Warehouse Machine Control via Optical Acoustic Fingerprint Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for maintaining machines in warehouses, such as those using radio or WiFi connections, fail to ensure that service technicians have visual contact with the machines, violating legal regulations.
Innovation Solution
The method ensures visibility by using optical and acoustic recognition to determine the position and orientation of a service technician's mobile computer relative to the machine, allowing control only when visual contact is confirmed through comparison of stored fingerprints with real-time recordings, ensuring proximity and correct positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless or Wi-Fi connections are used for machine control, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of visual contact verification deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification system consisting of optical sensors and acoustic sensors that mediate between the wireless control connection and the machine control system. These sensors detect the technician's presence and visual contact status, providing a reliable verification mechanism that works alongside the wireless connection without compromising ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If remote control via mobile devices is permitted, then ease of operation is improved, but compliance with visual contact regulations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the technician's visual contact status through optical and acoustic sensors. The control system receives real-time feedback about whether the technician maintains visual contact with the machine, and automatically revokes control access if visual contact is lost, ensuring regulatory compliance while allowing remote operation.
3Reliability
If manual verification of visual contact is required, then compliance with regulations is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by automatically verifying the technician's visual contact status through optical and acoustic sensors without requiring manual verification. The system autonomously determines whether visual contact conditions are met and grants or revokes control access accordingly, eliminating time-consuming manual checks while maintaining regulatory compliance.
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
This approach simplifies and speeds up maintenance by automating control access, ensuring safety and compliance with regulations by guaranteeing the technician's visibility to the machine, while allowing flexible movement within the maintenance area.
Implementation Method 1
determination of the position and/or orientation of the service technician's mobile computer to the respective system is carried out via optical and/or acoustic recognition of a fingerprint of the system
Implementation Method 2
determination of the position and/or orientation of the service technician's mobile computer to the respective system is carried out via optical and/or acoustic recognition of a fingerprint of the system
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Method for the maintenance, commissioning and inspection of equipment in warehouses, wherein a service technician has a view of the respective equipment and establishes wireless contact with the control system of the equipment by means of a mobile computer in order to take control of it, wherein the takeover of control by the mobile computer is only permitted by a central control system if the service technician can have visual contact with the corresponding equipment, for which purpose the position and/or orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician to the respective equipment is determined by optical and/or acoustic recognition of a fingerprint of the equipment.