Vehicle Digital Twin Sync Using Event-Triggered Inventory Updates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional inventory management systems lack real-time monitoring, leading to delayed detection and response to system changes, resulting in inaccurate digital twin representations, hindered predictive maintenance, and resource-intensive full inventory collections that consume network bandwidth and computing resources.

Innovation Solution

An inventory management system with active monitoring services that detect active triggering events and initiate partial or full inventory collections, coupled with a digital twin synchronized via a server for real-time updates, utilizing machine learning to optimize monitoring and reduce redundancy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If batch collection of full inventory is performed in response to pre-determined events, then the system can maintain a digital twin representation of the machine, but real-time monitoring is delayed and system changes are detected late

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of digital twin representationVSAvoiddetection delay of system changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring system parameters and pre-processing data in real-time, so that when an inventory collection is triggered, the data is already prepared and available immediately, eliminating detection delays while maintaining accurate digital twin representations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous monitoring of system parameters between batch inventory collections, maintaining an ongoing useful action of data collection and processing. This ensures real-time detection of system changes while still performing comprehensive full inventory collections at scheduled intervals, resolving the contradiction between continuous accuracy and batch processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Reliability

If full inventory collection is performed for every inventory update, then complete machine state data is captured, but network bandwidth and computing resources are consumed substantially

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of inventory dataVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth and computing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential and changed system parameters from full inventory data for transmission and processing. By identifying and extracting only relevant data elements that have changed or are critical for the digital twin, the system maintains data reliability while significantly reducing network bandwidth and computing resource consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies local quality by differentiating between critical system parameters that require continuous monitoring and transmission, and non-critical parameters that can be collected locally without transmission. This selective approach ensures complete inventory data is maintained for reliability while minimizing resource consumption by only transmitting essential information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If inventory management systems run while the machine is not in use, then software updates can be applied, but battery life is exceeded due to energy limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to apply software updatesVSAvoidbattery energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic inventory collections and software update applications scheduled during periods when the machine is not in use. By timing these energy-intensive operations to coincide with natural idle periods rather than forcing the machine to stop, the system enables software updates while respecting battery energy limitations and maintaining machine availability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts inventory collection frequency and software update scheduling based on machine usage patterns and battery charge levels. This dynamic approach allows software updates to be applied when energy is available and the machine is idle, optimizing the balance between ease of manufacture and energy consumption without requiring the machine to be forcibly stopped

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4664276A1Vehicle inventory management and digital twin synchronization
Publication Date: 2025.12.17 HARMAN INT IND INC
  • EP4664276A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4664276A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4664276A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for inventory management and digital twin synchronization. In one example, an inventory management system includes a machine, an active monitoring service configured to monitor the machine, detect active triggering events, and notify a client of the machine of passive triggering events, wherein the client is configured to initiate a partial or full inventory collection in response to receiving notification of an active triggering event. The inventory management system further includes a server external to the machine and communicatively coupled to the client via over the air (OTA) connection, and a digital twin, wherein the digital twin is a digital replica of the machine synchronized to the machine via the server by data collected from the partial inventory collection or the full inventory collection.