Radio frequency identification based personnel safety system

• US 8,115,650 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PSST Mobile Equipment Limited - Richard Shervey
• Original Assignee: PSST Mobile Equipment Limited - Richard Shervey
• Inventors: Dasilva, John, Shervey, Richard Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Samson, Sara
• Application Number:
  US11/822,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/540, 340/568.1, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/141 using sound propagation, e.g. sonar
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0213 System disabling if a separation threshold is exceeded disabling electrical appliances in case of unplugging G08B13/1409
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for selectively immobilizing equipment to ensure the safety of a proximate worker. The apparatus comprises an article of clothing wearable by the proximate worker, a sensor and a stopping means for stopping the movement of a portion of the equipment in response to the sensing. The article of clothing has a RFID tag having an antenna distributed about the article so as to substantially surround a worker wearing the article of clothing. The sensor senses the proximity of the RFID tag to a portion of the equipment. The method comprises sensing the proximity of the RFID tag to a portion of the equipment and stopping the movement of a portion of the equipment in response to the sensing.

Claims

1. A method for selectively slowing or immobilizing an articulating mobile machine to ensure the safety of a proximate worker, wherein the machine includes a first component which translates in a first direction and an articulated component which articulates in a second direction different from the first direction, the method comprising:

providing a wearable article wearable by the proximate worker, said wearable article having a RFID tag and having a tag antenna cooperating with said tag,

providing a first sensor and mounting said first sensor to the first component of the articulating mobile machine, and detecting the proximity of one of more of said RFID tags to the first component,

providing a second sensor and mounting said second sensor to the articulated component of the articulating mobile machine, and detecting the proximity of said RFID tags to the articulated component,

wherein said tag antenna is distributed about said article of clothing such that a worker wearing said article of clothing is detected by said first and second sensors from substantially any position relative to the worker,

wherein said first and second sensors comprising a plurality of directional antennas each defining a corresponding danger zone for sending and receiving signals to and from said RFID tags within said corresponding danger zone,

providing a transceiver, said transceiver generating and receiving signals from said directional antennas, and

providing a processor, said processor determining distances of said RFID tags to each antenna of said plurality of directional antennas, and controlling slowing or stopping of the translation or articulation of respectively the first component or the articulated component of the mobile machine in response to a corresponding said detection,

wherein said plurality of directional antennas are mountable adjacent said corresponding danger zones on the first component and the articulated component,

wherein said directional antennas when mounted on the first component and on the articulated component respectively directionally detect said RFID tags within said danger zones corresponding to the first component so as to detect said RFID tags located in the path of said translation of the first component in said first direction, and so as to detect said RFID tags within said danger zones corresponding to the articulated component so as to detect said RFID tags located in the path of said articulation of the articulated component in said second direction,

said processor cooperating with said first and second sensors to detect and locate said RFID tags and cooperating with the first component and the articulated component to both detect said translation of the first component in the first direction and said articulation of the articulated component in the second direction,

said processor determining a velocity corresponding to each of said RFID tags within each said corresponding danger zone and determining relative closing velocities and distances between said RFID tags and the first component and the articulated component, determining whether said relative velocities and distances will place a corresponding said RFID tag within a corresponding danger zone, wherein the size of said corresponding danger zone is determined by said processor and is dependant on said relative closing velocities and distances, and wherein when said corresponding danger zone collision of at least one of said RFID tags with the first component or the articulated component is imminent as determined by said processor, said processor controlling said slowing or stopping of said translation, and controlling slowing or stopping of said articulation,

and in the event of said processor determining said collision is said imminent, said processor activating said slowing or stopping of the first component, or activating said slowing or stopping of the articulated component independently of said slowing or stopping of said slowing or stopping of the first component, wherein said articulated component is said slowed or stopped without said slowing or stopping of the first component, in order to avoid said imminent collision,

and wherein said first and second sensors and said processor detect said RFID tags in warning zones immediately adjacent and outside of said danger zones, and wherein, upon such detection of said RFID tags in said warning zones said processor activating a warning signal to the corresponding workman wearing the corresponding said article of clothing and to an operator of the mobile machine,

whereby upon said detection of said RFID tags by said sensors, and upon said warning signaling when said RFID tags are in said warning zones, or upon said slowing or stopping of the first component or the articulated component when said RFID tags are in said danger zones, collisions are avoided between workers wearing said RFID tags and the first component or the articulated component having respectively and first and second sensors mounted thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said tag antenna is provided mounted to said wearable article, said wearable article chosen form the group comprising:

clothing, vest, hard-hat.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are multiple frequency signals.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are frequencies of multiple bands.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are an ultra-wide band frequency.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are pulsed signals.

