Digital Twin Abstraction Interface for Shared Resource Conflicts

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multi-digital twin environments, such as industrial metaverses, coordinating operation conflicts between multiple digital network twin operators is challenging, especially when they simultaneously attempt to control the behavior and actions of shared physical systems.

Innovation Solution

A digital twin abstraction interface is configured to receive twin operation intent requests, map priorities, investigate and allocate physical resources, and initiate digital twin operator sessions, thereby centralizing the assignment of physical resources and avoiding conflicts through intent prioritization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple digital twin operators simultaneously control the same physical system, then operational flexibility and user access are improved, but coordination conflicts and resource allocation problems worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidcoordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a digital twin abstraction interface as an intermediary layer between multiple digital twin operators and the physical system. This interface receives operation intent requests from multiple operators, maps priorities to these requests, investigates available physical resources, and coordinates the allocation to prevent conflicts. The intermediary manages the complexity of coordinating multiple operators while maintaining operational flexibility for each.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If physical resources are allocated to multiple digital twin operators simultaneously, then resource utilization is improved, but resource conflicts and operational interference worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidoperational reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by requiring digital twin operators to submit operation intent requests before executing operations on the physical system. The abstraction interface processes these requests in advance, mapping priorities to each request and investigating available physical resources before allocation. This preliminary coordination ensures that resource conflicts are prevented before they occur, maintaining both high resource utilization and operational reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a centralized resource management system is implemented, then conflict resolution is improved, but system complexity and processing overhead worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconflict resolutionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized resource management system into distinct functional modules within the digital twin abstraction interface: a request reception module that receives operation intent requests, a priority mapping module that assigns priorities to requests, a resource investigation module that checks available physical resources, and a session initiation module that coordinates resource allocation. This segmentation reduces system complexity by organizing functions into manageable, specialized components while maintaining effective conflict resolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4542313A1Method of configuring a digital twin abstraction interface and a digital twin abstraction interface
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 SIEMENS AG
  • EP4542313A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4542313A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4542313A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention is concerned with a method of configuring a digital twin abstraction interface module (13) to establish a digital twin operator session to operate a digital twin (3, 4), wherein the digital twin (3, 4) is representing a physical system (5), the method comprising following steps performed by the digital twin abstraction interface module (13). Receiving a twin operation intent request message (n1) comprising a twin operation intent (20); Mapping an intent priority (23) to the twin operation intent (20); investigating a designated resource set comprising at least one physical resource (12) of the physical system (5). For each of the at least one physical resource (12) of the designated resource set, creating a respective link between the respective physical resource (12) and the twin operation intent (20) in a physical resource map, wherein the respective link is assigned the intent priority (23) of the twin operation intent (20) .