Method for the computer-aided matching of at least two different representation variants of an industrial installation

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for the computer-aided matching of at least two different representation variants (210, 220) of an industrial system, in particular an electric machine and / or an industrial automation system. The invention also relates to a computer program and to a data processing device for this purpose.

Description

[0001] Applicant:

[0002] Murrelektronik GmbH

[0003] Description

[0004] Method for computer-aided comparison of at least two different representation variants of an industrial plant

[0005] The present invention relates to a method for the computer-assisted comparison of at least two different representation variants of an industrial plant. Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program and a device.

[0006] State of the art

[0007] It is well known from the state of the art that both ECAD and MCAD data are used in the design of industrial plants. However, these are often inadequately linked, as component information contained in MCAD, such as equipment markings, is often missing. This can lead to errors in planning and execution and increases the time required for manual data reconciliation.

[0008] Generic solutions are also known from WO 2021 / 058084 A1 and WO 2021 / 104608 A1. However, even with known solutions, insufficient data may still result in misclassifications or require more complex manual data reconciliation.

[0009] Disclosure of the invention

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to at least partially remedy the disadvantages described above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for improved linking of electrical (ECAD) and mechanical (MCAD) data in the planning and implementation of systems such as industrial automation systems.

[0011] The invention relates to a method having the features of claim 1, a computer program having the features of claim 14, and a device having the features of claim 15. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the respective subclaims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the method according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the computer program according to the invention and the device according to the invention, and vice versa, so that a mutual reference is always possible with regard to the disclosure of the invention.

[0012] The invention particularly relates to a method, preferably a computer-implemented method, for the computer-assisted comparison of at least two different representation variants of an industrial, in particular electrical, system, in particular an electrical machine and / or an industrial automation system. Examples of such an industrial, in particular electrical, system are an automation system such as an electrical control system, an electrical measurement and control system, or an electrical drive system, as well as a conveyor and / or production system. The industrial system can also be a hydraulic, pneumatic, fluid, or mechanical system.The system can be automated and used to transport liquids or gases through pipes or valves, supply a coolant, or exert mechanical forces on an object to provide a desired function. Examples of such systems include a hydraulic press, a pneumatic conveyor system, a fluid cooling system, or a mechanical manufacturing machine. In these cases, a circuit diagram can specify how the electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, fluid, or mechanical system is constructed and how the various components are connected / interconnected to perform a desired function.

[0013] The system is designed, for example, as an industrial automation system, an electrical machine, a production system, or a production line. The system can comprise multiple components, e.g., devices (especially operating equipment) such as actuators, sensors, controllers, drives, switchgear, or the like. Optionally, connecting elements such as cables, connectors, or the like can also be considered components of the system.

[0014] According to the method according to the invention, one method step can be provided: providing a component specification from a first representation variant of the system. The component specification specifies, for example, a real component, in particular by means of a single or unique identifier such as an equipment identification number (BMK) or the like, or by means of a position in a 3D model. Depending on the starting point, the component specification can also simply be information that refers to a specific component of the system, although further information may be necessary in order to be able to clearly assign the component. In this case, the component specification is, for example,a position in a 3D model or an image of the component or spatial information such as an installation location, in particular in comparison to the assembly and / or to surrounding components, or metadata of a file with the corresponding representation. Furthermore, the component specification can also be information that is not yet available in at least one of the representation variants and that may be necessary for unambiguous assignment to the component. The component specification can preferably be determined from a BMK and / or a designation and / or an image of the geometry of the component and / or a size and / or a type (electrical or non-electrical, presence of electrical connections) and / or a connection configuration (including a parity of the connections, i.e. even or odd number of connections) of the component.

[0015] According to the method according to the invention, a further method step can be provided: providing assignment candidates from a second representation variant for an assignment of the provided component specification.

[0016] In addition to the first representation variant, a second representation variant can therefore also be provided. Further representation variants can also be provided if necessary. One of the (first or second or further) representation variants can be an electrical representation of the system (or a mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic or fluid representation of the system) and the other of the (first or second or further) representation variants can be a mechanical representation of the system (or an electrical or hydraulic or pneumatic or fluid representation of the system). The first representation variant can therefore differ from the second representation variant and / or the further representation variants of the system. The electrical representation can also be referred to below as the electrical representation variant and the mechanical representation as the mechanical representation variant. Furthermore, the first representation variant can also be referred to if necessary.abbreviated as the first representation and the second representation variant abbreviated as the second representation.

[0017] Furthermore, when providing the component specification from the first representation variant of the system, it can be provided that the first representation variant differs from the second (and / or the further) representation variant(s) of the system in that at least part of the system is represented with a different mode of operation and / or characteristics (than in the second / further representation variant(s). In particular, one of the representation variants is an electrical representation of the system and / or the other of the representation variants is a mechanical or hydraulic or geometric or pneumatic or fluid representation of the system. Expressed more generally, it is possible for the first and second and possibly further representation variants to be different from the following: an electrical or mechanical or geometric or hydraulic or pneumatic or fluid representation of the system.In particular, the electrical representation can depict the electrical functioning and the electrical characteristics (e.g. electrical properties or the electrical connections), the mechanical representation can depict the mechanical functioning and / or the geometric and spatial characteristics, the hydraulic representation can depict the hydraulic functioning, and the pneumatic representation can depict the pneumatic functioning. The functioning can relate to an automated function such as controlling and / or monitoring the system. Furthermore, it is not excluded that aspects of one of the representation variants may also appear in one of the representation variants (e.g. electrical connections in the mechanical representation or, conversely, mechanical or geometric aspects of the mechanical representation in the electrical representation).

[0018] The electrical structure of the system is primarily represented in electrical representations such as ECAD circuit diagrams, while the mechanical structure is represented in mechanical representations such as MCAD, e.g., in three-dimensional geometric models. The system components can be at least partially divided into assemblies, whereby there may be different mechanical and electrical assemblies. The specification of the assemblies can also be (additional) information in the respective representation variant.

[0019] The provided assignment candidates, like the component specification, can specify a real (existing and / or planned) component of the system. One of the provided assignment candidates may specify the same component of the system that is also specified by the component specification. However, it may initially be unknown which of the assignment candidates this is; these are therefore initially only "possible" candidates or matches for the assignment. One task of the method can be to assign the component specification from the first representation variant to a "corresponding" assignment candidate from the second representation variant that specifies the same component.

[0020] The component specification and / or the assignment candidates can be provided, for example, via a graphical user interface or another interface, through a user selection. Other interfaces for provision are also conceivable, such as the use of augmented reality devices. For example, by selecting the component specification, the user indicates which component they want to search for in the respective other display variant. The assignment candidates can then be selected, for example, at least partially manually and / or at least partially automatically, and thus provided.

