External Visual Indication System for Machine Status
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems do not effectively inform bystanders of the parking and implement status of a machine from a remote location, posing safety risks as they may attempt to mount the machine while it is operational.
Innovation Solution
A visual indication system that includes a controller and output module, allowing the parking and implement status to be communicated externally, providing visual cues to bystanders about the locked state of the machine, thereby preventing unsafe mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If large physical levers are used to indicate parking and implement status, then the status can be visually inspected from outside the machine, but the indication is not clearly visible or easily distinguishable from a distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded indicator lights (red, yellow, green) to represent different machine status conditions. The controller selectively activates these colored indicators to provide clear, distance-visible information about parking brake status, implement status, and operator presence, resolving the issue of insufficient visual distinguishability while maintaining simple system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from mechanical lever positioning (one-dimensional physical position) to multi-color light emission (multi-dimensional optical signal). This dimensional change allows status information to be conveyed more effectively through color variations and light patterns, making the status clearly visible from external locations without increasing mechanical complexity
2Reliability
If mechanical lock controls and operator presence detection are used inside the cabin, then the operator can prevent inadvertent actuation, but the second person outside the machine remains unaware of the parking and implement status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system consisting of the controller and external indicator lights. This intermediary translates internal machine status signals (parking brake position, implement position, operator presence detection) into externally visible optical signals, allowing the second person to obtain status information without being inside the cabin or interfering with the operator's controls
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to external observers about the machine's operational status. The controller continuously monitors internal sensors and immediately reflects the current state through the external indicator lights, enabling the second person to make informed decisions about when it is safe to approach or mount the machine
3Measurement precision
If the second person visually inspects the position of levers from outside the machine, then they can determine parking and implement status, but the inspection requires close proximity and may not be reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs distinct color-coded indicators that can be clearly distinguished from a distance, eliminating the need for close visual inspection of mechanical lever positions. The colored lights provide unambiguous status information that is easily interpretable without requiring the observer to approach the machine closely
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical lever indication system with an optical indication system using LED or similar lights. This substitution allows status information to be conveyed over longer distances with greater clarity and reliability, while the mechanical levers remain inside the protected cabin environment
Data Source
AI summary
A visual indication system for a machine is provided. The visual indication system includes an output module configured to be displayed at an external location relative to an internal portion of a cabin of the machine and configured to provide a visual indication viewable. The visual indication system also includes a controller communicably coupled to the output module. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a parking status and an implement status of the machine. Further, the controller is configured to determine a locked state associated with the parking status and the implement status. The controller is configured to transmit the visual indication of the determined locked state to the output module.