Integrated Operator Interface for Mineral Processing Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mineral and waste material processing equipment control systems require operators to manually monitor and control multiple machines from a remote location, leading to increased workload and potential safety hazards, especially when equipment is covered for environmental protection, and existing solutions complicate the integration of remote control, alarm systems, and video surveillance within limited spaces.
Innovation Solution
A user interface that combines diagrammatic representations of equipment status with live camera views, allowing operators to monitor critical points simultaneously on a single screen, with camera views activating automatically under predefined conditions or when approaching danger zones, and includes touch-screen controls and alarm notifications to streamline operations and reduce operator workload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators use separate devices for remote control, alarm systems, and video surveillance, then each function can be performed independently, but the operator's workload increases and safety decreases due to the need to switch between multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines remote control functions, alarm systems, and video surveillance into a single integrated user interface. The display unit shows diagrammatic representations of equipment status alongside live camera views, allowing operators to monitor and control all functions from one screen rather than switching between multiple separate devices, thereby reducing workload and improving safety
Solution Approach 2:
The user interface is designed as a multi-functional system that simultaneously performs remote control, alarm monitoring, and video surveillance. The control unit integrates signals from sensors and cameras, processes them centrally, and presents unified information on the display unit, making the system universal rather than requiring separate specialized devices for each function
2Object-affected harmful factors
If equipment is covered to shield from airborne material, then environmental protection is improved, but visual observation of equipment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces video cameras as intermediary devices that capture visual information from inside the covered equipment and transmit it to the operator's display unit. This allows the equipment to remain covered for environmental protection while the operator can still observe equipment status and material flow through the camera feeds integrated into the user interface
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies of the equipment interior through camera images displayed on the screen. Instead of requiring direct visual observation of the actual equipment, the operator views replicated visual information from cameras positioned inside the covered structure, maintaining both environmental protection and observability
3Reliability
If operators manually monitor multiple machines from remote location, then safety is improved by avoiding presence at machine sites, but situational awareness decreases due to limited field of view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single perspective view to multiple simultaneous views by integrating camera feeds from different locations into the display unit. Operators can see multiple equipment locations and angles at once on one screen, providing comprehensive situational awareness while remaining remotely located for safety
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
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AI summary
User interface of a mineral processing equipment governs a mineral processing line having several units (crushers, screens) connected in series. The user interface comprises a display screen (14) and control buttons or keys and is connected through a data transmission link to sensors and actuators of the mineral processing equipment for receiving measurement data and sending control commands. The user interface is arranged to show within the display screen (14), by choice of the user - status of the mineral processing equipment in diagrammatic representation, or - a live camera view (21) of at least one point of the equipment. The diagrammatic representations can be in form of a traffic lights (20) indicating the feeding speeds of the units.