[0021] According to the method according to the invention, a further method step can be provided: providing additional information about the provided component specification and / or the provided assignment candidates from both the first and the second representation variant (and / or also from the further representation variants). The additional information can include, for example, spatial information and / or information about connection partners and / or information about the type and / or position of the representation and / or technical properties and / or designations of the components specified by the component specification or the assignment candidate.

[0022] According to the method according to the invention, a further method step can be provided: evaluating the additional information according to at least one assignment criterion, wherein the evaluation is preferably carried out automatically and / or computer-assisted. Furthermore, the evaluation can optionally be carried out by a step-by-step and / or iterative comparison of the additional information according to various assignment criteria. This can lead to the gradual elimination of the assignment candidates, so that ultimately only one of the assignment candidates remains that most likely specifies the same component as the component specification.

[0023] According to the method according to the invention, a further method step can be provided: assigning the provided component specification—at least partially automatically—to one of the provided assignment candidates, in particular the remaining assignment candidate, based on the evaluation. The assignment can be made, for example, by at least one reference to the remaining assignment candidate, hereinafter also referred to in particular as a link, preferably a mechanical-electrical link and / or an electrical-hydraulic link and / or an electrical-pneumatic link and / or an electrical-fluidic link. Depending on the representation variant, the link can also be a mechanical-hydraulic, mechanical-pneumatic, mechanical-fluidic link, or the like.

[0024] The additional information can, for example, include and / or be based on: a designation and / or an image of the geometry of a component and / or a size and / or a type and / or a connection configuration and / or a physical installation location, e.g. in relation to the assembly of the component. It can also be possible that, on the basis of the assignment made, at least one installation specification, in particular installation instructions (in particular for a user), preferably at least part of an installation plan, preferably for at least one installation action and / or preparation during maintenance and / or assembly of the system, is generated automatically. The installation specification can comprise an electrical and a mechanical part. It is, for example, possible that an electrical part of the installation specification (e.g.An instruction such as "Connect component 1 to component 2 using a cable") is generated based on the electrical representation, and a mechanical part of the installation specification (e.g., an instruction such as "Use a cable length xy") is generated based on the mechanical representation. The assignment determined by the method according to the invention can be used to find the appropriate mechanical part of the installation specification for a component represented in the electrical representation.

[0025] The method according to the invention can therefore have the advantage that the planning and implementation of an installation and / or maintenance of an industrial automation system can be improved by linking the electrical and mechanical representations. The assignment performed for this purpose by the method enables the automated creation of installation plans and guidance to the user during installation of the system. The assignment can be used both in the planning phase for preparing the system construction and after the planning phase for maintenance of the system. By linking the spatial and electrical information, a mechanical-electrical link is created, in particular, which enables efficient and automated planning and implementation of the installation and maintenance of the system.

[0026] It is also optionally possible for at least one installation specification to be provided automatically and preferably generated automatically based on an intermediate result of the method according to the invention, in particular based on the assignment performed. The intermediate result can, for example, be the assignment of the provided component specification, at least partially automated, to one or more of the provided assignment candidates based on the evaluation and / or result therefrom. This intermediate result and optionally also further intermediate results resulting from the assignment according to the invention shall be referred to below, both singularly and plurally, collectively as the assignment result.

[0027] The provision of the at least one installation specification may optionally also include initiating or performing a generation of the at least one installation specification in digital form and / or in physical form, e.g. as a visual output and / or acoustic output and / or printed output.

[0028] The at least one installation specification described within the scope of the invention may optionally include at least one of the following:

[0029] At least an installation instruction,

[0030] At least one installation specification such as an installation plan and preferably a circuit diagram, preferably comprising at least one mechanical and / or electrical and / or pneumatic and / or hydraulic plan,

[0031] At least one piece of digital information such as an engineering file containing the assignment result (also referred to as matching, which results from the process of assignment, i.e. from mapping),

[0032] At least one piece of information about the installation and / or for carrying out the installation and / or for maintenance and / or planning of the installation or system and / or for testing the installation or system and / or for troubleshooting the installation or system and / or for optimising the installation or system, At least one plan with further installation information such as a parts and / or component and / or cable plan,

[0033] At least one indication of the visualization of the system,

[0034] At least one or more installation instructions to carry out at least or exactly one installation step of the installation of the system, At least one optimization specification to optimize the installation and / or maintenance and / or planning of the system,

[0035] At least one programming and / or control information for programming, preferably control and / or PLC programming, of the system or of at least one component of the system,

[0036] A specification for planning and programming support, preferably PLC programming support,

[0037] A specification for driver installation for at least one component of the system, A control specification for safety testing, preferably process and / or collision safety, for the system,

[0038] An installation specification to verify the technical completeness of the system, A control specification to verify the technical correctness and / or freedom from errors in the installation and / or device recognition and / or the assignment result,

[0039] Consistency information for consistency checks during installation and / or plant, Convention information for convention checks and preferably naming convention checks, preferably for checking and ensuring the uniformity of the designations of components and / or devices as a planning basis for programming, in particular PLC programming and / or programming for plant control, Comparison information for identifying planning deviations, in particular for comparing the assignment result with a topology of the plant,

[0040] An indication relating to the installation and / or maintenance and / or reconstruction of a plant and / or optimisation of the plant and / or efficiency improvement and / or modernisation of the plant and / or automation of maintenance plans and / or servicing (the latter being considered to include maintenance in particular),

[0041] An indication of compatibility and / or future viability testing and / or obsolescence testing,

[0042] An indication of the security check, in particular cyber security check, at the facility,

[0043] An indication of standards compliance testing and / or upgrade and / or customization analysis.

[0044] The at least one installation specification can serve, for example, as a specification and in particular as a template for an installation of the (industrial) system and / or for a further and / or new installation of the system and / or as a reference to an installation already carried out and / or as maintenance information and / or as overview information and / or as navigation information and / or as visualization information and / or as planning information.

[0045] In other words, the at least one piece of installation information can optionally support actions by a user on a planned and / or existing and / or to-be-modified installation of the system. Based on and in particular dependent on the at least one piece of installation information, at least one real installation and / or maintenance and / or testing and / or diagnostic action can thus be specified and / or initiated and / or carried out on the (real) system. In other words, the at least one piece of installation information can be designed as a basis for specifying and / or carrying out at least one (real) installation and / or maintenance and / or testing and / or diagnostic action on the (real) system. It is also optionally possible for the at least one piece of installation information and / or the assignment result to be provided as a basis for a visualization of the system and / or of at least one technical aspect of the system.This can mean that the visualization is generated automatically depending on and / or through processing of the installation information and / or the assignment result. The visualization can also serve as installation information as described above – for example, for fault diagnosis and / or maintenance and / or as installation instructions for a user. The visualization can be provided as a visualization on a display and / or via modern technologies such as augmented reality. It can preferably be an interactive visualization of the system, preferably one that can be operated, for example, using inputs via a touchscreen.

