Generic Supervision System for Multi-Parameter Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current supervision systems are application-specific, leading to high development and maintenance costs and complexity, requiring specialized knowledge for configuration and lacking reusability across different applications and parameters.

Innovation Solution

A supervision system with a collector device that collects parameter values and a coordinator device that processes these values with defined thresholds, providing supervision information to restitution devices, allowing for generic data structures and user interfaces that can be reused across systems, reducing development and maintenance time and costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If supervision systems are designed to be application-specific for each trade and parameter, then the system can provide specialized and accurate supervision for that application, but the development and maintenance time and costs increase excessively and reusability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupervision accuracyVSAvoiddevelopment and maintenance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal supervision system architecture where a single platform can supervise multiple parameters across different trades (industrial processes, buildings, networks, etc.). The system uses generic data structures and configurable components that can be adapted to various applications without requiring separate specialized systems, thereby reducing development and maintenance time while maintaining supervision accuracy through parameter-specific configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The supervision system is divided into independent, reusable modules including collector devices, coordination means, and restitution devices. Each module can be configured for specific parameters or trades independently, allowing the system to maintain specialized supervision capabilities for each application while using a common underlying architecture, thus reducing overall development time through module reuse.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If supervision systems are designed to be application-specific for each trade and parameter, then the system can provide specialized supervision for that application, but the maintenance costs increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupervision accuracyVSAvoidmaintenance cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By creating a universal supervision platform that can handle multiple parameters and trades through configuration rather than separate specialized systems, the patent reduces maintenance costs. A single team can maintain the core platform while adapting it to different applications, eliminating the need for multiple specialized maintenance teams and reducing overall maintenance expenditure while preserving application-specific supervision accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows for easy replacement and reconfiguration of supervision modules for different parameters and trades. When a parameter or trade is no longer needed, its specific configuration can be discarded while the underlying universal platform and other modules remain reusable for other applications, reducing long-term maintenance costs through resource recovery and reuse.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Productivity

If current supervision systems are used, then parameters can be monitored, but the complexity of configuring the system increases as it requires both knowledge in implementation and knowledge in the trade

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparameter monitoring capabilityVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements configuration means that enable users to set up supervision systems using intuitive interfaces and automated processes. The system provides self-configuring capabilities where parameters, thresholds, and alert rules can be defined through user-friendly means without requiring deep knowledge of system implementation details, thereby reducing configuration complexity while maintaining full monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces configuration means as an intermediary layer between the user and the complex system implementation. This intermediary provides abstraction through graphical interfaces, pre-configured templates, and automated processing, allowing users to configure supervision for their specific trades without needing to understand the underlying system architecture, thus reducing configuration complexity while preserving monitoring productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of time

If modules are made reusable across different supervision systems, then development and maintenance time and costs are reduced, but the system may require generic data structures that must accommodate diverse parameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevelopment timeVSAvoiddata structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses configurable parameters within generic data structures to accommodate diverse supervision needs. By allowing parameters such as thresholds, units, and alert rules to be dynamically configured rather than hard-coded, the system can reuse the same data structure templates across different applications while adapting to specific parameter requirements, thus reducing development time without creating overly complex fixed data structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2850779B1Monitoring system and corresponding method and computer program
Publication Date: 2018.11.21 EDRIS
  • EP2850779B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2850779B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3A
  • EP2850779B1 patent drawingFigure 3B~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a system (100) for monitoring at least one parameter, said system being used to supply monitoring information for each parameter to at least one interpretation device (130; 131). The system comprises at least one collecting device (110, 111) suitable for collecting values of at least one parameter at different moments, means (103) for configuring at least one threshold representing a transition between two states of each parameter, and coordination means (102) suitable for: receiving data structures from each collecting device, each data structure comprising a value collected from a given parameter, said threshold, and a state obtained by comparing said collected value and said threshold; and for supplying said monitoring information to the interpretation device on the basis of the received data structures.