Selective equipment lockout

An apparatus for selectively locking controls from at least one operator operating equipment, the apparatus comprising:

• means for actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired;
• and
• means for locking the control to prevent the operator from operating the particular control;
• whereby an operator is permitted selective access to controls in order to promote operator safety, and
• wherein the means for actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired further comprises:
• means for generating a signal;
• means for passing the signal to a plate;
• means for coupling the signal from the plate through the operator to a receiving pad;
• and
• means for detecting the signal at a signal detector attached with a control, and
• wherein the signal is an electrostatically-coupled signal, and
• wherein different signals are provided for different operators, and where the means for locking the controls selectively locks control based on the signal received, and
• wherein the signals are passed through a posterior portion of the operators by use of signal transmitters incorporated with seats on which the operators sit during operation of the equipment, whereby different signals may be transmitted from different signal transmitters incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectively locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.

An apparatus for selectively locking controls from at least one operator operating equipment, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one signal generator/detector for actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired;
• and
• an access controller connected with the signal generator/detector for receiving a signal therethrough and for locking the control in response to the signal in order to prevent the operator from operating the particular control;
• whereby an operator is permitted selective access to controls in order to promote operator safety, and
• wherein the signal generators/detectors further comprise:
• a signal generator for generating a signal;
• a plate connected to receive the signal from the signal generator;
• a receiver on an equipment control for coupling the signal from the plate through the operator when the operator touches the control;
• and
• a detector attached with the receiver for detecting whether a signal is received and for passing a further signal to the access controller, and
• wherein the signal is an electrostatically-coupled signal, and
• wherein different signals are provided for different operators, and where the access controller selectively locks the control based on the signal received, and
• wherein the signals are passed through a posterior portion of the operators by use of signal generators and plates incorporated with seats on which the operators sit during operation of the equipment, whereby different signals may be transmitted form different signal generators incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectively locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.

A method for selectively locking controls comprising acts of:

• actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired;
• locking the control to prevent the operator from operating the particular control;
• whereby an operator is permitted selective access to controls in order to promote operator safety;
• and
• wherein different signals are provided for different operators, and where the act of locking the control selectively locks the control based on which of the different signals is received, and
• wherein the different signals may be transmitted from different signal transmitters incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectively locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.

A method for locking controls comprising act of:

• actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired;
• detecting the identity of the operator;
• and
• selectively locking the particular control based on the identity of the generator, whereby operators area given selective access to equipment controls, and
• wherein different signals are provided for different operators, and where the act of selectively locking locks the controls based on which of the different signals is received, and
• wherein the different signals may be transmitted from different signal transmitters incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectivley locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.

An apparatus for locking controls comprising:

• a plurality of signal generator/detectors for actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired, wherein different signals are provided for different operators;
• and
• an access controller connected with the signal generator/detectors for receiving a signal therethrough and for selectively locking the control based on the signal received, and
• wherein the each of the plurality of signal generator/detectors may be incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectively locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.

An apparatus for selectively locking controls from at least one operator comprising:

• a signal generator/detector for actively detecting when an operator is accessing a particular control for which an operator lockout is desired;
• an identity detector connected with the signal generator/detector for detecting the identity of the operator;
• and
• an access controller connected with the identity detector, wherein the access controller selectively locks the particular control based on the identity of the operator, whereby operators are given selective access to equipment controls, and
• wherein different signals are provided for different operators, and where the access controller selectively locks the control based on the signal received, and
• whereby different signals may be transmitted from different signal generators incorporated into different seats so that operators sitting on different seats may be selectively locked from controls based on the seat upon which they sit.