Safety lockout systems and methods

• US 9,965,910 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalous, Scott, MacCourt, Kieran
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US15/357,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/48 Hasp locks hasp fastenings other than locks E05C19/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/32 Time-recording locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A lockout-tagout system for use with at least one securing item may include at least one lock for locking the securing item in place. The lockout-tagout system may further include at least one lockout tag on or near the securing item or lock. The lockout tag may have a wireless identification device. The lockout-tagout system may further include a reader configured to read the wireless identification device.

Claims

1. An electronic lock, comprising:

a locking mechanism configured to facilitate locking at least one of a location or a device;

a wireless transceiver configured to (i) wirelessly communicate with wireless identification devices of lockout-tagout devices associated with the at least one of the location or the device and (ii) wirelessly communicate with an external device;

a memory configured to store a list of steps to be completed for a lockout-tagout procedure; and

a processor configured to;

recall the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure from the memory;

read the wireless identification devices of the lockout-tagout devices at the at least one of the location or the device to gather lockout-tagout procedure data, wherein gathering the lockout-tagout procedure data includes identifying the lockout-tagout devices and monitoring the lockout-tagout devices to facilitate determining whether the list of steps for the desired lockout-tagout procedure are complied with; and

transmit the lockout-tagout procedure data to the external device.

2. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver includes an RFID writer configured to write the lockout-tagout procedure data to a smart card, wherein the smart card is configured to facilitate transferring the lockout-tagout procedure data to the external device.

3. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver facilitates near range wireless communication with the external device, wherein the external device includes a portable electronic device configured to facilitate transferring the lockout-tagout procedure data to a remote server.

4. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver facilitates long range wireless communication with the external device, the external device including at least one of a network access point or a remote server.

5. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver includes a first transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless identification devices via a first protocol and a second transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the external device via a second protocol.

6. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to prevent the locking mechanism from at least one of locking or unlocking in response to a determination that the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure have not been complied with.

7. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the external device is configured to determine whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with.

8. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the processor of the electronic lock is further configured to determine whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with.

9. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a list of approved users of the electronic lock, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a user identification of a user of the electronic lock, and wherein the processor is configured to prevent the locking mechanism from at least one of locking or unlocking in response to determining that the user is not an approved user of the electronic lock based on the user identification and the list of approved users.

10. A method, comprising:

storing, by a memory of an electronic lock, a list of steps for a lockout-tagout procedure associated with at least one of a location or a device;

reading, by a communications device of the electronic lock, wireless identification devices of lockout-tagout devices positioned at the at least one of the location or the device to gather lockout-tagout procedure data, wherein gathering the lockout-tagout procedure data includes;

identifying, by a processing circuit of the electronic lock, the lockout-tagout devices; and

monitoring, by the processing circuit, the lockout-tagout devices to facilitate determining whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with; and

transmitting, by the communications device, the lockout-tagout procedure data to the external device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising preventing, by the processing circuit, a locking mechanism of the electronic lock from at least one of locking or unlocking in response to a determination that the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure have not been complied with, wherein at least one of the processing circuit or the external device is configured to make the determination that the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure have not been complied with.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing, by the memory, a list of approved users of the electronic lock;

receiving, by the communications device, a user identification of a user; and

preventing, by the processing circuit, a locking mechanism of the electronic lock from at least one of locking or unlocking in response to determining that the user is not an approved user of the electronic lock based on the user identification and the list of approved users.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, by the external device, the lockout-tagout procedure data from the electronic lock, wherein the external device includes at least one of a portable electronic device, a network access point, or a remote server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining, by the external device, whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising aggregating and auditing, by the external device, the lockout-tagout procedure data from a plurality of electronic locks.

16. An electronic locking system, comprising:

an electronic lock including;

a locking mechanism configured to facilitate locking at least one of a location or a device;

a communications device configured to (i) facilitate reading wireless identification devices of lockout-tagout devices associated with the at least one of the location or the device and (ii) facilitate wireless communication with a portable electronic device; and

a processing circuit configured to read the wireless identification devices of the lockout-tagout devices at the at least one of the location or the device to gather lockout-tagout procedure data, wherein compliance with a lockout-tagout procedure associated with the at least one of the location or the device is determinable by comparing the gathered lockout-tagout procedure data with a list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure.

17. The electronic locking system of claim 16, wherein the communications device utilizes at least one of a Bluetooth communication protocol, an inductive RFID communication protocol, a quick response code communication protocol, or a near field communication protocol.

18. The electronic locking system of claim 16, further comprising the portable electronic device, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to transmit the lockout-tagout procedure data to the portable electronic device.

19. The electronic locking system of claim 18, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to provide the lockout-tagout procedure data received from the electronic lock to a remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to determine whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with.

20. The electronic locking system of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine whether the list of steps for the lockout-tagout procedure are complied with.