I/O Interface Filtering for Duplicate Request Abnormality Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional process control systems face challenges in maintaining safety and reliability in open plant control systems, particularly due to human errors in engineering, which lead to duplication of I/O output requests from multiple control units and the need for effective abnormality detection and fallback mechanisms to ensure safe plant operation.
Innovation Solution
A network-compatible I/O interface device that receives and filters I/O output requests from multiple control units, detects abnormalities, and transmits alternate requests to prevent duplication and ensure safe operation by setting output values to safe values when abnormalities are detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control units transmit I/O output requests through a network in an open process control system, then the system achieves multi-vendor compatibility and reduced initial cost, but duplication of requests and abnormalities occur leading to safety and reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device between multiple control units and I/O output devices that receives requests from multiple control units, filters out duplicates, detects abnormalities, and transmits only valid requests. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by enabling multi-vendor compatibility while ensuring safety and reliability through request validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors incoming requests from multiple control units, identifies duplicates and abnormalities, and selectively transmits valid requests. The feedback loop ensures that only proper requests reach I/O output devices, maintaining system reliability while supporting multiple vendors.
2Productivity
If I/O output requests are transmitted from multiple control units, then the system supports redundant control units for higher availability, but human errors lead to duplication of requests causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of request duplication into a benefit by using the presence of multiple requests as an opportunity to implement filtering and validation. The system leverages the redundant request flow to identify and eliminate duplicates, ensuring that only valid requests are executed while maintaining high system availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts harmful duplicate requests from the system by introducing a filtering mechanism that separates valid requests from duplicates. The filtering unit identifies and removes duplicate requests before they reach I/O output devices, preventing harmful effects while preserving the benefits of redundant control units.
3Ease of operation
If an I/O interface unit is positioned between control units and I/O output devices, then the interface provides necessary data exchange functions, but the system lacks effective abnormality detection and fallback mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing abnormality detection and filtering mechanisms before requests are transmitted to I/O output devices. The system proactively identifies duplicates and abnormalities in incoming requests, preventing potential issues before they affect system operation while maintaining ease of data exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides beforehand cushioning by preparing fallback mechanisms and validation rules in advance. The filtering unit is pre-configured with criteria for identifying valid requests and detecting abnormalities, ensuring that the system can handle unexpected situations without compromising data exchange functionality or system safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a receiving unit, a filtering unit, an abnormality detecting unit, and an output unit. The receiving unit receives an I/O output request that includes an operational output for an I/O output device to operate a plant, and that is transmitted from plural control units through a network. The filtering unit performs filtering in which an I/O output request from a proper control unit out of the received I/O output requests is selected and output. The abnormality detecting unit detects an abnormality of the I/O output request. The output unit transmits, when the abnormality is detected, an alternate I/O output request, which is a request including an alternate operational output, to an I/O output device corresponding to the I/O output request, and that outputs, when the abnormality is not detected, the I/O output request output from the filtering unit to an I/O output device corresponding to the I/O output request.