Safety system

Abstract

A method of managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus is provided. The method comprises: monitoring multiple zones of the monitored area; sensing the presence, absence, or movement of an object in, from, or between one or more of the multiple zones; wherein the sensing contributes to a determination of which of a plurality of safety protocols to enter and / or exit. A system for implementing the method is also provided.

Description

"Safety System"Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for a safety system. In particular, embodiments relate to methods and systems for managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus. Some embodiments of the system relate to a laser scanning system.Background

[0002] Existing safety systems for use with forklifts and machinery in warehouse and factory settings generally use induction loop sensors to detect the presence of a forklift, for example in a hazardous area in the vicinity of the machinery. Loop sensors are typically not safety rated, can be prone to failure, and do not detect pedestrians. This means that in the event a loop sensor has detected a vehicle in the hazardous area, a pedestrian may expose themselves to the hazardous area without the existing safety system detecting the pedestrian. This may lead to the possibility of accident and / or injury to the pedestrian.

[0003] Further, in the event of failure of a loop sensor, existing systems typically do not have the required level of fault checking to determine such a failure. In a failure situation, vehicles and / or pedestrians may be granted access to hazardous or unsafe areas which increase the likelihood of injury or risk.

[0004] Moreover, loops sensors are required to be installed within the ground surface in which they are to be used, which generally requires cutting into concrete. This can be a costly, hazardous, and time-consuming process.

[0005] It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more shortcomings or disadvantages of prior safety systems, such as lack of pedestrian safety, installation difficulties, or lack of fault checking, or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

[0006] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step,or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

[0007] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each of the appended claims.Summary

[0008] An embodiment relates to a method of managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus, the method may comprise: monitoring multiple zones of the monitored area; sensing the presence, absence, or movement of an object in, from, or between one or more of the multiple zones; wherein the sensing contributes to a determination of which of a plurality of safety protocols to enter and / or exit.

[0009] The multiple zones may include a first zone and a second zone. A determination of entering a first safety protocol may be based on sensing the presence of the object in the first zone. A determination of entering a second safety protocol may be based on sensing the absence of the object from the first zone and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the second zone. A determination of entering a second safety protocol may be based on sensing movement of the object from the second zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object from the first zone.

[0010] The multiple zones may further include a third zone. A determination of entering a second safety protocol may be based on sensing the absence of the object from the first zone and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the third zone. A determination of entering a second safety protocol may be based on sensing movement of the object from the third zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object from the second zone.

[0011] A determination of entering a second safety protocol may be based on sensing presence of the object in the first zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object in the second zone and the presence of the object in the third zone. A determination of entering asecond safety protocol may be based on sensing movement of the object from the third zone and subsequently simultaneously sensing the absence of the object in the second zone and the presence of the object in the first zone.

[0012] The first safety protocol may comprise shutting down the apparatus. The first safety protocol may comprise sensing the absence of the object from the first zone and automatically exiting the first safety protocol. Automatically exiting the first safety protocol may includes automatically restarting the apparatus.

[0013] Entering the second safety protocol may overrides the first safety protocol. The second safety protocol may comprise shutting down the apparatus and configuring the apparatus to require manual restart. Exiting of the second safety protocol may require manual input. Exiting the second safety protocol require manual restart of the apparatus.

[0014] The second zone may be within the first zone. The third zone may be within the first zone. The second zone may be within the third zone. The multiple zones may be disposed on a horizontal plane. The horizontal plane may be positioned above ground level at a height between about 100mm and about 260mm. The horizontal plane may be positioned above ground level at a heigh of 180mm. The multiple zones may be monitored by a laser scanner. The apparatus may be a conveyor system.

[0015] The sensing may contribute to an indication of a fault within the monitoring of the monitored area. The object may be detected based on having a dimension larger than a threshold dimension. The object may include one or more of: a person and / or a forklift.

[0016] An embodiment relates to a system for managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus, the system may comprise: a sensing device; processor circuitry; a memory accessible to the processor circuitry, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor circuitry to perform the method as previously described.

[0017] An embodiment relates to processing instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus having processor hardware and memory hardware, may cause the computing apparatus to perform the method as previously described.

[0018] An embodiment relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the processing instructions as previously described.Brief Description of Drawings

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of non-limiting example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 shows a method of managing safety protocols within a monitored area, according to some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view that illustrates an example implementation of a system for performing the method of Figure 1, according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D illustrate an example zone configuration of a monitored area of the system of Figure 2, according to some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the example zone configuration of the monitored area of Figure 2, according to some embodiments;

[0024] Figure 5 shows a method of implementing a two-zone system, according to some embodiments; and

[0025] Figure 6 shows a method of implementing a three-zone system, according to some embodiments.Description of Embodiments

[0026] Described embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for a safety system. In particular, embodiments relate to methods and systems for managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus. Managing safety protocols in areas known to have high levels of risk associated with them, such as warehouses and factories, may reduce incident rates and harm to pedestrians and / or vehicles working in these areas.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a method 100 of managing safety protocols within a monitored area, according to some embodiments. At step 102 of method 100, multiple zones of an area are monitored. The monitoring of the multiple zones may include visual monitoring, audio monitoring, or proximity monitoring, for example. The monitored area may include a portion of a warehouse facility or a factory facility that houses hazardous machinery, for example.

