System and method for identifying, monitoring and evaluating equipment, environmental and physiological conditions

• US 20040004547A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA Safety, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fire-Eye Development, Incorporated
• Inventors: Appelt, Daren R., Brunson, Kevin K., Hibbs, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,995,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for identifying monitoring and evaluating hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions. The system may be worn by safety personnel to detect equipment conditions such as low power supply, environmental conditions such as ambient temperature and/or physiological conditions such as heart rate of a wearer. The system further includes a control unit having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with equipment, environmental and physiological conditions.

Claims

1. A system for identifying, monitoring and evaluating environmental and physiological conditions comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

a physiological sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the physiological sensor operable to detect at least one physiological condition of a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit; and

the equipment sensor operable to detect and monitor at least one condition of safety equipment associated with the person wearing the system.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the control unit operable to receive and display real time messages from a base station.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an operating mode based upon the presence of at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising the environmental sensor removably coupled to safety equipment associated with the person wearing the system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a microprocessor operable to identify, monitor and evaluate the at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition; and

the microprocessor operable to provide a signal to the indicator in response to the at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the physiological sensor comprises a sensor operable to measure the heart rate of a person wearing the system.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising the indicator operable to display selected environmental and physiological information.

9. A system for identifying, monitoring and evaluating environmental and physiological conditions comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the equipment sensor operable to detect at least one condition of safety equipment associated with a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a physiological sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit; and

the physiological sensor unit operable to detect at least one physiological condition of the person wearing the system.

11. A system for identifying, monitoring, evaluating and alerting a wearer of at least one critical condition comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the equipment sensor operable to detect and monitor at least one condition of safety equipment associated with the person wearing the system;

a physiological sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the physiological sensor unit operable to detect and monitor at least one physiological condition of a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing the at least one critical condition.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the equipment sensor and the environmental sensor combined into a single unit.

13. A method for monitoring and evaluating environmental conditions and physiological conditions of a person exposed to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions, comprising:

sensing at least one environmental condition using at least a first sensing device;

sensing at least one physiological condition using at least a second sensing device; and

monitoring and evaluating variable relationships between environmental conditions and physiological conditions to prevent serious injury or loss of life from overexposure to a critical condition.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing information to a command center which may be used to train the person.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating information to the person as part of a training program to teach appropriate procedures when exposed to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising increasing a sample rate of sensing at least one environmental condition in response to a critical condition.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising increasing a sample rate of sensing at least one physiological condition in response to a critical condition.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an operating time associated with using the first sensing device; and

altering a mode of operation based upon the determined operating time.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an operating time associated with using the second sensing device; and

altering a mode of operation based upon the determined operating time.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating an average value for the at least one environmental condition from measured values of the at least one environmental condition.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating an average value for the at least one physiological condition from measured values of the at least one physiological condition.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a visual indication of at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a level associated with at least one sensed environmental condition; and

providing a visual indication of a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition based upon the determined level.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a level associated with at least one sensed physiological conditions; and

providing a visual indication of a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition based upon the determined level.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an amount of power available to operate the sensing devices;

associating an operating time to the determined amount of power; and

altering a mode of operation in response to the associated operating time.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

activating a red light to indicate the presence of the hazardous or potentially hazardous condition; and

activating a green light to indicate the absence of a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a level associated with at least one combination of sensed environmental and physiological conditions; and

providing a visual indication of a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition based on the determined level.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a solid light to indicate that the level associated with the at least one combination of sensed environmental and physiological conditions is increasing; and

activating a blinking light to indicate that the level associated with the at least one combination of sensed environmental and physiological conditions is decreasing.

29. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating the rate of change for at least one environmental condition from the measured values associated with the at least one environmental condition.

30. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating the rate of change for at least one physiological condition from the measured values associated with the at least one physiological condition.

31. A safety system operable to be coupled to safety equipment for identifying, monitoring and evaluating selected environmental conditions comprising:

a control unit operable to be coupled to a wearer;

the control unit having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with selected environmental conditions;

an environmental sensor operable to measure the selected environmental condition;

at least one indicator operable to display an indication representing a hazardous or potentially hazardous environmental condition; and

the control unit operable to conduct a diagnostic test of the system.

