Coordinator Bus Arrangement Error Display via Subscriber Optical Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bus arrangements in automation technology lack an effective method for the coordinator to display information, especially in scenarios where errors occur or when participants cannot display status information themselves.

Innovation Solution

A bus arrangement where a coordinator can transmit information to participants' visual displays, allowing the coordinator to display status information even without a visual display, using light-emitting diodes to indicate errors through patterns, flashing, or running lights, enabling error detection and troubleshooting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the coordinator has no visual display, then the device complexity is reduced, but the coordinator cannot display information directly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoordinator structureVSAvoidinformation display capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses participants as intermediaries to display coordinator information. The coordinator transmits information to participants, which then display it on their optical displays. This allows the coordinator to display information indirectly without having its own visual display, resolving the contradiction between reduced complexity and information display capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If participants display local information only, then the optical display resources are used efficiently for local status, but the coordinator cannot display system-wide information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal status monitoringVSAvoidsystem status information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the participants' optical displays multi-functional. They serve both to display local status information and to display system-wide information from the coordinator. This allows the same optical display resources to fulfill multiple purposes, resolving the contradiction between efficient local status monitoring and system-wide information display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic switching of display content. Participants can switch between displaying their own local status information and displaying information received from the coordinator. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to different information display needs without adding permanent additional displays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If errors are not displayed visually, then troubleshooting is difficult, but adding visual displays to all devices increases device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror detectionVSAvoiddisplay system
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses participants as intermediaries to display error information. When the coordinator detects an error, it transmits the error information to participants, which then display it on their optical displays. This approach enables visual error indication without requiring every device to have its own display capabilities, thus reducing overall system complexity while improving error detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Facilitates the visualization of system status and error detection across the bus arrangement, aiding in maintenance and diagnostics by using participants' displays to indicate faulty components, thus improving troubleshooting efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a first subscriber with a first optical display, a second subscriber with a second optical display

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight-emitting diode: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP3942741B1Bus arrangement and method for operating a bus arrangement
Publication Date: 2024.07.17 EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LTD
  • EP3942741B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3942741B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3942741B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A bus arrangement comprises a coordinator (13), a first and a second subscriber (1, 2) having a first and a second optical display (41, 42), and a bus (14). The bus (14) couples the coordinator (13) to the first and the second subscriber (1, 2). In a standard operating phase, the first subscriber (1) is designed to display first local information on the first optical display (41), and the second subscriber (2) is designed to display second local information on the second optical display (42). In a display operating phase, the coordinator (13) is designed to transmit first information to the first subscriber (1) displaying the first information on the first optical display (41).