[0046] Optionally, the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization can be used to enable validation and / or optimization of an installation template, such as a circuit diagram for the system. Validation and / or optimization of the installation template can be understood as the implementation of a computer-aided process that, based on the visualization and the installation specification, detects logical inconsistencies, errors, and / or optimization potential in the system configuration and generates corresponding suggestions.

[0047] It can further optionally be provided that the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization serve to perform a system test. A system test can be understood as analyzing and / or simulating the system's functionality based on the visualization, comparing operating data and / or installation specifications and / or other relevant parameters to identify deviations or potential fault conditions.

[0048] It is further optionally possible for the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization to serve to support maintenance and / or installation processes. An interactive user interface can be implemented that provides precise instructions for maintenance and / or installation steps based on installation specifications and / or sensor data and / or user inputs and / or electrical control of the components. As such, for example, the exact position of components can be visualized and their status displayed in real time.

[0049] Optionally, it can be provided that the at least one piece of installation information and / or the visualization is used to enable an improvement of the system. An improvement of the system can be understood as a system or method identifying potential optimizations by analyzing the installation information and the system configuration to provide suggestions for increasing efficiency, safety, or functionality.

[0050] It is also optionally possible for the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization to support navigation within the system. Navigation within the system can be understood as providing at least a two- or three-dimensional representation of the system that facilitates the localization and identification of components or areas based on their physical position and function.

[0051] Optionally, at least one piece of installation information and / or the visualization can be used for error diagnosis. Error diagnosis can be understood as a computer-aided system that identifies error states based on visualization data and installation information, analyzes their causes, and provides specific instructions for correcting them.

[0052] It may also be optionally possible for the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization to include a warning function. A warning function can be understood as highlighting critical conditions or deviations in the system through visual and / or acoustic signals in real time, for example, through the use of color coding or warning symbols in the visualization.

[0053] It can also optionally be provided that the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization serves as planning support. Planning support can be understood as simulating and / or analyzing various scenarios to evaluate alternative planning options and propose optimized configurations for the system.

[0054] It is also optionally possible for at least one installation specification and / or the visualization to include planning semantics. Planning semantics can be understood as harmonizing naming structures from different engineering disciplines by assigning unique identifiers to components or processes. This enables consistent communication between different disciplines and minimizes naming inconsistencies within the system.

[0055] It can further optionally be provided that the at least one installation specification and / or the visualization of the system - in particular according to planning semantics - enables a structured and uniform representation of designations for the system. Planning semantics can be understood as the use of a system or method that harmonizes designation structures from different engineering disciplines, such as electrical engineering, mechanics, and automation technology. For example, the at least one installation specification can be used to create a database such as a central database in which designations are linked to unique identifiers. These unique identifiers can, for example, be codes assigned to components, functions, and / or connections within the system.

[0056] Another optional aspect of planning semantics can be the implementation of a process that automatically detects redundant or contradictory designations and replaces them by assigning them to a uniform identifier. Furthermore, the planning semantics can include a set of rules that defines specific naming rules for different trades and verifies compliance with them. Another feature can be an interface module that transfers the uniform designations to other systems, such as CAD tools (CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), or MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), to ensure consistent data communication.

[0057] Furthermore, planning semantics can optionally be integrated into the visualization, allowing users to access the harmonized designations via the graphical representation of the plant. For example, a component in the visualization can be marked with a unique identifier that, when selected, displays additional information such as technical specifications, maintenance histories, or delivery information. Using the installation information, automated checks can also be performed to ensure that all designations in the plant comply with the defined planning semantics rules.

[0058] Furthermore, with the method according to the invention, it is conceivable that, through the assignment made, a link, in particular a mechanical-electrical link, is automatically generated from the different representations, in particular the mechanical and electrical representations, preferably from MCAD and ECAD data. The link, in particular a mechanical-electrical link, is designed, for example, as a digital reference that refers from one representation variant to the other representation variant and can optionally be stored together with these representation variants. On the basis of this link or mechanical-electrical link, existing installation information can be supplemented with additional, in particular electrical and / or spatial, information about the system.From the installation information supplemented in this way, at least one installation instruction, preferably for the installation plan and / or in the form of step-by-step instructions, can be automatically generated to provide computer-assisted guidance to a user for the at least one installation action and / or preparation. For this purpose, the installation instruction can be provided visually and / or acoustically, e.g., visually via a screen and / or augmented reality and / or acoustically via a loudspeaker.

[0059] Advantageously, within the scope of the invention, it can be provided that the at least one installation specification comprises navigation information for the system in order to navigate the user from a first location, in particular for a first installation action, to a second location, in particular for a second installation action, of the system. The navigation information can preferably comprise a calculated route which leads the user from the first to the second location of the system. Furthermore, the route can be optimized during the calculation with regard to the length and / or installation time of the assembly and / or maintenance and / or installation actions based on the link or mechanical-electrical link. This can achieve the advantage of further benefiting the spatial information for practical work in the system, for example to calculate routes for the fastest installation.

[0060] It may further be provided that a uniform data structure is created that contains both ECAD and MCAD data. This data structure enables automated linking of the data and a uniform representation of the information. It is possible to use the data structure to digitally and non-volatilely store the link or mechanical-electrical link. For example, in this way, the circuit diagram of the electrical representation is supplemented with spatial information from the mechanical representation.

[0061] A further advantage can be achieved within the scope of the invention if the at least one installation specification comprises a plurality of step-by-step instructions, which in particular guide the user through the installation actions necessary for assembly and / or maintenance. The step-by-step instructions can be automatically optimized, if necessary, with regard to simplification, acceleration, efficiency, and / or logistics, preferably taking into account at least one of the following pieces of information: experience information about the user, location information about at least one component of the system, which is determined from the supplemented spatial information, inventory information, and availability information about components to be ordered, using a database interface for this purpose.

[0062] This allows for optimized installation. The knowledge generated by the mapping, such as "which component is located where," can also be used for optimized logistics. User experience (skill level) can also be taken into account in installation instructions.

[0063] Advantageously, the invention can provide for the at least one installation specification to specify one or more cable lengths for cable length planning. In this case, for automated generation of the one or more cable lengths on the basis of the connection or mechanical-electrical connection, a comparison of spatial positions of components of the system to be connected can be carried out in order to determine, in particular to estimate, a required cable length for connecting the components. In this way, it can be automatically determined "in a first iteration" which cable length is suitable for connecting two components to one another. For this purpose, the spatial positions of the components, which are known thanks to the automatic assignment, can be compared. Since this is only a first approximation, assembly / cable loops can then be used if necessary for the final adjustment of the cable length. The cable length can then be adjusted if necessary.can also be updated in the plan (e.g. the electrical or mechanical representation) after installation.

