Portable Terminal Display of Plant Device States for Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In plant maintenance, it is challenging for plant operators without sufficient knowledge and experience to efficiently monitor and maintain peripheral devices related to the maintenance target device, especially when they cannot approach the field devices, leading to inefficient maintenance processes.
Innovation Solution
An information display system comprising field devices, a field communication server, a database server, an operation monitoring terminal device, and a portable terminal device, which allows for the display of device-state-related information via a control network, application network, and wireless network, enabling plant operators and field workers to access and monitor peripheral device states remotely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If field workers visually check display screens or connect terminals to field devices, then they can obtain device information, but they cannot access information when field devices are in positions where they cannot physically approach
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portable terminal device as an intermediary between field workers and field devices. The portable terminal wirelessly communicates with the field device communication server to obtain device information, eliminating the need for field workers to physically approach field devices. This mediator enables information access regardless of the physical location of field devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physically connecting terminals to field devices with a wireless communication system. The portable terminal device communicates wirelessly with the field device communication server, substituting the mechanical connection process with electromagnetic wave-based communication, enabling information access without physical proximity.
2Loss of information
If plant operators monitor peripheral devices using integrated device management systems, then they can check maintenance target devices, but they cannot efficiently monitor peripheral devices without sufficient knowledge and experience
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal device provides universal access to device information for both plant operators and field workers. It consolidates multiple information access functions into a single device, enabling users with varying levels of expertise to obtain needed information without requiring specialized knowledge of different monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback by displaying current device states and operational information on the portable terminal. This immediate feedback mechanism allows operators to monitor peripheral device states without needing extensive experience, as the system actively presents relevant information rather than requiring users to know how to extract it.
3Loss of information
If field workers connect special-purpose terminals to field devices, then they can obtain necessary information, but the maintenance process becomes cumbersome and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The field device communication server preliminarily collects and stores device information, diagnostic data, and operational states in advance. When a field worker needs information, it is already available on the server, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site terminal connections and data retrieval processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable terminal device creates a copy of the field device information by wirelessly retrieving data from the field device communication server. This copy contains all necessary device states and diagnostic information, allowing field workers to access complete information without physically connecting to the original field devices.
4Productivity
If maintenance is conducted while only part of processes are stopped, then plant operations continue, but it becomes difficult to monitor all related peripheral devices
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal device serves as an intermediary that can access and display information from multiple peripheral devices simultaneously, even when processes are running. It consolidates information from various sources into a single interface, enabling comprehensive monitoring without requiring physical presence at each device location.
Data Source
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AI summary
An information display method includes a step of inputting, by an input, a work information for identifying a maintenance work to be conducted in a plant, and a step of displaying, by a display, a set of device-state-related information generated by at least a field device associated with the maintenance work identified by the work information.