I/O Interface Filtering for Duplicate Request Abnormality Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional process control systems face challenges in maintaining high 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 using a filtering unit, abnormality detecting unit, and output unit to manage I/O output devices effectively.
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 flexibility, but the risk of request duplication and abnormalities increases, compromising safety and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device between multiple control units and I/O output devices that mediates request transmission. This intermediary receives requests from multiple control units, identifies the proper control unit through filtering, detects abnormalities, and transmits only valid requests to prevent duplication while maintaining multi-vendor compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors transmitted requests and provides information about request status and abnormalities. This feedback enables the system to detect duplicate requests, identify proper control units, and ensure safe operation by preventing unauthorized or duplicate I/O output requests
2Ease of manufacture
If an I/O interface unit processes requests from multiple general-purpose controllers, then the system supports open architecture and reduced initial cost, but the complexity of managing and filtering requests increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the request processing function into distinct operational steps: receiving requests from multiple control units, filtering to identify the proper control unit, detecting abnormalities, and transmitting valid requests. This segmentation simplifies the overall complexity by breaking down the management task into manageable, standardized operations
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A device (10) includes a receiving unit (11), a filtering unit (14), an abnormality detecting unit (15), and an output unit (17). The receiving unit (11) receives an I/O output request that includes an operational output for an I/O output device (51) to operate a plant, and that is transmitted from plural control units (30) through a network. The filtering unit (14) 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 (15) detects an abnormality of the I/O output request. The output unit (17) 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 (51) 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 (14) to an I/O output device (51) corresponding to the I/O output request.