Door Operator Supervise Unit for Sensor Fault Diagnosis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional door operator systems face challenges in identifying the source of malfunctions, leading to increased service time and costs due to the difficulty in distinguishing between faulty or misadjusted activation and presence sensors, resulting in unnecessary component replacements.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a supervise unit that logs and analyzes data from activation and presence sensors, including object property data, to identify conflicting sequences and uncommon patterns, facilitating the identification of faulty sensors and reducing service visits through remote communication and data storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional prescheduled service schemes are used based on time and/or number of opening cycles, then service is performed regularly, but the door operator will have service too often and parts are replaced based on time/cycles instead of functionality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice timing accuracyVSAvoidservice frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The supervise unit performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of sensor data continuously, identifying malfunctions before they cause operational failures. This allows service to be performed only when actually needed rather than on a prescheduled basis, reducing unnecessary service visits while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback through the supervise unit that monitors sensor sequences and provides real-time information about sensor functionality. This feedback mechanism enables service to be triggered by actual malfunction detection rather than time-based schedules, optimizing service frequency while maintaining system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If service providers return multiple times to identify malfunction causes, then thorough diagnosis is achieved, but service time and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemalfunction identification accuracyVSAvoidservice time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The supervise unit performs preliminary analysis of sensor data sequences continuously, preparing diagnostic information in advance. When a malfunction occurs, the logged data and identified uncommon sequences are already available, eliminating the need for multiple service visits and reducing service time while maintaining accurate diagnosis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The supervise unit acts as an intermediary between the sensors and service providers, continuously monitoring and analyzing sensor data to identify malfunctions. This intermediary provides pre-analyzed diagnostic information that eliminates the need for service providers to perform multiple diagnostic visits, reducing service time while maintaining accurate malfunction identification

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If full set of components is replaced to resolve malfunction, then system reliability is restored, but costs increase due to replacing functional parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operational statusVSAvoidcomponent replacement quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The supervise unit extracts and identifies the specific faulty sensor from the sensor sequences, providing precise location information. This allows service providers to replace only the specific malfunctioning component rather than the entire sensor set, reducing waste of functional parts while restoring system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces physical component replacement with data-based diagnosis. The supervise unit analyzes sensor data sequences to identify malfunctions, substituting the need for trial-and-error component replacement with precise identification through data analysis, thereby eliminating unnecessary part replacements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If activation and presence sensors are difficult to distinguish during malfunction, then comprehensive monitoring is maintained, but identification of faulty sensor becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor monitoring coverageVSAvoidsensor fault identification complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supervise unit segments the analysis by evaluating activation and presence sensors separately through distinct evaluation rules. This segmentation provides clear identification of which specific sensor type is malfunctioning, reducing complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of all sensors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The supervise unit acts as an intermediary that processes and differentiates between activation and presence sensor data. By implementing separate evaluation rules for each sensor type, it provides clear distinction and identification of faulty sensors, reducing complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3601708B1Door operator
Publication Date: 2024.08.14 ASSA ABLOY ENTRANCE SYST AB
  • EP3601708B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3601708B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3601708B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to a door operator system and a method performed in a door operator system for moving at least one door leaf between a closed and an open position, comprising a door operator and a supervise unit, wherein the door operator comprise a drive unit adapted to be connected to and to move the at least one door leaf between the open and closed position, at least a first presence sensor connected to a control unit and configured to monitor at least an risk area and to send presence data associated with that an object is detected in the risk area to the control unit, at least a first and a second activation sensor connected to the control unit, wherein the first activation sensor is configured to monitor at least a first activation area at an outer side of the door leaf, the second activation sensor is configured to monitor at least a second activation area at an inner side of the door leaf, and the first and second activation sensors are arranged to send activation data to the control unit associated with that an object is detected in the first and/or second activation area, the control unit is connected to the drive unit and arranged to control the movement of the drive unit at least based on the received activation data and presence data, and wherein the supervise unit is connected to and adapted to receive activation data from the at least first and second activation sensors and presence data from the at least first presence sensor and configured to identify a conflicting data in a sequence of activation data and presence data.