Wireless Robot Safety Messaging with Dual Error-Code Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for transmitting safety state information over wireless communications channels are inefficient in terms of bandwidth and power consumption, and are not scalable, as they often rely on redundant mechanisms to maintain low undetectable error rates, which becomes prohibitive with larger safety messages.
Innovation Solution
The system generates and transmits safety messages using two source microcontrollers, each appending an error code based on a unique key, allowing the sink microcontroller to verify the safety state and recover the payload using either error code, thus ensuring low undetectable error rates without the need for redundant message transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant mechanisms are used to maintain low undetectable error rates in wireless safety communication, then reliability is improved, but bandwidth consumption and power usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple error detection mechanisms (CRC codes from multiple microcontrollers) into a single transmitted message. Instead of sending redundant separate messages, the system merges the error detection capabilities of multiple microcontrollers into one compact safety message, reducing bandwidth and power consumption while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The safety message structure is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it carries the safety state payload, includes error detection codes from multiple microcontrollers, and enables verification of safety state consistency. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate redundant transmission mechanisms
2Reliability
If redundant mechanisms are used to maintain low undetectable error rates in wireless safety communication, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the error detection function across multiple microcontrollers, where each microcontroller generates its own CRC code independently. This segmentation allows parallel error detection without requiring complex coordination logic, as each microcontroller operates independently to contribute to the overall reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the error detection approach by using multiple independent CRC codes from different microcontrollers instead of a single complex error detection mechanism. This parameter change simplifies the overall system architecture while improving reliability through diversity
3Reliability
If redundant mechanisms are used to maintain low undetectable error rates, then reliability is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple error detection codes from different microcontrollers are merged into a single compact message structure. The patent combines the payload and multiple CRC codes efficiently, avoiding the bandwidth overhead of transmitting separate redundant messages while maintaining comprehensive error detection coverage
Data Source
AI summary
A system generates, by a first source microcontroller, a first data packet comprising a payload and a first error code, the payload indicating a safety state of a robot. The first source microcontroller transmits the data packet from the first source microcontroller to a second source microcontroller. The second source microcontroller generates a second data packet that includes the payload, the first error code and a second error code. The second source microcontroller transmits the second data packet to a sink microcontroller, wherein the sink microcontroller recovers the payload based on at least one of the first error code and the second error code.