Computer-implemented methods and system for monitoring personnel activity using non-motion sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11373508-B2
Application number	US-202016777299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A computer implemented method for monitoring personnel activity in a work environment includes receiving motion sensor data generated by a motion sensing device that is carried on or by a worker, determining a location of the motion sensing device, detecting a lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device, and generating an alert based on the location of the motion sensing device and the detected lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device. Related systems and computer program products are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for monitoring personnel activity in a work environment, comprising:
receiving motion sensor data generated by a motion sensing device that is carried on or by a worker;
determining a location of the motion sensing device;
obtaining position history information of the motion sensing device;
detecting a lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device; and
generating an alert based on the motion sensor data, the location of the motion sensing device, the position history information, and the detected lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device, wherein a level of the alert is based on the location of the motion sensing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device comprises determining, from the motion sensor data, that movement of the motion sensing device has dropped below a threshold level for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a geographic zone in which the motion sensing device is located; and
obtaining a threat level associated with the geographic zone in which the motion sensing device is located;
wherein the level of the alert is based on the threat level associated with the geographic zone in which the motion sensing device is located.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining the threat level associated with the geographic zone comprises obtaining the threat level from a library of geographic zones that contains expected motion profiles associated with the geographic zones, the method further comprising:
comparing movement of the motion sensing device with an expected motion profile associated with the geographic zone to determine lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor data comprises first motion sensor data, the method further comprising:
receiving second motion sensor data generated by a second motion sensing device that is carried on or by the worker; and
comparing the second motion sensor data with the first motion sensor data;
wherein the alert is generated based on the first motion sensor data and the second motion sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the motion sensing data comprises receiving the motion sensing data from an accelerometer and/or a satellite positioning device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the motion sensing data comprises receiving an indication of lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving non-motion sensor data generated by a non-motion sensing device that is carried on or by the worker;
wherein the alert is generated in response to the non-motion sensor data in combination with the motion sensor data and the location of the motion sensing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the non-motion sensor data comprises receiving at least one of chemical sensor data, vibration sensor data, temperature sensor data, barometric pressure sensor data, audio sensor data, and toxin sensor data.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting an alarm to an electronic device carried on or by the worker in response to the location of the motion sensing device and the detected lack of movement of the motion sensing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
validating the alert based on aggregating sensor data from a plurality of sensors including the motion sensing device; and
initiating a responsive action based on validating the alert.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a set of non-motion rules to the detected lack of motion, wherein the alert is generated based on the set of non-motion rules.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the alert based on application of a neural network having as inputs the detected lack of motion of the motion sensing device and the location of the motion sensing device.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a first alert; and
if no response is received to the first alert, generating a second alert after a first period of time, wherein the second alert has a higher priority level than the second alert.

15. A system for monitoring personnel activity in a work environment, comprising:
a processing circuit; and
a memory circuit coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory circuit comprises computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the system to perform operations of:
receiving motion sensor data generated by a motion sensing device that is carried on or by a worker;
receiving non-motion sensor data generated by a non-motion sensing device that is carried on or by the worker;
detecting a lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device;
determining a location of the motion sensing device; and
generating an alert based on the location of the motion sensing device and the detected lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device, wherein the alert is generated in response to the non-motion sensor data in combination with the motion sensor data and the location of the motion sensing device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein detecting the lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device comprises determining, from the motion sensor data, that movement of the motion sensing device has dropped below a threshold level for a predetermined period of time.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein a level of the alert is based on the location of the motion sensing device.

18. A computer program product for monitoring personnel activity in a work environment, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to receive motion sensor data generated by a motion sensing device that is carried on or by a worker;
computer readable program code configured to detect a lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device;
computer readable program code configured to apply a set of non-motion rules to the detected lack of expected movement;
computer readable program code configured to determine a location of the motion sensing device; and
computer readable program code configured to generate an alert based on the location of the motion sensing device, the detected lack of expected movement of the motion sensing device, and the applied set of non-motion rules.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving the non-motion sensor data comprises receiving at least one of chemical sensor data, vibration sensor data, temperature sensor data, barometric pressure sensor data, audio sensor data, and toxin sensor data.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Glatfelter John William
• Heisserman Jeff Alan

Classifications

• G08B21/02

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W4/90

  Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] · CPC title

• G08B25/016

  Personal emergency signalling and security systems (emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12) · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title