Virtual Safety Network for Intermittent-Use Device Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety networks in industrial automation are inflexible and unable to dynamically add, remove, or reconfigure mobile safety devices due to static verification and validation standards, leading to inefficiencies and downtime when dealing with intermittent use devices, as they require preconfiguration and cannot adapt to changing device locations or relevance in risk reduction.
Innovation Solution
A safety network that includes a safety controller and safety representatives, allowing for virtual representations of intermittent use devices for integrity assessment and monitoring, with wireless data synchronization and an activation indicator to manage communication and response based on current risk, decoupling device design from network design and enabling dynamic reconfiguration without breaching safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If static verification and validation standards are used for safety networks, then safety integrity is maintained, but flexibility to dynamically add or remove devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The safety network is segmented into multiple safety zones, each with its own safety function. This allows individual zones to be independently verified and validated, enabling dynamic addition or removal of devices in specific zones without requiring revalidation of the entire system. The segmentation principle resolves the contradiction by isolating changes to localized segments rather than requiring system-wide static verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic safety functions that can be activated or deactivated at runtime based on device presence and operational state. Safety functions are no longer static but can be dynamically configured, allowing the system to adapt to changing device topologies while maintaining safety integrity through runtime verification mechanisms.
2Reliability
If safety networks are preconfigured to include all possible devices, then complete coverage is achieved, but system complexity and reconfiguration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each safety zone is configured with only the safety functions and parameters relevant to that specific zone's devices and risk profile. This local quality approach ensures complete safety coverage for each zone while avoiding the complexity of preconfiguring all possible devices system-wide. Each zone independently manages its own safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety network uses universal safety representatives and standardized safety functions that can serve multiple devices across different zones. This multi-functionality allows a single safety function implementation to cover various device types, reducing preconfiguration complexity while maintaining complete safety coverage through standardized interfaces.
3Reliability
If integrity assessment is performed on all safety network components, then comprehensive safety monitoring is achieved, but processing time and system downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
Integrity assessment is performed on individual safety zones and their respective safety functions rather than on the entire safety network simultaneously. This segmented approach enables comprehensive safety monitoring of critical components while minimizing system downtime by allowing parallel assessment of multiple zones and rapid isolation of affected areas.
4Adaptability or versatility
If safety functions are changed at runtime to accommodate mobile devices, then operational flexibility is improved, but verification and validation requirements are breached
Solution Approach 1:
Safety functions are designed to be dynamically configurable at runtime based on device presence, location, and operational state. The system automatically activates or deactivates appropriate safety functions as mobile devices enter or leave safety zones, providing operational flexibility while maintaining compliance through automated safety management.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety network continuously monitors device presence and status, providing feedback that triggers automatic activation or deactivation of safety functions. This feedback mechanism ensures that safety functions are dynamically adjusted to match actual operational conditions while maintaining compliance with safety standards through automated verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety network for supporting one or more devices in intermittent use, the safety network being susceptible of verification and/or validation as a safety loop and including a safety controller configured toassess the integrity of the safety network, andmonitor safety sensors and cause safety actuators to respond to any detected safety events in accordance with safety rules.The safety network implements safety representatives, each configured tomaintain a virtual representation of an associated device in intermittent use, including at least one virtual safety sensor and/or virtual safety actuator,make the virtual representation available for integrity assessment and monitoring by the safety controller, andperform wireless data synchronization between the virtual representation and the associated device.The virtual representation further includes an activation indicator, which determines a safety rule for the safety controller's monitoring and/or for the safety representative's data synchronization.