AU2020201817A1

AU2020201817A1 - Apparatus, arrangement and method for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine

Info

Publication number: AU2020201817A1
Application number: AU2020201817A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Evan Cardinal; Martin Dittmer; Nicky Günther; Holger Salow
Original assignee: Yumarr Automation Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Yumarr Automation Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-03-03
Filing date: 2020-03-12
Publication date: 2020-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-05
Also published as: DE102017104466A1; AU2020201817B2; AU2018201574A1; DE102017104466B4

Abstract

An apparatus for securing a danger zone (11) of an underground mining machine (10) is described. The apparatus comprises at least one sensor unit (13) with spatial and 5 temporal resolution which is configured to generate digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area (14), an object identifying device (15) which, based on predefined identification features, is configured to classify persons in the monitoring area (14) as a person object in each case and to determine their respective position and spatial extent at least substantially continuously, an evaluation device which, based on 10 the position and spatial extent, is configured in each case to determine a movement pattern of the particular person object, and to detect a person entering the danger zone (11) and a person leaving the danger zone (11). Further described is an arrangement with the aforementioned apparatus and corresponding methods for securing a danger zone. In conjunction with Figure 1 F3g.3 Fig. 1

Description

APPARATUS, ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR SECURING A DANGER ZONE OF AN UNDERGROUND MINING MACHINE

FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus which is designed and configured to secure a danger zone of an underground mining machine. The disclosure further relates to an arrangement comprising such an underground mining machine. The present disclosure further relates to a method for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine as well as a method for operating such an underground mining machine.

DEFINITION

In the specification, the term “comprising” shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term “including” and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term “comprising” such as “comprise” and “comprises”.

BACKGROUND

Apparatus, arrangement and method are used in underground mining machines in which machine tools operating in a danger zone pose a risk to life and limb of persons occupying the danger zone.

Document WO 2011/141629 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for securing underground vehicles. It emerges from the aforementioned document to equip such vehicles with a safety unit with which the vehicle can be automatically stopped as soon as it is determined that a person is entering the work area of the machine. It further emerges from printed document WO 2011/141629 A1 to identify obstacles in the path of the underground vehicle and to stop the vehicle if necessary.

Further systems for securing the danger zone are disclosed, for example, by documents DE 102 27 879 A1 and GB 247 97 49 A in connection with drilling vehicles. The drilling vehicles are secured by a vertically oriented light curtain by means of which persons entering an area to be secured are detected.

The disadvantage is that the known systems for securing danger zones are error-prone and high rates of spurious tripping are to be expected. For example, the system disclosed by printed document WO 2011/141629 A1 trips on detecting any obstacle at all. The methods and systems for securing drilling vehicles disclosed by the aforementioned printed documents are also error-prone.

Environmental disturbances, such as are regularly encountered underground, generally result in spurious tripping with the known systems. As a result, the processes underground are interrupted unnecessarily or there is a risk that persons who are in the danger zone are not reliably identified.

Any reference to prior art in this specification is not and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the referenced prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or in any other country.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Applicant has recognised it would be beneficial to provide an apparatus which ensures that persons in a danger zone are identified with a high degree of reliability and has high robustness against environmental disturbances. Additionally, Applicant has recognised it would be beneficial to create a corresponding arrangement having an underground mining machine. In addition, Applicant has recognised it would be beneficial to provide a corresponding method for securing a danger zone and a method for operating an underground mining machine.

According to one aspect of the disclosure there is provided an apparatus designed and configured for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine comprising at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution which is configured to generate digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area, an object identifying device designed to process the spatial data which, based on predefined identification features, is configured to classify persons in the monitoring area as a person object in each case and to determine their particular position and spatial extent at least substantially continuously, an evaluation device which, based on the position and spatial extent, is configured in each case to determine a movement pattern of the particular person object and, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, to register a person entering the danger zone in that the particular person object at least partially enters the danger zone and, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, to register a person leaving the danger zone in that the particular person object has completely left the predefined boundary area defining said danger zone, and wherein the evaluation device has a detection unit which is configured to determine whether the danger zone is person-object-free, and wherein the evaluation device has a signalling device which is configured to provide a machine stop signal if at least one person has been registered entering the danger zone and to provide a danger zone free status signal if a person has been registered leaving the danger zone and the detection unit has determined that the danger zone is person-object-free.