[0028] At step 104, an object is sensed to be interacting with one or more of the multiple zones in response to the monitoring of the multiple zones. An object may include, but is not limited to: a person, an animal, or a vehicle, such as a forklift, for example. The object may include multiple objects, for example. The object may be referred to as ‘an abnormality’, that is, an object that is considered abnormal to be within one or more of the multiple zones. Interaction with one or more of the multiple zones includes at least one of: sensing the presence of an object in one or more of the multiple zones, sensing the absence of an object from one or more of the multiple zones, and sensing the movement of an object between one or more of the multiple zones. For each monitored zone, the presence or absence of the object is sensed. Any movement of an object between the multiple zones is also sensed.

[0029] At step 106, a safety protocol is determined to be entered and / or exited based on the sensing object interaction with one or more of the multiple zones. That is, interaction of the object with one or more of the multiple zones contributes to the determination of which of a plurality of safety protocols to implement in relation to the monitored area, for example.

[0030] Figure 2 illustrates an example implementation of a system 200 for performing method 100, according to some embodiments. System 200 is configured to be implemented in an area comprising an apparatus 202, a plurality of safety fences 204, and a vehicle 206 for interacting with the apparatus 202. The apparatus 202 may be machinery. In the present example, the apparatus 202 may be a conveyor system and the vehicle 206 may be a forklift for loading and unloading items to and from the conveyor belt, for example. The apparatus 202 and the plurality of safety fences 204 illustrated in Figure 2 may be a small portion of a larger system that extends beyond lines 208. That is, the apparatus 202 and the safety fencing 204 may extend beyond that which is illustrated in Figure 2, for example.

[0031] The system 200 comprises a monitoring device 210, which may be referred to as “a sensing device”, for sensing objects interacting with a monitored area 211. The monitoringdevice 210 may be a laser scanner. The monitoring device 210 is configured to monitor the monitoring area 211. The laser scanner may be an off-the-shelf laser scanner, such as a Leuze™ RSL430 safety laser scanner, for example. The monitoring device 210 may be configured to detect an object within the monitoring area 211 based on the object having a dimension larger than a threshold dimension. That is, the monitoring device 210 may be configured to only detect objects larger than a particular threshold dimension, for example. The threshold dimension may be selected to exclude objects that are unlikely to be a person, animal, or vehicle, for example. In an embodiment, the threshold dimension may be about 60mm. The monitoring device 210 may be configured to not detect stationary and / or permanent objects in the monitoring area 211. Alternatively, the monitored area 211 may be configured so as to not include stationary and / or permanent objects such as safety fences or other machinery that he just beyond it.

[0032] The system 200 may further comprise processor circuitry, a memory accessible to the processor circuitry, and wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor circuitry. The memory may store instructions executable by the processor circuitry to perform the method steps of method 500 or method 600, to be described below in reference to figures 5 and 6, respectively. The processor circuitry is in electrical communication with the monitoring device 210 and other elements of system 200. The processor circuitry and the memory may be in the form of a logic processor 209, wherein the logic processor 209 is in electrical communication with the monitoring device 210 and other elements of system 200. The logic processor 209 may be in the form of a programmable logic controller (PLC). The PLC may be an off-the-shelf PLC, such as a Leuze™ MSI430 safety PLC, for example. The logic processor 209 is configured to receive a stream of real-time data from the monitoring device 210. The logic processor 209 analyses the real-time data stream for managing safety protocols within the monitored area 211.

[0033] The monitored area 211 is formed by a number of configurable zones. In one embodiment, the monitored area 211 is formed by a first zone 212 and a second zone 214. In another embodiment, the monitored area 211 is formed by a first zone 212, a second zone 214, and athird zone 216. In some embodiments, the monitored area 211 may include three or more zones. The monitored area 211 is located in relation to a use point of the apparatus 202. In an embodiment where the apparatus 202 is a conveyor belt, the monitored area 211 is located at a load / unload point in which items are put on to or removed from the conveyor belt,for example. The plurality of safety fences 204 may be positioned to limit access to the apparatus 202. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 206 is limited to accessing the apparatus 202 in a single direction indicated by the arrow of vehicle 206 due to the positioning of the safety fences 204.

[0034] The system 200 may further comprise dual safety contactors (not shown) or force guided relays (not shown) for electrical communication between components of system 200, such as the apparatus 202 and a PLC, for example. The dual safety contactors or force guided relays may directly interface with motors of the apparatus 202 and ensure that in the event that a failure occurs the apparatus 202 will shut down despite application of a control voltage to the dual safety contactors or force guided relays, for example.