[0064] Preferably, within the scope of the invention, it can be provided that the at least one installation specification comprises a specification of at least one interface, in particular a provided cable connection, between components of the system to be connected. The specification of the at least one interface can be generated automatically by searching for and / or filtering and / or selecting, on the basis of the connection or mechanical-electrical connection, those interfaces of the system in which the components to be connected are provided in different mechanical assemblies of the system according to the mechanical representation (but possibly in the same electrical assemblies of the system according to the electrical representation). In particular, with a modular design of the system, different assemblies should / may not be connected to one another directly via cables, but are connected via bridges in order to facilitate assembly of the cables of the respective modules.It may be that several components are provided in the same electrical assembly, but different mechanical assemblies. Thanks to the assignment, such connections can be identified and bridges can be planned for them automatically. According to an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the at least one installation specification specifies one or more cable types for cable planning, wherein for the automated generation of the one or more cable types on the basis of the connection or mechanical-electrical connection, a comparison of spatial positions of components of the system to be connected is preferably carried out in order to determine a required cable type for connecting the components. In this way, maintenance and installation can be improved and simplified.

[0065] Preferably, it can be provided that an automated image recognition of at least one object, in particular a component of the system, is carried out in order to recognize the at least one component, in particular at least one device, of the system, preferably on a recording such as a photograph or a video or the like, as a result of the image recognition. The result of the image recognition can preferably be used to provide the component specification, in particular to automatically assign the respective recognized component to one of the provided assignment candidates. The image recognition can thus serve as a preparatory step to provide the component specification. In other words, the image recognition can be used to select the component to be matched.In this case, the first representation variant can also be understood as a photograph or a video or another recording, which can thus also be intended as a mechanical representation.

[0066] It is further conceivable that the step of providing the additional information for the provided component specification and the provided assignment candidates comprises automated image recognition in order to recognize at least one component, in particular a device, and / or a position of the component in the system on a recording such as a photograph or a video as a result of the image recognition. The result of the image recognition can be used as one of the additional information. Here, the image recognition can be used in particular to determine the additional information for the assignment candidates. For example, the recording is used instead of or in addition to a 3D model to obtain the spatial information. In this case, the second representation variant can accordingly be the recording such as a photograph.

[0067] Optionally, it can be provided that the respective image recognition comprises the following step: Recognition of the component, in particular from the first or second representation variant in the form of a recording such as a photograph and / or a video and / or a 3D representation and / or a schematic representation, in particular PDF or sketch, of the system, based on

[0068] An article number and / or marking, preferably shown in the image and / or in metadata of a file, and / or a coding of the electrical component, in particular of a connector, shown in the image, e.g. L-coded, A-coded, or the like, and / or the visual geometric representation of the component, in particular by comparing the representation with predefined and / or existing representations of components of the system.

[0069] This has the advantage that reliable identification of the component is possible based on the recording.

[0070] It is also advantageous if the provided component specification and the provided assignment candidates each specify at least one real, existing or planned component of the system. The additional information can only provide a hint, particularly an additional one, for identifying the real components specified by the assignment candidates. In other words, the specification of the component by the assignment candidates may initially be too imprecise and can only be further narrowed down by the additional information.

[0071] Furthermore, the component specification can uniquely or unambiguously specify the real (planned or existing) component using a label such as a resource label. If necessary, the additional information can be automatically compared during evaluation according to the at least one assignment criterion in order to at least approximately determine the assignment candidate associated with the component specification that specifies the same real component as the component specification. This makes it possible to assign the component specification to this determined assignment candidate during assignment.

[0072] It is further conceivable that the additional information is at least partially specific to the spatial arrangement of the real components and / or the components connected thereto and / or adjacent thereto, in particular connection partners, in the system. During the evaluation according to one of the at least one assignment criteria, the additional information can be automatically compared with respect to the spatial arrangement in order to determine the corresponding assignment candidate.

[0073] Furthermore, it is possible that at least one of the additional information items specific to the spatial arrangement of the real components in the system is an indication of the circuit diagram page in the electrical representation on which a component is shown, and when evaluating according to one of the at least one assignment criteria, an identical circuit diagram page of components indicates spatial proximity.

[0074] In other words, it may be possible to cluster one or more device groups based on their respective circuit diagram pages, since experience shows that everything that is spatially close to one another in the system can be found on the same circuit diagram page. Recognizing the "same page" can therefore also represent additional information. The circuit diagram page can therefore be viewed as an indication of spatial proximity. Alternatively, one or more device groups can also be clustered across more than one circuit diagram page. This could also be important for calculating the center of gravity, as described in more detail below. There are also special groupings for asset identifiers that can be used for clustering.

[0075] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the component specification includes a marking such as an equipment marking, through which the real component is clearly or unambiguously identified in one of the representations, preferably the electrical representation. A unique marking is understood in particular to mean that each real component is assigned exactly one unique electrical representation, which is particularly unique even for components from different manufacturers. This ensures a clear assignment between the real component and its electrical representation, which is particularly advantageous for troubleshooting and maintaining the system.

[0076] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, it is conceivable for the component specification to include at least one of the following information as the identification: an article number, a serial number, a MAC address, a component name, an IO-Link description, an IO-Link name, a device-specific tag, and a manufacturer name. This enables the assignment of "target" and "actual" values. With different bus systems, it may only be possible to read either the MAC address or the serial number, so both can be provided for identification.

[0077] It is also optionally conceivable for the respective assignment candidate to only vaguely specify a real component of the system. For this purpose, the assignment candidate or one of the additional information can specify a position for the component in a three-dimensional model in the mechanical representation.

[0078] Preferably, the evaluation can be based at least partially on an analysis of: - which components of the system are shown as connection partners adjacent to this position in the mechanical representation, and / or in what way the connection partners are shown in the electrical representation, and / or

[0079] - how they relate to the component specification, preferably whether they are shown on the same schematic page.

[0080] The same circuit diagram page can be an indicator of spatial proximity and thus be used for more reliable assignment.

[0081] Optionally, the evaluation may include an automated and / or step-by-step and / or iterative comparison of the additional information based on at least two, three, or four matching criteria to gradually eliminate matching candidates. This may enable a more reliable matching.

[0082] Preferably, it can be provided that the respective additional information comprises at least one of the following information: an indication of connection partners of the real component, which is specified by the component specification or by the respective assignment candidate, and / or a position of the real component in the system, and / or technical properties of the real component.

[0083] During the evaluation, a spatial center of gravity of the connection partners can be determined (center of gravity calculation), and this spatial center of gravity can be compared with the positions of the assignment candidates in order to eliminate some of the assignment candidates based on this comparison. The assignment candidate remaining at the end can be the one that is spatially optimally arranged relative to the connection partners. This can be an indication of a component to be matched, but also for the planning of a distributor for the connection partners at this position. Connection partners are particularly those devices (other components) that are directly electrically connected to a component.

