Head-Mounted Display Overlay for Machine Alert Source Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In factories with multiple processing apparatus, operators face difficulties in quickly identifying which apparatus is generating warning sounds or notice information, leading to potential delays in addressing emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
An information transfer mechanism that includes processing apparatus with an information transmitter sending positional, identification, and notice information to a head-mounted display, which overlays this information onto the operator's visual field, allowing for immediate recognition of the source of alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple processing apparatus generate common warning sounds, then the coverage of alert notification is improved, but the ability to identify the specific source of the warning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the unified audio alert system into individual apparatus-specific audio outputs. Each processing apparatus has its own speaker that emits alerts locally, allowing operators to identify the source by location. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining comprehensive coverage through multiple speakers while enabling source identification through spatial separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each processing apparatus have distinct alert characteristics (local audio output at each apparatus location). Instead of a uniform centralized alert system, each apparatus generates alerts locally with unique positional characteristics, enabling operators to determine which specific apparatus is alerting while maintaining factory-wide notification coverage.
2Productivity
If operators monitor multiple processing apparatus from a distance, then the operational efficiency is improved, but the response time to emergency situations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual line-of-sight as an intermediary mechanism between the operator and the alert source. The sight line detection system acts as a mediator that automatically identifies which apparatus is within the operator's visual field and prioritizes displaying alerts from that apparatus, enabling quick response without requiring the operator to physically approach or visually scan multiple apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the spatial relationship between the operator and processing apparatus through sight line detection. Before an alert occurs, the system already knows the operator's position and which apparatus are in view, so when an alert happens, the identification and display are immediate without requiring real-time scanning or searching.
3Loss of information
If multiple types of notice information are transmitted simultaneously, then the information completeness is improved, but the clarity of individual information sources deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the information display by spatially separating alerts from different apparatus on the display device. Each processing apparatus's alert is displayed at a position corresponding to its physical location, and only alerts from apparatus within the operator's visual field are shown. This segmentation maintains information completeness by allowing multiple alerts to coexist while improving source differentiation through spatial separation on the display.
Data Source
AI summary
An information transfer mechanism includes processing apparatus and a head-mounted display, and transfers information of the processing apparatus to an operator. The processing apparatus has an information transmitter for transmitting positional information of the processing apparatus, individual identification information of the processing apparatus, and notice information to be notified to the operator. The head-mounted display receives the notice information of the processing apparatus which have entered a visual field thereof and displays the received notice information in overlapping relation to the scene of peripheral processing apparatus.