[0035] The system 200 may further include one or more reset buttons 218 for manually restarting the apparatus 202 in the event that the apparatus 202 is configured to require a manual restart.

[0036] Referring to Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D there are shown examples configurations of the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216. As shown in Figure 3A, the first zone 212 encompasses the entirety of the monitored area 211. In the embodiment in which the monitored area 211 is formed by two zones, the second zone 214 overlays the first zone 212 as shown in Figure 3B. That is, the second zone 214 partially overlaps the first zone 212, for example. In the embodiment in which the monitored area 211 is formed by three zones, the third zone 216 overlays both the second zone 214 and the first zone 212, as shown in Figure 3C and 3D, and the second zone 214 overlays the first zone 212 as shown in Figure 3B. That is, the second zone 214 overlaps the first zone 212, and the third zone 216 overlaps both the second zone 214 and the first zone 212, for example. The multiple zones may be virtual zones, such that the monitoring device 210 is configured to monitor the virtual zones.

[0037] Referring to Figure 4, there is illustrated an example zone configuration of the monitored area 211 in view of the monitoring device 210, according to some embodiments. In this embodiment, the monitoring device 210 is positioned to rest on a ground surface 402. The monitoring device 210 is configured such that it monitors the monitoring area 211 at a height 404 above the ground surface 402. Height 404 may be between about 100mm and about 260mm. Height 404 may be between about 140mm and about 220mm. The height 404 may beabout 180mm, for example. Each of the first zone 212, the second zone 214, and the third zone 216 are configured on the monitoring device 210 such that they are positioned at height 404. The monitoring device 210 is configured such that the first zone 212, second zone 214, and third zone 216 are disposed on the same horizontal plane at the height 404. In some embodiments, the monitoring device 210 may be mounted, hung, or installed such that it is enabled to monitor at a height 404 from the ground surface 402.

[0038] The height 404 is specifically configured for safety purposes, which may include to comply with safety standards. For example, a height of 180mm is considered low enough that a person is unable to pass underneath without crossing a horizontal plane parallel to the ground surface 402 at a height of 180mm. That is, a person is unable to sneak beneath the zones positioned at a height of about 180mm without being sensed by the monitoring device210 configured to monitor at that level, for example.

[0039] The monitoring device 210 is further configured such that the monitoring area 211 has a length 406. Length 406 is equal to the distance from a start point of the monitoring area211 furthest from the apparatus 202 and extends to an end point of the monitoring area 211 nearest the apparatus 202. Length 406 may indicate the start point of the first zone 212. That is, the point from the apparatus 202 at which the monitoring device 210 monitors for objects entering the monitoring area 211, for example. Length 406 may be about 2m for a conventional conveyor belt with a shutdown speed of X, for example. Each of the second zone 214 and the third zone 216 have a length less than length 406.

[0040] The minimum length of the distance from the apparatus 202 to the start of the monitoring area 211 may be calculated, in accordance with AS / NZS 4042.2801 Clause 6.3, using the following equation:S = (X X T) + C where: S = minimum length from apparatus to start of monitoring area 211, in millimetres;K = constant speed of movement of body of a person approaching the monitoring area 211 (hazardous area), in millimetres per second;T = overall system response time, in seconds, for example the time for system 200 to respond to an object and shutdown; andC = separation distance associated with an apparatus, such as a distance that a person may be able to reach apparatus 202 from outside of the monitoring zone 211, in millimetres.

[0041] In some embodiments, the length 406 may be equal to the minimum length S. That is, the length of the monitoring area 211 may be determined based on the minimum length S, for example. The minimum length S is dependent on the particular configuration of system 200 and may vary depending on variables outlined above. The variable K may generally be assumed to be 1600mm / s which is considered a faster than average walking speed of a standard person. The variable T for a standard conveyor belt may be considered to be about 0.5 seconds, for example. The variable C may generally be assumed to be 1200mm, which is a minimum distance at which a person outside of the monitoring area 211 is outside of range of the apparatus 202. The variable C may also involve a height component based on height 404. In such a case, C may be calculated as 1200 - 0.4(height 404). In the configuration where height 404 is 180mm, C may be calculated to equal 1128mm. As such, S may be calculated to equal:S = (1600 x 0.5) + 1128S = 1928mm (~1.93 metres)

[0042] Therefore, the minimum length S, being the minimum distance between the apparatus 202 and the start point of the monitoring area 211 is about 2 metres in this embodiment.

[0043] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the monitoring device 210 may be positioned such that all of the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 extend their respective lengths from the monitoring device 210. In some embodiments, the monitoring device 210 may be positioned to any side of the monitoring area 211, dependent on the configuration of the system 200.