The apparatus according to the disclosure has the advantage that persons are identified and classified as person objects with an extremely low error rate. The apparatus according to the disclosure is consequently robust against disturbances that occur regularly underground, such as falling rock, and against clouds of dust and water spray arising or the like.

A person may be identified based on a plurality of assessment criteria. Thus, objects registered in the monitoring area by the object identifying device are classified as a person object based on a plurality of predefined identification features. In addition to the particular position and spatial extent of the objects, the corresponding movement patterns are additionally used to classify the persons. In other words, the identification of persons in the monitoring area is based on a multi-criteria assessment. In this way, it is ensured that neither dusts, falling lumps of rock, spray water, objects falling over nor proper motion of the underground mining machine or its tools result in false tripping.

The robustness of the apparatus according to the disclosure against spurious tripping may be additionally increased in that the evaluation device is designed to detect a person entering the danger zone in that even partial entry of the particular person object into the danger zone is assessed as entry into the same. A person leaving the danger zone, on the other hand, is not registered until they have completely left the boundary area referred to. The evaluation device therefore has a hysteresis function which detects a person entering or leaving the danger zone with a high degree of reliability.

In an expedient embodiment of the disclosure the evaluation device comprises a control and display unit, which is configured to display the machine stop signal and the danger zone free status signal to a machine operator and before displaying the danger zone free status signal to request the machine operator by means of a prompt to confirm that the danger zone is free of persons, and is further configured, if the machine operator confirms that the danger zone is free of persons, to prompt the signalling device to provide a machine enable signal.

This may ensure that in addition to automatic identification of whether there are persons in the danger zone or whether it is person-free, the danger zone is to be checked additionally by a machine operator and only after release by the machine operator by acknowledging the prompt referred to will the signalling device provide the machine enable signal. The apparatus according to the disclosure thus has double safety in that, in addition to automatically identifying that the danger zone is free of persons before providing a machine enable signal, the machine operator must additionally perform an acknowledgement in order to ensure without doubt that the danger zone is free of persons.

A preferred embodiment of the disclosure comprises a warning indicator device which is configured to visually and/or acoustically emit the machine stop signal and the machine enable signal received from the signalling device. For this purpose, the signalling device comprises, for example, corresponding signal lamps which are preferably clearly identifiable both for the machine operator and also for the persons who are in the danger zone or the monitoring area. In particular, these are signal lamps with colours clearly distinguishable from one another, for example red and green. If a machine stop signal has been provided by the signalling device, the signal lamp, for example, will show the colour green to signalise that there is no risk emanating from the tools of the underground mining machine in the danger zone. If a machine enable signal is provided by the signalling device, this will be indicated by an acoustic signal emitted by the warning indicator device and the signal lamp, for example, will be switched to red. The red colour of the signal lamp indicates to the persons that it is no longer permitted to enter the danger zone as the tools of the underground mining machine are in operation or are being put into operation immediately.

In a further expedient embodiment of the disclosure the detection unit comprises a person counter and is configured to increment the person counter for each person registered entering the danger zone and to decrement the person counter when a person leaves the danger zone, the evaluation device being further designed to determine, based on the counter reading, whether there is a person in the danger zone or whether it is person-free. This has the advantage that even one or a plurality of persons entering the danger zone several times is detected and registered so that the detection unit only determines freedom from person objects of the danger zone when all persons or all registered person objects have actually left the danger zone.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the disclosure the at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution has an at least substantially horizontally oriented detection plane in each case. In other words, the detection plane of the sensor unit is oriented either horizontally or is inclined by a small angle, for example less than 20°, in relation to the horizontal. Further preferably, the inclination of the detection plane is oriented towards the ground. This has the advantage of ensuring reliable identification even on sloping terrain. Alternatively, the sensor unit has a plurality of at least substantially horizontally oriented detection planes. When using a plurality of detection planes, additional spatial data are captured which are additionally co-processed using the object identifying device for causality testing purposes.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the object identifying device further comprises a wall identifying unit configured to identify wall areas, the wall identifying device classifying at least substantially stationary objects as belonging to said wall areas. Using the wall identifying unit, it is possible to continuously detect the contour of the gallery or tunnel walls and to classify them as wall areas. This may further improve the identification of non-stationary objects which may need to be classified as person objects. The wall identifying device is designed to differentiate moving persons from the wall areas and to classify them as person objects. More advantageously, the wall identifying device may be further designed to classify wall areas already identified permanently as such, so that from then on even persons who stop in front of already identified wall areas and do not change their position or only change it slightly continue to be registered as separate person objects differentiated from the particular wall areas.

