RECOGNITION-BASED INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION CONTROL WITH REDUNDANT SYSTEM INPUT SUPPORT

• US 20140244003A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Steven J., Nguyen, Thong T., Nair, Suresh, Brandt, David D., Roback, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,798,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/56
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a method for performing industrial automation control in an industrial automation system. The method may include detecting, via a sensor system, positions and/or motions of a human. The method may then determine a possible automation command corresponding to the detected positions and/or motions, receive an automation system signal from at least one additional control component, and implement a control and/or notification action based upon the determined possible automation command and the received automation system signal.

Claims

1. A method for performing industrial automation control, comprising:

detecting, via a sensor system, positions and/or motions of a human;

determining a possible automation command corresponding to the detected positions and/or motions;

receiving an automation system signal from at least one additional control component; and

implementing a control and/or notification action based upon the determined possible automation command and the received automation system signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected positions and/or motions comprise at least one gesture associated with the determined command.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one gesture is one of a plurality of possible gestures, each gesture being associated with an automation command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the control and/or notification action comprises:

determining a safe-state automation command that corresponds to an industrial automation device when the automation system signal has not been received; and

sending the safe-state automation command to the industrial automation device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the safe-state automation command comprises de-energizing the industrial automation device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the automation system signal comprises receiving an input from the human.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the automation system signal comprises receiving an input from an automation controller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input from the automation controller comprises an indication that the positions of the human are in a predetermined space.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional control component comprises a sensor configured to detect a presence of an object or the human in a predetermined space.

10. A system for performing industrial automation control, comprising:

a sensor system configured to detect positions and/or motions of a human;

a processing system configured to determine a possible automation command based upon the detected positions and/or motions;

at least one additional control component configured to receive or to generate an automation system signal; and

wherein the processing system is configured to implement a control and/or notification action based upon the determined possible automation command and the received or generated automation system signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor system comprises infrared sensors, optical sensors, radio frequency energy detectors, sound sensors, vibration sensors, magnetic sensors, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to implement the control when the received or generated automation system signal matches an expected automation system signal associated with the determined possible automation command.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system comprises a memory having a plurality of possible automation commands associated with a plurality of detected positions and/or motions of the human.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the automation system signal comprises a signal received from a push button, a signal received from a sensor disposed on an industrial automation device, or any combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure mat, a light curtain, an area scanner, an enable pendant, a safety gate, a guard interlock, or an emergency stop switch.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the automation system signal comprises a voice command from the human.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to determine the possible automation command based upon the determined positions, and wherein the automation system signal is based upon the determined positions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the automation system signal is based upon a distance between the determined positions and an industrial automation device.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification action comprises sending a notification message indicating that the control has been implemented when the automation system signal has been received or generated.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the confidence value comprises:

determining a difference between the detected positions and/or motions and expected positions and/or motions that correspond to the determined automation command; and

calculating the confidence value based on the difference.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising implementing the control and/or notification action when the confidence value is greater than a threshold.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein implementing the control and/or notification action comprises sending a notification message indicating that the automation system signal has not been received when the automation system signal has not been received.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein implementing the control and/or notification action comprises implementing a default action when the automatoin system signal has not been received.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein implementing the default action comprises:

determining a safe-state operation for an industrial automation device that corresponds to the determined automation command; and

sending a command to the industrial automation device to operate according to the safe-state operation.

20. A method for performing industrial automation control, comprising:

detecting, via a sensor system, positions and/or motions of a human;

determining a possible automation command corresponding to the detected positions and/or motions;

determining a confidence value associated with the detected positions, the detected motions, and/or the determined automation command;

receiving an automation system signal from at least one additional control component; and

implementing a control and/or notification action based upon the determined possible automation command, the confidence value, and the received automation system signal.