[0044] Figure 5 shows a method 500 of implementing a two-zone safety system, according to some embodiments. Method 500 may be performed by system 200, as previously described. Method 500 may be in the form of processing instructions, that when executed by a computing apparatus having processor hardware and memory hardware, may cause the computing apparatus to perform the steps of method 500. The processing instructions may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0045] At step 502, the monitoring device 210 monitors the monitoring area 211 for objects and provides the logic processor 209 a stream of real-time data. The monitoring device 210 is configured to sense any one of: the presence of an object in, the absence of an object from, or the movement of an object between, the first zone 212 and the second zone 214.

[0046] Movement of an object from the first zone 212 may involve movement of the object from the first zone 212 to the first and second zones 212 and 214 or movement of the object from the first zone 212 and out of the monitoring area 211. Movement of an object from the second zone 214 may involve movement of the object from the first and second zones 212 and 214 to the first zone 212 or movement of the object from the first and second zones 212 and 214 and out of the monitoring area 211.

[0047] The logic processor 209 is configured to perform steps of method 500 synchronously. That is, the logic processor 209 constantly receives a stream of real-time data from the monitoring device 210 and is configured to analyse the data to sense any one of the aforementioned conditions and at the same time to implement any one of steps 504, 508, 510, 514, and 516, for example. Each of method steps 504, 508, 510, 514, and 516 are logic conditions that may be considered by the logic processor 209 simultaneously to performing step 502.

[0048] At step 504, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the presence of an object has been sensed in the first zone 212. If the presence of the object has not been sensed in the first zone 212, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being step 504. If the presence of the object is sensed in the first zone 212, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 506 to implement a first safety protocol. That is, step 504 involves determining whether anobject, such as a person or a vehicle, has entered the monitoring area 211, and if so, proceeds to implement the first safety protocol, for example.

[0049] At step 506, the logic processor 209 implements the first safety protocol. Implementing the first safety protocol includes first entering the first safety protocol. Upon entering the first safety protocol, the logic processor 209 provides control signals to shut down the apparatus 202. As the first zone 212 encompasses the monitoring area 211, entering of the first zone 212 results in the apparatus 202 shutting down. This includes entering of the second zone 214 or the third zone 216 which are also encompassed by the first zone 212.

[0050] The first safety protocol may further comprise monitoring the first zone 212 until the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, the absence of the object from the first zone 212. Upon determining the absence of the object from the first zone 212, the logic processor 209 automatically exits the first safety protocol. Automatically exiting the first safety protocol may comprise or may further comprise automatically restarting the apparatus 202. That is, upon entering the first zone 212 the apparatus is shut down and upon exiting the first zone 212 the apparatus 202 is restarted, for example. While implementing the first safety protocol, the logic processor 209 is configured to still perform other steps of method 500.

[0051] At step 508, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the absence of an object from the first zone 212 has been sensed. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 has not been sensed, this implies that the object is present in the first zone 212, and the logic processor 209 will implement the first safety protocol as previously described as the condition of step 504 has been satisfied. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 is sensed, this implies that no object is present in the first zone 212, and the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 510.

[0052] At step 510, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the presence of an object has been sensed in the second zone 214. If the presence of the object has not been sensed in the second zone 214, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 508 and 510. If the presence of the object is sensed in the second zone 214, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 512 to implement a second safety protocol.

[0053] Steps 508 and 510 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the absence of the object in the first zone 212 and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the second zone 214, for example. That is, steps 508 and 510 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has simultaneously entered the first and second zones 212 and 214 without having previously entered only the first zone 212, and if so, proceeds to implement the second safety protocol, for example. This movement may be indicative of an object entering the monitoring area 211 in an unsafe manner, where the apparatus 202 is not shut down and the object has entered the monitored area 211 close enough to the apparatus 202 to be in harm’s way, for example.

[0054] At step 512, the logic processor 209 implements the second safety protocol. Implementing the second safety protocol includes first entering the second safety protocol. Entering of the second safety protocol may override implementation of the first safety protocol. Upon entering the second safety protocol, the logic processor 209 provides control signals to shut down the apparatus 202. The logic processor 209 further configures the apparatus 202 to require a manual restart. That is, even upon the object exiting the monitoring area 211 and the multiple zones, the apparatus 202 will not automatically restart without manual input. In some embodiments, manual restart of the apparatus 202 may be performed by actuating a reset button 218. Manual restart of the apparatus 202 may only occur if the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, that no object is present in the first zone 212. That is, if the object is present in the monitoring area 211, actuating the reset button 218 will not restart the apparatus 202, for example.

[0055] Upon manual restart of the apparatus 202 and simultaneously if the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, that no object is present in the first zone 212, the logic processor 209 exits the second safety protocol and the apparatus 202 restarts. That is, exiting of the second safety protocol requires manual input and cannot be done automatically, for example.

