Dashboard Image Inspection for Multi-Mode Assets Offline
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Solution Overview
Problem
Many industrial machines operating in communication-denied environments lack the ability to transmit operational data to inspection systems, leading to increased failure rates due to lack of maintenance access, as existing solutions do not account for assets with multiple working modes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that receive an image of an asset's dashboard, determine its working mode and status identifiers, and transmit this information to an inspection system when communication becomes available, using techniques like image analysis and data queuing to ensure accurate status determination in multi-mode assets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If assets are equipped with built-in communication equipment to deliver operational information to inspection systems, then information delivery capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary image capture device (such as a dashboard camera) that photographs the asset's dashboard and transmits the image to a remote inspection system. The inspection system then uses image recognition technology to extract operational information from the dashboard display. This intermediary approach allows communication-denied assets to provide operational information without requiring built-in communication equipment, thereby resolving the contradiction between information delivery capability and device complexity.
2Device complexity
If assets operate in communication-denied environments without built-in communication equipment, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of maintenance monitoring deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by capturing dashboard images at predetermined time intervals or when specific conditions are met (such as mode transitions). The images are stored locally on the capture device or transmission device, ensuring that operational information is preserved even during communication-denied periods. When communication becomes available, the stored images are transmitted to the inspection system for analysis. This preliminary capture and storage mechanism ensures reliable maintenance monitoring without requiring continuous communication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system analyzes the transmitted dashboard images and provides feedback about the asset's operational status, including detected working modes and any anomalies. This feedback loop enables remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, improving reliability by allowing maintenance teams to respond to potential issues before they cause failures, even though the asset itself lacks built-in communication equipment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If image analysis is used to determine working mode and status identifiers, then adaptability to communication-denied environments is improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate due to image quality variations
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system employs multiple image processing techniques and analyzes multiple dashboard images captured at different times to compensate for individual image quality issues. Rather than relying on a single potentially flawed image, the system processes multiple images and uses image recognition algorithms that can handle variations in lighting, angle, and clarity. This partial reliance on multiple data points maintains measurement precision while preserving adaptability to communication-denied environments.
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology is generally directed to systems and methods for inspecting an asset in a communication-denied environment. The present technology can include receiving, via an electronic device, an image of a dashboard of the asset; determining, based on the image, a working mode and one or more status identifiers of the asset; transmitting the working mode and the one or more status identifiers to an inspection system; and/or receiving information regarding the status of the asset based on the working mode and one or more status identifiers.