Context-aware wearable safety system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547970-B2
Application number	US-201514686573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

In an example embodiment, biometric data and environmental data are obtained from sensors. Corporate information system (CIS) information is retrieved for a worker, with the CIS information including a schedule of tasks assigned to the worker. A task currently being performed by the worker is determined based on the schedule of tasks. Weights are assigned to the biometric data and the environmental data. The weights vary between data from different sensors, with the weights assigned based on the task currently being performed by the worker. A current safety score is assigned for the worker based on the calculation of a formula, with the formula using the assigned weights as coefficients to variables, with the variables being values obtained from the biometric data and the environmental data. The current safety score is compared to a safety threshold, and if the threshold is violated, an alert is generated to the worker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a rules engine executable by one or more processors, biometric data from one or more body sensors monitoring a worker;
receiving, at the rules engine, environmental data from one or more environmental sensors in an area surrounding the worker;
retrieving, from a Corporate Information Service (CIS) information server, CIS information for the worker, the CIS information including a schedule of tasks assigned to the worker;
determining, at the rules engine, a task currently being performed by the worker based on the schedule of tasks;
assigning, at the rules engine, weights to the biometric data and the environmental data, the weights varying between data from different sensors, the weights assigned based on the task currently being performed by the worker;
calculating, at the rules engine, a current safety score for the worker based on the calculation of a formula, the formula using the assigned weights as coefficients to variables, the variables being values obtained from the biometric data and the environmental data;
comparing, at the rules engine, the current safety score to a safety threshold; and
in response to a determination that the current safety score violates the safety threshold, generating, at the rules engine, an alert to the worker.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining an identification of one or more supervisors of the worker from the CIS information; and
wherein the generating the alert includes generating an alert to the one or more supervisors of the worker that the worker is in danger.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wirelessly sending the alert to smart glasses worn by the worker.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wirelessly sending the alert to a wearable computer worn by the worker.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CIS information includes worker health information; and
wherein the weights are further based on the worker health information, thus personalizing the weights for individual worker health conditions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental data includes information from a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) scanner on a machine, the environmental data identifying a tool having an embedded RFID chip that has been passed next to the RFID scanner, the method further comprising verifying that the worker is performing the task via the information from the RFID scanner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigned weights are stored in a multidimensional data structure in a database, the multidimensional data structure having a plurality of axes each corresponding to a different task category type and an axis corresponding to body and environmental sensor type, with values stored in the multidimensional data structure corresponding to the assigned weights.

8. A system comprising:
one or more body sensors affixed to a worker;
one or more environmental sensors in a vicinity of the worker;
a Corporate Information Service (CIS) information server containing CIS information for the worker, the CIS information including a schedule of tasks assigned to the worker;
a rules engine executable by one or more processors and configured to:
receive biometric data from one or more body sensors;
receive environmental data from the one or more environmental sensors;
retrieve the CIS information from the CIS information server;
determine a task currently being performed by the worker based on the schedule of tasks;
assign weights to the biometric data and the environmental data, the weights varying between data from different sensors, the weights assigned based on the task currently being performed by the worker;
calculate a current safety score for the worker based on the calculation of a formula, the formula using the assigned weights as coefficients to variables, the variables being values obtained from the biometric data and the environmental data;
compare the current safety score to a safety threshold;
in response to a determination that the current safety score violates the safety threshold, generate an alert to the worker.

9. The system of claim 8 , the rules engine further configured to:
obtain an identification of one or more supervisors of the worker from the CIS information; and
wherein the generating the alert includes generating an alert to the one or more supervisors of the worker that the worker is in danger.

10. The system of claim 8 , the rules engine further configured to:
wirelessly send the alert to smart glasses worn by the worker.

11. The system of claim 8 , the rules engine further configured to:
wirelessly send the alert to a wearable computer worn by the worker.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the CIS information includes worker health information; and
wherein the weights are further based on the worker health information, thus personalizing the weights for individual worker health conditions.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the environmental data includes information from a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) scanner on a machine, the environmental data identifying a tool having an embedded RFID chip that has been passed next to the RFID scanner, the rules engine further configured to verify that the worker is performing the task via the information from the RFID scanner.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the assigned weights are stored in a multidimensional data structure in a database, the multidimensional data structure having a plurality of axes each corresponding to a different task category type and an axis corresponding to body and environmental sensor type, with values stored in the multidimensional data structure corresponding to the assigned weights.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving biometric data from one or more body sensors monitoring a worker;
receiving environmental data from one or more environmental sensors in an area surrounding the worker;
retrieving corporate information system (CIS) information for the worker, the CIS information including a schedule of tasks assigned to the worker;
determining a task currently being performed by the worker based on the schedule of tasks;
assigning weights to the biometric data and the environmental data, the weights varying between data from different sensors, the weights assigned based on the task currently being performed by the worker;
calculating a current safety score for the worker based on the calculation of a formula, the formula using the assigned weights as coefficients to variables, the variables being values obtained from the biometric data and the environmental data;
comparing the current safety score to a safety threshold;
in response to a determination that the current safety score violates the safety threshold, generating an alert to the worker.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
obtaining an identification of one or more supervisors of the worker from the CIS information;
the generating the alert including generating an alert to the one or more supervisors of the worker that the worker is in danger.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
wirelessly sending the alert to smart glasses worn by the worker.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medi

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Jobin James
• Silva Filho Roberto Silveira
• Yu Bo

Classifications

• G08B21/02 Primary

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• G08B21/0453

  worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing (detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G08B25/10

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

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title