Delayed Alarm Notification for Machine Transition Overload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex machines generate a high number of alarms during operational transitions, overwhelming users and making it difficult to decipher operation trends.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a delayed notification system that aggregates and analyzes machine operation data after an alarm is triggered, providing visualizations of sensor measurements before and after the alarm, and specifying a time delay for notification to reduce the number of alarms and enhance user understanding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alarm notifications are generated immediately when alarm conditions are met, then the system provides timely alerts to operators, but the high volume of alarms during machine transitions overwhelms users and makes it difficult to decipher operation trends
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by generating an alarm event and delaying the notification until the machine transition is complete. The alarm is triggered immediately when conditions are met, but the actual notification to the user is postponed until after the transition state ends, allowing the system to prepare and filter alarms in advance of user notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine transition state acts as an intermediary between alarm generation and user notification. Instead of directly notifying users of every alarm condition, the system uses the transition state as a mediator to aggregate and time-coordinate multiple alarm conditions that occur during transitions, then presents a consolidated notification after the transition completes.
2Loss of information
If multiple alarms are generated during machine operational transitions, then the system captures all alarm conditions, but the number of alarms becomes high creating significant amounts of work for users
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple alarm conditions that occur during the same machine transition are merged into a single consolidated notification. Instead of sending separate notifications for each alarm condition triggered during a transition, the system combines them and delivers one unified alert after the transition completes, preserving all alarm information while reducing notification volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic checking of machine operational states to determine when transitions begin and end. By monitoring the machine state periodically and identifying transition periods, the system can aggregate alarms that occur during these periods and notify users only after the periodic transition cycle completes, rather than immediately for each alarm condition.
3Loss of information
If alarm notifications are delayed to provide contextual data, then user understanding of alarm causes is enhanced, but the response time for critical alarms may be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection and analysis during the delay period, gathering contextual information about machine operation before and during the alarm condition. This preliminary action ensures that when the notification is finally sent, comprehensive contextual data is already prepared and included, eliminating the need for additional delays after notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification delay is dynamic rather than fixed - it is adjusted based on the duration of machine transitions and the specific alarm conditions. For critical alarms that require immediate attention, the delay is minimized or eliminated. For less critical alarms during routine transitions, the delay is extended to capture more contextual data, allowing the system to adapt notification timing to the specific situation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Data can be received indicating an occurrence of an alarm in an industrial machine monitoring system, the alarm triggered in response to machine operation satisfying a condition. A notification plan associated with the alarm can be accessed. The notification plan can specify parameters for contacting a user in response to the occurrence of the alarm. The notification plan can specify a time delay. A notification can be generated after elapse of at least the time delay. The generating can be according to the notification plan. The notification can be provided. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.