Portable Smart Device Asset Verification for Industrial Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for performing maintenance, clearance, and operation (MCTO) procedures in industrial facilities rely heavily on human capabilities and are prone to errors due to misreading identification labels or skipping procedural steps, lacking interactive and visual guidance.
Innovation Solution
A portable smart device system that uses asset identifiers, photographs, and a processor to guide operators through procedures by displaying steps and confirming actions, with a camera for scanning asset tags and determining correct asset identification, reducing human error through interactive and visual confirmation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If text-only checklists are used to guide operators through MCTO procedures, then the procedure can be documented and followed, but human errors such as misreading identification labels and skipping steps occur frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by requiring operators to scan asset identifiers and confirm completion of each procedural step through the portable smart device. The device provides real-time verification by comparing scanned identifiers against the procedure requirements, immediately alerting operators to mismatches or skipped steps, thereby preventing errors from propagating
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual text-based checklist verification with automated optical scanning and digital processing. The portable smart device uses camera-based scanning to capture asset identifiers and processor-based logic to validate procedure completion, substituting human cognitive verification with machine-based automated validation
2Measurement precision
If operators manually verify asset identification and procedure completion, then flexibility is maintained, but errors due to misreading labels and human frailty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The portable smart device serves as an intermediary between the operator and the asset identification system. It captures images of asset identifiers through its camera, processes the identification data, and guides the operator through the procedure, thereby mediating the interaction and eliminating direct human interpretation of labels
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the asset identifier by scanning and capturing an image of the physical label. This digital copy is then processed and stored, allowing for accurate comparison and verification without requiring the operator to directly read or interpret the physical label, thereby eliminating misreading errors
3Reliability
If traditional checklists are used without visual aids, then the system remains simple, but operators cannot visually confirm they are performing actions on the correct asset
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional text checklists to a multi-dimensional approach by incorporating photographic images of assets, spatial location data, and procedural steps. The portable smart device displays images of the correct asset alongside the procedure steps, allowing operators to visually confirm they are working on the right equipment in the right location
Data Source
AI summary
A method of performing an interactive procedure with a portable smart device utilizes assets that include asset identifiers in an industrial facility. The method provides indicia and/or photographs on a display of the portable smart device for procedural steps of a procedure to be performed on an industrial facility. The portable smart device receives an input to begin the procedure, displays indicia and/or photographs of an asset location and a first procedural step for an asset having an asset identifier. The portable smart device scans an asset identifier to ensure the proper asset is located. Thereafter, a procedural step for the asset is displayed. Upon performance of the step, an operator provides a confirmation to the smart device for ensuring that the procedural step is performed.