Vision system for monitoring humans in dynamic environments
First Claim
1. A safety monitoring system for a workspace area, the workspace area related to a region having automated moveable equipment, the system comprising:
- a plurality of vision-based imaging devices capturing time-synchronized image data of the workspace area, each vision-based imaging device repeatedly capturing respective time synchronized image data of the workspace area from a respective viewpoint that is different from the other respective vision-based imaging devices;
a visual processing unit for analyzing the time-synchronized image data generated by the plurality of vision-based imaging devices;
wherein the visual processing unit processes the captured time-synchronized image data for identifying a human from a non-human object within the workspace area by integrating one or more patterns in each of the time-synchronized image data, the visual processing unit further determining potential interactions between a human and the automated moveable equipment, the visual processing unit further generating control signals for enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the automated moveable equipment based on the potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area, the dynamic reconfiguration including adjusting movements of the automated moveable equipment to avoid potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area without stopping the automated equipment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety monitoring system for a workspace area. The workspace area related to a region having automated moveable equipment. A plurality of vision-based imaging devices capturing time-synchronized image data of the workspace area. Each vision-based imaging device repeatedly capturing a time synchronized image of the workspace area from a respective viewpoint that is substantially different from the other respective vision-based imaging devices. A visual processing unit for analyzing the time-synchronized image data. The visual processing unit processes the captured image data for identifying a human from a non-human object within the workspace area. The visual processing unit further determining potential interactions between a human and the automated moveable equipment. The visual processing unit further generating control signals for enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the automated moveable equipment based on the potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A safety monitoring system for a workspace area, the workspace area related to a region having automated moveable equipment, the system comprising:
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a plurality of vision-based imaging devices capturing time-synchronized image data of the workspace area, each vision-based imaging device repeatedly capturing respective time synchronized image data of the workspace area from a respective viewpoint that is different from the other respective vision-based imaging devices; a visual processing unit for analyzing the time-synchronized image data generated by the plurality of vision-based imaging devices; wherein the visual processing unit processes the captured time-synchronized image data for identifying a human from a non-human object within the workspace area by integrating one or more patterns in each of the time-synchronized image data, the visual processing unit further determining potential interactions between a human and the automated moveable equipment, the visual processing unit further generating control signals for enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the automated moveable equipment based on the potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area, the dynamic reconfiguration including adjusting movements of the automated moveable equipment to avoid potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area without stopping the automated equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for identifying a potential interaction between a human and automated moveable equipment in a workspace area, the system comprising:
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capturing time synchronized images from a plurality of vision-based imaging devices in the workspace area, each vision-based imaging device capturing respective time synchronized images from a respective viewpoint that is different from the other respective vision-based imaging devices; identifying moveable objects in the captured time synchronized images of each respective viewpoint; filtering moveable object data for distinguishing humans from non-human objects; collectively identifying the human in each viewpoint of the captured time synchronized images; localizing the human in the workspace area based on collective identification of the human; determining a potential interaction with the automated moveable equipment; and generating control signals for enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the automated moveable equipment based on the potential interactions between human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for dynamically monitoring an integrity of a vision based safety monitoring system of a workspace area for failures, the workspace area relating to a region having automated moveable equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a fiduciary target within the workspace area; providing a plurality of vision-based imaging devices for capturing time-synchronized image data of the workspace area, the plurality of vision based imaging devices being disposed at various locations about the workspace area for capturing images of the fiduciary target; capturing images of the fiduciary target by the plurality of vision-based imaging devices over a time interval, the captured images from the plurality of vision-based imaging devices are collectively time synchronized for preventing occlusion of the fiduciary target by at least one of the respective vision-based imaging devices; determining whether visual changes in the fiduciary target in the captured image data have occurred; modifying the automated equipment to operate in a safe mode in response to no visual changes detected in the captured image of the fiduciary targets over the time interval; and otherwise maintaining the current operating conditions of the automated equipment. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification