Plant State Visualization Using Color and Density Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in accurately and efficiently displaying the state of multiple devices in a large-scale plant, making it difficult to monitor and maintain equipment effectively, as they struggle to visually represent degradation states and trends in a clear and concise manner.

Innovation Solution

A plant state displaying apparatus and system that acquires information from devices and facilities, calculates state values, and generates diagrams with varying colors and densities based on these values, allowing for the display of a plant's state in an arbitrary range, enabling quick and accurate perception of the plant's condition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If information representing degradation states of multiple devices is displayed individually, then detailed information can be provided, but it becomes difficult to perceive degradation states at a glance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedegradation state informationVSAvoidperception ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges degradation state information from multiple devices into a single integrated display showing the entire plant layout. Each device's degradation state is represented by visual indicators (color changes, density variations) directly on the plant diagram, allowing operators to perceive all degradation states at a glance while maintaining detailed information about each device's specific condition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If symbols and characters are used to display state quantity changes, then change trends can be perceived, but as the number of devices increases, the symbols become too small to perceive at a glance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestate change trend informationVSAvoidperception ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses color changes and density variations of visual indicators on the plant diagram to represent state quantity changes and degradation trends. Instead of relying on small symbols and characters, the system changes the color intensity and visual density of device representations directly on the layout, maintaining perceptibility even when many devices are displayed simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Loss of information

If the entire plant system is displayed to show the state of all devices, then comprehensive monitoring is achieved, but it becomes difficult to accurately perceive the state of all devices at a glance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplant state informationVSAvoidstate perception accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making each device's visual indicator on the plant diagram have distinct visual properties (color, density) that reflect its specific degradation state. This allows the entire plant to be displayed comprehensively while maintaining the ability to accurately perceive individual device states through their unique visual characteristics, enabling both overall and detailed state assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3296830B1Plant state displaying apparatus, plant state displaying system, and method of displaying plant state
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3296830B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3296830B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3296830B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A plant state displaying apparatus displaying information representing a state of a plant according to the present invention includes a generator configured to acquire plant information from at least one of devices, apparatuses, and facilities installed in the plant, calculate a state value representing the state of the plant using the plant information, and generate a plant state diagram in which at least one of a color and a density of at least one of devices, apparatuses, and facilities from which the plant information is acquired is changed according to magnitude of the state value, and a display configured to display the plant state diagram generated by the generator as the information representing the state of the plant.