In an advantageous embodiment the evaluation device is designed to dynamically limit the monitoring area at least in partial sections. Limiting of the monitoring area takes place advantageously in those partial sections in which wall areas have been registered. This has the advantage that the limits of the danger zone in the region of the wall area are spontaneously and automatically adjusted to the particular contour of the tunnel or gallery walls. Even if the underground mining machine is moved from the specified working position or in the case of lumps of rock breaking off from the gallery or tunnel wall, it is possible to reliably prevent spurious tripping and to always ensure uninterrupted operation of the monitored underground mining machine.

In a preferred embodiment of the disclosure the object identifying device further comprises a structure identifying unit configured to identify mesh-like structures, position and spatial extent of the grid-like structures of tolerance-affected distance information of the captured spatial data being determined via an angular segment region of the optically scanned monitoring area. In this way, person identification is achieved with a high degree of reliability while achieving reduction of the false identification rate to a minimum at the same time. Using the structure identifying unit, it is even possible to identify persons who in relation to the sensor unit are behind a mesh or a mesh-like structure. In underground operations, persons frequently carry such mesh-like structures manually into the work or danger zone of underground mining machines. With the systems known to date, it was not possible to identify persons who were outside the actual detection area of the sensor units due to such a mesh or mesh-like structure being available.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the object identifying device is further configured to determine the position of the particular mesh-like structures at least substantially continuously in each case and, if the particular position of the mesh-like structure is temporally variable, to identify the position and spatial extent of another person object of a further person concealed behind the mesh-like structure.

According to another aspect of the disclosure there is provided an arrangement comprising an underground mining machine having machine tools operating in a danger zone and an apparatus with the features referred to at the outset arranged on said underground mining machine, the tools being designed to be switched on and off by means of a drive unit configured to be controllable and the drive unit being configured to be switched off automatically via the machine stop signal. In this way, the tools of the underground mining machine are automatically switched off in the event that the object identifying device registers a person in the danger zone.

A particular advantage is that a person who wants to enter the danger zone does not need to operate any further controls in order to first deactivate the tools of the underground mining machine before entering the danger zone. Thus, a high level of practicality is guaranteed underground since automatic shutdown of the tools takes place without manual intervention. Automatic reconnection of the tools of the underground mining machine is excluded for safety reasons, unless the operator enables this manually as described above.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure there is provided a method for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine, comprising the following steps: Generating digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area using at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution, processing the spatial data which, based on predefined identification features, is configured to classify persons in the monitoring area as a person object in each case and to determine their particular position and spatial extent at least substantially continuously, determining a movement pattern of the particular person object based on the position and the spatial extent and registering a person entering the danger zone, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, in that the particular person object at least partially enters the danger zone, and registering a person leaving the danger zone, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, in that the particular person object has completely left a predefined boundary area defining said danger zone, registering whether the danger zone is person-object-free and providing a machine stop signal if at least one person has been registered entering the danger zone and providing a danger zone free status signal that a person has been registered leaving the danger zone and registering that the area is free of persons.

In an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure, the method may include displaying the machine stop signal and the danger zone free status signal by means of a control and display unit and requesting a machine operator by means of a prompt to confirm that the danger zone is free of persons and, if the machine operator confirms the danger zone is free of persons, prompting the provision of a machine enable signal.

According to a preferred embodiment, the machine stop signal is emitted visually and/or acoustically by means of a warning indicator device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure incrementing a person counter each time a person is registered entering the danger zone and decrementing the person counter when a person leaves the danger zone, it being determined based on the counter reading whether there is a person in the danger zone and whether it is person-free.

According to a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the optical scanning is carried out by means of the at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution in an at least substantially horizontally oriented detection plane in each case.

In particular, it is provided to identify wall areas in which at least substantially stationary objects may be classified as belonging to said wall areas.

An expedient embodiment of the method according to the disclosure provides for dynamically limiting the monitoring area at least in partial sections. Those partial sections which were registered in the wall area may be correspondingly limited by the particular wall areas detected.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the disclosure, the method may include identifying mesh-like structures, in that position and spatial extent of the mesh-like structures are determined by identifying alternating tolerance-affected distance information of the captured spatial data via an angular segment region of the optically scanned monitoring area.

