Risk measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10095991-B2
Application number	US-201214370508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2012
Priority date	Jan 13, 2012
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A risk measurement system according to an embodiment includes a measurement unit that obtains a distance between a mechanical device and an operator; a control device that controls the mechanical device, a display device; a risk table database that has a risk table indicating a risk value that depends on a size of damage due to a risk, a frequency of access to the mechanical device according to an operation mode, and a risk avoiding possibility; and a risk measurement device that obtains the risk value based on the avoiding possibility obtained based on the distance, the frequency of access obtained based on the operation mode of the mechanical device acquired from the control device, and the risk table, records temporal changes of the risk value, and displays the temporal changes of the risk value on the display device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A risk measurement system comprising:
a measurement unit that obtains a distance between a mechanical device and an operator;
a control device that controls the mechanical device;
a display device;
a memory comprising a risk table database that stores a plurality of risk tables for a plurality of operation modes of the mechanical device, each of the plurality of risk tables comprising a first parameter indicating a magnitude of damage due to a risk and a second parameter indicating a risk avoiding possibility of a plurality of distance ranges between the operator and the mechanical device, wherein each of the plurality of distance ranges comprises at least two frequencies of access to the mechanical device and a respective risk value from among a plurality of risk values for each of the at least two frequencies of access; and
a risk measurement device that obtains a current operation mode of the mechanical device, selects a risk table from among the plurality of risk tables based on the current operation mode of the mechanical device, obtains the risk value based on the avoiding possibility obtained based on the distance obtained by the measurement unit, the frequency of access obtained based on the current operation mode of the mechanical device acquired from the control device, and the selected risk table, records temporal changes of the risk value, displays the temporal changes of the risk value on the display device, and is connected to the control device, which executes an emergency stop of the mechanical device based on at least one of the obtained risk value and the temporal changes of the risk value.

2. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the risk measurement device obtains the avoiding possibility based on an operation speed of the mechanical device acquired from the control device.

3. The risk measurement system according to claim 2 , wherein the risk measurement device obtains the avoiding possibility based on a collision time between the operator and the mechanical device, the collision time being calculated based on the distance and the operation speed.

4. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit includes a sensor and a signal processor connected to the sensor and to the risk measurement device.

5. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit includes transmission devices or antennas attached to the operator and the mechanical device, respectively, and an antenna sensor, and obtains the distance by an RF-ID.

6. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device stops the mechanical device based on the alarm value received from the risk measurement device.

7. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the risk measurement device continuously records obtained risk values in the memory and the display device displays a time sequence of the recorded obtained risk values as past history.

8. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the risk measurement device obtains current risk value in real time and the display device displays the current risk value.

9. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of distance ranges comprise a first distance range in which a collision between the operator and the mechanical device is impossible to avoid, a second distance range in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is possible to avoid, and a third distance range in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is certain to be avoided.

10. The risk measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least two frequencies of access to the mechanical device comprise a first frequency of access indicating frequent access to the mechanical device, a second frequency of access indicating the access to the mechanical device as several times an hour, and a third frequency of access indicating the access to the mechanical device as several times in a day.

11. The risk measurement system according to claim 10 , wherein the risk measurement device obtaining the avoiding possibility is further based on a collision time between the operator and the mechanical device, the collision time being calculated based on the distance and the operation speed and comprising a first collision time interval in which a collision between the operator and the mechanical device is impossible to avoid, a second collision time interval in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is possible to avoid, and a third collision time interval in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is certain to be avoided.

12. The risk measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the risk measurement device obtaining the avoiding possibility is further based on a collision time between the operator and the mechanical device, the collision time being calculated based on the distance and the operation speed and comprising a first collision time interval in which a collision between the operator and the mechanical device is impossible to avoid, a second collision time interval in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is possible to avoid, and a third collision time interval in which the collision between the operator and the mechanical device is certain to be avoided.

13. The risk measurement system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least two frequencies of access to the mechanical device comprise a first frequency of access indicating frequent access to the mechanical device, a second frequency of access indicating the access to the mechanical device as several times an hour, and a third frequency of access indicating the access to the mechanical device as several times in a day.

14. A risk measurement device characterized in that:
the risk measurement device is connected to a memory comprising a risk table database that stores a plurality of risk tables for a plurality of operation modes of a mechanical device, each of the plurality of risk tables comprising a first parameter indicating a magnitude of damage due to a risk and a second parameter indicating a risk avoiding possibility of a plurality of distance ranges between the operator and the mechanical device, wherein each of the plurality of distance ranges comprises at least two frequencies of access to the mechanical device and a respective risk value from among a plurality of risk values for each of the at least two frequencies; and
the risk measurement device obtains a current operation mode of the mechanical device, selects a risk table from among the plurality of risk tables based on the current operation mode of the mechanical device, obtains the risk value based on the avoiding possibility obtained based on the distance between the mechanical device and the operator, the frequency of access obtained based on the current operation mode of the mechanical device, the current operation mode being acquired from a control device that controls the mechanical device, and the selected risk table, records temporal changes of the risk value, displays the temporal changes of the risk value on a display device, and outputs a command to stop the mechanical device based on the at least one of the obtained risk value and the temporal changes of the risk value.

15. The risk measurement device according to claim 14 , wherein the avoiding possibility is obtained based on an operation speed of the mechanical device acquired from the control device.

16. The risk measurem

Assignees

• Kanamaru Hiroo
• Asano Yoshitomo
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kanamaru Hiroo
• Asano Yoshitomo

Classifications

• F16P3/147

  using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar · CPC title

• F16P3/144

  using light grids · CPC title

• B25J19/06

  Safety devices · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• G06Q10/0635 Primary

  Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities · CPC title