Power distribution equipment personnel safety system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11900779-B2
Application number	US-202217900983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Sep 2, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A power distribution equipment personnel safety system includes a vicinity sensor and a power distribution equipment sensor. An outer envelope having a door or cover to an interior of the power distribution equipment is monitored by a vicinity sensor data and a processing unit determines a position of a person in the area outside of the door/cover using vicinity sensor data. When the outer envelope is disturbed where one or more doors or one or more covers are open or not correctly closed or one or more covers are removed, the processing unit determines a personnel safety state and at least one action comprising utilization of the personnel safety state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power distribution equipment personnel safety system, comprising:
a power distribution equipment;
a processing unit;
at least one vicinity sensor; and
at least one power distribution equipment sensor;
wherein the power distribution equipment comprises an outer envelope, and wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one door configured to permit access to an interior of the power distribution equipment and/or wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one cover configured to permit access to the interior of the power distribution equipment;
wherein the at least one vicinity sensor is configured to acquire vicinity sensor data in an area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, and provide the vicinity sensor data to the processing unit;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of a person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, the determination comprising utilization of the vicinity sensor data;
wherein the at least one power distribution equipment sensor is configured to acquire status data of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and provide the status data to the processing unit;
wherein the processing unit is configured to utilize the status data to determine whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed where one or more doors or one or more covers are open or not correctly closed or one or more covers are removed;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a personnel safety state, the determination comprising utilization of the position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed; and
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one action comprising utilization of the personnel safety state.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment comprises utilization by the processing unit of an image processing algorithm to identify a person.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to implement an image processing algorithm to process the vicinity sensor data to determine whether the person has at least one work item or not, and wherein the determination of the action comprises utilization of whether the person has the work item or not.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one power distribution equipment sensor comprises one or more of limit switches, proximity sensors, position sensors, cameras.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the personnel safety state comprises one of:
a) the equipment outer envelope is undisturbed and no person is detected,
b) the equipment outer envelope is undisturbed and a person is detected within a distance X,
c) the outer envelope is disturbed and no person is detected within the distance X,
d) the outer envelope is disturbed and a person is detected to have just entered a vicinity of the power distribution equipment,
e) the outer envelope is disturbed and a person is detected to be within the distance X,
f) the outer envelope is disturbed and a person has been detected to have just left the vicinity of the power distribution equipment,
g) the outer envelope is disturbed and no person is detected and at least one work item is detected within the distance X that was brought in by a person and the person is not detected for a duration<T.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one determined action comprises one or more of:
A) engagement of additional power distribution equipment protection in the case where the personnel safety state is d) or e);
B) visualization of a safe indication in the case where the personnel safety state is a) or b), visualization of a danger indication in the case where the personnel safety state is c), d), e), or f);
C) an indication on the floor of at least one safe zone in the area outside of the envelope in the case where the personnel safety state is c), d), e), or f) and/or an indication of personnel protection equipment to be worn in each zone in the area outside of the envelope in the case where the personnel safety state is c), d), e), or f), and/or an indication of a location of the disturbance in the outer envelope in the case where the personnel safety state is c), d), e), or f);
D) signalization to warn of approaching or leaving the power distribution equipment that is in an unsafe state in the case where the personnel safety state is d) or f).

7. A personal protection equipment system for power distribution equipment, the personal protection equipment system comprising:
personal protection equipment;
a processing unit;
at least one vicinity sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
at least one power distribution equipment sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment; and
a user interface integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
wherein the personal protection equipment is configured to be worn by a person;
wherein the at least one vicinity sensor is configured to acquire vicinity sensor data in an area outside of an outer envelope of a power distribution equipment, and provide the vicinity sensor data to the processing unit, wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one door configured to permit access to an interior of the power distribution equipment and/or wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one cover configured to permit access to the interior of the power distribution equipment;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of a person wearing the personal protection equipment in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, the determination comprising utilization of the vicinity sensor data;
wherein the at least one power distribution equipment sensor is configured to acquire status data of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and provide the status data to the processing unit;
wherein the processing unit is configured to utilize the status data to determine whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed where one or more doors or one or more covers are open or not correctly closed or one or more covers are removed;
wherein the user interface is configured to enable the person to enter intended task information relating to the power distribution equipment and provide the task information to the processing unit;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine on the basis of the intended task information whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is expected to be undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is expected to be disturbed where one or more doors and/or one or more covers are open or one or more covers are removed;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a personnel safety state, the determination comprising utilization of the position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed and whethe

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Kozel Tomas
• Pokorny Jiri
• Egman Marco
• Gatti Callisto
• Sarfraz Bilal

Classifications

• F16P3/147

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

• F16P3/142

  using image capturing devices · CPC title

• G08B21/023 Primary

  Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions · CPC title

• G08B21/02

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• G08B21/0277

  Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth®, piconet, Zigbee®, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN] · CPC title