Sensor Data Logging With Timed Transfer for Machine Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to appropriately utilize measurement data from sensors for monitoring industrial machines.

Innovation Solution

A logging apparatus that acquires and records measurement and operation data from sensors, and transmits it to an external apparatus at specified timings, utilizing a control unit to manage power supply interruptions and ensure data continuity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If measurement data is continuously collected and stored, then monitoring capability is improved, but storage requirements and data management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring capabilityVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and transmits only essential measurement data to external devices at specified timings, separating the data collection function from the data storage and analysis function. This allows the logging device to maintain monitoring capability while reducing local data management burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an external device as an intermediary for data storage and analysis. The logging device acts as a data collection intermediary that transfers data to specialized external systems, dividing the overall system complexity across multiple components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If data is transmitted frequently to external apparatus, then data availability for analysis is improved, but communication overhead and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidcommunication energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic data transmission at specified timings rather than continuous transmission. This periodic action ensures data is available for analysis while significantly reducing communication frequency, energy consumption, and network overhead compared to continuous transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Loss of time

If all measurement data is retained locally, then data access speed is improved, but storage resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata access timeVSAvoidstorage resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts data from local storage and transfers it to external devices at specified timings. This extraction approach maintains local access speed for immediate operations while offloading long-term storage requirements to external systems with greater capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4685768A1Logging device, logging method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 THE JAPAN STEEL WORKS LTD
  • EP4685768A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4685768A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4685768A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a logging device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of measurement data, measured at each point in time within a specific period by a sensor provided at a specific location of a device to be monitored, or operation data, indicating the operating status of the device to be monitored; a recording unit that records, in a storage device, the data acquired by the acquisition unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the data recorded by the recording unit to an external device at a specific timing.