Personnel safety sensing system
A location system for locating workers in including a plurality of light detectors mounted at known locations and configured to detect light from one or more workers, and a processing system configured to determine locations of the workers using the light detected by the light detectors. There is also disclosed a wearable device for locating a worker including a wireless transceiver, and a wearable device light source and/or one or more reflective elements. There is also disclosed a method for locating workers including detecting light from one or more workers using a plurality of light detectors mounted at known locations, and determining locations of the workers using the light detected by the light detectors.
1. A location system for locating workers comprising:
a plurality of light detectors mounted at known locations and configured to detect light reflected from one or more workers;
one or more illuminating light sources outputting temporally modulated light, the light reflected from the workers being light from the illuminating light source, wherein the light detectors are synchronized with the illuminating light sources;
at least one reflective element to be mounted on respective workers, the light reflected from the workers being light reflected from the reflective element, the reflective elements configured to further modulate the light to encode a unique identifier; and
a processing system configured to:
determine locations of the workers using the light detected by the light detectors;
determine permissions of the workers using the unique identifiers encoded by the modulated light from the reflective elements; and
control the activity of machinery based on the determined permissions and the determined locations of the workers.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine if the location of one or more of the workers is within a defined area and output a warning signal in response thereto.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the modulated light is spatially modulated in intensity and/or modulated in wavelength.
4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective element is a retroreflector.
5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
wearable devices to be worn by one or more of the workers who are authorized, the wearable device including a wireless transceiver; and
a plurality of wireless receivers mounted at known locations and configured to detect wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device,
the processing system being configured to determine locations of the authorized workers using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device detected by the wireless receivers.
6. A system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine locations of the authorized workers by combining the locations of the authorized workers determined using the light detected by the light detectors and the locations of the authorized workers determined using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device.
7. A system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing system is further configured to identify as unauthorized workers any workers whose location is determined using the light detected by the light detectors who are not authorized workers whose location is determined using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device.
8. A system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing system is configured to output a warning signal if the location of one or more of the workers identified as unauthorized workers is within a defined area.
9. A system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing system is configured to control the activity of machinery based on the location of the workers identified as unauthorized workers.
10. A system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine locations of machinery using light from the machinery detected by the light detectors.
11. A system according to claim 10 , further comprising mountable devices to be mounted on respective machinery, wherein the mountable devices each comprise a mountable device light source, the light from the machinery being light from the mountable device light source.
12. A system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
mountable devices to be mounted on machinery which is authorized, the mountable device including a wireless transceiver; and
a plurality of wireless receivers mounted at known locations and configured to detect wireless signal transmissions from the mountable device,
the processing system being configured to determine locations of the authorized machinery using the wireless signal transmissions from the mountable device detected by the wireless receivers.
13. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
compare the determined locations of workers to the determined locations of machinery; and
output a warning signal and/or control the activity of machinery based on the comparison of the locations of workers and the locations of machinery.
14. A location system for locating workers comprising:
a plurality of light detectors mounted at known locations and configured to detect light from one or more workers;
wearable devices to be worn by one or more of the workers who are authorized workers, the wearable device including a wireless transceiver;
a plurality of wireless receivers mounted at known locations and configured to detect wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device; and
a processing system configured to:
determine locations of the workers using the light detected by the light detectors;
determine locations of the authorized workers using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable devices detected by the wireless receivers;
compare the workers whose locations are determined using the light detected by the light detectors with the authorized workers whose locations are determined using the wireless signal transmission from the wearable devices detected by the wireless receivers; and
based on the comparison, identify as unauthorized workers any workers whose location is determined using the light detected by the light detectors who are not authorized workers whose location is determined using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable devices.
15. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine if the location of one or more of the workers is within a defined area and output a warning signal in response thereto.
16. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the light from the workers is light reflected from the workers.
17. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises illuminating light sources adjacent to respective light detectors, the light reflected from the workers being light from the illuminating light sources.
18. A system according to claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises at least one reflective element to be mounted on respective workers, the light reflected from the workers being light reflected from the reflective element.
19. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the light reflected from the reflective element is modulated light.
20. A system according to claim 19 , wherein the modulated light is spatially modulated in intensity, and/or modulated in wavelength.
21. A system according to claim 19 , wherein the modulated light encodes a unique identifier.
22. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the reflective element is a retroreflector.
23. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine locations of the authorized workers by combining the locations of the authorized workers determined using the light detected by the light detectors and the locations of the authorized workers determined using the wireless signal transmissions from the wearable device.
24. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the processing system is configured to output a warning signal if the location of one or more of the workers identified as unauthorized workers is within a defined area.
25. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the processing system is configured to control the activity of machinery based on the location of the workers identified as unauthorized workers.
26. A system according to claim 15 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine locations of machinery using light from the machinery detected by the light detectors.
27. A system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
mountable devices to be mounted on machinery which is authorized, the mountable device including a wireless transceiver; and
a plurality of wireless receivers mounted at known locations and configured to detect wireless signal transmissions from the mountable device,
the processing system being configured to determine locations of the authorized machinery using the wireless signal transmissions from the mountable device detected by the wireless receivers.
28. A system according to claim 26 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
compare the determined locations of workers to the determined locations of machinery; and
output a warning signal and/or control the activity of machinery based on the comparison of the locations of workers and the locations of machinery.