Modular Remote Sensing Device for Dynamic Industrial Safety Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated control and safety systems in industrial facilities rely on static sensing systems and predefined responses, which are inflexible, non-robust, and inefficient, leading to inadequate monitoring and response to safety hazards, particularly in dynamic environments where personnel movement and equipment operation pose challenges.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of intelligent industrial facility safety systems employing remote sensing devices (RSDs) with modular sensor modules and adaptive communication schemes, including fixed and mobile RSDs that can dynamically adjust sensing and alerting based on location and environmental conditions, enabling more robust and efficient safety monitoring and response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If fixed sensors are distributed throughout the facility to provide balanced coverage, then monitoring coverage is improved, but the system cannot adapt when personnel migrate to different areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs mobile sensors that can dynamically relocate to track personnel positions and adjust monitoring focus to areas where personnel are currently located, transforming the static sensor distribution into a dynamic system that adapts to changing conditions
2Device complexity
If sensors rely on direct communication with a centralized controller, then system control is simplified, but monitoring fails when sensors lose communication with the controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized control function into distributed intelligent agents at each sensor node, allowing sensors to independently process local data and make decisions without continuous centralized control, thereby maintaining monitoring reliability even when communication with the central controller is lost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor their communication status and automatically adjust their operation mode, switching to autonomous decision-making when communication fails and returning to centralized control when communication is restored
3Quantity of substance
If fixed sensors provide partial coverage of an area, then sensor deployment cost is reduced, but the system cannot determine precise location of hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mobile sensors that can dynamically concentrate in areas where hazards are detected, allowing the system to achieve high measurement precision for hazard location without requiring a dense fixed sensor network throughout the entire facility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback loops where sensor data is continuously analyzed to identify hazard locations, and this information is used to guide mobile sensors to those specific areas for more precise measurement and confirmation
4Reliability
If the system implements broadly sweeping remedial actions when sensors cannot pinpoint hazard location, then safety response is ensured, but operational efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs mobile sensors that can dynamically relocate to hazard areas to gather more precise location information, allowing the system to transition from broad sweeping responses to targeted remedial actions, thereby maintaining safety while improving operational efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary hazard assessment using available sensor data to identify general problem areas before deploying mobile sensors for precise localization, allowing the system to begin preliminary remedial actions while gathering more information to refine the response
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are systems and methods for distributed industrial facility safety system remote sensing devices. In some embodiments an industrial facility safety system includes a plurality of removable sensor modules, each adapted to sense a given set of environmental characteristics, and a modular remote sensing device (RSD) adapted to accept removable sensor modules and adapted to be carried by a person working in an industrial facility and to sense characteristics of an environment surrounding the modular RSD and the person. The system further including a non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions executable by a processor to determine a location associated with the modular RSD, to determine one or more removable sensor modules to be employed at the location, and sending, to the modular RSD, an alert instructing installation of the one or more removable sensor modules to be employed at the location, into the modular RSD.