Proximity detection systems and methods

• US 9,404,363 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joy Mm Delaware Incorporated (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Rosenstern, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/473,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 340/572.4, 340/573.4, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/572.1, 340/669, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 342/422, 343/834
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/04 Safety devices operating in the event of breakage of a haulage cable or chain E21C29/20
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/18 Special adaptations of signalling or alarm devices for mine lifts B66B; gas-sensitive devices per se G01N
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/14 the means being photocells or other devices sensitive without mechanical contact
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems velocity measurement in imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/66 Sonar tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A proximity detection system at least one processor. The processor configured to detect a location of an object; determine a velocity of the object; define a zone around the object based on the location and the velocity; and automatically perform at least one action if the zone around the object overlaps with a location of a piece of equipment.

Claims

1. A proximity detection system comprising:

defining a zone in a software around a person;

the zone is defined based on predetermined dimensions of the person;

at least one processor configured to detect a location of the person;

determine a velocity of the person;

automatically modify at least two dimensions of the zone around the person based on the location and the velocity; and

automatically perform at least two actions if the zone around the person with a location of a piece of equipment.

2. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect the location of the person based on a signal received from a device coupled to the person.

3. The proximity detection system of claim 2, wherein the device includes a wearable device worn by the person.

4. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the velocity of the person by tracking the location of the person over a period of time.

5. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define a zone around the piece of equipment based on the location of the piece of equipment and wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically perform the at least one action when the zone around the person overlaps with the zone around the piece of equipment.

6. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define a zone around the piece of equipment including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically perform a first action when the zone around the person overlaps with the first portion of the zone around the piece of equipment and perform a second action when the zone around the person overlaps with the second portion of the zone around the piece of equipment, wherein the first action is different than the second action.

7. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes at least one selected from the comprising issuing a warning and modifying operation of the piece of equipment.

8. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define the zone around the person based on at least one dimension of the person.

9. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define the zone around the person including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically perform a first action when the first portion of the zone around the person overlaps with the location of the piece of equipment and automatically perform a second action when the second portion of the zone around the person overlaps with the location of the piece of equipment, wherein the first action is different than the second action.

10. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define a zone around the piece of equipment based on the location of the piece of equipment and a velocity of the piece of equipment and wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically perform the at least one action when the zone around the person overlaps with the zone around the piece of equipment.

11. The proximity detection system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically perform the at least one action by determining a first weight factor associated with a portion of the zone around the person overlapping with the zone around the piece of equipment and a second weight factor associated with the portion of the zone around the piece of equipment overlapping with the zone around the person, and determining the at least one action based on a result of multiplying the first weight factor and the second weight factor.

12. The proximity detection system of claim 1, wherein the zone around the person, modified based on the location and the velocity of the person, extends a first distance in a direction of the velocity and extends a second distance in a direction opposite the direction of the velocity, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

13. A method for detecting objects located around a piece of equipment, the method comprising:

defining a zone in a software around a person;

the zone is defined based on predetermined dimensions of the person;

detecting a location of the person;

determining a velocity of the person;

automatically updating, with at least one processor, at least two dimensions of the zone around the person based on the location and the velocity; and

automatically performing at least two actions if the zone around the person overlaps with a location of the piece of equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining a zone around the piece of equipment based on the location of the piece of equipment and wherein automatically performing the at least one action includes automatically performing the at least one action when the zone around the person overlaps with the zone around the piece of equipment.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining a zone around the piece of equipment including a first portion and a second portion, wherein automatically performing the at least one action includes automatically performing a first action if the zone around the person overlaps with the first portion of the zone around the piece of equipment and automatically performing a second action if the zone around the person overlaps with the second portion of the zone around the piece of equipment, wherein the first action is different than the second action.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein defining the zone around the person includes defining the zone around the person based on at least one dimension of the person.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein defining the zone around the person includes defining a zone around the person including a first portion and a second portion, wherein automatically performing the at least one action includes automatically performing a first action if the first portion of the zone around the person overlaps with the location of the piece of equipment and automatically performing a second action if the zone around the person overlaps with the second portion of the zone around the piece of equipment, wherein the first action is different than the second action.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining a zone around the piece of equipment based on the location of the piece of equipment and a velocity of the piece of equipment and wherein automatically performing the at least one action includes automatically performing the at least one action when the zone around the person overlaps with the zone around the piece of equipment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically performing the at least one action includes

determining a first weight factor associated with a portion of the zone around the person overlapping with the zone around the piece of equipment,

determining a second weight factor associated with the portion of the zone around the piece of equipment overlapping with the zone around the person, and

determining the at least one action based on a result of multiplying the first weight factor and the second weight factor.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically updating the zone around the person includes defining the zone to extend a first distance in a direction of the velocity and extend a second distance in a direction opposite the direction of the velocity, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.