Personal protective equipment management system using optical patterns for equipment and safety monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11314971-B2
Application number	US-201816649292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for a personal protective equipment (PPE) management system (PPEMS) that uses images of optical patterns embodied on articles of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to identify safety conditions that correspond to usage of the PPEs. In one example, an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) includes a first optical pattern embodied on a surface of the article of PPE; a second optical pattern embodied on the surface of the article of PPE, wherein a spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern is indicative of an operational status of the article of PPE.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one image capture device;
an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes a first optical pattern embodied on a surface of the article of PPE;
a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one image capture device, wherein the computing device is configured to:
receive, from the at least one image capture device, one or more images that includes the first optical pattern and a second optical pattern;
determine, based at least in part on the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, a spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern;
identify, based at least in part on the spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, a safety condition that corresponds at least in part to the article of PPE; and
perform at least one operation based at least in part on the safety condition.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the article of PPE includes a first optical tag attached to the article of PPE, wherein the first optical tag includes the first optical pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine the spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, the computing device determines a relative orientation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the relative orientation is a first relative orientation, wherein the computing device:
determines a second relative orientation of the first optical pattern in relation to the second optical pattern that is required for at least one of a hazard, work environment, or work activity;
determines that the first relative orientation is different from the second relative orientation; and
wherein to identify the safety condition the computing device determines the safety condition based at least in part on the second relative orientation not being satisfied by the first relative orientation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical pattern is not embodied on the article of PPE and is not embodied on a worker wearing the article of PPE.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical pattern is embodied on at least one of the article of PPE or a worker wearing the article of PPE.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine, based at least in part on the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, the spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, the computing device determines that the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern are each included in the image.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine, based at least in part on the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, the spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern, the computing device:
determines a distance between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern; and
determines that the distance between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern satisfies a threshold distance.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is attached to a worker wearing the article of PPE.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the safety condition comprises at least one of:
a worker-down event, wherein a worker has fallen;
a visor event, wherein a visor position of a respirator or welding mask does not shield a face of a worker wearing the article of PPE;
a respirator protection event, wherein a respirator is not worn over the nose of a worker wearing the article of PPE; or
a hearing protection event, wherein hearing protection is not positioned to attenuate sound for the worker wearing the article of PPE.

11. An article of personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes:
a first optical pattern embodied on a surface of the article of PPE;
a second optical pattern embodied on the surface of the article of PPE,
wherein a spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern is indicative of an operational status of the article of PPE.

12. The article of PPE of claim 11 , wherein the operational status of the article of PPE is indicated by a distance between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern.

13. The article of PPE of claim 11 , wherein the operational status of the article of PPE is indicated by a relative orientation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern.

14. The article of PPE of claim 11 ,
wherein the article of PPE includes a first optical tag attached to the article of PPE and including the first optical pattern, and
wherein the article of PPE includes a second optical tag attached to the article of PPE and including the second optical pattern.

15. The article of PPE of claim 11 ,
wherein the first optical tag comprises a layer of retroreflective material with the first optical pattern embodied thereon,
wherein the first optical tag comprises a layer of mirror film layered above the layer of retroreflective material, and
wherein the first optical tag comprises an adhesive layer adhering the first optical tag to the article of PPE.

16. A pair of optical tags comprising a first optical tag and a second optical tag, the first optical tag having a first optical pattern encoding a first identifier and the second optical tag having a second optical pattern encoding a second identifier, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier indicate, to a personal protective equipment (PPE) management system, that the first optical tag and the second optical tag are usable as a pair of optical tags for indicating an operational status of an article of PPE when at least the first optical tag is attached to the article of PPE.

17. The pair of optical tags of claim 16 , wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are the same identifier.

18. The pair of optical tags of claim 16 , wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are different identifiers.

19. The pair of optical tags of claim 16 ,
wherein the first optical tag comprises a layer of retroreflective material with the first optical pattern embodied thereon,
wherein the first optical tag comprises a layer of mirror film layered above the layer of retroreflective material, and
wherein the first optical tag comprises an adhesive layer configured for adhering the first optical tag to the article of PPE.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Ylitalo Caroline M
• Chen-Ho Kui
• Acito Paul L
• Whiting Tien Yi T H
• Snyder James B
• Potts Travis L
• Howard James W
• Werness Jr James L C
• Patel Suman K
• Shaklee Charles A
• Hansen Katja
• Casner Glenn E
• Kanukurthy Kiran S
• Awiszus Steven T
• Sharma Neeraj

Classifications

• G06V10/245

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title

• G06V10/225 Primary

  based on a marking or identifier characterising the area · CPC title

• G06V20/52 Primary

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06K7/12

  using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks · CPC title

• G06K19/06009

  with optically detectable marking (G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence) · CPC title