Safety system and method using a safety system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11804119-B2
Application number	US-202117532073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A method using a safety system and a safety system for localizing at least one person or at least one object in a monitored zone, having at least one control and evaluation unit, having at least one radio location system, wherein the radio location system has arranged radio stations; wherein position data of the person or object can be determined by means of the radio location system; wherein the monitored zone has a plurality of sectors and a plurality of passage zones between the sectors, at least one spatially resolving sensor is associated with each passage zone, and wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to cyclically compare the position data of the radio location system and the presence data of the spatially resolving sensor in each respective passage zone and to cyclically form status information for the sector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A safety system for localizing at least one person or at least one object in a monitored zone, the safety system comprising:
at least one control and evaluation unit,
at least one radio location system, and
at least one spatially resolving sensor for a position determination of the person or object,
wherein the radio location system has arranged radio stations;
wherein at least one radio transponder is arranged at the person or object;
wherein position data of the person or object can be determined by means of the radio location system;
wherein the position data can be transmitted from the radio stations of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit,
and at least presence data of the person or object can be determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor,
wherein the monitored zone has a plurality of sectors and a plurality of passage zones between the sectors,
wherein at least one spatially resolving sensor is associated with each passage zone,
with the control and evaluation unit being configured to cyclically compare the position data of the radio location system and the presence data of the spatially resolving sensor in each respective passage zone and to cyclically form status information for the sector, and
wherein the radio transponders each have at least one time measurement unit, with the radio stations likewise respectively having at least one time measuring unit, with the radio stations being configured to read and describe times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders and with the radio stations being configured to synchronize the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders, and with the radio stations being configured to compare the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders with times of the time measurement units of the radio stations.

2. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein position data of the person or of the object can be determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor.

3. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the spatially resolving sensor is one of an optoelectronic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a radar sensor.

4. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the spatially resolving sensor is configured for an at least area monitoring of a passage zone.

5. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the spatially resolving sensor is configured for at least a spatial monitoring of a passage zone.

6. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the optoelectronic sensor is one of a laser scanner, a safety laser scanner, a 3D camera, a 2D camera, a camera, a stereo camera, and a time of flight camera.

7. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to form checked position data on an agreement of the position data of the radio location system and the position data of the sensor in a passage zone.

8. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sectors are spaced apart and are spatially separate from one another.

9. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to respectively determine a position of the radio transponders at different points in time and to determine a speed, an acceleration, a direction of movement and/or a path or trajectory of the radio transponders from it.

10. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein checked position data are formed on a basis of the position data of the radio location system and of the position data of the sensor, with the control and evaluation unit being configured to compare the checked position data with reference data and on an agreement a change of the safety function of the safety system takes place by means of the control and evaluation unit in the passage zone of the safety system.

11. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to set a changed safety function in the passage zone on a basis of the checked position data of the control and evaluation unit, with a movement of the object being changed or influenced by the control and evaluation unit in dependence on a distance of a person from the object.

12. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio location system is an ultra-wideband radio location system, with the frequency used being in the range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, with the transmission energy per radio station amounting to a maximum of 0.5 mW.

13. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a machine in its sector is controlled in dependence on currently present status information for the sector.

14. A method using a safety system for localizing at least one person or at least one object in a monitored zone, the safety system having least one control and evaluation unit, having at least one radio location system, and having at least one spatially resolving sensor for a position determination of the person or object,
wherein the radio location system has arranged radio stations;
wherein at least one radio transponder is arranged at the person or object;
wherein position data of the person or object can be determined by means of the radio location system;
wherein the position data can be transmitted from the radio stations of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit,
and at least presence data of the person or object can be determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor,
wherein the monitored zone has a plurality of sectors and a plurality of passage zones between the sectors,
wherein at least one spatially resolving sensor is associated with each passage zone,
with the control and evaluation unit being configured to cyclically compare the position data of the radio location system and the presence data of the spatially resolving sensor in each respective passage zone and to cyclically form status information for the sector, and
wherein the radio transponders each have at least one time measurement unit, with the radio stations likewise respectively having at least one time measuring unit, with the radio stations being configured to read and describe times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders and with the radio stations being configured to synchronize the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders, and with the radio stations being configured to compare the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders with times of the time measurement units of the radio stations.

Assignees

• Sick Ag

Inventors

• Hammes Markus

Classifications

• G08B21/02 Primary

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G01S13/86 Primary

  Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder · CPC title

• G01S13/93

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title