7. A system for selectively slowing or immobilizing an articulating mobile machine to ensure the safety of a proximate worker, wherein the machine includes a first component which translates in a first direction and an articulated component which articulates in a second direction different from the first direction, the system comprising:

a wearable article of clothing wearable by the proximate worker, said wearable article having a RFID tag and having a tag antenna cooperating with said tag,

a first sensor mountable to the first component of the articulating mobile machine for detecting the proximity of one of more of said RFD) tags to the first component when said first sensor is mounted to the main component,

a second sensor mountable to the articulated component of the articulating mobile machine for detecting the proximity of said RFID tags to the articulated component when said second sensor is mounted to the articulated component,

wherein said tag antenna is distributed about said article of clothing such that a worker wearing said article of clothing is detected by said first and second sensors from substantially any position relative to the worker,

said first and second sensors comprising a plurality of directional antennas each defining a corresponding danger zone for sending and receiving signals to and from said RFID tags within said corresponding danger zone, a corresponding transceiver for generating and receiving signals from said directional antennas and a processor for determining distances of said RFID tags to each antenna of said plurality of directional antennas, and said processor adapted to control slowing or stopping of the translation or articulation of respectively the first component or the articulated component of the mobile machine in response to a corresponding said detection,

wherein said plurality of directional antennas are mountable adjacent said corresponding danger zones on the first component and the articulated component,

wherein said directional antennas when mounted on the first component and on the articulated component respectively directionally detect said RFID tags within said danger zones corresponding to the first component so as to detect said RFID tags located in the path of said translation of the first component in said first direction, and so as to detect said RFID tags within said danger zones corresponding to the articulated component so as to detect said RFID tags located in the path of said articulation of the articulated component in said second direction,

said processor cooperating with said first and second sensors to detect and locate said RFID tags and cooperating with the first component and the articulated component to both detect said translation of the first component in the first direction and said articulation of the articulated component in the second direction,

said processor adapted to determine a velocity corresponding to each of said RFID tags within each said corresponding danger zone and determining relative closing velocities and distances between said RFID tags and the first component and the articulated component, and adapted to determine whether said relative velocities and distances will place a corresponding said RFID tag within a corresponding danger zone, wherein the size of said corresponding danger zone is determined by said processor and is dependant on said relative closing velocities and distances, and wherein when said corresponding danger zone collision of at least one of said RFID tags with the first component or the articulated component is imminent as determined by said processor, said processor then adapted to control said slowing or stopping of said translation, and to control slowing or stopping of said articulation,

and in the event of said processor determining said collision is said imminent, said processor adapted to activate said slowing or stopping of the first component, or to activate said slowing or stopping of the articulated component independently of said slowing or stopping of the first component wherein said articulated component is said slowed or stopped without said slowing or stopping of the first component, in order to avoid said imminent collision,

and wherein said first and second sensors and said processor are adapted to detect said RFID tags in warning zones immediately adjacent and outside of said danger zones, and wherein, upon such detection of said RFID tags in said warning zones said processor is adapted to activate a warning signal to the corresponding workman wearing the corresponding said article of clothing and to an operator of the mobile machine,

whereby upon said detection of said RFID tags by said sensors, and upon said warning signaling when said RFID tags are in said warning zones, or upon said slowing or stopping of the first component or the articulated component when said RFD tags are in said danger zones, collisions are avoided between workers wearing said RFID tags and the first component or the articulated component having respectively and first and second sensors mounted thereon.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said tag antenna is provided mounted to said wearable article, said wearable article chosen form the group comprising:

clothing, vest, hard-hat.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are multiple frequency signals.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are frequencies of multiple bands.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are an ultra-wide band frequency.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said signals said generated and received by said transceiver are pulsed signals.