Unified Maintenance Interface Reducing Page Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

In industrial plants, the efficiency of device maintenance is hindered by the need to frequently switch between pages on maintenance apparatuses when dealing with multiple field devices, leading to increased operational complexity and reduced efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A device maintenance apparatus with a touch panel interface that displays maintenance information and execution buttons for each field device, allowing workers to perform maintenance tasks with reduced page switching through a user-friendly interface that determines and prioritizes maintenance items based on device-specific parameters and previous execution results.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If workers switch pages frequently to perform maintenance on multiple field devices, then maintenance coverage is improved, but operational complexity increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance coverageVSAvoidoperational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple maintenance operations for different field devices into a single unified display page. Instead of requiring workers to switch between separate pages for each device, the system merges device information, maintenance items, and execution functions into one integrated interface, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining comprehensive maintenance coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The maintenance apparatus is designed with multi-functional capability to handle multiple field devices simultaneously on one page. The system provides universal access to various maintenance operations (reading device information, setting parameters, executing maintenance items) across different devices without requiring page switching, making the interface adaptable to diverse maintenance scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If workers switch pages for each maintenance operation, then task completion is achieved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance efficiencyVSAvoidtime for page switching
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-organizing and displaying all necessary maintenance information and execution buttons for multiple field devices on a single page before the worker begins maintenance tasks. This eliminates the need for time-consuming page switching during actual maintenance operations, allowing workers to immediately access and execute required maintenance items

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By merging device information, maintenance item lists, and execution functions into one display page, the system eliminates multiple page transitions. Workers can view and execute maintenance tasks for multiple devices without leaving the current page, significantly reducing time loss associated with navigation and page switching

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3232380B1Device maintenance apparatus, method for maintaining device, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2020.02.19 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3232380B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3232380B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3232380B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A device maintenance apparatus includes a device information storage storing information of a device and one or more maintenance items associated with the information of the device, an acquirer configured to acquire the information of the device, and a display configured to display the acquired information of the device and an operator receivable of an operation for executing, with respect to the device, at least one maintenance item among the one or more maintenance items associated with the acquire information of the device and stored in the device information storage.