Preventing substrate penetrating devices from damaging obscured objects

• US 9,798,299 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herger, Lorraine M., Keller, Neal M., McCarthy, Matthew A., Pickover, Clifford A., Kozloski, James R., Wyskida, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stifter, Jr., Terence
• Application Number:
  US14/310,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20150369597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0205 not using a model or a simulator of the controlled system

Abstract

Various embodiments manage the operation of a substrate penetrating device. In one embodiment, a set of location information associated with a substrate penetrating device is received. At least one database including information associated with obstructed objects is queried based on the set of location information. A determination is made, based on the querying, that the area where the substrate penetrating device is operating includes at least one obstructed object. A probability is calculated with respect to the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object while operating in the area.

Claims

1. A method for managing an operation of a substrate penetrating device, the method comprising:

receiving a set of location information associated with a substrate penetrating device;

querying, based on the set of location information, at least one database comprising information associated with obstructed objects;

receiving, based on the querying, a set of information associated with the at least one obstructed object;

determining, based on receiving the set of information, that an area where the substrate penetrating device is operating comprises at least one obstructed object;

identifying, based on receiving the set of information, at least one material within the at least one obstructed object;

automatically adjusting at least one operating parameter of an object detector coil communicatively coupled to the substrate penetrating device based on the at least one material that has been identified;

after the at least one operating parameter has been automatically adjusted, calculating a probability of the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object while operating in the area;

determining if the probability is above a threshold;

automatically disabling at least a penetrating component of the substrate penetrating device based on the probability being above the threshold; and

allowing the substrate penetrating device to continue operating based on the probability being below the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

receiving, from the at least one database, a set of information associated with the at one obstructed object;

analyzing the set of information;

estimating, based on the analyzing, a location of the at least one obstructed object; and

comparing the set of location information received from the at least one substrate penetrating device with the estimated location of the at least one obstructed object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying at least one of

an operator of the substrate penetrating device, and

the substrate penetrating device

of a probability of the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability is calculated based on:

determining a current location associated with the substrate penetrating device;

comparing the current location to an estimated location of the at least one obstructed object, wherein the estimated location is determined based on the querying of the at least one database; and

determining, based on the comparing, a distance between the current location associated with the substrate penetrating device and one of a known and estimated location of the at least one obstructed object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability is calculated based on:

determining a current location associated with the substrate penetrating device;

comparing the current location to a map comprising one or more identified locations, wherein each of the identified locations is associated with a probability that the obscured object is at the location; and

determining, based on the comparing, a distance between the current location associated with the substrate penetrating device and the one or more locations identified in the map.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying an operator that the substrate penetrating device is likely to encounter the at least one obstructed object based on the probability being above the threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notifying comprises sending at least one notification to a user device associated with the operator.

8. An information processing system for managing an operation of a substrate penetrating device, the information processing system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a damage prevention system communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the damage prevention system is configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving a set of location information associated with a substrate penetrating device;

receiving, based on the querying, a set of information associated with the at least one obstructed object;

determining, based on receiving the set of information, that an area where the substrate penetrating device is operating comprises at least one obstructed object;

identifying, based on receiving the set of information, at least one material within the at least one obstructed object;

automatically adjusting at least one operating parameter of an object detector coil communicatively coupled to the substrate penetrating device based on the at least one material that has been identified;

after the at least one operating parameter has been automatically adjusted, calculating a probability of the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object while operating in the area;

determining if the probability is above a threshold;

automatically disabling at least a penetrating component of the substrate penetrating device based on the probability being above the threshold; and

allowing the substrate penetrating device to continue operating based on the probability being below the threshold.

9. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the determining comprises:

receiving, from the at least one database, a set of information associated with the at one obstructed object;

analyzing the set of information;

estimating, based on the analyzing, a location of the at least one obstructed object; and

comparing the set of location information received from the at least one substrate penetrating device with the estimated location of the at least one obstructed object.

10. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the probability is calculated based on:

determining a current location associated with the substrate penetrating device;

comparing the current location to an estimated location of the at least one obstructed object, wherein the estimated location is determined based on the querying of the at least one database; and

determining, based on the comparing, a distance between the current location associated with the substrate penetrating device and one of a known and estimated location of the at least one obstructed object.

11. The information processing system of claim 8, further comprising:

notifying an operator that the substrate penetrating device is likely to encounter the at least one obstructed object based on the probability being above the threshold.

12. A computer program storage product for managing an operation of a substrate penetrating device, the computer program storage product comprising instructions configured to perform a method comprising:

receiving a set of location information associated with a substrate penetrating device;

querying, based on the set of location information, at least one database comprising information associated with obstructed objects;

receiving, based on the querying, a set of information associated with the at least one obstructed object;

determining, based on receiving the set of information, that an area where the substrate penetrating device is operating comprises at least one obstructed object;

identifying, based on receiving the set of information, at least one material within the at least one obstructed object;

automatically adjusting at least one operating parameter of an object detector coil communicatively coupled to the substrate penetrating device based on the at least one material that has been identified;

after the at least one operating parameter has been automatically adjusted, calculating a probability of the substrate penetrating device encountering the at least one obstructed object while operating in the area;

determining if the probability is above a threshold;

automatically disabling at least a penetrating component of the substrate penetrating device based on the probability being above the threshold; and

allowing the substrate penetrating device to continue operating based on the probability being below the threshold.

13. The computer program storage product of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

receiving, from the at least one database, a set of information associated with the at one obstructed object;

analyzing the set of information;

estimating, based on the analyzing, a location of the at least one obstructed object; and

comparing the set of location information received from the at least one substrate penetrating device with the location of the at least one obstructed object.

14. The computer program storage product of claim 12, further comprising:

notifying at least one of

an operator of the substrate penetrating device, and

the substrate penetrating device

that the area comprises the at least one obstructed object.

15. The computer program storage product of claim 12, wherein the probability is calculated based on:

determining a current location associated with the substrate penetrating device;

comparing the current location to an estimated location of the at least one obstructed object, wherein the estimated location is determined based on the querying of the at least one database; and

determining, based on the comparing, a distance between the current location associated with the substrate penetrating device and one of a known and estimated location of the at least one obstructed object.

16. The computer program storage product of claim 12, further comprising:

notifying an operator that the substrate penetrating device is likely to encounter the at least one obstructed object based on the probability being above the threshold.