Distributed industrial facility safety system

• US 10,311,705 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Aljuaid, Muhammad S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US15/939,675
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/14 the means being photocells or other devices sensitive without mechanical contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• 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 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for distributed industrial facility safety systems. Provided in some embodiments an industrial facility safety system that includes a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) distributed throughout an industrial facility, and a facility safety control system (FSCS). The FSCS adapted to receive safety information from the plurality of RSDs, process the safety information to determine safety alerts, and send the safety alerts to RSDs of the plurality of RSDs. Each of the RSDs adapted to generate local safety data corresponding to characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD sensed by the RSD, to exchange safety information with other RSDs and the FSCS based on available communication, and to present alerts.

Claims

1. An industrial facility safety system, comprising:

a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) configured to be distributed throughout an industrial facility; and

a facility safety control system (FSCS) configured to;

receive safety information from the plurality of RSDs;

process the safety information from the plurality of RSDs to determine one or more safety alerts; and

send the one or more safety alerts to one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs,

each remote sensing device (RSD) of the plurality of RSDs comprising;

a sensing unit comprising one more sensors configured to sense characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD;

a processing unit configured to process the sensed characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD to generate local safety data corresponding to characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD sensed by the one or more sensors of the sensing unit of the RSD;

a communication unit configured to;

send, to other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs and the FSCS, safety information; and

receive, from other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs and the FSCS, safety information; and

an alert unit configured to present alerts;

each RSD of the plurality of RSDs is configured to;

in response to obtaining first safety information comprising one or both of the local safety data generated and the safety information received from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs;

determine whether communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, send, to the FSCS, the first safety information;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identify a second RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

send, to the second RSD, the first safety information;

determine whether the first safety information indicates an alert condition; and

in response to determining that the first safety information indicates an alert condition, present, via the alert unit of the RSD, an alert corresponding to the alert condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD comprises:

identifying one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above a threshold power level; and

selecting the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein selecting the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level comprises:

determining the second RSD to have a closest proximity to the FSCS of the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level; and

selecting, from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level, the second RSD based on the second RSD being determined to have the closest proximity to the FSCS of the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the proximity of the second RSD to the FSCS is determined based on a preconfigured assignment of the second RSD, a geographic location of the second RSD, a signal strength between the second RSD and the FSCS, or a dynamic hop query of the second RSD.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second RSD is configured to:

in response to receiving, from the RSD, the first safety information;

determine whether communication between the second RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the second RSD and the FSCS is available, send, to the FSCS, the first safety information received by the second RSD from the RSD; and

in response to determining that communication between the second RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identify a third RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the second RSD; and

send, to the third RSD, the first safety information received by the second RSD from the RSD.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second RSD is configured to send the first safety information received by the second RSD from the RSD, to the third RSD, in a single communication.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the FSCS is configured to:

determine, based on the first safety information received, a first alert to be sent to a fourth RSD of the plurality of RSDs;

in response to determining the first alert to be sent to the fourth RSD of the plurality of RSDs;

determine whether communication between the fourth RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the fourth RSD and the FSCS is available, send, to the fourth RSD, the first alert; and

in response to determining that communication between the fourth RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identify a fifth RSD of the plurality of RSDs that has available communication with the FSCS; and

send, to the fifth RSD, the first alert,

wherein the fifth RSD is configured to relay the first alert to the fourth RSD, and

wherein the fourth RSD is configured to present the first alert.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises instructions for evacuating a region of the facility.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein presentation of the alert comprises presentation of a route from a current location of the RSD to a safe zone to evacuate the region of the facility.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs comprise a mobile RSD configured to be attached to a person or mobile device configured to move within the industrial facility.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs comprise a fixed RSD configured to be attached to stationary equipment of the industrial facility.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit of one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs comprises a modular sensing unit comprising a sensor module bay comprising one or more sensor module slots, wherein each of the sensor module slots is configured to receive a removable sensor module comprising one or more sensors for sensing the characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit of each RSD of the plurality of RSDs comprises:

a gas detection sensor for sensing concentrations of gases in the environment surrounding the RSD;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the environment surrounding the RSD;

an acoustic sensor for sensing sounds in the environment surrounding the RSD; and

