with and without delay of reference transponder signals, which are compared with data determined via the transmission chain as regards the identification number and the distances with and without delay.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein for the second reference transponder the two expected values for the distance with and without delay are formed mathematically from the maximum range of values and the measured distance value respectively.

12. A mobile operating device with which at least one machine in a plant can be operated in a safety-relevant manner, comprising:

a read device for receiving the radio signals sent out by RFID transponders in the plant;

an effective range assigned to the machine which is delimited by one or more RFID transponders, wherein an operation is provided within the effective range; and

an evaluation unit for evaluation of these radio signals and for determining an identification number and the distance of the respective RFID transponder to the operating device from the radio signals for this received by the read device, wherein the evaluation unit has a safety module connected downstream from it which is used for checking the correct function of the operating device as regards transmission and evaluation of the received radio signals in the read device—

evaluation unit—

safety module transmission chain, and wherein a check is provided in the safety module of reference values of at least one reference transponder simulated in the operating device, for which purpose a comparison of these reference values with corresponding expected values is provided in the safety module after the reference values have passed through the read device—

evaluation unit—

safety module transmission chain.

13. A mobile operating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the comparison in the safety module includes a time and value-linked expected relationship to the reference values.

14. The mobile operating device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a reference identification number and a reference distance value of the respective reference transponder serve as reference values.

15. The mobile operating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a reference identification number and a reference distance value of the respective reference transponder serve as reference values.

16. The mobile operating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a correspondingly enlarged reference distance value is produced based on a delay.

17. The mobile operating device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the delay is based upon a delay line.