[0056] At step 514, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether an object has moved from the second zone 214. That is, the object previously determined to be present in the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 is sensed to have left the second zone 214, for example. If no movement from the secondzone 214 is sensed, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 514 and 516. If movement of the object from the second zone 214 is sensed, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 516.

[0057] At step 516, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the absence of an object from the first zone 212 has been sensed. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 has not been sensed, this implies that the object is present in the first zone 212, and no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 514 and 516. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 has been sensed, this implies that no object is present in the first zone 212, and the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 512 and implements the second safety protocol as previously described.

[0058] Steps 514 and 516 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the movement of the object from the second zone 214 and subsequently sensing the absence of the object in the first zone 212, for example. That is, steps 514 and 516 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has exited the second zone 214 without remaining within the first zone 212, and if so, proceeds to implement the second safety protocol, for example. This movement may be indicative of the object exiting the monitoring area 211 in an unsafe manner, for example.

[0059] The below table is an example of a typical interaction of a vehicle 206, such as a forklift, with the apparatus 202 in an example two zone system 200. The below table includes a number of Boolean values which represent states of the system. Transitions between the Boolean values are used to indicate valid and invalid movement within the monitoring area 211. For example, a valid transition includes a 1 integer change in the Boolean value, such as 3 to 2 or 1 to 2, whereas an invalid transition includes a non 1 integer change in the Boolean value, such as 3 to 1 or 1 to 3.

[0060] At step 1 of the table, the forklift 206 has not yet entered the monitored area 211, both the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 are considered “on” in the context of a statetransition table. When both the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 are considered “on”, a Boolean value of 3 is assigned to this state and no action is required. At step 2, the forklift 206 begins approaching the apparatus 202 and enters the monitoring area 211, and therefore enters the first zone 212. This results in the first zone 212 being considered “off’ and the second zone 214 being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 3 to a 2, which is a valid transition. As previously described, entering of the first zone 212 results in entering of the first safety protocol. In this case, the apparatus 202 is shut down when the forklift 206 approaches it.

[0061] At step 3, the forklift 206 continues to approach the apparatus 202 and enters the second zone 214. This results in the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 being considered “off’ and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 2 to a 1, which is a valid transition. At step 4, the forklift 206 stops at the apparatus 202 and then at step 5 the forklift 206 interacts with the apparatus 202, for example, by loading / unloading.

[0062] At step 6, the forklift 206 begins to reverse, and then at step 7, while reversing, the forklift 206 leaves the second zone 214. This results in the first zone 212 being considered “off’ and the second zone 214 now being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 1 to a 2, which is a valid transition. At step 8, the forklift 206 continues reversing and leaves the first zone 212. This results in the first zone 212 now being considered“on” and the second zone 214 being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 2 to a 3, which is a valid transition. As previously described, exiting of the first zone 212 results in exiting of the first safety protocol if the second safety protocol has not been implemented. In this case, the apparatus 202 is automatically restarted when the forklift 206 exits the monitoring area 211 as no invalid transitions occurred.

[0063] In the event that the forklift 206 does not interact with the apparatus 202 as outlined in the table / steps above, by, for example, entering or exiting the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 simultaneously, this will result in an invalid transition of 1 to 3 and subsequently the implementation of the second safety protocol as previously described in relation to method 500. In the case of an invalid transition, the apparatus 202 will require manual restart which may only be performed when the monitoring area 211, i.e., the first zone 212, is clear of all objects including the forklift 206.

[0064] In a situation in which the logic processor 209 determines that the first zone 212 is considered “on” and the second zone 214 is considered “off’, this is indicative of a fault in the detection of an object within the one or more multiple zones. The logic processor 209 may implement a third safety protocol, in which the logic processor 209 enters the third safety protocol and shuts down the apparatus 202 such that it cannot be restarted until the fault is corrected and the third safety protocol manually exited.

[0065] The logic processor 209 implementing the method 500 is configured to determine whether an invalid state transition, as outlined in the table below, occurs. That is, the logic processor 209 implementing the method 500 is configured to detect an object entering or exiting the first and second zones 212 and 214 simultaneously, for example.

[0066] An object entering the first and second zones 212 and 214 simultaneously is defined by the state transition of Boolean value 3 to Boolean value 1. This is determined by method steps 508 and 510, for example. An object exiting the first and second zones 212 and 214 simultaneously is defined by the state transition of Boolean value 1 to Boolean value 3. This is determined by method steps 514 and 516, for example.

[0067] Figure 6 shows a method 600 of implementing a three-zone safety system, according to some embodiments. Method 600 may be performed by system 200, as previously described. Method 600 may be in the form of processing instructions, that when executed by a computing apparatus having processor hardware and memory hardware, may cause the computing apparatus to perform the steps of method 600. The processing instructions may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0068] Steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, and 616 are equivalent to steps 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 ofmethod 500. That is, method 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, and 616 are the same as method steps 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516, as previously described.