[0084] It can further advantageously be provided that the assignment of the provided component specification to one of the assignment candidates is carried out on the basis of the evaluation in order to install the planned component, in particular a distributor to which one or more of the real components and / or connection partners specified by the component specification are to be connected, in the system according to the specification of the assignment candidate, in particular a spatial position. Thus, the described center of gravity calculation can be used to determine a favorable position for a distributor in the system during the planning phase of the system according to a heuristic assignment. And even after the planning phase, the described center of gravity calculation can be used to perform the assignment to an existing distributor.Furthermore, the center of gravity calculation can also be used to assign or verify the technical properties of a component and / or its (existing) connection to a distributor in order to adjust the dimensioning and / or connection of the component. Technical properties of the component can include, for example, information about the type of component, information about the dimensioning of a component, such as the component's dimensions in terms of its length, width, and / or height.

[0085] Optionally, the centroid calculation can also be used to enable an assignment of a component specification to assignment candidates in different clustered groups, whereby one or more additional information of the respective assignment candidates from the respective groups and their respective centroids can be used.

[0086] Within the scope of the invention, a distributor can be defined as a module that serves for the decentralized interconnection of components such as actuators, sensors, and machines in the system. The distributor can, for example, be designed as a fieldbus module that is connected to a central controller such as a PLC (programmable logic controller) via a fieldbus. Fieldbus modules thus enable communication between the controller and the components using a fieldbus protocol such as PROFIBUS, PROFINET, CANopen, or EtherCAT. Several components can be connected to the distributor, possibly also via IO-Link, and in particular,to control and / or read the components depending on a received fieldbus signal. Another possible variant of a distributor can also directly forward an electrical control signal and / or sensor signal between the central controller and the component. Furthermore, the distributor can be designed as an I / O module, in which the connected components are not connected to the controller, or not only via a fieldbus, but (also) via digital or analog inputs and outputs via the distributor. The distributor thus serves as an interface between the controller and components such as sensors, actuators, and machines, and can convert and process signals from the controller into signals usable by the components, and vice versa. In a further possibility, it can be provided that, during the evaluation, a first piece of additional information, in particular a module identification, is initially generated according to a first assignment criterion.the provided component specification and the provided assignment candidates (according to a first comparison) are compared in order to eliminate some of the assignment candidates based on the first assignment criterion, and / or subsequently, according to a second assignment criterion, a second piece of additional information, in particular an article number, of the provided component specification and the assignment candidates remaining (after the first comparison) are compared (according to a second comparison) in order to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates based on the second assignment criterion, and subsequently, according to a third assignment criterion, a third piece of additional information, in particular a position, of the provided component specification and the assignment candidates remaining (after the second comparison) are compared (according to a third comparison),to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates based on the third assignment criterion, and then, according to an nth assignment criterion, an nth additional information of the provided component specification and the (after the respective previous comparison) remaining assignment candidates (according to an nth comparison) is compared in order to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates based on the nth assignment criterion.

[0087] This allows for a particularly reliable, step-by-step narrowing down of the assignment candidates.

[0088] It is also advantageous if more than two different representation variants of the system, in particular at least three or at least four or at least five different representation variants, are compared, wherein preferably the first, the second, and also a third and / or fourth and / or fifth representation variant and / or further representation variants of the system differ from one another, wherein the assignment candidates and / or the assignment information are preferably provided from the further representation variants. The larger information base thus enables improved and more reliable assignment.

[0089] Furthermore, it can be provided within the scope of the invention that the mechanical representation comprises at least one of the following representations and / or additional information: an MCAD representation of the system, a 3D model of the system,

[0090] 3D geometries of components of the system, a photograph of the system, a video of the system, a PDF file with mechanical information about the system, design data,

[0091] Kinematic information,

[0092] Names and / or designations and / or meta-information about the components of the system, a parts list, a parts list, schematic drawings, a text file,

[0093] - Connection information, such as connection coding,

[0094] - Number of inputs and / or outputs,

[0095] Functional descriptions,

[0096] Assembly information,

[0097] Installation notes, a list from a spreadsheet, especially an Excel list.

[0098] Furthermore, it is conceivable that a representation, preferably the electrical and / or the pneumatic and / or the hydraulic and / or the fluid representation, comprises at least one of the following representations and / or additional information: an ECAD representation or a fluid or a pneumatic representation of the system, an electronic circuit diagram, a connection diagram, an image representation, in particular a photograph, of a circuit diagram, a connection diagram, a cable diagram or hose diagram, schematic drawings, a circuit diagram, a pneumatic diagram or fluid diagram, a parts list, functional descriptions,

[0099] Location information, photographs,

[0100] Connection information, such as a connection coding or a type or size of the connections,

[0101] Number of inputs and / or outputs, component details, installation notes, a PDF file with electrical information about the system, a parts list.

[0102] To prepare data for matching components and especially BMKs, the following steps may also be provided:

[0103] - Extracting a list of components and / or BMKs to be matched from the ECAD according to a first preparation step,

[0104] - Extracting a list of components and / or positions to be matched from the MCAD according to a second preparation step,

[0105] Providing components and / or positions and / or BMKs, preferably including metadata, for automated matching according to a third preparation step.

[0106] The metadata can include, for example, the article number and / or the connection partners and / or the surrounding positions and / or technical properties of a respective component.

[0107] When developing systems, especially industrial automation systems, there are essentially two available tools: ECAD and MCAD. ECAD stands for Electronic Computer-Aided Design and MCAD for Mechanical Computer-Aided Design.

[0108] ECAD (Electrical Computer-Aided Design) can be used to display and manage circuit diagrams, wiring diagrams, connection diagrams, and possibly also cable diagrams, parts lists, and other electrical documentation. ECAD refers to the use of computer-aided tools to support the planning, design, and documentation of electrical systems in industrial plants. The electrical components of a plant can be grouped into an assembly, particularly those that together fulfill a specific function. Possible identifications for plant components in ECAD include the device identification, the article number, a range name, the serial number, and the manufacturer code. ECAD can also specify technical properties, particularly electrical properties, of the components.In this context, an equipment identification (EIM) is specifically a unique identification of electrical equipment in a system, such as switches, terminals, sensors, actuators, and the like. EIM enables the unambiguous assignment of equipment in circuit diagrams, parts lists, and other technical documentation. It serves to clearly identify and assign equipment, thus facilitating the maintenance, servicing, and repair of industrial automation systems.

