Actuator Control Safety Unit for Blocking Impermissible Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work equipment control units, particularly when modified by end users, risk generating impermissible operating states that endanger the equipment, operator, or environment, especially when software changes are made, posing a safety concern.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a safety unit between the control unit and actuator system to check and modify instructions, ensuring only permissible actions are executed, allowing flexible adaptation while maintaining safety, even after software modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the control unit is modified or further developed (e.g., through software changes), then the adaptability and functionality of the work equipment are improved, but the risk of generating impermissible operating states that endanger safety increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a safety unit as an intermediary component positioned between the instruction unit and the actuator system. This safety unit independently verifies instructions before they reach the actuators, acting as a mediator that blocks impermissible commands while allowing legitimate ones to pass through. This resolves the contradiction by enabling control unit modifications without compromising safety, as the safety unit serves as a protective barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is segmented into functionally independent components: an instruction unit for generating commands and a safety unit for verifying them. This segmentation allows the instruction unit to be modified for adaptability while the safety unit maintains independent safety verification. The separation ensures that modifications in one component do not directly impact the safety-critical verification function.
2Ease of operation
If the control unit is made more flexible and adaptable to user needs, then the ease of operation and customization are improved, but the complexity of ensuring safety across all possible configurations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety unit serves as a dedicated intermediary that handles all safety verification tasks, freeing the instruction unit to focus on flexible control operations. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain high operational flexibility while the safety unit manages the complexity of safety verification through standardized checking procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety unit performs self-verification of instructions against predefined safety criteria and impermissible instruction sets. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain safety without requiring external verification for each configuration change, reducing the operational complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard operating devices are used across various work equipment, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ability to ensure safety for equipment-specific operations may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The safety unit is designed as a universal component that can verify instructions for different types of actuators and work equipment. By implementing a generic safety verification mechanism that checks against equipment-specific impermissible instruction sets, the system allows standard operating devices to be used across multiple equipment types while maintaining equipment-specific safety requirements through the configurable safety unit.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a working device comprising an actuator system (10) with at least one actuator (11, 12, 13) and a control unit (20) for controlling the actuator system (10). The control unit (20) issues an instruction for the actuator system (10) to control it. The control unit (20) comprises an instruction unit (21) and a safety unit (22), which is functionally arranged between the instruction unit (21) and the actuator system (10). The instruction unit (21) generates a preliminary instruction for the actuator system (10). The safety unit (22) defines a set of impermissible instructions.The safety unit (22) checks whether the preliminary instruction is among the set of inadmissible instructions and allows the preliminary instruction to be forwarded to the actuator system (10) in unchanged form only if the preliminary instruction is outside the set of inadmissible instructions and/or whether the preliminary instruction is among the set of permissible instructions and allows the preliminary instruction to be forwarded to the actuator system (10) in unchanged form only if the preliminary instruction is within the set of permissible instructions.