Industrial Hardware Resource Sharing via Web Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional centralized asset tracking systems fail to efficiently manage the availability and sharing of industrial hardware resources within organizations, leading to underutilization of resources and inadequate access to needed equipment due to lack of transparency and inefficient borrowing processes.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that enables collaborative sharing of industrial hardware resources through a web application, allowing users to inquire about and access available resources directly, with software agents automatically generating availability messages based on predefined conditions, and providing remote or physical access after user consent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional centralized asset tracking systems are used, then hardware resources can be tracked, but resource sharing efficiency is low and transparency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized asset tracking system into distributed components: individual user profiles, hardware resource profiles, and a message broker that facilitates peer-to-peer communication. This segmentation enables transparent visibility of resource availability while improving sharing efficiency through direct user interactions rather than centralized mediation.
Solution Approach 2:
The message broker acts as an intermediary that enables direct communication between users and hardware resources without requiring centralized control for each interaction. The broker publishes availability information and facilitates borrowing requests, providing transparency while maintaining efficient decentralized resource sharing.
2Productivity
If hardware resources are kept available for sharing, then resource utilization improves, but security and access control become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing user profiles with predefined permissions and hardware profiles with availability status before any borrowing occurs. This preliminary setup enables secure resource sharing by pre-configuring access rules, thereby increasing utilization without compromising security.
Solution Approach 2:
The message broker provides continuous feedback about hardware availability status and borrowing requests to relevant users. This feedback mechanism ensures that security constraints are maintained while enabling efficient resource utilization by keeping users informed of available resources and access status.
3Productivity
If manual borrowing processes are used, then access control is secure, but the borrowing process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service borrowing where users can independently view hardware availability, initiate borrowing requests, and receive notifications about approved resources without manual intervention. This self-service approach dramatically improves borrowing efficiency while maintaining security through predefined access rules and user authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
User profiles and hardware profiles are prepared in advance with all necessary information for borrowing decisions. Availability status, user permissions, and hardware specifications are pre-configured, enabling rapid borrowing processes without time-consuming manual verification while maintaining secure access control.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method and system for collaborative sharing of industrial hardware resources (7) between users of a user group, wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving (S1) by a web application (2) inquiry messages from client devices (5) of searching users indicating hardware resources (7) required by searching users of the user group; receiving (S2) by the web application (2) availability messages indicating hardware resources (7) available by users of the user group owning the available hardware resources (7). comparing (S3) by the web application (2) the required hardware resources (7) with the available hardware resources (7) to identify matching hardware resources (7) as matching results; notifying (S4) the searching user and the owning user of a matching hardware resource (7) about the matching result; and providing (S5) the searching user with access to use or test the matching hardware resource (7) if the searching user and the owning user indicate consent to provide the access.