Wireless Control Tracking for Unexpected Equipment Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tracking devices are costly to retrofit and prone to physical damage in environments with high risk, especially when managing large numbers of assets, and conventional devices lack the ability to collect and transmit data without being sensitive to physical trauma.
Innovation Solution
A wireless tracking device with a sensor, memory, and processor that adheres to equipment, detecting unexpected movement and generating alerts, and includes a battery for power, allowing for flexible deployment and monitoring of control settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tracking devices are used to monitor assets, then data collection and transmission capabilities are provided, but the devices are exposed to physical damage and trauma in high-risk environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable adhesive tape tags instead of expensive, fragile electronic tracking devices. These tape tags are designed to be inexpensive and replaceable, eliminating the risk of physical damage to valuable electronics while maintaining tracking functionality through low-cost alternatives that can be easily replaced if damaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible adhesive tape as the substrate for the tracking device. This thin film structure is inherently more resistant to physical damage compared to rigid electronic housings, can conform to various asset surfaces, and reduces the target area for potential impact damage while maintaining operational functionality.
2Reliability
If retrofits are implemented on existing equipment to add tracking capabilities, then asset monitoring is enabled, but the process requires manpower and time that interrupt normal operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tracking system into a separate, modular adhesive tape tag component that can be independently applied to assets. This segmentation allows the tracking functionality to be added without modifying or interrupting the operation of the main equipment, enabling quick attachment during brief maintenance windows or even during operational pauses without requiring complex retrofits.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive tape tags are pre-prepared and pre-configured with tracking capabilities before deployment. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for on-site configuration or complex installation procedures, allowing assets to be quickly tagged during brief operational pauses and returning to service immediately, minimizing disruption to normal operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If new equipment is purchased to replace existing assets, then updated functionality is achieved, but the cost is prohibitively expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive electronic tracking devices with inexpensive adhesive tape tags that cost a fraction of traditional solutions. These disposable tags provide adequate tracking functionality for the application needs without the high cost of robust, reusable electronic devices, significantly reducing the quantity of capital required for asset tracking deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive tape tag design provides multiple functions in a single low-cost component: asset identification, location tracking, and potential sensor integration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate systems and reduces overall costs while maintaining adaptability across various asset types and tracking requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless tracking device and methods detect movement of a control of equipment, determines a setting of the equipment based on a sensed position of the control, and generates an alert when the control is moved unexpectedly. The wireless tracking device may include an adhesive surface that, in use, adheres the tracking device to the equipment, a sensor that senses a position of the control, a memory storing the position and a setting module having non-transitory computer-readable instructions, and a processor coupled to the sensor and the memory and configured to execute the setting module to analyze the position to determine the setting of the control. The wireless tracking device may implement a lockout/tagout protocol and may have many form factors including an adhesive tape, a belt, a single-use security tag, a cable lock, a padlock, a cable, a stamp and a valve sensor.