TLD Wireless Terminal Location Tracking and Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radiation workers face challenges with accurate dose measurement due to misplaced or lost thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), unauthorized use, and lack of emergency location tracking, leading to safety risks and inefficient rescue operations in radiation-controlled areas.
Innovation Solution
A TLD wireless terminal system that includes a repeater determining unit, communication units, a gyro sensor, and an emergency switch, allowing for location tracking, authentication, and power management, along with a server and cabinet system for check-out and return processes, to prevent unauthorized use and enhance emergency response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the TLD cabinet is designed as an open system for easy access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of TLD assignment and measurement accuracy deteriorates due to unauthorized use by other workers
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic feedback mechanisms where the TLD wireless terminal continuously transmits its location and status to the server, which then provides feedback to control the cabinet's access control. When a TLD is detected outside the cabinet, the system automatically notifies relevant personnel and restricts further access, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains reliability while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical TLD management with an automated electronic monitoring system. The TLD wireless terminal with communication unit substitutes for manual tracking, using wireless signals and server-based management to automatically monitor TLD location and cabinet access, thereby eliminating the need for open physical access while maintaining operational efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If the TLD wireless terminal continuously transmits location data to improve location tracking accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The TLD wireless terminal implements periodic transmission of location data instead of continuous transmission. The communication unit transmits data at predetermined intervals or when triggered by specific events such as movement detection or emergency conditions, thereby maintaining adequate location tracking accuracy while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission frequency of the TLD wireless terminal is made dynamic rather than static. The system adjusts transmission intervals based on operational conditions, transmitting more frequently when the TLD is in motion or in emergency situations, and less frequently when stationary and conditions are normal, optimizing the balance between location accuracy and power consumption.
3Reliability
If the TLD wireless terminal includes multiple communication units and sensors to improve emergency response capability, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The TLD wireless terminal is designed with multi-functionality, where a single integrated device performs multiple functions including location tracking, emergency detection, communication, and authentication. The communication unit can operate in multiple modes (periodic transmission, event-triggered transmission, emergency alert) and the system integrates various sensors and functions into one universal platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability.
4Reliability
If the system implements authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized TLD use, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional check-out and return procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is designed as a self-service automated process. When a worker approaches the cabinet, the system automatically performs authentication, checks TLD availability, and completes the check-out or return procedure without requiring manual intervention from operators. The TLD wireless terminal and cabinet work together to automatically verify identities and record transactions, maintaining reliability while preserving ease of operation through automation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate location tracking of TLDs and workers, reduces power consumption, prevents unauthorized use, and facilitates prompt rescue operations by integrating location detection and authentication mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a gyro sensor configured to detect a motion of the TLD, wherein the first communication unit transmits the packet in a predetermined first period when the motion of the TLD is detected
Implementation Method 2
The TLD is a kind of dosimeter using a thermoluminescence phenomenon that occurs when a crystalline material irradiated by radiation is heated, and measures an accumulated dose for a given time period
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a TLD wireless terminal, a TLD management system, and a method for managing the TLD. A TLD wireless terminal adhered to a TLD and communicating with a plurality of repeaters including a first repeater and a second repeater located in a radiation controlled area may include a repeater determining unit configured to selectively determine the first repeater or the second repeater as a repeater for performing communication, and a first communication unit configured to transmit a packet including unique identification information of the wireless terminal to the first repeater.