Patent ID: 12253348

FIG.1shows an exemplary set of different coordinate measuring devices11,12,13that are present at a location15. For instance, the location15may be at a production facility or similar site where the devices are used e.g. for monitoring production processes or measuring produced workpieces for quality assurance. Alternatively, the location15may be a storage of a rental shop where the devices11,12,13are leased to end customers. The shown set of coordinate measuring devices comprises three laser trackers11, one portable articulated arm CMM12and one stationary CMM13. The set however may comprise also other kinds of coordinate measuring devices, e.g. reality capture devices, laser scanners or total stations as well as unmanned aerial or ground vehicles (UAV/UGV) comprising coordinate measuring equipment.

A distinct and individual code is assigned to each of the devices11,12,13and provided at the device so that the code is readable by an external mobile device (not shown here) and the device11,12,13is unambiguously identifiable based on the assigned code. For instance, as shown here, the code may be provided as a visible code element25on a surface of the device, e.g. on a cover, so that it can be captured using a camera or other visual sensor of the mobile device. The visible code element25for instance can be a barcode or a QR code. Alternatively or additionally the code can be provided as alphanumeric data, so that it is readable by a human user.

The code may also be provided in a non-visible manner, e.g. by means of near-field communication (NFC), wherein each device comprises an NFC tag readable by an NFC reader of the mobile device. The position of the NFC tag may be marked to facilitate capturing the code using the mobile device.

FIG.2shows an exemplary server computer1as a part of a computational environment, e.g. as a part of an exemplary embodiment of a computer system. The depicted server computer1comprises a processor16, a communication unit18and a memory21that are operatively coupled with each other.

The memory21has stored a digital-twin database20. The digital-twin database20comprises individual digital twins for a multitude of individual coordinate measuring devices. Each individual digital twin comprises individual information about the respective individual coordinate measuring device. The memory21may also have stored an application software program (“app”)36that can be downloaded, installed and executed on a mobile device.

The communication unit18is configured to establish remote data connections via the Internet, e.g. with a mobile device the app36is installed on.

According to the illustrative embodiment shown here, the server computer1—either on its own or in combination with other server computers of a computer system—is configured:to receive, by means of the communication unit18and via a remote data connection, an individual code of a coordinate measuring device together with an identifier of a mobile device sending the code and/or of a user of that mobile device;to verify the sent individual code based on data stored in the database20;to store the identifier in the database20assigned to the digital twin of that coordinate measuring device to which the individual code has been assigned;to receive, by means of the communication unit18and via a remote data connection, a request for information about a coordinate measuring device together with an identifier of the mobile device sending the request;to determine a validity of the request based on the identifier sent together with the request and the identifier stored in the database20; andto provide, by means of the communication unit18and via a remote data connection, the requested information stored in the individual digital twin of the respective coordinate measuring device.

FIG.3shows an exemplary coordinate measuring device10, information about which being retrieved from the digital-twin database20using a mobile device30according to an exemplary embodiment of a method.

The owner of the set of coordinate measuring devices11,12,13of the set shown inFIG.1or a user of one of the devices may want to know individual details about a certain device. In the shown example, a user wants to receive information regarding a first coordinate measuring device10, i.e. the depicted laser tracker. Although some devices comprise interfaces by means of which some information about the devices may be provided to the user, the information stored in the device itself may not be complete or outdated. Also, some devices do not have any interface, or non-standard connectors or need special devices or software for a successful connection. Thus, the information is stored in a digital-twin database20that is accessible via a remote data connection via the Internet. The digital-twin database20is stored in a computational environment, e.g. on a server computer as shown inFIG.2or by means of cloud computing.

In some embodiments, the user requires a smartphone, tablet computer or similar mobile device30having installed an application software program (“app”) that allows retrieving the information22from the digital-twin database20. Installing the app may require a registration process to register the mobile device30and/or its user within the system. An identifier is assigned to the mobile device30and/or its user.

The app36may be installable in a memory of the mobile device. The app36comprises program code that, when the app is executed on the mobile device, provides a number of functionalities for retrieving information from the digital-twin database20, e.g. for performing certain steps of a method. These functionalities may comprise at least a pairing functionality and a request functionality. The pairing functionality comprises capturing, by the mobile device, the individual code of the first coordinate measuring device and sending the captured individual code together with an identifier of the mobile device or its user via the remote data connection to the server computer. The capturing of the individual code may comprise using an optical sensor, such as a camera of the mobile device. The request functionality comprises sending a request for information together with the identifier via the remote data connection to the server computer1, receiving the requested information via the remote data connection, and providing the information about the first coordinate measuring device in a GUI on a display of the mobile device.

For accessing the information22, the user starts a pairing functionality of the app, upon which a camera of the mobile device captures images33to detect the visual code element25—here embodied as a barcode. A representation35of the presently captured image33may be displayed in real time on a display32of the mobile device30to assist the user in capturing the image33of the code element25. Together with the assigned identifier, the code is sent via the remote data connection to the computational environment. There, the code is verified, and in case of a positive result of the verification, the identifier of the mobile device30is assigned to the digital twin of the coordinate measuring device10. This pairing of the mobile device30with the coordinate measuring device10henceforth allows the user of the mobile device30to access the information22of the individual device stored in the database20.

