Wireless Safety Information Relay for Slave Controller Failures

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Solution Overview

Problem

In control systems, when an error occurs in the slave controller, the master controller may not receive accurate safety information, leading to inadequate control of the control target, and duplicating microprocessors in the slave controller increases design complexity and cost.

Innovation Solution

A system and method where a first slave controller generates both safety information and error information using one microcontroller, and wirelessly transmits the safety information to a master controller, with the second slave controller acting as a relay when the first slave controller experiences an error, reducing the need for multiple microprocessors and maintaining system stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If two or more microcontrollers are equipped in the slave controller to ensure safety information transmission, then the reliability of safety information transmission is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety information transmission reliabilityVSAvoidslave controller internal design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a relay slave controller as an intermediary to transmit safety information when the primary slave controller fails. Instead of duplicating microcontrollers within the same slave controller, the system uses a second slave controller to relay information from the first slave controller to the master controller, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing internal complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a functional copy of the slave controller's capability by having a second slave controller that can assume the role of the first slave controller when it fails. This copying approach allows the system to maintain safety information transmission capability without requiring multiple microcontrollers in a single slave controller.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety information transmission reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol apparatus manufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a second slave controller as an intermediary to relay safety information when the primary slave controller fails. This approach avoids the need to manufacture slave controllers with multiple microcontrollers, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The second slave controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it operates as a normal slave controller for its own control target and simultaneously serves as a relay for the first slave controller when needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated backup hardware, lowering manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If wireless transmission is used for safety information, then the ease of operation and system flexibility are improved, but the reliability of information transmission may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem configuration flexibilityVSAvoidsafety information transmission reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates error detection and relay mechanisms that provide feedback on the status of wireless transmissions. When the master controller or relay slave controller detects issues with safety information from the first slave controller, it can request retransmission or switch to alternative sources, thereby maintaining reliability while using wireless communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11480936B2System and method for wirelessly transmitting and receiving safety information

Publication Date: 2022.10.25 SILICON WORKS CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a system for transmitting and receiving safety information, which generates first safety information about a control target and second safety information representing the occurrence or not of an error in the control target by using one microcontroller. The system includes a first slave controller generating first safety information and second safety information by using sensing data obtained from a control target and a master controller receiving the first safety information and the second safety information from the first slave controller through a wireless channel. When an error occurs in the first slave controller, the first slave controller transmits the second safety information to a second slave controller, and the second slave controller transmits the second safety information, received from the first slave controller, to the master controller.