| CPC E21B 19/002 (2013.01) [F16P 3/147 (2013.01); G01S 13/58 (2013.01); G01S 13/93 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. An anti-collision method for preventing an accidental collision between at least one human operator and at least one vehicle within a target work volume, the anti-collision method comprising the following steps:
storing information on a current position of the at least one vehicle within the target work volume;
scanning the target work volume by a radiofrequency radiation signal to detect a presence of the at least one human operator within the target work volume;
determining a current position of the at least one human operator within the target work volume;
comparing the current position of the at least one human operator with the information on the current position of the at least one vehicle,
if the current position of the at least one human operator at least partially overlaps the current position of the at least one vehicle,
the anti-collision method further comprises a step of activating at least one safety device,
wherein
the step of determining the current position of the at least one human operator within the target work volume is performed by:
avoiding using an identification tag on said at least one human operator,
employing a plurality of sensor nodes, arranged to illuminate the target work volume with radiofrequency radiation, wherein each sensor node of said plurality of sensor nodes comprises a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, wherein the transmitting unit of each of the plurality of sensor nodes is configured to transmit a respective radiofrequency signal at a different instant in time relative to the radiofrequency signals transmitted by each other sensor node, and wherein the receiving unit of each of the plurality sensor nodes is configured to detect reflected echo signals that have been reflected by the at least one vehicle and the at least one human operator within the target work volume,
receiving by a respective receiving unit for each sensor node of said plurality of sensor nodes a signal containing information on the presence of the at least one human operator in the target work volume;
triangulating signals originating from a plurality of receiving units facing the target work volume; and
with cooperation of each sensor node of said plurality of sensor nodes with a first processor, detecting on at least one reflected echo signal, by the respective receiving unit, presence of a phase modulation typical of vital signals of the at least one human operator.
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