[0069] Movement of an object from the first zone 212 may involve movement of the object from the first zone 212 to the first and second zones 212 and 214 or movement of the object from the first zone 212 and out of the monitoring area 211. Movement of an object from the second zone 214 may involve movement of the object from the first and second zones 212 and 214 to the first zone 212, or movement of the object from the first and second zones 212 and 214 to the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216, or movement of the object from the first and second zones 212 and 214 and out of the monitoring area 211. Movement of an object from the third zone 216 may involve movement of the object from the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216, to the first and second zones 212 and 214, or movement of the object from the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 and out of the monitoring area 211.

[0070] The logic processor 209 is configured to perform steps of method 600 synchronously. That is, the logic processor 209 constantly receives a stream of real-time data from the monitoring device 210 and is configured to analyse the data to sense any one of the aforementioned conditions and at the same time to implement any one of steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616, 618, 620, 622, 624, 626, and 628, for example. Each of method steps 604, 608, 610, 614, 616, 618, 620, 622, 624, 626, and 628 are logic conditions that may be considered by the logic processor 209 simultaneously to performing step 602.

[0071] At step 618, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the absence of an object from the first zone 212 has been sensed. That is, step 618 is equivalent to step 608, which is equivalent to step 508. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 has not been sensed, this implies that the object is present in the first zone 212, and the logic processor 209 will implement the first safety protocol as previously described as the condition of step 604 has been satisfied. If the absence of the object from the first zone 212 is sensed, this implies that no object is present in the first zone 212, and the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 620. As steps 608 and 618 are the same, proceeding to step 620 also means that the logic processor 209 is performing step 610 simultaneously and vice versa.

[0072] At step 620, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the presence of an object has been sensed in the third zone 216. If the presence of the object has not been sensed in the third zone 216, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 618 and 620. If the presence the object is sensed in the third zone 216, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 612 to implement the second safety protocol as previously described.

[0073] Steps 618 and 620 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the absence of the object in the first zone 212 and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the third zone 216, for example. That is, steps 618 and 620 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has simultaneously entered the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 without having previously entered only the first zone 212, and if so, proceeds to implement the second safety protocol, for example. This movement may be indicative of an object entering the monitoring area 211 in an unsafe manner, where theapparatus 202 is not shut down and the object has entered the monitored area 211 close enough to the apparatus 202 to be in harm’s way, for example.

[0074] At step 622, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether an object has moved from the third zone 216. That is, the object previously determined to be present in the first zone 212, the second zone 214, and the third zone 216 is sensed to have left the third zone 216, for example. If no movement from the third zone 216 is sensed, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 622 and 624. If movement of the object from the third zone 216 is sensed, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 624.

[0075] At step 624, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the absence of an object from the second zone 214 has been sensed. If the absence of the object from the second zone 214 has not been sensed, this implies that the object is present in the second zone 214, and no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 622 and 624. If the absence of the object from the second zone 214 has been sensed, this implies that no object is present in the second zone 214, and the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 612 and implements the second safety protocol as previously described.

[0076] Steps 622 and 624 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the movement of the object from the third zone 216 and subsequently sensing the absence of the object in the second zone 214, for example. That is, steps 622 and 624 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has exited the third zone 216 without remaining within the second zone 214, and if so, proceeds to implement the second safety protocol, for example. This movement may be indicative of the object exiting the monitoring area 211 in an unsafe manner, for example.

[0077] At step 626, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the presence of an object has been sensed in the first zone 212. That is, step 626 is equivalent to step 604, which is equivalent to step 504, and satisfaction of step 626 results in implementation of the first safety protocol. If the presence of the object has not been sensed in the first zone 212, no additional action is taken by the logicprocessor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 626, 628, and 630. If the presence of the object is sensed in the first zone 212, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 628.

[0078] At step 628, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the absence of an object from the second zone 214 has been sensed. If the absence of the object from the second zone 214 has not been sensed, this implies that the object is present in the second zone 214, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 626, 628, and 630. If the absence of the object from the second zone 214 has been sensed, this implies that no object is present in the second zone 214, and the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 630.

[0079] At step 630, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether the presence of an object has been sensed in the third zone 216. If the presence of the object has not been sensed in the third zone 216, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 626, 628, and 630. If the presence of the object is sensed in the third zone 216, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 612 to implement the second safety protocol.

[0080] Steps 626, 628, and 630 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the presence of the object in the first zone 212 and subsequently sensing the absence of the object in the second zone 214 and the presence of the object in the third zone 216, for example. That is, steps 626, 628, and 630 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has entered the first zone 211 and subsequently whether the same object, or another object has entered the third zone 216 without first passing through the second zone 214, for example. This determination may also indicate a fault with sensing objects in the second zone 214 using the monitoring device 210, and prompt checking of the zone configurations.