[0109] MCAD (Mechanical Computer-Aided Design) allows the components of an industrial plant to be represented spatially, e.g., through 3D modeling, simulation, assembly modeling, and bill of materials. MCAD refers specifically to the computer-aided design of mechanical components and systems of an industrial plant. 3D models and simulations can also be used to optimize the functionality and performance of components and systems. Possible identifiers for plant components in MCAD include the assembly, the component name, and the part name. Other possible identifiers for components include the serial number and the manufacturer code. MCAD may also include technical and, preferably, mechanical properties such as the dimensions and weight of the components.

[0110] A BOM (Bill of Material) refers in particular to an order and / or parts list for the construction of a system. This is preferably generated in a redundancy-free manner by merging mechanical and electrical data to ensure an efficient value chain. To obtain a redundancy-free order and / or parts list, the MCAD and ECAD parts lists can be compared. It may be possible to create a BOM based on the assignment using the method according to the invention.

[0111] The invention also relates to a data processing device comprising means for carrying out the steps of the method according to the invention. Thus, the device according to the invention offers the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to a method according to the invention.

[0112] The invention also relates to a computer program, in particular a computer program product, comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by at least one or precisely one computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the invention. The computer program according to the invention thus brings with it the same advantages as have been described in detail with reference to a method according to the invention. As the at least one computer, a data processing device, for example the device according to the invention, which executes the computer program can be provided. The computer can have at least one processor for executing the computer program. A non-volatile data memory can also be provided, in which the computer program is stored and from which the computer program can be read out by the processor for execution.

[0113] It is also conceivable for the at least one computer to comprise at least one integrated circuit such as a microprocessor or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or an application-specific standard product (ASSP) or a digital signal processor (DSP) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or the like. The computer can furthermore have at least one interface for data exchange, e.g. an Ethernet interface or an interface for LAN (Local Area Network) or WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) or System-on-a-Chip (SoC) or another radio interface such as Bluetooth or near-field communication (NFC). Furthermore, the computer can be designed as one or more control units, ie also as a system of control units. The computer can, for example,It may also be provided at least partially in a cloud and / or as a server in order to provide data processing for a local application via the interface. It is also possible for the computer to be implemented as a mobile device, such as a smartphone.

[0114] The invention may also provide a computer-readable storage medium comprising the computer program according to the invention. The storage medium is designed, for example, as a data storage device such as a hard disk and / or a non-volatile memory and / or a memory card. The storage medium can, for example, be integrated into the computer.

[0115] Furthermore, the method according to the invention can also be implemented as a computer-implemented method.

[0116] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a computer program, a data processing device, and a graphical user interface according to embodiments of the invention.

[0117] Fig. 2 shows a schematic visualization of an evaluation of a method according to embodiments of the invention.

[0118] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of part of an electrical diagram.

[0119] Fig. 4 is a schematic visualization of a center of gravity calculation in a method according to embodiments of the invention.

[0120] Fig. 5 shows a further schematic visualization of a center of gravity calculation in a method according to embodiments of the invention.

[0121] Fig. 6 schematic process steps of a process according to embodiments of the invention.

[0122] Fig. 7 schematic process steps of a process according to embodiments of the invention.

[0123] In the following figures, identical reference numerals are used for the same technical features, even in different embodiments.

[0124] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary graphical user interface 200 of a data processing device 10 and a computer program 11, which can be used to compare two different representation variants 210, 220 of an industrial plant. Various additional information can be used to assign the provided component specification 240 to one of the assignment candidates 241. In an assignment table 230, the component specifications 240 and / or the assignment candidates 241 and / or the additional information can be listed and linked to one another. Examples shown are: an assembly specification 231, a component name 232, a further designation ("name") 233, a first assignment specification 234, a BMK 235, an article identifier 236 such as an article number 236, a range specification 237, and a second assignment specification 238.The assignment details 234 and 238 can be determined by the automated assignment in order to link a component specification 240 in one of the representations 240 with an assignment candidate 241 in the other of the representations 241. Both the component specification 240 and the assignment candidate 241 can specify a real component (and, if correctly assigned, the same real component) of the system. Fig. 2 shows an exemplary process for assigning the provided component specification 240 to one of the assignment candidates 241. First, all possible matches mP for a specific BMK 235 within a 3D model are provided as the assignment candidates 241. Then, a step-by-step elimination of possibilities can take place using assignment criteria Kn. The possible positions for a match are labeled mP, and the eliminated positions for a match are labeled eP.

[0125] First, to provide all possible matches (mP), the search can be filtered according to a first assignment criterion (K1), such as the assembly. Subsequently, a further elimination of matches (eP) can be performed based on a second assignment criterion (K2), such as the article number. According to a third assignment criterion (K3), the spatial proximity of a position to known connection partners can be taken into account, for example. Additional assignment criteria (Kn) are also conceivable for further narrowing down and eliminating assignment candidates (241), such as considering the connection coding, technical properties, and / or machine learning-based assignment criteria. The remaining possible match (mP) ultimately represents the automatically determined position for a match.

[0126] Fig. 3 shows an electrical representation 220 of the system, wherein in an initial situation a component specification 240 of a component in the electrical representation 220 may still be present without the assignment to an assignment candidate 241 of a mechanical representation 210. Accordingly, the assignment details 234 and 238 for this component are not yet defined (cf. Fig. 1). For example, a position to be matched within a 3D model of the mechanical representation 210 for the BMK “-KF15” is to be determined. Based on the additional information, it can be determined that the direct connection partners of KF15 include BG5, BG6 and PF2. In this case, the unambiguous assignment of the component specification, i.e. the BMK KF15, to a component represented in the mechanical representation 210 may initially be prevented. A BMK KF14” that is not shown can, for example,denote a technically identical product that is located in the same assembly, thus making assignment more difficult. This then results in two possible assignment candidates 241 at positions PA and PB for the assignment of KF15. Assigning the BMKs to a specific position in the mechanical and, in particular, three-dimensional representation 210 was not traditionally possible in an automated manner. Fig. 4 shows the identified positions PA and PB of the assignment candidates 241 as well as - as additional information - the positions of the connection partners BG5, BG6, and PF2 in a 3D model of the mechanical representation 210. Fig. 5 visualizes an approach for the automated assignment of the component specification 240 (BMK "KF15") to one of the assignment candidates 241.After the positions of the expected connection partners BG5, BG6, and PF2 have been determined within the 3D model, a center of gravity S of the connection partners can be determined. Uniform or differentiated weightings can be assigned to the positions (e.g., based on machine learning input). Vectors can then be established between the determined center of gravity S of the connection partners and the positions PA and PB. The BMK "KF15" can then be assigned (matched) to one of the positions PA and PB based on the determined vector length.

[0127] According to one variant, if an automated match cannot be generated for the expected connection partners within the system, in particular the machine, an optimization approach can be applied. Positions within the 3D model can then be grouped based on technical properties and the expected groupings from the electrical representation 220 based on the connection partners of the components. Furthermore, matching options with correct technical assignment can be determined, which, viewed across the entire assembly and / or system / machine, result in the smallest distances between the centers of gravity S and the respective connection partners.

