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EP-4375693-B1 - ULTRA WIDEBAND LOCATION DETERMINATION WITH PREDICATIVE AND POWER SAVING CAPABILITIES

EP4375693B1EP 4375693 B1EP4375693 B1EP 4375693B1EP-4375693-B1

Inventors

  • MITCHELL, MICHAEL FRANCIS
  • WILLIAMS, JOHN DALTON
  • CAI, FEI
  • SISCO, FARAHNAZ

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230724

Claims (15)

  1. A method (500) of controlling a process to prevent injury, the method comprising: obtaining (502) a location estimation of a mobile transmitter affixed to an object, wherein the location estimation is relative to a location of a fixed receiver, and wherein the obtaining the location estimation comprises sending an ultra wideband communication from the mobile transmitter to the fixed receiver and acquiring the ultra wideband communication by a phased antenna array of the fixed receiver; assessing (504), based on the location estimation, that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location; determining (506) that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate based on a distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver; and interrupting (508) the process upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate; wherein the process comprises a manufacturing process performed by a robot, and the interrupting comprises stopping a motion of the robot.
  2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating (306), based on the location estimation, a projected future location of the mobile transmitter; assessing (308), based on the projected future location of the mobile transmitter, that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location; and stopping (212) operation of the tool upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate.
  3. The method of claim 1 or 2, the method further comprising: determining whether the mobile transmitter is in motion, wherein the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a first rate when the mobile transmitter is stationary and occurs periodically at a second rate when the mobile transmitter is in motion, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate.
  4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, wherein the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a third rate when the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, wherein the third rate is greater than the first rate, and wherein the third rate is less than the second rate.
  5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate comprises determining that the distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver is below a predetermined threshold.
  6. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising receiving from a user an identification of a permissible area, wherein the impermissible location comprises a location outside of the permissible area.
  7. A system comprising: a mobile transmitted configured to be affixed to an object; and a fixed receiver comprising a phased antenna array; wherein the fixed receiver is configured to control a process to prevent injury by performing actions comprising: obtaining (502) a location estimation of the mobile transmitter, wherein the location estimation is relative to a location of the fixed receiver, and wherein the obtaining the location estimation comprises sending an ultra wideband communication from the mobile transmitter to the fixed receiver and acquiring the ultra wideband communication by the phased antenna array of the fixed receiver; assessing (504), based on the location estimation, that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location; determining (506) that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate based on a distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver; and interrupting (508) the process upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate; wherein the process comprises a manufacturing process performed by a robot, and the interrupting comprises stopping a motion of the robot.
  8. The system of claim 6, wherein the actions further comprise: calculating (306), based on the location estimation, a projected future location of the mobile transmitter; assessing (308), based on the projected future location of the mobile transmitter, that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location; and stopping (212) operation of the tool upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate.
  9. The system of claim 6, wherein the actions further comprise: determining whether the mobile transmitter is in motion, wherein the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a first rate when the mobile transmitter is stationary and occurs periodically at a second rate when the mobile transmitter is in motion, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate.
  10. The system of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise determining whether the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, wherein the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a third rate when the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, wherein the third rate is greater than the first rate, and wherein the third rate is less than the second rate.
  11. The method of any of claims 1 to 4 or the system of any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate comprises determining that the distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver is below a predetermined threshold.
  12. The method of any of claims 1 to 4 or 11, or the system of any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the actions further comprise receiving from a user an identification of a permissible area, wherein the impermissible location comprises a location outside of the permissible area.
  13. The method of any of claims 1 to 4 or 11 to 12, or the system of any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the object comprises a human worker.
  14. The method of any of claims 1 to 4 or 11 to 13, or the system of any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the obtaining the location estimation comprises obtaining the location estimation without communicating with a server that is external to the mobile transmitter and to the fixed receiver.
  15. The method of any of claims 1 to 4 or 11 to 14, or the system of any of claims 7 to 14, wherein the mobile transmitter comprises a mobile transceiver, wherein the fixed receiver comprises a fixed transceiver, and wherein the obtaining the location estimation comprises sending data between the mobile transceiver and the fixed transceiver.

Description

Field This disclosure relates generally to location determination systems and methods. Background Industrial settings, such as manufacturing floors, present many hazards to individuals, such as unintended contact with automated machinery such as robots. Various techniques exist to reduce risk to individuals in such settings, such as lock-out tag-out systems, which physically secure potentially dangerous machinery using physical locks. However, lock-out tag-out systems are only useful if the machinery is not in use. Location systems of various size and scope exist, but their accuracy varies, and indoor locations present unique challenges, e.g., because differential GPS is not viable indoors. Various real time location systems exist to track location indoors, but are often limited by speed, accuracy, and requirements to connect with an external server to calculate location. For example, Ultra Wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) real time location systems exist, but vary in accuracy and require a certain amount of time to settle on a location for a fixed position. Specific applications, such as tool automation, would benefit from accurate real time location determination techniques to prevent possible work place injuries or fatalities. US2022016782A1, in accordance with its abstract, states systems and methods for facilitating interactions between a robotic arm and a movable platform using radio frequency (RF) co-localization are provided. The systems include target devices; an interrogator system comprising RF antennas, each of the RF antennas configured to transmit RF signals to the target devices and/or receive RF signals from the target devices; and a controller. The controller is configured to control at least one of the RF antennas to transmit one or more first RF signals to a target device coupled to a movable platform; control at least some of the RF antennas to receive second RF signals from at least the target device; determine a position of the movable platform using the received second RF signals; and determine, using the position of the movable platform, a target position to which to move an end effector of a robotic arm in order to perform a task. Summary According to a first aspect there is provided a method as defined in claim 1. Thus there is provided a method of controlling a process to prevent injury is presented. The method includes: obtaining a location estimation of a mobile transmitter affixed to an object, where the location estimation is relative to a location of a fixed receiver, and where the obtaining the location estimation includes sending an ultra wideband communication from the mobile transmitter to the fixed receiver and acquiring the ultra wideband communication by a phased antenna array of the fixed receiver; assessing, based on the location estimation, that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location; determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate based on a distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver; and interrupting the process upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate. Various optional features of the above first aspect include the following. The method may include: calculating, based on the location estimation, a projected future location of the mobile transmitter; assessing, based on the projected future of the mobile transmitter, that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location; and stopping operation of the tool upon both the assessing that the mobile transmitter will be within the impermissible location and the determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate. The method may include: determining whether the mobile transmitter is in motion, where the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a first rate when the mobile transmitter is stationary and occurs periodically at a second rate when the mobile transmitter is in motion, where the second rate is greater than the first rate. The method may include determining whether the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, where the obtaining the location estimation occurs periodically at a third rate when the mobile transmitter is performing a repetitive motion, where the third rate is greater than the first rate, and where the third rate is less than the second rate. The process includes a manufacturing process performed by a robot, and the interrupting includes stopping a motion of the robot. The determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate may include determining that the distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver is below a predetermined threshold. The method may include receiving from a user an identification of a permissible area, where the impermissible location includes a location outside of the permissible area. The object may