A further advantageous embodiment of the disclosure may include at least substantially continuously determining the position of the particular mesh-like structure and, if the particular position of the mesh-like structure is temporally variable, identifying the position and spatial extent of another person object of a further person concealed behind the mesh-like structure.

In addition, according to a further aspect of the disclosure there is provided a method for operating an underground mining machine referred to at the outset, tools being designed to be switched on and off by means of a drive unit configured to be controllable, and comprising the previously described process steps according to the disclosure, the tools being switched off automatically by means of the drive unit, if a machine stop signal is provided.

The advantages associated with the method according to the disclosure and alternative embodiments have already been described previously in connection with the apparatus according to the disclosure and the arrangement according to the disclosure. To avoid repetition, we refer in this regard to our remarks in connection with the above process steps. The information given there also applies by analogy to the method according to the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further preferred and/or expedient features and embodiments of the disclosure emerge from the dependent claims and the description. Especially preferred embodiments are explained in greater detail with reference to the attached drawing. The drawing shows:

Fig. 1 schematic illustrations of the apparatus according to the disclosure together with an underground mining machine in plan and lateral view in each case,

Fig. 2 a block diagram of the apparatus according to the disclosure for securing a danger zone,

Fig. 3 a schematic illustration of the plan view shown in Fig. 1 with a person entering the danger zone,

Fig. 4 a schematic illustration of the plan view shown in Fig. 1 with a person leaving the danger zone,

Fig. 5 schematic illustrations of the plan views shown in Fig. 1 with a wall area contour line,

Fig. 6 a schematic illustration of a person occupying the danger zone with an additional object, and

Fig. 7 a schematic illustration of the plan view shown in Fig. 1 with a person carrying a mesh with them, entering the danger zone.

The apparatus according to the disclosure and the method according to the invention will be described in greater detail in the following.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 shows the apparatus according to the invention together with an underground mining machine 10 in plan and lateral view in each case. The underground mining machine 10, shown only schematically in Fig. 1, is designed, for example, as an underground drilling machine with corresponding drilling hydraulics. The apparatus according to the invention is designed and configured for securing a danger zone 11. The tools of the underground mining machine 10, which are not illustrated in the drawing for reasons of clarity, usually operate in this danger zone 11. It should be noted that the illustrated boundary line 12 only represents the boundary of the danger zone 11 by way of example. The boundary line 12 shown can basically have any other contour shape.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one sensor unit 13 with spatial and temporal resolution. As shown by way of example in the drawing, the apparatus according to the invention preferably comprises two of the sensor units 13 which are configured in particular for lateral mounting on the underground mining machine 10. The sensor units 13 are configured to generate digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area 14. As shown in the drawing, when using two of the sensor units 13, the monitoring area 14 is composed of the marked partial monitoring areas. The digital spatial data provide information about objects in or moving in the monitoring area 14 such that their distance from each of the sensor units 13 is registered at all times.

The individual components of the apparatus according to the invention are explained in greater detail below based on Fig. 2 which shows a block diagram in a schematic illustration. Fig. 2 shows an object identifying device 15 designed to process the spatial data to which the sensor units 13 are each connected via corresponding data interfaces. The object identifying device 15 is configured to classify persons in the monitoring area 14 as a person object in each case, based on predefined identification features, and to determine their particular position and spatial extent at least substantially continuously. The classification based on the predefined identification features takes place/follows based in particular on the object size and/or the length of stay.

Registering of the particular position and/or spatial extent takes place preferably either continuously or substantially continuously, that is to say that registering of the particular position and/or spatial extent is carried out per time unit at least so frequently that any changes of position are properly captured.

The apparatus further comprises an evaluation device - not shown in the drawing which is designed to determine a movement pattern of the particular person object based on the position and spatial extent. The evaluation device is further configured, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, to detect a person 16 entering the danger zone 11.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates such a person entering by way of example, to which reference will be made in even greater detail below. Registering a person 16 entering the danger zone 11 is registered by the evaluation device in that the particular person object at least partially enters the danger zone or has entered. Consequently, the evaluation device is configured to detect the person 16 entering even if only one part of the particular person object or person 16 has entered the danger zone 11.

