System for protecting an operator of a power tool

A system for protecting an operator, the system comprising:

• a power tool configured to be held by the operator, wherein the power tool is a chainsaw or other power equipment such as power cutters with blade or chain;
• a plurality of inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based sensors configured to be worn by the operator;
• a plurality of distance sensors also worn by the operator;
• a reader disposed at the power tool;
• a tool position sensor disposed at the power tool;
• and
• a controller configured to determine, based on measurements between the IMU-based sensors and the tool position sensor, whether to initiate a protective action with respect to the power tool,
• wherein the IMU-based sensors and the tool position sensor are periodically calibrated based on predefined poses of the operator and corresponding positions of the power tool,
• wherein the controller is configured to obtain distance information from the plurality of distance sensors and the reader, and to obtain motion tracking information from the IMU-based sensors and the tool position sensor,
• wherein the motion tracking information provides high precision tracking of motion via directly inferred linear acceleration and angular velocity data in three dimensions,
• wherein the controller is configured to prioritize the distance information over the motion tracking information within a predefined distance from the operator represented by the distance sensors to the power tool represented by the reader, and prioritize the motion tracking information over the distance information outside the predefined distance, and
• wherein the predefined distance is only measured using the distance information measured between the plurality of distance sensors and the reader.

A system for protecting an operator, the system comprising:

• a power tool configured to be held by the operator, wherein the power tool is a chainsaw or other power equipment such as power cutters with blade or chain;
• a plurality of distance sensors configured to be worn by the operator;
• a reader disposed at and powered by the power tool;
• and
• a controller configured to determine, based on distances between each of the distance sensors and the reader, whether to initiate a protective action with respect to the power tool,
• wherein the controller is configured to perform an adaptive power control cycle to determine the distances between each of the distance sensors and the reader,
• wherein the adaptive power control cycle comprises varying transmission signal power via incrementally lowering the transmission signal power from an initial detection signal of the reader to determine an average power at which each of the distance sensors is no longer detected by the reader disposed at the power tool to determine an operation range between the operator represented by the distance sensors and the power tool represented by the reader,
• wherein the initial detection signal is the transmission signal power at which the reader initially detects each of the distance sensors, and
• wherein the controller is configured to determine the distances based on a comparison of the average power with previous power mapping information stored at the controller.