Context-Aware Collision Avoidance Devices for Underground Mines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current collision avoidance systems in underground mines often issue non-hazardous proximity warnings, leading to operator fatigue and increased risk of accidents due to the inability to distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous situations.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates context-aware devices that detect the position, location, and status of personnel and vehicles to modulate proximity warnings, disabling non-hazardous warnings and transmitting critical warnings only when necessary, using mechanisms like infrared receivers, pressure sensors, and vehicle interfaces to determine safe zones and hazardous situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If collision avoidance systems transmit proximity warnings in all situations, then safety coverage is improved, but operator fatigue and warning ignorability increase due to non-hazardous false alarms
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different warning transmission qualities to different spatial locations and contextual situations. Context-aware devices evaluate local conditions (safe zones, hazardous zones, vehicle states, personnel activities) and selectively transmit warnings only when locally determined to be hazardous, rather than uniformly transmitting all proximity alerts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of warning transmission from a constant state (always transmit) to a variable state (conditionally transmit based on context parameters). Context-aware devices monitor multiple parameters (location, vehicle operation status, personnel activity) and dynamically adjust warning transmission based on the combined parameter assessment.
2Reliability
If collision avoidance systems issue all proximity warnings, then hazard detection completeness is improved, but warning distinguishability deteriorates due to inability to differentiate hazardous from non-hazardous situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different warning transmission qualities to different contextual situations. Hazardous situations trigger distinct warning transmissions while non-hazardous situations in safe zones suppress warnings, creating qualitatively different warning patterns that preserve information about situation severity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the warning transmission function into separate contextual evaluations. Context-aware devices independently assess multiple context factors (location, vehicle state, personnel activity) and segment the decision-making process to determine whether each situation warrants warning transmission, preserving distinguishability between hazard levels.
3Measurement precision
If context-aware mechanisms are added to collision avoidance devices, then warning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes context-aware collision avoidance devices that integrate multiple functions into unified device architectures. Vehicles and personnel carry multi-functional devices that simultaneously perform collision avoidance, context monitoring, location tracking, and warning transmission, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Personnel and vehicle collision avoidance devices configured to be used in collision avoidance systems are disclosed. The collision avoidance devices are configured to be aware of the context (e.g. position, location, state, status, etc.) in which the person or vehicle is. This awareness allows the devices to avoid transmitting non-hazardous proximity warnings when the context does not warrant the transmission of proximity warnings, and to transmit special critical proximity warnings when the context warrants the transmission of such proximity warnings. To detect the context, the devices comprise one or more context-awareness mechanisms (e.g. user input interfaces, sensors, infra-red receivers, etc.), each of which being capable of detecting one or more particular contexts. A collision avoidance system comprising these personnel and vehicle collision avoidance devices is also presented.