The evaluation device is further configured to detect a person 16 leaving the danger zone 11 based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, in that the particular person object has completely left the predefined boundary area 17 defining the danger zone 11. The boundary area 17 adjoins the danger zone 11 as shown in Fig. 4. The boundary between the danger zone 11 and the boundary area 17 represents the boundary line 12, which is shown only as a line for the sake of better presentability.

The evaluation device further comprises a detection unit which is configured to register whether the danger zone 11 is person-object-free, the evaluation device having a signalling device which is configured to provide a machine stop signal if at least one person 16 has been registered entering the danger zone 11. The machine stop signal thus indicates that a person has entered the danger zone 11 or is present there.

The evaluation device is further configured to provide a danger zone free status signal if a person 16 has been registered leaving the danger zone 11 and the detection unit has determined that the danger zone 11 is person-object-free.

The function of the evaluation device is illustrated in greater detail, by way of example, in Figs. 3 and 4 based on a person 16 entering the danger zone 11 - cf. Fig. 3 - and a person 16 leaving it. Consequently, the evaluation device comprises a hysteresis function such that the person 16 entering the danger zone 11 is detected as soon as the particular person object is only partially located in the danger zone 11 or moves into it.

Leaving of the danger zone 11 or a person 16 leaving it is only evaluated by the evaluation device as a person 16 leaving the danger zone 11 when the person 16 has completely left the boundary area 17. The boundary area 17 thus represents an intermediate area which delimits the actual danger zone 11 from a permissible occupancy area 20.

The evaluation device advantageously comprises a control and display unit 21 shown in Fig. 2. The control and display unit 21 is configured to display the machine stop signal and the danger zone free status signal to a machine operator. The evaluation device is further configured, on displaying the danger zone free status signal by means of the control and display unit 21, to request the machine operator by means of a prompt to confirm that the danger zone is fee of persons. The evaluation device is further configured, if the machine operator confirms that the danger zone 11 is free of persons, to prompt the signalling device to provide a machine enable signal.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the apparatus according to the invention comprises a warning indicator device 18, 19 which is configured to visually and/or acoustically emit the machine stop signal and the machine enable signal received from the signalling device.

For clarification, the manner of operation of the evaluation device according to the invention will be explained again in detail based on Figs. 3 and 4. It is assumed that the underground mining machine 10 is in the operating state, that is to say its tools are active. The warning indicator device 18, 19 shows red light via signal lamps, for example, to indicate that the danger zone must be kept free of persons due to the activated tools of the underground mining machine 10. When a person 16, as shown in Fig. 3, at least partially enters the danger zone 11, a machine stop signal is provided by means of the evaluation device. As will be explained in detail below, provision of the machine stop signal preferably leads to the tools of the underground mining machine 10 being deactivated.

By means of the warning indicator device 18, 19, the signal lamp of the warning indicator device 18, 19 is switched over to green by the machine stop signal received to indicate that the person 16 has been detected entering the danger zone. As long as at least one of the persons 16 is in the danger zone 11, this state remains. When the last of the persons 16 leaves the danger zone 11, as shown in Fig. 4, a danger zone free status signal is provided by means of the signalling device. After provision of the danger zone free status signal via the control and display unit 21, the machine operator is requested by means of the prompt by the control and display unit 21 to confirm that the danger zone 11 is free of persons. Only when the machine operator has confirmed that the danger zone 11 is free of persons, is the provision of a machine enable signal prompted by means of the signalling device. Provision of the machine enable signal is announced by means of the warning indicator device, for example by switching the signal lamp from red to green and/or by emitting an acoustic warning signal.

The detection unit advantageously comprises a person counter and is configured to increment the person counter every time a person 16 is registered entering the danger zone 11. The detection unit is further configured to decrement the person counter when a person 16 leaves the danger zone 11.

The evaluation device is further designed to determine based on the counter reading whether a person 16 is in the danger zone 11 or whether it is person-free. If the person counter shows a counter reading greater than zero, this indicates that a person 16 is present in the danger zone 11 or has entered it, while a person counter reading of zero indicates that the danger zone is free of persons. The control and display unit 21 is preferably designed to output and display the counter reading of the person counter. In this way, the machine operator receives an overview of the number of persons 16 currently present in the danger zone 11.

