Apparatus safeguard

• US 9,037,283 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ellison-Marion, Nadine M., Nelson, Mark A., Peters, Kevin H., Ruggiero, Louis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp, Chad
• Application Number:
  US13/343,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 700/177
• US Class Current: 700/177
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 7/00 Emergency devices preventing damage to a machine or apparatus F16P1/00, F16P3/00, F16P5/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information

Abstract

A safeguard method and system. The method includes receiving and analyzing apparatus data associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus. A type, mode, and state of the electro/mechanical apparatus are determined and a list of associated safeguard devices is generated and presented to a user. A selection for a safeguard device is received and it is determined if the safeguard device is currently present. In response, a specified action is executed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer processor of a computing system, apparatus data associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said apparatus data;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing said apparatus data, a type associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current mode associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current operational state of said electro/mechanical apparatus;

generating, by said computer processor in response to said determining said current mode, said determining said current operational state, and said determining said type, a list of available safeguard devices for said electro/mechanical apparatus;

presenting, by said computer processor to an individual, said list of available safeguard devices;

receiving, by said computer processor from said individual, a selection for at least one safeguard device of said list of available safeguard devices;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a detection device, first detection data associated with said at least one safeguard device with respect to said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is currently present; and

executing, by said computer processor based on first results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is currently present, a specified action with respect to operating said electro/mechanical apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said analyzing said apparatus data, a proper location for said at least one safeguard device; and

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is in a proper location, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is in a proper location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is operational, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is operational.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, user data associated with a user of said electro/mechanical apparatus; and

determining, by said computer processor based on analyzing said user data, if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus in said current mode, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus in said current mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is being properly operated, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is being properly operated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said current mode comprises a usage mode, wherein said first results indicate that said at least one safeguard device is not currently present, and wherein said executing specified action comprises:

performing, by said computer processor, a specified operation associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus, wherein said specified operation comprises an operation selected from the group consisting of disabling said electro/mechanical apparatus from operation, enabling an alarm, logging an error, and transmitting a message to an authorized user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

before said performing, enabling by said computer processor, said electro/mechanical apparatus to complete a specified operation cycle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said current mode comprises a maintenance mode, and wherein said method further comprises:

enabling, by said computer processor, said electro/mechanical apparatus to operate for a specified time period, wherein said first results indicate that a correct safeguard device associated with said maintenance mode is not currently present or operating correctly, and wherein said executing specified action comprises;

disabling, by said computer processor, said electro/mechanical apparatus from operation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, second detection data associated with a current zone location for an operational device of said electro/mechanical apparatus; and

analyzing, by said computer processor, said second detection data, wherein said executing is further based on results of said analyzing, by said computer processor, said second detection data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises a video retrieval device, and wherein said determining if said at least one safeguard device is currently present comprises:

enabling, by said computer processor, a character recognition process associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus and said safeguard device; and

validating, by said computer processor in response to results generated during said character recognition process, that said safeguard device comprises a unique marking.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said unique marking comprises a unique alpha/numeric code.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises a video retrieval device, and wherein said method further comprises:

performing, by said computer processor, a facial recognition process of said first individual; and

determining, by said computer processor based results of said facial recognition process, if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said current mode comprises a usage mode, wherein said first results indicate that said at least one safeguard device is not operating properly, and wherein said executing specified action comprises:

performing, by said computer processor, a specified operation associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus, wherein said specified operation comprises an operation selected from the group consisting of disabling said electro/mechanical apparatus from operation, enabling an alarm, logging an error, and transmitting a message to an authorized user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in said computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the method of claim 1.

15. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a computer system implements a method, said method comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, apparatus data associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said apparatus data;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing said apparatus data, a type associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current mode associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current operational state of said electro/mechanical apparatus;

generating, by said computer processor in response to said determining said current mode, said determining said current operational state, and said determining said type, a list of available safeguard devices for said electro/mechanical apparatus;

presenting, by said computer processor to an individual, said list of available safeguard devices;

receiving, by said computer processor from said individual, a selection for at least one safeguard device of said list of available safeguard devices;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a detection device, first detection data associated with said at least one safeguard device with respect to said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is currently present; and

executing, by said computer processor based on first results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is currently present, a specified action with respect to operating said electro/mechanical apparatus.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on said analyzing said apparatus data, a proper location for said at least one safeguard device; and

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is in a proper location, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is in a proper location.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is operational, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is operational.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computer processor, user data associated with a user of said electro/mechanical apparatus; and

determining, by said computer processor based on analyzing said user data, if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus in said current mode, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said user is authorized to operate said electro/mechanical apparatus in said current mode.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is being properly operated, wherein said executing is further based on results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is being properly operated.

20. A computer system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a method comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor, apparatus data associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said apparatus data;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing said apparatus data, a type associated with an electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current mode associated with said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor, a current operational state of said electro/mechanical apparatus;

generating, by said computer processor in response to said determining said current mode, said determining said current operational state, and said determining said type, a list of available safeguard devices for said electro/mechanical apparatus;

presenting, by said computer processor to an individual, said list of available safeguard devices;

receiving, by said computer processor from said individual, a selection for at least one safeguard device of said list of available safeguard devices;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a detection device, first detection data associated with said at least one safeguard device with respect to said electro/mechanical apparatus;

determining, by said computer processor based on said first detection data, if said at least one safeguard device is currently present; and

executing, by said computer processor based on first results of said determining if said at least one safeguard device is currently present, a specified action with respect to operating said electro/mechanical apparatus.