Safety system and method

{
  "publication_number": "US11558729B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Safety system and method",
  "abstract": "A safety system for localizing a person or object has a control and evaluation unit, at least one radio location system, and at least one spatially resolving sensor for the position determination of the person or object. The radio location system has arranged radio stations, wherein at least one radio transponder is arranged at the person or object. Position data and classification data of the person or object can be determined by means of the radio location system. The position data and the classification data can be transmitted from the radio station to the control and evaluation unit and position data and contour data of the person or object can be determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor. The control and evaluation unit is configured to compare the position data of the radio location system and the position data of the spatially resolving sensor.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A safety system for localizing one of a person and an object, the safety system comprising: a control and evaluation unit; at least one radio location system; and at least one spatially resolving sensor for the position determination of the person or of the object, wherein the radio location system has arranged radio stations; wherein at least one radio transponder is arranged at the person or the object; wherein position data and classification data of the person or object can be determined by means of the radio location system; wherein the position data and the classification data can be transmitted from the radio station of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit, wherein position data and contour data of the person or of the object can be determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor, wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to compare the position data of the radio location system and the position data of the sensor and to form checked position data on an agreement, with the control and evaluation unit being configured to compare the classification data of the radio station with the contour data of the spatially resolving sensor and to check for plausibility, and wherein the radio location system is an ultrawide band radio location system, with the frequency used being in the range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, with the transmission energy per radiation station amounting to a maximum of 0.5 mW.",
    "2. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the spatially resolving sensor and the radio stations are arranged as stationary or are arranged as mobile at a movable machine.",
    "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 radio sensor.",
    "4. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the spatially resolving sensor is configured for an at least areal monitoring of a monitored zone.",
    "5. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the spatially resolving sensor is configured for an least spatial monitoring of a monitored zone.",
    "6. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor is one of a laser scanner, a safety laser scanner, a 3D camera, a stereo camera, and a time of flight camera.",
    "7. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a change of a safety function of the safety system takes place by means of the control and evaluation unit based on the checked position data.",
    "8. The safety system in accordance with claim 1, wherein position data checked by means of the control and evaluation unit controller are checked for agreement with stored position data of a safe point of interest and if there is agreement, a change of a safety function of the safety system takes place.",
    "9. The safety system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the safety system has one of a map and a map model, with the at least one safe point of interest being entered in the map or map model and a navigation of the movable machine taking place in the map or map model.",
    "10. A method of localizing one of a person and an object, wherein a control and evaluation unit, at least one radio location system, and at least one spatially resolving sensor for the position determination of the person or the object are provided, wherein the radio location system has arranged radio stations; wherein at least one radio transponder is arranged at the person or the object; wherein position data and classification data of the person or the object are determined by means of the radio location system; wherein the position data and the classification data are transmitted from the radio station of the radio location system to the control and evaluation unit, position data and contour data of the person or the object are determined by means of the spatially resolving sensor, wherein the control and evaluation unit compares the position data of the radio location system and the position data of the sensor and forms checked position data on an agreement, with the control and evaluation unit comparing the classification data of the radio location system with the contour data of the spatially resolving sensor and checking for plausibility, and wherein the radio location system is an ultrawide band radio location system, with the frequency used being in the range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, with the transmission energy per radiation station amounting to a maximum of 0.5 mW."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a safety system for localizing a person or an object and to a method of localizing a person or an object.\n\nThe sensor system of functional safety has currently reached a level that basic physical features of the environment, for example geometrical information such as distances, lengths, or the presence of objects per se can be reliably detected and used in simple safety functions. In contrast, higher value information or derived meanings, for example the information on what type of object it is, are as a rule not reliably detectable by sensors and are therefore also not usable from a safety engineering aspect.\n\nIn this sense, in particular the information whether it is an object or a person or not is of interest for higher value safety functions. This safe object classification has previously not been able to be implemented, but is very important with respect to the situation-relevant control of the machine. An object classification is generally already a very complex process since as a rule image data have to be used for this purpose that then have to be processed in a very laborious manner. This as a rule produces expensive sensors frequently having substantial latency times.\n\nOptoelectronic safety sensors, for example laser scanners or light grids, very reliably detect the presence of an object or person. Such safety sensors are in very widespread use in the safeguarding of hazard areas of machines and enable the implementation of very simple safety functions.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 4/90",
    "G01S 13/74",
    "G01S 13/872",
    "G01S 13/931",
    "G01S 17/894",
    "G01S 5/02",
    "G01S 5/0264",
    "G01S 5/0284",
    "G01S 7/41",
    "H04W 4/023",
    "H04W 4/029",
    "H04W 4/38"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04W 4/02",
    "H04W 4/029",
    "H04W 4/38",
    "H04W 4/90",
    "H04M 11/04",
    "H04W 24/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sick AG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Markus Hammes",
    "Christoph Hofmann"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-01-14",
  "publication_date": "2023-01-17",
  "grant_date": "2023-01-17",
  "priority_date": "2020-01-22",
  "application_number": "US-202117148929-A",
  "family_id": "74191619",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
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  ]
}