32. The safety system of claim 31 further comprising a first indicator and a second indicator.

33. The safety system of claim 31 further comprising the control unit operable to conduct a calibration check of the environmental sensor during the diagnostic test.

34. A method to conduct a diagnostic check of a safety system used to monitor and evaluate environmental conditions associated with a person wearing the safety system, comprising:

initiating a calibration check of at least one temperature sensing device associated with the safety system;

placing the at least one temperature sensor in a mixture of water and ice;

measuring a temperature signal from the at least one temperature sensor;

comparing the measured temperature signal with a reference signal corresponding with zero degrees Centigrade;

providing a first visual indication if the measured temperature signal corresponds approximately with the reference signal for zero degrees centigrade; and

providing a second visual signal if the measured temperature signal exceeds the reference temperature signal by a selected value.

35. A safety system operable to be coupled to a wearer to identify, monitor, evaluate and alert the wearer of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions comprising:

a sensor assembly operable to detect at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition;

a fastening system having an enlarged portion with a post projecting therefrom;

an aperture formed in the sensor assembly and sized to receive the post;

a fastener operable to couple the sensor assembly with the post when the post is disposed within the aperture;

an arcuate surface formed on one surface of the enlarged portion opposite from the post;

the arcuate surface having dimensions compatible with an exterior surface of safety equipment associated with the wearer; and

an adhesive bond formed between the exterior surface of the face mask and the exterior surface of the associated safety equipment.

36. The safety system of claim 35 wherein the associated safety equipment comprises a face mask.

37. A safety system operable to be coupled to a wearer to identify, monitor, evaluate and alert the wearer of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions comprising:

a control unit operable to be coupled to the wearer having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition;

an environmental sensor operable to be positioned in an ambient environment;

the control unit operable to evaluate the operating condition of safety equipment associated with the wearer;

a first indicator and a second indicator operable to display within the field of vision of the wearer an indication representing the at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition;

a physiological sensor operable to measure and evaluate at least one physiological condition of the wearer; and

the control unit operable to transmit environmental and physiological information to a base station.

38. The system of claim 37 further comprising the control unit operable to transmit real time information and historic information concerning identification and location of the safety system, environmental information and physiological information to a base station.

39. The system of claim 37 further comprising the control unit operable to store environmental and physiological information for later use in training the wearer.

40. The system of claim 37 further comprising the control unit operable to both transmit and receive real time information and historic information concerning identification and location of the safety system, environmental information and physiological information between other safety systems and base stations.

41. The system of claim 37 further comprising the sensor components integrated into or made a permanent part of one surface of the facemask.

42. The system of claim 37 further comprising the control unit components integrated within or made a permanent part of a cool inner part of the facemask.

43. The system of claim 37 further comprising the display components integrated into or made a permanent part of the facemask.

44. The system of claim 37 further comprising more than one element of the system integrated into or made a permanent part of the facemask.

45. A personal situation awareness system operable to be coupled to a wearer for identifying, monitoring and evaluating hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions comprising:

a control unit operable to be coupled to the wearer having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with the at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition;

a physiological sensor operable to measure and evaluate at least one physiological condition of the wearer; and

a first indicator and second indicator operable to display within the field of vision of the wearer an indication representing the at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

46. The system of claim 45 further comprising:

an environmental sensor operable to be positioned with an ambient environment; and

the environmental sensor operable to evaluate the operating condition of safety equipment associated with the wearer.

47. The system of claim 46 further comprising the control unit operable to transmit environmental and physiological information to a base station.

48. The system of claim 46 further comprising the control unit operable to transmit real time information and historic information concerning identification and location of the safety system, environmental information and physiological information to a base station.

49. A method to conduct an automatic field diagnostic check of a safety system used to evaluate environmental or physiological conditions associated with a person wearing the safety system, comprising:

initiating a calibration check of at least one sensor element associated with the safety system;

providing a standard environment for the at least one sensor element during the calibration check;

measuring a signal from the at least one sensor element during the calibration check;

comparing the measured value of the at least one sensor element being tested to an expected standard value;

providing a first indication if all of the measured values are within acceptable limits; and

providing a second indication if any of the measured values are outside of acceptable limits.