IMAGE RECOGNITION FOR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT IN WORK AREAS

• US 20130282609A1
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Au, Kwong Wing, Davalos, Pedro, Khurana, Himanshu, Bedros, Saad J., Mohideen, Mohammed Ibrahim, Gellaboina, Mahesh Kumar, Cabuz, Cleopatra, Venkatesha, Sharath, CS, Adishesha
• Granted Patent: US 9,695,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/325
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/142 using image capturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/757 Matching configurations of points or features
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A method comprises receiving one or more images of a person from one or more image capture devices in response to an input, identifying one or more items of personal protective equipment in the one or more images, determining the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment relative to the person in the one or more images, and verifying compliance with personal protective equipment standards based on the one or more identified items of personal protective equipment and the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more images of a person from one or more image capture devices in response to an input;

identifying one or more items of personal protective equipment in the one or more images;

determining the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment relative to the person in the one or more images; and

verifying compliance with personal protective equipment standards based on the one or more identified items of personal protective equipment and the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a trigger signal from a trigger device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the one or more items of personal protective equipment comprises:

extracting one or more portions of the one or more images of the person;

identifying the kind of the one or more items of personal protective equipment; and

identifying the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment when the kind of the one or more items of personal protective equipment is identified.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting a first image from the one or more images of the person, and identifying the kind of the one or more items of personal protective equipment in the first image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment comprises identifying one or more coded markings associated with the one or more items of personal protective equipment, wherein the one or more coded markings identify at least one of the type or sub-type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising granting access to at least one of a work area or device when compliance with the personal protective equipment standards is verified.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting an alert to an output device when compliance with the personal protective equipment standards is not verified, wherein the message comprises information on the personal protective equipment standards.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing information related to the compliance verification in at least one of an access log or a compliance log.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a location determination within a work area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the one or more images of a person from the one or more image capture devices in response to the input comprises;

detecting the location of the person within the work area;

directing the one or more image capture devices to the location of the person; and

capturing the one or more images of the person in the work area.

11. A personal protective equipment compliance system comprising:

a memory comprising a non-transitory, computer readable media;

a processor; and

an image recognition processing tool that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to;

receive a trigger signal from a trigger device;

receive one or more images from an image capture device in response to receiving the trigger signal;

detect one or more items of personal protective equipment within the one or more images;

detect the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment on a person within the one or more images when the one or more items of personal protective equipment are detected;

identify the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment when the one or more items of personal protective equipment are detected;

verify compliance with one or more personal protective equipment standards based on the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment and the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment; and

send an output signal to a device indicative of the compliance verification.

12. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 11, wherein the device comprises an access device, and the output signal grants access to at least one of a work area or a device.

13. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 11, wherein one or more items of personal protective equipment comprise at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

glasses, goggles, an ear plug, ear muffs, a face mask, a respirator, a hair net, a hard hat, a wrist band, gloves, a skirt, a gown, an apron, shoes, boots, a safety harness, a safety suit, a chemical suit, and any combinations thereof.

14. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 11, wherein identify the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment comprises:

identifying the kind of the one or more items of personal protective equipment; and

identifying at least one of the type or a sub-type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment.

15. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 11, wherein the image capture device comprises a spectral camera, color video camera or infrared camera.

16. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 11, wherein identify the type of the one or more items of personal protective equipment comprises:

identify one or more coded markings associated with the one or more items of personal protective equipment, wherein the one or more coded markings comprise at least one of a color code pattern, a color-symbol pattern, an asymmetrical pattern, a one dimensional bar code, a standard bar code, a two dimensional bar code, a shot code, a SEMACODE, or a color light pattern.

17. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 16, wherein the one or more coded markings are formed from at least one of an infrared (IR) reflective coating, IR absorptive coating, an ultraviolet (UV) reflective coating, or a UV absorptive coating.

18. A personal protective equipment compliance system comprising:

a memory comprising a non-transitory, computer readable media;

a processor; and

an image processing tool that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to;

determine a location of a person within a work area based on a signal from a location device;

direct one or more image capture devices to the location of the person;

receive one or more images from the one or more image capture devices;

detect or identify the types of one or more items of personal protective equipment within the one or more images;

detect the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment on a person within the one or more images when the one or more items of personal protective equipment are detected; and

verify compliance with one or more personal protective equipment standards based on the positioning of the one or more items of personal protective equipment.

19. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 18, wherein the one or more personal protective equipment standards are different in different locations within the work area.

20. The personal protective equipment compliance system of claim 18, wherein the location device comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of:

an infra-red device, an ultra-sonic device, an optical device, an RFID device, a wireless device, a Bluetooth based device, a Wi-Fi based communication device, a global positioning system (GPS) device, and any combination thereof.