[0128] Fig. 6 shows a method 100 according to embodiments of the invention, which serves for the computer-aided comparison of at least two different representation variants 210, 220 of an industrial plant, in particular an electrical machine and / or an industrial automation plant.

[0129] According to a first method step 101, provision is made for a component specification 240 from a first representation variant of the system, wherein the first representation variant differs from a second representation variant of the system, wherein one of the representation variants is an electrical representation 220 of the system and the other of the representation variants is a mechanical representation 210 of the system. For the first method step 101, for example, a device 10 (see Fig. 1) can read the component specification 240 from a data memory or capture it as a user input using an input device such as a keyboard or a touchscreen, or determine it using a processor from processing the first representation variant, such as a circuit diagram or a photograph.Furthermore, according to a second method step 102, provision is made of assignment candidates 241 from the second representation variant for an assignment of the provided component specification 240. For the second method step 102, the device 10 can also read the assignment candidates 241 from a data memory or determine them automatically by means of a processor from processing the second representation variant.

[0130] Furthermore, according to a third method step 103, provision is made for providing additional information about the provided component specification 240 and the provided assignment candidates 241 from both the first and the second representation variants. The additional information can be determined by the device 10, as described above, by means of user input and / or by reading a data memory and / or by automated processing of the first and / or second representation variants or even further representation variants.

[0131] Furthermore, according to a fourth method step 104, the following is provided: evaluation, in particular computer-assisted and / or (at least partially) automated, of the additional information according to at least one assignment criterion Kn. This evaluation is preferably carried out by a processor of the device 10, possibly with the aid of cloud technology.

[0132] Furthermore, according to a fifth method step 105, the following is provided: Assigning the provided component specification 240 at least partially or completely automatically to one of the provided assignment candidates 241 on the basis of the evaluation 104. For this assignment, at least one digital reference is preferably stored in a non-volatile data memory by the device 10.

[0133] The component specification 240 can, in particular, specify several starting points. If, for example, an electrical representation 220 such as ECAD is the starting point, the component specification 240 can include a marking such as a device marking 235, which a user selects, for example, in the circuit diagram in order to find the corresponding component in the mechanical representation 210. This is useful, for example, in the planning phase of the system if, for example, the user wants to automatically plan a cable length for a component. For this purpose, the distance from the component to another device in the system can be determined thanks to the assignment. Advantages can also arise after planning. For example, an installation plan can be created based on the assignment. The assignment between the components in the electrical representation 220 and in the mechanical representation 210 can be used for this purpose.Another possibility is that a mechanical representation 210 such as MCAD is the starting point. In this case, the component specification 240 can also be a geometry or a position in the mechanical representation 210 (in MCAD) for which the user wants to find the corresponding component identifier in the electrical representation 220 (ECAD).

[0134] Furthermore, the component specification 240 may also result from another medium, such as a photographic recording created by a user. This is, for example,

[0135] This is useful, for example, when the user wants to know, during maintenance work, which marking in the electrical or mechanical representation 210 belongs to a device that he has photographed for this purpose.

[0136] The assignment candidates 241 are then, in particular, possible "matches." Since the assignment is often not possible unambiguously (e.g., the BMKs are missing in the MCAD), the possible matches can be narrowed down further and further using the assignment criteria until only one assignment candidate 241 remains. The assignment between component specification 240 and the remaining assignment candidate 241 is then possible, for example, by means of a mutual reference.

[0137] Fig. 7 shows possible steps of a preparation process for preparing the data required for matching. According to a first preparation step 201, a list of the components / devices to be matched can be extracted from the ECAD. According to a second preparation step 202, a list of the components / positions to be matched can be extracted from the MCAD. According to a third preparation step 203, components / positions / devices, including metadata (e.g., article number, connection partner, surrounding positions, properties), can be provided for automated matching.

[0138] The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention exclusively by way of example. Of course, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided they are technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0139] 10 Device

[0140] 11 Computer program

[0141] 100 procedures

[0142] 101 first procedural step

[0143] 102 second procedural step

[0144] 103 third procedural step

[0145] 200 Graphical User Interface, GUI

[0146] 201 first preparatory step

[0147] 202 second preparatory step

[0148] 203 third preparatory step

[0149] 210 MCAD system representation, mechanical representation

[0150] 220 ECAD system representation, electrical representation

[0151] 230 Assignment table

[0152] 231 Assembly information

[0153] 232 Component name

[0154] 233 Name

[0155] 234 first assignment information

[0156] 235 BMK, equipment marking

[0157] 236 Article marking, article number

[0158] 237 Range specification

[0159] 238 second assignment information

[0160] 240 Component Specification

[0161] 241 assignment candidates

[0162] 234,238 Linkage eP eliminated positions for a match mP possible positions for a match

[0163] PF2 BMK for a third product

[0164] BG5 BMK for a first product

[0165] BG6 BMK for a second product

[0166] Kn n-th criterion

[0167] K1 first allocation criterion

[0168] K2 second allocation criterion

[0169] K3 third allocation criterion

[0170] PA first position

[0171] PB second position

[0172] R40 BMK for a fourth product

[0173] S Focus

Claims

Claims 1. Method (100) for the computer-aided comparison of at least two different representation variants (210, 220) of an industrial plant, in particular an electrical machine and / or an industrial automation plant, comprising the following steps: Providing (101) a component specification (240) from a first representation variant of the system, wherein the first representation variant differs from a second representation variant of the system in that at least part of the system is represented with different functionality and / or characteristics, wherein in particular one of the representation variants is an electrical representation (220) of the system and the other of the representation variants is a mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic or fluid representation (210) of the system, Providing (102) assignment candidates (241) from the second representation variant for an assignment of the provided component specification (240), Providing (103) additional information on the provided component specification (240) and the provided assignment candidates (241) from both the first and the second representation variant, Evaluating (104) the additional information according to at least one assignment criterion (Kn), Assigning (105) the provided component specification (240) at least partially automatically to one of the provided assignment candidates (241) on the basis of the evaluation (104).

2. Method (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that on the basis of the assignment (105) made, at least one installation specification, in particular an installation instruction, preferably at least a part of an installation plan, for at least one installation action and / or preparation during maintenance and / or assembly of the system is automatically generated, wherein the assignment (105) made automatically generates a link, in particular a mechanical-electrical link, from the different representations, preferably the mechanical and electrical representation (210, 220), preferably from MCAD and ECAD data, and on the basis of this link, an existing installation information is supplemented by additional, in particular electrical and / or spatial, information about the system, wherein the at least one installation specification,preferably for the installation plan and / or in the form of a step-by-step instruction, is generated automatically in order to computer-assisted guide a user for the at least one installation action and / or preparation.