FIG.4shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a computer-implemented method100.

The method starts with providing110a digital-twin database in a computational environment, e.g. on a server computer as shown inFIG.2. The computational environment may comprise one or more server computers or a cloud-computing environment. For instance, the computational environment and/or the digital-twin database can be provided by a manufacturer of the coordinate measuring devices.

The database comprises an individual digital twin for each individual coordinate measuring device of a multitude of devices. Each individual digital twin comprises information about the respective individual coordinate measuring device, for instance about individual components of the respective individual coordinate measuring device, such as information about a lot number, a manufacturer and/or a manufacturing date of each individual component. Additionally, the stored data of each individual twin may comprise additional information such as information about a registered owner or user, past usage, a predicted demand for maintenance, and activated or activatable features of the device.

In a next step, each of the coordinate measuring devices, a digital twin of which being stored in the digital-twin database, is assigned120a distinct individual code, by which each individual coordinate measuring device can be identified unambiguously. For instance, the individual code may be or comprise a serial number or similar existing identifier of the device. It may be a code that is assigned solely for the purpose of linking the real-world device to its digital twin.

The assigned individual code is then provided130on the coordinate measuring device, preferably in such a way that it is easily capturable using a mobile device. The individual code may be provided as a visible code element on a surface of a cover of the coordinate measuring device, e.g. in the form of a QR code or a barcode, so that it can be captured easily by a camera or other optical sensor (e.g. a barcode scanner). Alternatively or additionally, the individual code may be provided130on the device in a non-visible manner, e.g. by means of near-field communication (NFC), wherein each device comprises an NFC tag readable by an NFC reader. The position of the NFC tag may be marked to facilitate capturing the code using the mobile device. Alternatively or additionally, the individual code may be provided130as plain text so that it can be read by a human user as well as be automatically detected in a camera image using text recognition.

The next step is a pairing functionality140, wherein a mobile device is paired with a certain coordinate measuring device—or more precisely with the digital twin of that coordinate measuring device—by sending the respective individual code to the computational environment in which the digital-twin database is provided. This pairing functionality140is described in further detail inFIG.5.

After a successful pairing of the mobile device with the coordinate measuring device, a user of the mobile device may request150information about the coordinate measuring device. For instance, the user may select the device from a list of paired devices displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display of the mobile device. Alternatively, the user may use the mobile device to capture the code of the device of interest. This request is sent to the digital-twin database together with an identifier of the mobile device or a personal identifier of the user. Optionally, pairing140and requesting150for the user can be performed as one operation.

The validity of said request is determined160at the computing environment. This may comprise confirming that the requesting user has the right to receive the information, e.g. is a registered user. For instance, if an identifier of the mobile device or a personal identifier of the user has been stored together with the respective digital twin as a part of the pairing functionality140, the validity check comprises at least comparing the sent identifier and the stored identifier.

If the request is valid, the requested information is sent and retrieved170by the mobile device. This may comprise storing the information in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device. The information is then displayed180to the user, e.g. presented in a GUI on a display of the mobile device. Preferably, the information is displayed180in real time, i.e. without substantial delay (based on the speed of the data connection available at the position of the mobile device; e.g. less than ten seconds) after the user has requested150the information.

FIG.5shows a flow chart illustrating steps of a pairing functionality140of an exemplary embodiment of a computer-implemented method100.

The pairing starts with capturing141the individual code of the coordinate measuring device using the mobile device. If the individual code is provided as a visible code on a surface of the coordinate measuring device, e.g. as a QR code or a barcode, the user aims a camera or another optical sensor camera—e.g. a barcode reader—of the mobile device to the visible code so that the individual code is captured141by the camera or other optical sensor. If the individual code is provided as a NFC tag, the user moves an NFC module of the mobile device close to the NFC tag so that the individual code is captured141by means of near-field communication.

Next, a remote data connection with computational environment in which the digital-twin database is provided, is established143, e.g. with the server computer ofFIG.2. The individual code of the device of interest and an identifier of the mobile device, the app or the user is sent145via the established remote data connection.

The sent individual code is verified147at the database, i.e. it is at least verified that a digital twin having the same code assigned is present in the digital-twin database. After a successful verification, the sent identifier is stored149in the digital-twin database assigned to the digital twin having the same code assigned as the coordinate measuring device.

A confirmation may be shown in a GUI of the mobile device. Optionally, also the information from the digital twin may be provided to the mobile device and presented to the user.

Although various aspects are illustrated above, partly with reference to some preferred embodiments, it must be understood that numerous modifications and combinations of different features of the embodiments can be made. All of these modifications lie within the scope of the appended claims. In particular, the described system may be configured to execute some or all of the described method steps, and the described method may utilize some or all of the described system components.