The at least one sensor unit 13 with spatial and temporal resolution preferably has a substantially horizontally oriented detection plane in each case. Thus the detection plane is advantageously oriented either horizontally or is inclined by a small angle <20°, in relation to the horizontal. In this way, the danger zone 11, the boundary area 17 and the permissible occupancy area 20 are essentially captured completely. The at least one sensor unit 13 with spatial and temporal resolution is further preferably designed as a laser scanning unit in each case. In this case, the laser scanning unit may be configured both as single-line and also multi-line.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the object identifying device 15 further comprises a wall identifying unit configured to identify wall areas 22. The wall identifying device, which will be explained in greater detail in the following based on Fig. 5, is configured to classify substantially stationary objects as belonging to the wall areas 22. In other words, the wall identifying device is designed to classify objects, which are stationary in the monitoring area 14 or whose movement pattern shows that they do not change their position or change it only more slowly than a predefined threshold value, as wall areas 22.

The evaluation device is preferably designed to dynamically limit the monitoring area 14 in partial sections, in which wall areas 22 were registered, by the particular wall areas 22 registered. In this way, the danger zone 11 to be monitored is automatically adjusted to the particular wall areas 22. Consequently, the danger zone 11 is predefined on the one hand by the detected wall areas 22 and on the other hand by the predetermined boundary area 17.

As shown in Fig. 6, the evaluation device is configured in particular to also record persons 16, who are carrying with them additional objects 24, as a person object. The person 16, who is carrying with them the additional object 24, is classified overall as a person object by the evaluation device based on the movement pattern.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the object identifying device 15 further comprises a structure identifying unit configured to identify mesh-like structures 25. The position and spatial extent of the mesh-like structures 25 are determined by means of the evaluation device by identifying alternating toleranceaffected distance information and of the captured spatial data via an angular segment region of the optically scanned monitoring area 14. The spatial data generated by means of the sensor unit 13 show distance information for mesh-like structures 25 which are subject to severe fluctuations in the angular segment region captured. Such distance information is classified as mesh-like structures 25 by the evaluation unit configured for this purpose.

The object identifying device 15 is preferably further configured to determine the position of the particular mesh-like structure 25 at least substantially continuously in each case and, if the particular position of the mesh-like structure 25 is temporally variable, to identify the position and spatial extent of another person object of a further person 16 concealed behind the mesh-like structure 25. In other words, to identify such mesh-like structures 25, the object identifying device 15 is designed to create a movement pattern by tracking position changes and the spatial extent and, based on this movement pattern and the spatial extent, to also classify the detected mesh-like structure 25 as a person object. In this way, it is ensured that even persons 16 hidden by further objects are reliably detected when entering the danger zone 11 or when present therein.

The drawing additionally shows the arrangement according to the invention, which illustrates an underground mining machine 10 with tools operating in a danger zone 11 and an apparatus according to the invention arranged on the underground mining machine 10. The tools of the underground mining machine 10 can be switched on and off by means of a drive unit configured to be controllable. The drive unit is further configured to be switched off automatically via the machine stop signal. An underground mining machine 10 equipped with the apparatus according to the invention is configured such that its tools are switched off automatically via the machine stop signal as soon as a person 16 enters the danger zone 11 or is present therein.

The method according to the invention and its further embodiments have already been described sufficiently previously in connection with the apparatus according to the invention and in connection with the arrangement according to the invention. To avoid repetition, reference is therefore made in connection with the method according to the invention to the preceding descriptions, from which all the details of the method according to the invention emerge analogously.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus, designed and configured for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine, comprising:

