Mining Vehicle Sensor Sharing via Managed Switch Port Mirroring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mining vehicles face challenges with a large bill of materials and complex installations due to multiple sensors required for various applications, leading to increased costs and difficulty in finding suitable installation locations.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system with a managed switch connects multiple applications to a single sensor, allowing data sharing through port mirroring, reducing the number of sensors and simplifying installations by using a lidar, radar, or ToF camera to scan surroundings, and configuring the sensor based on parameter settings of a primary application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate sensors are configured for different applications, then each application can receive dedicated sensor data, but the bill of materials increases and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple applications share a single sensor system through a managed switch that distributes sensor data to multiple application processes. This merging approach reduces the total number of sensors required while maintaining dedicated data pathways for each application through network switching, thereby reducing bill of materials and installation complexity while preserving application-specific data reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single sensor system is configured to serve multiple applications simultaneously through the managed switch architecture. The sensor data is distributed to multiple application processes that can each access the same sensor inputs, allowing one sensor system to perform multiple functions and support various applications without requiring separate dedicated sensors for each.
2Reliability
If multiple separate sensors are installed for different applications, then each application has dedicated sensor coverage, but the number of installation locations required increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple applications share a single sensor system through a managed switch that distributes sensor data to multiple application processes. This merging approach reduces the total number of sensors required while maintaining dedicated data pathways for each application through network switching, thereby reducing bill of materials and installation complexity while preserving application-specific data reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate sensors are used for each application, then data can be tailored to specific application needs, but the cost increases due to larger bill of materials
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple applications share a single sensor system through a managed switch that distributes sensor data to multiple application processes. This merging approach reduces the total number of sensors required while maintaining dedicated data pathways for each application through network switching, thereby reducing bill of materials and installation complexity while preserving application-specific data reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single sensor system is configured to serve multiple applications simultaneously through the managed switch architecture. The sensor data is distributed to multiple application processes that can each access the same sensor inputs, allowing one sensor system to perform multiple functions and support various applications without requiring separate dedicated sensors for each.
4Device complexity
If a managed switch is used to share sensor data among multiple applications, then the bill of materials is reduced, but data delay may occur between applications
Solution Approach 1:
The managed switch is pre-configured with VLANs and port mirroring rules to prioritize and efficiently route sensor data to multiple applications. By establishing the network architecture in advance with proper switching configurations, the system minimizes data transmission delays while sharing sensor data among multiple applications, ensuring that the reduced complexity does not come at the cost of significant time loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the bill of materials and installation complexity, minimizing data delay and enhancing cost-efficiency while enabling multiple applications to utilize shared measurement data effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a light detection and ranging sensor
Implementation Method 2
a radio detection and ranging sensor
Implementation Method 3
a time-of-flight camera
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system in a mining vehicle includes at least one sensor configured to scan surroundings of the mining vehicle, at least one computing device configured to execute a plurality of applications, and a managed switch connected to the at least one sensor and the at least one computing device, wherein the managed switch is connected to the at least one computing device from via a first port of the managed switch configured to forward data for a first application of the plurality of applications and from via at least one second port configured to forward data for at least one second application of the plurality of applications. The managed switch is configured to send measurement data of the surroundings from the at least one sensor to the first port and send a copy of the measurement data to the at least one second port.