Safety systems and methods for production environments

• US 9,513,606 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Larsen, Ty A., Keever, Robert R., Hager, Harold E., Higgins, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Azad, Md
• Application Number:
  US13/857,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 700 79- 80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40203 Detect position of operator, create non material barrier to protect operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

Safety systems and methods for production environments are disclosed. Safety systems include at least one sensing device configured to detect presence of an unauthorized human and/or an authorized human at least partially within a defined safety zone, and a controller configured to automatically alter at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to the presence of the unauthorized human and/or the authorized human. Safety methods include detecting presence of an unauthorized human and/or an authorized human at least partially within a defined safety zone, and automatically altering at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to the detecting.

Claims

1. A safety system for a production environment, the safety system comprising:

at least one sensing device configured to detect thermal imagery of humans at least partially within a defined safety zone; and

a controller having non-transitory computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, automatically alter at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of an unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone, wherein automatically alter at least one aspect of the production environment comprises automatically slow or stop movement of a machine tool or automatically slow or stop movement of a work piece;

wherein the safety system is configured to distinguish between human thermal signatures of a torso and limbs and non-human thermal signatures based at least in part on thermal imagery data detected by the at least one sensing device;

wherein the safety system has at least a default state and an alert state;

wherein in the default state, the at least one aspect of the product environment is not altered and no unauthorized human is positioned within the defined safety zone;

wherein in the alert state, the at least one aspect of the production environment is altered and at least a portion of an unauthorized human is positioned within the defined safety zone;

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect imminent entry of the unauthorized human into the defined safety zone, and

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect presence of the unauthorized human fully within the defined safety zone; and

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, (i) automatically actuate an alarm responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting imminent entry of the unauthorized human into the defined safety zone, (ii) automatically slow movement of the machine tool or automatically slow movement of the work piece responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human partially within the defined safety zone, and (iii) automatically stop movement of the machine tool or automatically stop movement of the work piece responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human fully within the defined safety zone.

2. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within a sub-zone of the defined safety zone, wherein the sub-zone is spaced inwardly from a perimeter of the defined safety zone;

and

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, (i) automatically alter a first aspect of the production environment responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone, and (ii) automatically alter a second aspect of the production environment responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the sub-zone, wherein the second aspect is different than the first aspect.

3. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the defined safety zone is associated with the production environment, and wherein the production environment is associated with production of aircraft.

4. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the defined safety zone defines a discrete volume of space corresponding to a field of view of the at least one sensing device.

5. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing device includes a multispectral camera.

6. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more tags, wherein the one or more tags are configured to be operatively coupled to a human;

wherein the at least one sensing device is configured to detect presence of the one or more tags within the defined safety zone.

7. The safety system of claim 6, wherein the safety system is configured to distinguish between a first human associated with a tag of the one or more tags and a second human not associated with a tag of the one or more tags.

8. The safety system of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the first human at least partially within the defined safety zone.

9. The safety system of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the second human at least partially within the defined safety zone.

10. The safety system of claim 6,

wherein the one or more tags each include a predefined detectable configuration, and wherein the at least one sensing device is configured to detect presence of the predefined detectable configuration within the defined safety zone;

wherein the predefined detectable configuration includes one or more of a specifically configured surface, a retro-reflective surface, a surface having predefined distinguishing indicia, a predefined thermal signature, a fluorescence signature, and/or a radiative signature.

11. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the safety system is configured to interface with an inventory control system associated with the production environment;

and

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to (i) the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone and (ii) a predefined configuration associated with the inventory control system.

12. The safety system of claim 11, wherein the predefined configuration associated with the inventory control system includes one or more of presence of a predetermined part within the defined safety zone, presence of a predetermined part on a work piece, presence of a predetermined part within a predetermined locale, movement of a predetermined part within the safety zone, movement of a predetermined part relative to a work piece, and/or movement of a predetermined part within a predetermined locale, wherein the predetermined part is a component of an object being manufactured in the production environment.

13. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising:

an orientation device configured to detect an orientation of the at least one sensing device;

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to (i) the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone and (ii) the orientation of the at least one sensing device.

14. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising:

a movement detection device configured to detect movement of a work piece;

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to (i) the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone and (ii) the movement of the work piece.

15. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect a predetermined orientation of a work piece within the defined safety zone;

and

wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, automatically alter the at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to (i) the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone and (ii) the at least one sensing device detecting the predetermined orientation of the work piece.

16. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one sensing device includes a plurality of sensing devices;

and

wherein at least one sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices is configured to detect presence of one or more additional sensing devices of the plurality of sensing devices within a predetermined locale to establish the defined safety zone based at least in part on the presence of the one or more additional sensing devices within the predetermined locale.

17. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one sensing device includes a plurality of sensing devices;

and

wherein the safety system is configured to establish the defined safety zone based at least in part on overlapping sensing zones of two or more of the plurality of sensing devices.

18. The safety system of claim 1,

wherein the defined safety zone is established by the at least one sensing device;

and

wherein the defined safety zone corresponds to a field of view of the at least one sensing device.

19. A safety method utilizing the safety system of claim 1, the safety method comprising:

detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone, wherein the detecting includes distinguishing between human movement and non-human movement in the defined safety zone based at least in part on thermal imagery data detected by the at least one sensing device; and

automatically altering at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to the detecting.

20. A safety method implemented by a safety system for a production environment, wherein the safety system comprises at least one sensing device configured to detect thermal imagery of humans at least partially within a defined safety zone that defines a discrete volume of space, the safety method comprising:

distinguishing between human thermal signatures of a torso and limbs and non-human thermal signatures based at least in part on thermal imagery data detected by the at least one sensing device;

interfacing with an inventory control system associated with the production environment;

automatically altering at least one aspect of the production environment responsive to (i) the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human at least partially within the defined safety zone and (ii) a predefined configuration associated with the inventory control system, wherein the automatically altering at least one aspect of the production environment comprises automatically slowing or stopping movement of a machine tool or automatically slowing or stopping movement of a work piece;

wherein the predefined configuration associated with the inventory control system includes one or more of presence of a predetermined part within the defined safety zone, presence of a predetermined part on a work piece, presence of a predetermined part within a predetermined locale, movement of a predetermined part within the safety zone, movement of a predetermined part relative to a work piece, and/or movement of a predetermined part within a predetermined locale;

wherein the safety system has at least a default state and an alert state;

wherein in the default state, the at least one aspect of the product environment is not altered and no unauthorized human is positioned within the defined safety zone;

wherein in the alert state, the at least one aspect of the production environment is altered and at least a portion of an unauthorized human is positioned within the defined safety zone;

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect imminent entry of the unauthorized human into the defined safety zone, and

wherein the at least one sensing device is further configured to detect presence of the unauthorized human fully within the defined safety zone; and

wherein the safety method further comprises;

automatically actuating an alarm responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting imminent entry of the unauthorized human into the defined safety zone;

automatically slowing movement of the machine tool or automatically slowing movement of the work piece responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human partially within the defined safety zone; and

automatically stopping movement of the machine tool or automatically stopping movement of the work piece responsive to the at least one sensing device detecting presence of the unauthorized human fully within the defined safety zone.

21. A controller having non-transitory computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed:

automatically alter at least one aspect of a production environment responsive to at least one sensing device detecting presence of an unauthorized human at least partially within a defined safety zone, wherein automatically alter at least one aspect of the production environment comprises automatically alter a speed of a machine tool or a work piece;

distinguish between human thermal signatures of a torso and limbs and non-human thermal signatures based at least in part on thermal imagery data detected by the at least one sensing device;

not automatically alter the at least one aspect of the product environment when no unauthorized human is positioned within the defined safety zone;

automatically actuate an alarm responsive to detecting imminent entry of the unauthorized human into the defined safety zone;

automatically slow movement of the machine tool or automatically slow movement of the work piece responsive to detecting presence of the unauthorized human partially within the defined safety zone; and

automatically stop movement of the machine tool or automatically stop movement of the work piece responsive to detecting presence of the unauthorized human fully within the defined safety zone.