a location sensor for sensing a geographic location of the RSD,

wherein the sensed characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD comprise the concentrations of gases sensed, the temperature sensed, the sounds sensed, and the geographic location sensed.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit of one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to be remotely enabled and disabled by the FSCS.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the FSCS is further configured to:

determine, for an RSD of the plurality of RSDs, whether a given safety alert would expose a person associated with the RSD to a risk at or above the threshold risk level;

in response to determining that the given safety alert would expose the person associated with the RSD to a risk at or above the threshold risk level, not sending the given safety alert to the RSD; and

in response to determining that the given safety alert would not expose the person associated with the RSD to a risk at or above the threshold risk level, sending the given safety alert to the RSD.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the FSCS is further configured to:

determine, for an RSD of the plurality of RSDs, whether the RSD has experienced a given safety issue at least a threshold number of times; and

in response to determining that the RSD has experienced the given safety issue at least the threshold number of times, sending an alert corresponding to the given safety issue to the RSD.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the FSCS is configured to identify, based on historical patterns, an event expected to occur, and issue, to one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs, an alert corresponding to the event.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the FSCS is configured to send the one or more safety alerts to the one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs by way of a unicast communication, a multicast communication, or a broadcast communication.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to communicate with entities external to the industrial facility to receive information and to communicate the information received to one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs or the FSCS, and the FSCS is configured to communicate with the entities external to the industrial facility to receive information from the entities external to the industrial facility and send information to the entities external to the industrial facility.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the industrial facility safety system comprises a wireless network, and wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs comprises a wireless network hub configured to enable network devices within the industrial facility to connect to the wireless network by way of the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to operate in a low-power state, and, in response to obtaining the first safety information, transition to a high-power state, the high-power state comprising assessing a state of communication with the FSCS to determine whether communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to communicate directly with devices of the industrial facility to control operation of the devices, and the FSCS is configured to communicate directly with devices of the industrial facility to control operation of the devices.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to operate in a standalone configuration, a distributed configuration, a meshed configuration or a distributed-mesh configuration.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are configured to process data by way of local processing performed by a single RSD of the plurality of RSDs, distributed processing performed by multiple RSDs of the plurality of RSDs, centralized processing performed by the FSCS, or hybrid processing performed by one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs and the FSCS.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more RSDs of the plurality of RSDs are self-managed or centrally managed.

26. A method of industrial facility safety monitoring, comprising:

sensing, by a remote sensing device (RSD), characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD, the RSD being one of a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) of an industrial facility safety system comprising a facility safety control system (FSCS) and the plurality of RSDs distributed throughout an industrial facility;

processing, by the RSD, the sensed characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD to generate local safety data corresponding to characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD;

receiving, by the RSD, safety information from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs;

in response to the RSD obtaining first safety information comprising one or both of the local safety data generated the safety information received from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs, the RSD;

determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identifying a second RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

sending, to the second RSD, the first safety information;

determining that the first safety information indicates an alert condition; and

in response to determining that the first safety information indicates an alert condition, presenting, via an alert unit of the RSD, an alert corresponding to the alert condition.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in response to the RSD obtaining second safety information comprising one or both of second local safety data generated by the RSD and second safety information received by the RSD from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs, the RSD;

determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available; and

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, sending, to the FSCS, the second safety information.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein identifying the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD comprises:

identifying one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above a threshold power level; and

selecting the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein selecting the second RSD of the plurality of RSDs from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level comprises:

determining the second RSD to have a closest proximity to the FSCS of the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level; and

selecting, from the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level, the second RSD based on the second RSD being determined to have the closest proximity to the FSCS of the one or more RSD of the plurality of RSDs identified as being in communication range of the RSD and having a power level above the threshold power level.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

in response to the second RSD receiving from the RSD, the first safety information, the second RSD;

determining that communication between the second RSD and the FSCS is available; and

in response to determining that communication between the second RSD and the FSCS is available, sending, to the FSCS, the first safety information received by the second RSD from the RSD.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the second RSD sends the first safety information received by the second RSD from the RSD, to the FSCS, in a single communication.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the FSCS:

in response to the FSCS determining, based on the first safety information received, a first alert to be sent to a fourth RSD of the plurality of RSDs, the FSCS;

determining that communication between the fourth RSD and the FSCS is not available; and

in response to determining that communication between the fourth RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identifying a fifth RSD of the plurality of RSDs that has available communication with the FSCS; and

sending, to the fifth RSD, the first alert, and

relaying, by the fifth RSD, the first alert to the fourth RSD; and

presenting, by the fourth RSD, the first alert.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the alert comprises instructions for evacuating a region of the facility.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein presentation of the alert comprises presentation of a route from a current location of the RSD to a safe zone.

35. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause the following operations of industrial facility safety monitoring:

sensing, by a remote sensing device (RSD), characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD, the RSD being one of a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) of an industrial facility safety system comprising a facility safety control system (FSCS) and the plurality of RSDs distributed throughout an industrial facility;

processing, by the RSD, the sensed characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD to generate local safety data corresponding to characteristics of the environment surrounding the RSD;

receiving, by the RSD, safety information from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs;

in response to the RSD obtaining first safety information comprising one or both of the local safety data generated and the safety information received from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs, the RSD;

determining whether communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, sending, to the FSCS, the first safety information;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identifying a second RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

sending, to the second RSD, the first safety information;

determining whether the safety information indicates an alert condition; and

in response to determining that the first safety information indicates an alert condition, presenting, via an alert unit of the RSD, an alert corresponding to the alert condition.

36. An industrial facility safety system, comprising:

a facility safety control system (FSCS); and

a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) configured to be distributed throughout an industrial facility, each remote sensing device (RSD) of the plurality of RSDs configured to;

obtain safety information comprising local safety information generated based on characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD sensed by sensors of the RSD and remote safety information sent to the RSD from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs; and

in response to obtaining the safety information;

determine whether communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, send the safety information obtained to the FSCS;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identify an other RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

send, to the other RSD, the safety information obtained;

determine whether the safety information obtained indicates an alert condition; and

in response to determining that the safety information obtained indicates an alert condition, present an alert corresponding to the alert condition.

37. A method of industrial facility safety monitoring, comprising:

obtaining, by a remote sensing device (RSD), first safety information comprising first local safety information generated based on characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD sensed by sensors of the RSD and first remote safety information sent to the RSD from one or more other RSDs of a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) of an industrial facility safety system comprising a facility safety control system (FSCS) and the plurality of RSDs distributed throughout an industrial facility; and

in response to the RSD obtaining the first safety information, the RSD;

determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identifying an other RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

sending, to the other RSD, the first safety information obtained;

determining that the first safety information obtained indicates a first alert condition; and

in response to determining that the safety information obtained indicates a first alert condition, presenting a first alert corresponding to the first alert condition;

obtaining, by the RSD, second safety information comprising second local safety information generated based on characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD sensed by sensors of the RSD and second remote safety information sent to the RSD from one or more other RSDs of the plurality of RSDs; and

in response to the RSD obtaining the second safety information, the RSD;

determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, sending the second safety information obtained to the FSCS;

determining that the second safety information obtained indicates a second alert condition; and

in response to determining that the second safety information obtained indicates a second alert condition, presenting a second alert corresponding to the second alert condition.

38. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause the following operations of industrial facility safety monitoring:

obtaining, by a remote sensing device (RSD), safety information comprising local safety information generated based on characteristics of an environment surrounding the RSD sensed by sensors of the RSD and remote safety information sent to the RSD from one or more other RSDs of a plurality of remote sensing devices (RSDs) of an industrial facility safety system comprising a facility safety control system (FSCS) and the plurality of RSDs distributed throughout an industrial facility; and

in response to the RSD obtaining the safety information, the RSD;

determining whether communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is available, sending the safety information obtained to the FSCS;

in response to determining that communication between the RSD and the FSCS is not available;

identifying an other RSD of the plurality of RSDs that is in communication range of the RSD; and

sending, to the other RSD, the safety information obtained;

determining whether the safety information obtained indicates an alert condition; and

in response to determining that the safety information obtained indicates an alert condition, presenting via an alert unit of the RSD, an alert corresponding to the alert condition.