[0081] At step 632, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether an object has moved from the third zone 216. That is, the object previously determined to be present in the first zone 212, the second zone 214, and the third zone 216 is sensed to have left the third zone 216, for example. If no movement from the third zone 216 is sensed, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 inthis particular logic path, being steps 632 and 634. If movement of the object from the third zone 216 is sensed, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 634.

[0082] At step 634, the logic processor 209 determines, based on the received stream of data from the monitoring device 210, whether an object has simultaneously been sensed to be absent from the second zone 214 and present in the first zone 212. If the absence of the object has not been sensed in the second zone 214 and / or the presence of the object has not been sensed in the first zone 212, no additional action is taken by the logic processor 209 in this particular logic path, being steps 632, and 634. If the absence of the object is sensed from the second zone 214 and the presence of the object has been sensed in the first zone 212 simultaneously, the logic processor 209 proceeds to step 612 to implement the second safety protocol.

[0083] Steps 632 and 634 determine entering of the second safety protocol based on sensing the movement of the object from the third zone 216 and subsequently sensing the simultaneous absence of the object in the second zone 214 and the presence of the object in the first zone 212, for example. That is, steps 632 and 634 involve determining whether an object, such as a person or a vehicle, has exited the third zone 216 and entered the first zone 211 without first passing through the second zone 214. This determination may also indicate a fault with sensing objects in the second zone 214 using the monitoring device 210, and prompt checking of the zone configurations. This determination may also indicate that an additional object was present in the first zone 212 and that an object exited the third zone 216 and the monitoring area 211, for example.

[0084] The below table is an example of a typical interaction of a vehicle 206, such as a forklift, with the apparatus 202 in an example three zone system 200. The below table includes a number of Boolean values which represent states of the system. Transitions between the Boolean values are used to indicate valid and invalid movement within the monitoring area 211. For example, a valid transition includes a 1 integer change in the Boolean value, such as 4 to 3 or 1 to 2, whereas an invalid transition includes a non 1 integer change in the Boolean value, such as 3 to 1 or 1 to 4.

[0085] At step 1 of the table, the forklift 206 has not yet entered the monitored area 211, and the first zone 212, the second zone 214, and the third zone 216 are considered “on” in the context of a state -transition table. When the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 are considered “on”, a Boolean value of 4 is assigned to this state and no action is required. At step 2, the forklift 206 begins approaching the apparatus 202 and enters the monitoring area 211, and therefore enters the first zone 212. This results in the first zone 212 being considered “off’ and both the second zone 214 and the third zone 216 being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 4 to a 3, which is a valid transition. As previously described, entering of the first zone 212 results in entering of the first safety protocol. In this case, the apparatus 202 is shut down when the forklift 206 approaches it.

[0086] At step 3, the forklift 206 continues to approach the apparatus 202 and enters the second zone 214. This results in both the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 being considered “off’ and the third zone 216 being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 3 to a 2, which is a valid transition. At step 4, the forklift 206 continues to approach the apparatus 202 and enters the third zone 216 and stops at the apparatus 202.This results in the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 being considered “off’ and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 2 to a 1, which is a valid transition. At step 5 the forklift 206 interacts with the apparatus 202, for example, by loading / unloading and no state transition occurs.

[0087] At step 6, the forklift 206 begins to reverse and exits the third zone 216. This results in the third zone 216 being considered “on” and both the first zone 212 and the second zone 214 being considered “off’, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 1 to a 2, which is a valid transition. At step 7, while reversing, the forklift 206 leaves the second zone 214. This results in the first zone 212 being considered “off’ and both the second zone 214 and the third zone 216 now being considered “on”, and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 2 to a 3, which is a valid transition. At step 8, the forklift 206 continues reversing and leaves the first zone 212. This results in the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 now being considered “on” and the subsequent Boolean value changing from a 3 to a 4, which is a valid transition. As previously described, exiting of the first zone 212 results in exiting of the first safety protocol if the second safety protocol has not been implemented. In this case, the apparatus 202 is automatically restarted when the forklift 206 exits the monitoring area 211 as no invalid transitions occurred.

[0088] In the event that the forklift 206 does not interact with the apparatus 202 as outlined in the table / steps above, by, for example, entering or exiting the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 simultaneously, this will result in an invalid transition of 1 to 4 and subsequently the implementation of the second safety protocol as previously described in relation to method 500 / 600. In the case of an invalid transition, the apparatus 202 will require manual restart which may only be performed when the monitoring area 211, i.e., the first zone 212, is clear of all objects including the forklift 206.

[0089] In a situation in which the logic processor 209 determines that the first zone 212 is considered “on” while the second zone 214 is considered “off’, this is indicative of a fault in the detection of an object within the one or more multiple zones and the logic processor 209 may implement the third safety protocol. In a situation in which the logic processor 209 determines that the first zone 212 is considered “on” while the third zone 216 is considered “off’, this is indicative of a fault in the detection of an object within the one or more multiple zones and the logic processor 209 may implement the third safety protocol. In a situation inwhich the logic processor 209 determines that the second zone 214 is considered “on” while the third zone 216 is considered “off’, this is indicative of a fault in the detection of an object within the one or more multiple zones and the logic processor 209 may implement the third safety protocol.

