Methods and apparatus to detect and warn proximate entities of interest

• US 9,672,713 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Inventors: Beggs, Ryan P., Boerger, James C., Oates, James, Hoffmann, David J., Markham, Ken, McNeill, Matthew, Muhl, Timothy, Nelson, Kyle, Senfleben, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/610,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20150158428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 340438, 340469, 340456, 340461, 340435, 340688, 340902, 340467, 701301, 701 93, 701 337
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2673 on parts worn by the driver, e.g. clothes, gloves or bags, specially adapted to provide auxiliary vehicle signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2800/20 Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Systems and methods to detect and warn proximate entities of interest are described herein. An example method includes sending an interrogation signal generated by a vehicle within a first area, detecting the interrogation signal from the first area, in response to detection of the interrogation signal from the first area, receiving a first responsive signal from a first transponder in the first area, and determining a directional resolution of the first responsive signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a location of a first entity of interest in a building identified with a plurality of zones;

obtaining directional information of the first entity of interest;

determining a first zone of the plurality of zones in which the first entity of interest is approaching;

activating a sensor only upon detection of the first entity of interest approaching the first zone;

sensing, via the sensor, a presence of a second entity of interest within the first zone; and

generating a threat-specific warning in response to the second entity of interest being within the first zone and the first entity of interest approaching the first zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first zone comprises a double-blind intersection adjacent two rows of racking within the building.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a centralized absolute location system to determine at least one of the location of the first entity of interest or the presence of the second entity of interest in the first zone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the location comprises using at least one of a global position system (GPS), a limited range radio frequency (RF) field, a machine-vision system, or RFID tags.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence of the second entity of interest comprises using at least one of RFID radar, triangulation with RFID, actual or localized GPS, ultra-wideband UWB detection, or a motion sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a threat-specific warning comprises generating a directional audible warning.

7. The method of claim 1, further including determining a location of the second entity of interest.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first entity of interest is a forktruck and the second entity of interest is a pedestrian, and further comprising displaying the location of the first entity of interest in relation to a location of the second entity of interest on a display positioned in a forktruck.

9. A system comprising:

a central processor to;

determine a location of a first entity of interest in a building identified with a plurality of zones and determine directional information of the first entity of interest;

determine a first zone of the plurality of zones in which the first entity of interest is approaching;

activate a sensor only upon detection of the first entity of interest approaching the first zone;

sense, via the sensor, a presence of a second entity of interest within the first zone; and

generate a threat-specific warning in response to the second entity of interest being within the first zone and the first entity of interest approaching the first zone.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first zone includes a double-blind intersection adjacent two rows of racking within the building.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is implemented with a centralized absolute location system to determine at least one of the location of the first entity of interest or the presence of the second entity of interest in the first zone.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the location of the first entity of interest is determined using at least one of a global position system (GPS), a limited range radio frequency (RF) field, a machine-vision system, or RFID tags.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the presence of the second entity of interest is determined using at least one of RFID radar, triangulation with RFID, actual or localized GPS, ultra-wideband UWB detection, or a motion sensor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the threat-specific warning includes a directional audible warning.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is located in the first zone.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is to be carried by the second entity of interest.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is not carried by the second entity of interest.

18. A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

obtain a location of a first entity of interest in a building identified with a plurality of zones;

obtain directional information of the first entity of interest;

determine a first zone of the plurality of zones in which the first entity of interest is approaching;

activate a sensor only upon detection of the first entity of interest approaching the first zone;

sense, via the sensor, a presence of a second entity of interest within the first zone; and

generate a threat-specific warning in response to the second entity of interest being within the first zone and the first entity of interest approaching the first zone.

19. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to enable a centralized absolute location system to determine at least one of the location of the first entity of interest or the presence of the second entity of interest in the first zone.

20. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to obtain the location comprises using at least one of a global position system (GPS), a limited range radio frequency (RF) field, a machine-vision system, or RFID tags.

21. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to determine the presence of the second entity of interest by via at least one of RFID radar, triangulation with RFID, actual or localized GPS, ultra-wideband UWB detection, or a motion sensor.

22. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to generate a directional audible warning to generate the threat-specific warning.

23. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to determine a location of the second entity of interest.

24. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to display the location of the first entity of interest in relation to a location of the second entity of interest on a display positioned in a forktruck.