Augmented Reality Overlay for P&ID Equipment Location

Solution Overview

Problem

Functional drawings like P&IDs are challenging to use for maintenance and design tasks due to the lack of direct relationship between symbol and line arrangements and physical environments, leading to difficulties in locating equipment and modifying plant designs, especially in large-scale projects involving outside contractors.

Innovation Solution

An augmented reality application that uses a 3-D model to bridge symbols and lines in functional drawings with physical objects, allowing users to rapidly locate equipment and modify designs by aligning the 3-D model with the physical environment and displaying corresponding symbols or lines, and enabling on-site modifications to the 3-D model based on changes to the functional drawings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If functional drawings (P&IDs) are used for maintenance and design tasks, then process flow information is provided, but the lack of direct relationship between symbol arrangement and physical environment makes equipment location difficult and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess flow informationVSAvoidequipment location time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device that captures images of the physical environment and overlays symbolic representations from the functional drawing onto the captured images. This mediator bridges the gap between the abstract functional drawing and the concrete physical environment, allowing workers to locate equipment quickly by seeing the symbolic representation directly superimposed on the actual equipment in the camera viewfinder.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a visual copy of the symbolic representation from the functional drawing and superimposes it onto the captured image of the physical environment. This copying approach allows the worker to see a replicated version of the P&ID symbol directly on or near the corresponding physical equipment, eliminating the need to manually search for equipment based on abstract drawings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Loss of time

If tagging systems are used to indicate equipment locations, then approximate location information is provided, but workers still need to inspect each nearby piece of equipment to locate the correct one

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment location timeVSAvoidequipment identification ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs color-coded symbolic representations that correspond to different equipment types or states as defined in the functional drawing. By displaying these colored symbols directly on or near the corresponding physical equipment in the camera viewfinder, workers can quickly identify the correct equipment without having to read or interpret physical tags on each piece of equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a visual copy of the symbolic representation from the functional drawing and superimposes it onto the captured image of the physical environment. This copying approach allows the worker to see a replicated version of the P&ID symbol directly on or near the corresponding physical equipment, eliminating the need to search for equipment based on abstract drawings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If manual measurements and on-site surveys are conducted for design modifications, then physical location data is obtained, but follow-up visits and additional measurements are often required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysical location data accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement and visit time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a visual copy of the symbolic representation from the functional drawing and superimposes it onto the captured image of the physical environment. This copying approach allows the worker to see a replicated version of the P&ID symbol directly on or near the corresponding physical equipment, eliminating the need to search for equipment based on abstract drawings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides immediate visual feedback by overlaying symbolic representations on the captured images, allowing workers to verify equipment locations and relationships in real-time. This feedback mechanism reduces the need for follow-up visits by enabling workers to confirm measurements and observations during the initial survey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10395427B1On-site visualization and modeling using P and ID drawings and augmented reality

Publication Date: 2019.08.27 BENTLEY SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

An augmented reality application is proved that enhances on-site visualization and modeling using functional drawings (e.g., P&IDs). The augmented reality application may utilize a 3-D model as a bridge between symbols and lines in a functional drawing and objects (e.g., pieces of equipment) in the physical environment, to allow a user to rapidly locate a symbol or line in the functional drawing that represents a user-selected object (e.g., piece of equipment) in the physical environment or to rapidly locate an object (e.g., piece of equipment) in the physical environment that is represented by a user-selected symbol or line in the functional drawing. The augmented reality application may further allow a user to efficiently modify (e.g., add elements to) a 3-D model based on changes (e.g., additions) to a functional drawing.