Safety system and method using a safety system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12437165-B2
Application number	US-202318371570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2023
Priority date	Nov 10, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A method is provided using a safety system. The safety system has an electronic access system for a safety zone for objects, at least one radio transponder and at least one radio station to recognize the radio transponder, at least one control and evaluation unit that is connected to the radio station for evaluating the read radio transponder information, and at least one spatially bounded access zone having an access station. The safety zone is only accessible via the access zone so that the access zone can be passed through by the object before reaching the safety zone and after leaving the safety zone, with the access station being actuated when an object passes through the access zone. Permitted objects have the radio transponder, with the radio transponder having an identification whereby the object can be identified. The permitted objects having the radio transponder can pass through the access zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A safety system having an electronic access control system for a safety zone for objects, having at least one radio transponder and at least one radio station to recognize the radio transponder, and having at least one control and evaluation unit that is connected to the radio station to evaluate the read radio transponder information, and having at least one spatially bounded access zone having an access station,
wherein the safety zone is only accessible via the access zone so that the access zone can be passed through by the object before reaching the safety zone and after leaving the safety zone, with the access station being actuated when an object passes through the access zone;
wherein permitted objects have the radio transponder;
wherein the radio transponder has an identification by which the object can be identified;
wherein the permitted objects having the radio transponder can pass through the access zone;
wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to read and to check the radio transponder by the radio station on the entry of the object into the safety zone in a first zone in the direction of movement in front of the access zone;
wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to read and to check the radio transponder again in a second zone in the direction of movement after the access zone;
with a permitted passing through of the access zone and a permitted entry into the safety zone only being present when the radio transponder in the first zone and in the second zone has been read as valid by the radio station and has been checked by the control and evaluation unit;
with permitted objects being registered by the control and evaluation unit in the safety zone;
and with non-permitted objects not being registered by the control and evaluation unit in the safety zone;
and wherein in the event of detection of a non-permitted object in the safety zone or the detection of a permitted object in the safety zone operating in a non-permitted manner, the control and evaluation unit responds by causing at least one of a warning to take place, hazardous machines in the safety zone to operate in a non-hazardous manner, or change the operation of hazardous machines in the safety zone to stop or operate in a safe state.

2. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to read and to check the radio transponder by the radio station on the leaving of the object from the safety zone in the second zone in the direction of movement in front of the access zone, with
the control and evaluation unit being configured to read and to check the radio transponder again in a first zone in the direction of movement after the access zone;
with a permitted passing through of the access zone and leaving of the safety zone only being present when the radio transponder in the second zone and in the first zone has been read as valid by the radio station and has been checked by the control and evaluation unit;
with permitted objects being registered by the control and evaluation unit in the safety zone;
and with non-permitted objects not being registered by the control and evaluation unit in the safety zone.

3. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the safety system is configured to localize and identify the object, having the control and evaluation unit and having at least one radio location system, with the radio location system having the arranged radio stations;
with position data of the radio transponder and thus of the object being able to be determined by means of the radio location system;
with the position data being able to be transmitted from the radio station of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit;
and with the control and evaluation unit being configured to evaluate the position data of the radio transponder.

4. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone can be locked and can only be passed through by permitted objects.

5. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone has a door.

6. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone has a door having a door locking guide.

7. A safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone has a mechanical turnstile.

8. The safety system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the sensor comprises an optoelectronic sensor configured to detect an object contour and the control and evaluation unit is configured to compare the detected object contour with a stored object contour associated with the object and to classify the object as a permitted object on agreement.

9. A safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone has a mechanical turnstile having a turnstile guard locking.

10. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the access station of the access zone has a spatially resolving sensor.

11. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the spatially resolving sensor is bridged when the control and evaluation unit reads permitted object information from the radio transponder.

12. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a display unit is arranged at the access zone.

13. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least two radio transponders are arranged at the object.

14. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio transponder has mechanical and/or electric and/or electromagnetic locking means and is arranged at the object in a locked manner.

15. 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.

16. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a hazardous movement of a machine in at least one hazardous zone is changed into a safe state when the object approaches the hazardous zone or the object is present in the hazardous zone, thereby permitting at least one remaining part of the system to thereby continue operation.

17. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least some of a plant is in a safe state in whose zone the object is detected.

18. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an NFC radio interface or a Bluetooth radio interface is additionally provided at the access station to identify objects.

19. The safety system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a barcode reader or a pixel code reader is additionally provided at the access station to identify objects.

20. A method using a safety system having an electronic access control system for a safety zone for objects, having at least one radio transponder and at least one radio station to recognize the radio transponder, and having at least one control and evaluation unit that is connected to the radio station to evaluate the read radio transponder information, and having at least one spatially bounded access zone having an access station,
wherein the safety zone is only accessible via the access zone so that the access zone can be passed through by the object before reaching the safety zone and after leaving the safety zone, with the access station being actuated when an object passes through the access zone;
wherein the permitted ob

Assignees

• Sick Ag

Inventors

• Feth Hagen
• Sixt Andreas
• Mueller Angelina
• Waibel Holger

Classifications

• G06K19/0723 Primary

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C9/10

  Movable barriers with registering means · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G06K7/10009 Primary

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title