Heating Device Interference Suppression via Signal Conversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern heating devices with combined display and operating systems face challenges in safety-relevant interference suppression, particularly due to the limitations of using non-safety-related user interfaces and the need for additional hardware circuits, which complicates operation and clarity.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a control device that converts non-safety-related interference suppression signals into hardware signals for direct transmission to the safety-relevant operating control system, with verification steps to ensure plausibility, allowing safety-relevant suppression via a non-safety-related user interface without requiring safety-relevant system requirements for the user interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pure hardware circuit is provided for safety-relevant fault clearance, then safety-relevant interference suppression is ensured, but device complexity increases and operation clarity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety-relevant interference suppressionVSAvoidhardware circuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A control device is introduced as an intermediary component between the non-safety-related user interface and the safety-relevant operating control system. This control device receives interference suppression signals from the user interface, converts them into hardware signals, and transmits these directly to the operating control system. This intermediary approach allows the user interface to remain non-safety-related while still enabling safety-relevant fault clearance, thereby reducing overall device complexity without compromising safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/hardware-based fault clearance mechanism (separate reset button with dedicated hardware line) with a software-based signal conversion approach. The control device converts software-generated interference suppression signals into hardware-compatible signals, eliminating the need for separate physical hardware circuits while maintaining safety-relevant interference suppression functionality.

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

2Reliability

If a separate reset button with dedicated hardware line is used, then safety-relevant fault clearance is ensured, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety-relevant fault clearanceVSAvoidoperation clarity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the fault clearance function into the existing user interface by integrating the interference suppression signal generation capability within the display and operating device. This allows users to clear faults through the same interface they use for normal operation, eliminating the need for separate physical reset buttons and improving operational clarity while maintaining safety-relevant fault clearance through the control device's signal conversion and direct transmission mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If non-safety-related user interface is used for fault clearance, then ease of operation improves, but reliability deteriorates due to software errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interface operationVSAvoidinterference suppression reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device serves as a safety-critical intermediary that bridges the non-safety-related user interface and the safety-relevant operating control system. It receives interference suppression signals from the user interface, verifies their plausibility, converts them into hardware signals, and transmits them directly to the operating control system. This intermediary ensures that even though the user interface is non-safety-related and easy to operate, the final signal transmitted to the safety system is reliable and plausibly verified.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The operating control system sends verification queries back to the user interface through the control device to verify the plausibility of interference suppression signals before executing fault clearance. This feedback mechanism ensures that the non-safety-related user interface can be used for fault clearance while maintaining reliability by verifying signal plausibility through the control device's coordination between user interface and operating control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3761200B1Method for troubleshooting a device via a user interface of the device
Publication Date: 2022.11.16 VAILLANT GMBH(DE)
  • EP3761200B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3761200B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for suppressing interference in a device (1) via a user interface (2) of the device (1), comprising at least the following steps: a) Receiving an interference suppression signal (4) emitted by a display and operating unit (3) of the device (1) by means of a control unit (5) of the device (1), b) Converting the interference suppression signal (4) into a hardware signal (6) by means of the control unit (5), c) Directly transmitting the hardware signal (6) from the control unit (5) to an operating control system (7) of the device (1), d) Verifying the interference suppression signal (4) by querying the operating control system (7) to the user interface (2) via a communication unit (8) of the device (1).