Safety system and method of localization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12007495-B2
Application number	US-202117527360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A method and a safety system for localizing at least two objects has a control and evaluation unit, and at least one radio location system. The radio location system has at least three arranged radio stations, wherein at least two respective radio transponders are arranged at the objects. The two radio transponders are arranged spaced apart from one another. Position data of the radio transponders and thus position data of the objects can be determined by means of the radio location system, and the position data can be transmitted from the radio station of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit and/or the position data can be transmitted from the radio transponder to the control and evaluation unit. The control and evaluation unit is configured to cyclically detect and compare the position data of the radio transponders.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A safety system ( 1 ) for localizing at least two objects ( 2 ) comprising:
at least one control and evaluation unit ( 3 ), having at least one radio location system ( 4 ), wherein
the radio location system ( 4 ) has at least three arranged radio stations ( 5 );
wherein at least two respective radio transponders ( 6 ) are arranged at the objects ( 2 ), with the two radio transponders ( 6 ) being arranged spaced apart from one another;
wherein position data of the radio transponders and thus position data of the objects ( 2 ) can be determined by means of the radio location system ( 4 );
wherein the position data can be transmitted from the radio station ( 5 ) of the radio location system ( 4 ) to the control and evaluation unit ( 3 );
and/or wherein the position data can be transmitted from the radio transponder ( 6 ) to the control and evaluation unit,
characterized in that
the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) is configured to cyclically detect the position data of the radio transponders,
with the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) being configured to cyclically compare the position data of the radio transponders ( 6 ) and to form cyclically checked position data of the objects ( 2 ).

2. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that plausibility values are formed on the basis of detected signal strengths of radio signals of the radio transponders and from the comparison of the position data of the radio transponders.

3. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the object ( 2 ) is a movable object ( 7 ), a mobile machine ( 8 ) or a person ( 9 ).

4. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the spacings between the radio transponders ( 6 ) are known to the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) and are stored in a memory of the control and evaluation unit.

5. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the spacings between the radio transponders ( 6 ) vary or are variable in a person due to the movement of the person.

6. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that at least three radio transponders are arranged, with the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) being configured to form orientation data of the object ( 2 ) from the position data of the radio transponders ( 6 ).

7. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that at least four, at least six, or at least eight radio transponders ( 6 ) are arranged at the object ( 2 ), with two respective transponders ( 6 ) being disposed on a respective straight line, with the straight lines each being perpendicular to one another.

8. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) is configured to respectively determine a position of the radio transponders ( 6 ) at different points in time and to determine a speed, an acceleration, a direction of movement and/or a path (trajectory) of the radio transponders ( 6 ) from it.

9. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the radio transponders ( 6 ) each have at least one time measurement unit, with the radio stations ( 5 ) likewise respectively having at least one time measurement unit, with the radio stations ( 5 ) being configured to read and describe the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders ( 6 ) and with the radio stations ( 5 ) being configured to synchronize the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders ( 6 ) and with the radio stations ( 5 ) being configured to compare the times of the time measurement units of the radio transponders ( 6 ) with the times of the time measurement units of the radio stations ( 5 ).

10. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the safety system has optical sensors for localizing and detecting the objects.

11. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the safety system has radar sensors for localizing and detecting the objects.

12. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the safety system has RFID sensors for localizing and detecting the objects.

13. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the safety system has ultrasound sensors for localizing and detecting the objects.

14. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the radio location system ( 4 ) is an ultra wideband radio location system, with the frequency used being in the range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, with a transmission energy per radio station ( 5 ) amounting to a maximum of 0.5 mW.

15. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that a change of a safety function of the safety system ( 1 ) takes place by means of the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) based on the cyclically checked position data.

16. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that position data checked by means of the control and evaluation unit controller ( 3 ) are checked for agreement with stored position data of a safe point of interest.

17. A safety system ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the safety system ( 1 ) has a map or a map model; and in that a navigation of a movable machine takes place in the map or in the map model.

18. A method of localizing at least two objects ( 2 ) having a control and evaluation unit ( 3 ), having at least one radio location system ( 4 ),
wherein the radio location system ( 4 ) has at least three arranged radio stations ( 5 ),
wherein at least two respective radio transponders ( 6 ) are arranged at the objects ( 2 ), with the two radio transponders ( 6 ) being arranged spaced apart from one another,
the method comprising:
determining, by means of the radio location system ( 4 ), position data of the radio transponders and thus position data of the objects ( 2 );
wherein the position data are transmitted from the radio station ( 5 ) of the radio location system ( 4 ) to the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ),
and/or wherein the position data are transmitted from the radio transponder ( 6 ) to the control and evaluation unit,
characterized in that
the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) cyclically detects the position data of the radio transponders,
with the control and evaluation unit ( 3 ) cyclically comparing the position data of the radio transponders ( 6 ) and forming cyclically checked position data of the objects ( 2 ).

Assignees

• Sick Ag

Inventors

• Hammes Markus
• Feth Patrik
• Albert Magnus
• Sixt Andreas
• Hofmann Tobias
• Mosgalewsky Eduard
• Ruh Dominic
• Neudorf Matthias
• Dau Lasse
• Schlemmer Jan
• Ams Mathias
• Feth Hagen

Classifications

• G01S5/0226

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S3/46

  using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G01S5/0294

  Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering · CPC title

• G01S5/0247

  Determining attitude · CPC title