Dynamic Warning Period Control for Industrial Device Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial devices, such as printers, face challenges in ensuring safety during startup due to time constraints in checking safety conditions, ink and sheet availability, and operator readiness, which may not align with international safety standards like ISO 12643-1 that require a minimum 2-second warning period and a 6-second permissive period.
Innovation Solution
A controlling apparatus that adjusts the warning period based on specific situations, such as the presence of workers, complexity of the operation, number of jobs, and operator skills, to ensure sufficient time for safety checks before initiating the action, extending the warning period as needed while maintaining a permissive period for action execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a predetermined warning period is used, then safety compliance is improved, but check time is insufficient for complex operations
Solution Approach 1:
The warning period is made dynamic rather than fixed. The controlling apparatus automatically adjusts the warning period duration based on the number of check items and their complexity. When multiple check items are present or when checks require more time, the warning period is extended accordingly, ensuring sufficient check time while maintaining safety compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The time parameter of the warning period is changed based on operational conditions. The system determines the appropriate warning period length by evaluating factors such as the number of check items, their complexity, and the specific operation being performed, thereby optimizing both safety compliance and check time availability.
2Loss of time
If warning period is extended, then check time is sufficient, but device startup time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The warning period duration is dynamically adjusted based on the actual number and complexity of check items required for the specific operation. This ensures that the warning period is extended only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary delays in device startup while still providing sufficient check time when multiple or complex checks are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the time parameter of the warning period based on evaluated operational parameters. By determining the appropriate warning period length according to the specific operation's requirements, the system optimizes the balance between providing sufficient check time and maintaining efficient device startup time.
3Ease of operation
If fixed warning period is used, then control is simple, but safety checks cannot be completed for multiple parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The controlling apparatus automatically determines and adjusts the warning period duration based on the number and complexity of check items. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual configuration while ensuring that the warning period is sufficient for completing all necessary safety checks, thereby maintaining control simplicity without compromising safety check completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically changes the warning period parameter based on the specific operation's requirements. By evaluating the number of check items and their complexity, the system determines the appropriate warning period length, ensuring complete safety checks while maintaining simple control through automated parameter adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A controlling apparatus according to the present disclosure is a controlling apparatus for controlling a device provided with a warning period before starting an action, the controlling apparatus including an acceptance unit configured to accept an instruction to start the action; and a changing unit configured to change the warning period in accordance with a situation under which the action is executed.