[0090] The logic processor 209 implementing method 600 is configured to determine whether an invalid state transition, as outlined in the table below, occurs.

[0091] An invalid transition of Boolean value 4 to Boolean value 2 is indicative of an object entering the first and second zones 212 and 214 simultaneously. This is determined by method steps 608 and 610, for example. An invalid transition of Boolean value 4 to Boolean value 1 is indicative of an object entering the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 simultaneously. This is determined by method steps 618 and 620, for example. An invalidtransition of Boolean value 3 to Boolean value 1 is indicative of an object moving from the first zone 212 to simultaneously the first, second, and third zones 212, 214 and 216 without first passing through the second zone 214. This may indicate a fault in the system 200 or an additional object entering the monitoring area 211, for example. This is determined by method steps 626, 628, and 630, for example.

[0092] An invalid transition of Boolean value 2 to Boolean value 4 is indicative of an object exiting the first and second zones 212 and 214 simultaneously. This is determined by method steps 614 and 616, for example. An invalid transition of Boolean value 1 to Boolean value 4 is indicative of an object exiting the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 simultaneously. This is determined by method steps 622 and 624, for example. An invalid transition of Boolean value 1 to Boolean value 3 is indicative of an object moving from the first, second, and third zones 212, 214, and 216 to only the first zone 212 without first passing through the second zone 214. This may indicate a fault in the system 200 or an additional object being present in the first zone 212 while an object exits the monitoring area 211 from the third zone 216, for example. This is determined by method steps 632 and 634, for example.

[0093] The safety system, such as system 200, and the associated methods, such as method 500 and / or 600, as previously described, may allow for the implementation of a safety system that is capable of detecting people, vehicles, and other objects, to improve the safety of said people, vehicles, and other objects. The previously described safety system is easy to install in any environment and can be tailored to the requirements of a specific location. The safety system and methods as previously described may also include inherent fault checking for an improved level of safety and minimised risks within the environment in which it is installed.

[0094] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus, comprising: monitoring multiple zones of the monitored area; sensing the presence, absence, or movement of an object in, from, or between one or more of the multiple zones; wherein the sensing contributes to a determination of which of a plurality of safety protocols to enter and / or exit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple zones include a first zone and a second zone, and wherein a determination of entering a first safety protocol is based on sensing the presence of the object in the first zone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing the absence of the object from the first zone and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the second zone.

4. The method of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing movement of the object from the second zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object from the first zone.

5. The method of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the multiple zones further include a third zone, and wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing the absence of the object from the first zone and subsequently sensing the presence of the object in the third zone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing movement of the object from the third zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object from the second zone.

7. The method of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing presence of the object in the first zone and subsequently sensing the absence of the object in the second zone and the presence of the object in the third zone.

8. The method of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a determination of entering a second safety protocol is based on sensing movement of the object from the third zone and subsequently simultaneously sensing the absence of the object in the second zone and the presence of the object in the first zone.

9. The method of any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the first safety protocol comprises shutting down the apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first safety protocol further comprises: sensing the absence of the object from the first zone; and automatically exiting the first safety protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein automatically exiting the first safety protocol includes automatically restarting the apparatus.

12. The method of any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein entering the second safety protocol overrides the first safety protocol.

13. The method of any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein the second safety protocol comprises shutting down the apparatus and configuring the apparatus to require manual restart.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein exiting of the second safety protocol requires manual input.

15. The method of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein exiting the second safety protocol requires manual restart of the apparatus.

16. The method of any one of claims 2 to 15, wherein the second zone is within the first zone.

17. The method of any one of claims 5 to 16, wherein the third zone is within the first zone.

18. The method of any one of claims 5 to 17, wherein the second zone is within the third zone.

19. The method of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the multiple zones are disposed on a horizontal plane.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the horizontal plane is positioned above ground level at a height between about 100mm and about 260mm.

21. The method of claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the horizontal plane is positioned above ground level at a heigh of 180mm.

22. The method of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the multiple zones are monitored by a laser scanner.

23. The method of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the apparatus is a conveyor system.

24. The method of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the sensing contributes to indication of a fault within the monitoring of the monitored area.

25. The method of any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the object is detected based on having a dimension larger than a threshold dimension.

26. The method of any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the object includes one or more of: a person; and a forklift.

27. A system for managing safety protocols in a monitored area containing an apparatus, comprising: a sensing device; processor circuitry; a memory accessible to the processor circuitry, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor circuitry to perform the method steps of any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. Processing instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus having processor hardware and memory hardware, cause the computing apparatus to perform the method according to any of claims 1 to 26.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the processing instructions according to claim 28.

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