at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution, which is configured to generate digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area, an object identifying device designed to process the spatial data which, based on predefined identification features, is configured to classify persons in the monitoring area as a person object in each case and to determine their particular position and spatial extent at least substantially continuously, an evaluation device which, based on the position and spatial extent, is configured in each case to determine a movement pattern of the particular person object and, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, to detect a person entering the danger zone wherein the particular person object at least partially enters the danger zone and, based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, to detect a person leaving the danger zone wherein the particular person object has completely left the predefined boundary area defining the danger zone, and wherein the evaluation device has a detection unit which is configured to determine whether the danger zone is person-object-free, and wherein the evaluation device has a signalling device which is configured to provide a machine stop signal if at least one person has been registered entering the danger zone and to provide a danger zone free status signal if a person has been registered leaving the danger zone and the detection unit has determined that the danger zone is person-object-free.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device comprises a control and display unit, which is configured to display the machine stop signal and the danger zone free status signal to a machine operator and on displaying the danger zone free status signal to request the machine operator by means of a prompt to confirm that the danger zone is free of persons, and is further configured, if the machine operator confirms that the danger zone is free of persons, to prompt the signalling device to provide a machine enable signal.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a warning indicator device which is configured to visually and/or acoustically emit the machine stop signal and the machine enable signal received from the signalling device.
4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit comprises a person counter and is configured to increment the person counter for each person registered entering the danger zone and to decrement the person counter when a person leaves the danger zone, wherein the evaluation device is further designed to determine, based on the counter reading, whether there is a person in the danger zone or whether it is person-free.
5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution has a substantially horizontally oriented detection plane in each case.
6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the object identifying device further comprises a wall identifying unit configured to identify wall areas, wherein the wall identifying device classifies at least substantially stationary objects as belonging to said wall areas.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the evaluation device is designed to dynamically limit the monitoring area at least in partial sections, in which wall areas were registered, by the particular wall areas registered.
8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the object identifying device further comprises a structure identifying unit configured to identify meshlike structures, wherein position and spatial extent of the mesh-like structures are determined by identifying alternating tolerance-affected distance information of the captured spatial data via an angular segment region of the optically scanned monitoring area.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the object identifying device is further configured to determine the position of the particular mesh-like structure at least substantially continuously in each case and, if the particular position of the meshlike structure is temporally variable, to identify the position and spatial extent of another person object of a further person concealed behind the mesh-like structure.
10. Arrangement, comprising an underground mining machine having machine tools operating in a danger zone and an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 arranged on said underground mining machine, wherein the tools are designed to be switched on and off by means of a drive unit configured to be controllable and the drive unit is configured to be switched off automatically via the machine stop signal.
11. Method for securing a danger zone of an underground mining machine, comprising the steps:

generating digital spatial data by optically scanning a monitoring area by means of at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution, processing the spatial data by classifying in each case persons in the monitoring area as a person object, based on predefined identification features, and at least substantially continuously determining their particular position and spatial extent, determining a movement pattern of the particular person object based on the position and spatial extent and registering a person entering the danger zone based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, wherein the particular person object at least partially enters the danger zone, and registering a person leaving the danger zone based on the particular movement pattern taking into account the spatial extent, wherein the particular person object has completely left a predefined boundary area defining the danger zone, registering whether the danger zone is person-free and providing a machine stop signal if at least one person has been registered entering the danger zone and providing a danger zone free status signal if a person has been registered leaving the danger zone and it has been registered that the danger zone is free of persons.
12. Method according to claim 11, including displaying the machine stop signal and the danger zone free status signal by means of a control and display unit and requesting a machine operator by means of a prompt to confirm that the danger zone is free of persons and, if the machine operator confirms the danger zone is free of persons, prompting the provision of a machine enable signal.
13. Method according to claim 12, including visual and/or acoustic emission of the machine stop signal by means of a warning indicator device.
14. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, including incrementing a person counter each time a person is registered entering the danger zone and decrementing the person counter when a person leaves the danger zone, wherein it is determined based on the counter reading whether there is a person in the danger zone or whether it is person-free.
15. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the optical scanning is carried out by means of the at least one sensor unit with spatial and temporal resolution in an at least substantially horizontally oriented detection plane in each case.
16. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein for identifying wall areas, at least substantially stationary objects are classified as belonging to said wall areas.
17. Method according to claim 16, including a dynamic limiting of the monitoring area at least in partial sections, in which wall areas were registered, by the particular wall areas registered.
18. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, further including identifying mesh-like structures, wherein position and spatial extent of the mesh-like structures are determined by identifying alternating tolerance-affected distance information of the captured spatial data via an angular segment region of the optically scanned monitoring area.
19. Method according to claim 18, wherein each case by at least substantially continuously determining the position of the particular mesh-like structure and, if the particular position of the mesh-like structure is temporally variable, identifying the position and spatial extent of another person object of a further person concealed behind the mesh-like structure.
20. Method for operating an underground mining machine having machine tools operating in a danger zone, wherein tools are designed to be switched on and off

2020201817 12 Mar 2020 by means of a drive unit configured to be controllable, comprising the steps of a method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the tools are switched off automatically via the drive unit if a machine stop signal is provided.