3. Method (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one installation specification comprises navigation information for the system in order to navigate the user from a first location, in particular for a first installation action, to a second location, in particular for a second installation action, of the system, wherein the navigation information preferably comprises a calculated route which leads the user from the first to the second location of the system, wherein the route is optimized during the calculation with regard to the path length and / or installation duration of the assembly and / or maintenance and / or installation actions based on the mechanical-electrical link, and / or that the at least one installation specification comprises several step-by-step instructions which instruct the user in the installation actions necessary for assembly and / or maintenance,wherein the step-by-step instructions are automatically optimized with regard to simplification and / or acceleration and / or efficiency and / or logistics, preferably taking into account at least one of the following information: an experience information about the user, a location information about at least one component of the system, which is determined from the supplemented spatial information, inventory information, availability information about components to be ordered, whereby a database interface is used for this purpose.

4. Method (100) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the at least one installation specification specifies one or more cable lengths for cable length planning, wherein for an automated generation of the one or more cable lengths on the basis of the mechanical-electrical connection, a comparison of spatial positions of components of the system to be connected is carried out in order to determine, in particular to estimate, a required cable length for connecting the components, and / or that the at least one installation specification comprises an indication of at least one interface, in particular an intended cable connection, between components of the system to be connected, wherein the indication of the at least one interface is automatically generated by searching for and / or filtering and / or selecting such interfaces of the system on the basis of the mechanical-electrical connection,in which the components to be connected are provided in different mechanical assemblies of the system according to the mechanical representation (210), but in the same electrical assemblies of the system according to the electrical representation (220), and / or that the at least one installation specification specifies one or more cable types for cable planning, wherein for the automated generation of the one or more cable types on the basis of the connection, in particular mechanical-electrical connection, a comparison of spatial positions of components of the system to be connected is carried out in order to determine a required cable type for connecting the components. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an automated image recognition of at least one object, in particular of a component of the system, is carried out in order to recognize, as a result of the image recognition, the at least one component, in particular at least one device, of the system, preferably on a photograph or a video, wherein the result of the image recognition is used to provide the component specification (240) in order to automatically assign the respective recognized component to one of the provided assignment candidates (241), and / or that the step of providing (103) the additional information about the provided component specification (240) and the provided assignment candidates (241) comprises an automated image recognition in order to recognize, as a result of the image recognition, at least one component, in particular a device,and / or to recognize a position of the component in the system on a recording such as a photograph or video, using the result of the image recognition as one of the additional information.

6. Method (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the respective image recognition comprises the following step: recognizing the component, in particular from the first or second representation variant in the form of a photograph and / or a video and / or a 3D representation and / or a schematic representation, in particular PDF or sketch, of the system, on the basis of an article number and / or marking shown, preferably in the image and / or in metadata of a file, and / or a coding of the electrical component, in particular of a connector, shown in the image and / or the visual geometric representation of the component, in particular by comparing the image with predetermined and / or existing images of components of the system.

7. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the provided component specification (240) and the provided assignment candidates (241) each specify at least one real, already existing or planned component of the plant, wherein the additional information merely provides an indication for identifying the real components specified by the assignment candidates (241), and wherein preferably the component specification (240) uniquely or unambiguously specifies the real component via an identifier such as a resource identifier (235), wherein during the evaluation (104) the additional information is automatically compared according to the at least one assignment criterion (Kn) in order to at least approximately determine the assignment candidate (241) associated with the component specification (240) which specifies the same real component as the component specification (240),in order to assign the component specification (240) to this determined assignment candidate (241) during the assignment (105).

8. The method (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that the component specification (240) comprises an identifier such as a resource identifier (235), by which the real component is uniquely or unambiguously identified in one of the representations, preferably the electrical representation (220), and / or that the component specification (240) comprises at least one of the following information as the identifier: an article number, a serial number, a MAC address, a component name, an IO-Link description, an IO-Link name, a device-specific tag, a manufacturer name.

9. Method (100) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the respective assignment candidate (241) only inaccurately specifies a real component of the system, and for this purpose the assignment candidate (241) or one of the additional information indicates a position for the component in a three-dimensional model in the mechanical representation (210), wherein the evaluation (104) is based at least partially on an analysis of which components of the system are represented as connection partners adjacent to this position in the mechanical representation (210), in what way the connection partners are represented in the electrical representation (210), and how these relate to the component specification (240), preferably whether they are represented on the same circuit diagram page,and / or that the evaluation (104) comprises an automated and step-by-step comparison of the additional information based on at least two or at least three or at least four assignment criteria (Kn) in order to gradually eliminate the assignment candidates (241).

10. Method (100) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the respective additional information comprises at least one of the following information: an indication of connection partners of the real component, which is specified by the component specification (240) or by the respective assignment candidate (241), a position of the real component in the system, or technical properties of the real component, wherein during the evaluation (104) a spatial center of gravity of the connection partners is determined, and the spatial center of gravity is compared with the positions of the assignment candidates (241) in order to eliminate some of the assignment candidates (241) on the basis of this comparison.

11. Method (100) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the assignment (105) of the provided component specification (240) to the one of the assignment candidates (241) is carried out on the basis of the evaluation (104) in order to install the planned component, in particular a distributor to which one or more of the real components and / or connection partners specified by the component specification (240) are to be connected, in the system according to the specification of the assignment candidate (241), in particular a spatial position.

12. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the evaluation (104), firstly, according to a first assignment criterion (K1), a first piece of additional information, in particular an assembly identification, of the provided component specification (240) and the provided assignment candidates (241) is compared in order to eliminate a part of the assignment candidates (241) on the basis of the first assignment criterion (K1), and then, according to a second assignment criterion (K2), a second piece of additional information, in particular an article number, of the provided component specification (240) and the remaining assignment candidates (241) is compared in order to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates (241) on the basis of the second assignment criterion (K2), and then, according to a third assignment criterion (K3), a third piece of additional information, in particular a position,the provided component specification (240) and the remaining assignment candidates (241) are compared in order to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates (241) on the basis of the third assignment criterion (K3), and then, according to an n-th assignment criterion (Kn), an n-th piece of additional information of the provided component specification (240) and the remaining assignment candidates (241) is compared in order to eliminate a further part of the assignment candidates (241) on the basis of the n-th assignment criterion (Kn).

13. Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that more than the two different representation variants (210, 220) of the system, in particular at least three or at least four or at least five different representation variants (210, 220), are compared, wherein the first, the second and also a third and / or fourth and / or fifth representation variant and / or further representation variants of the system differ from one another, wherein the assignment candidates (241) and / or the assignment information are provided from the further representation variants.

14. A computer program (11) comprising instructions which, when the computer program (11) is executed by at least one computer (10), cause the computer (10) to carry out the method (100) according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Device (10) for data processing which is arranged to carry out the method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 13.

Images