Micro-Location Equipment Identification for Industrial Asset Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial automation environments, existing solutions struggle to provide easy access to information and efficient identification of equipment, making it difficult to maintain inventory, track assets, and correlate equipment with related software, logical, and physical topology, status information, security access, and documentation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of micro-location services using wireless transceivers, such as beacons, that continuously transmit identification signals, allowing portable computing systems to detect and process these signals to determine asset identity and proximity, thereby retrieving and displaying associated information and enabling control access within specific proximity thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional standalone applications or web browsers are used to display operational data, then information can be presented to users, but it is difficult to efficiently identify and access specific equipment and correlate it with related software, topology, and status information
Solution Approach 1:
A portable computing system acts as an intermediary device that users carry through the industrial environment. This device receives identification signals from wireless transceivers on equipment, automatically retrieves related information from servers, and presents it to the user. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for users to manually search through multiple systems and devices to find equipment information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes of equipment identification and information retrieval with automated electronic systems. Instead of physically searching through catalogs, manuals, or system interfaces, the portable computing system automatically detects equipment through wireless identification signals and retrieves information electronically from databases and servers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual methods are used to track assets and maintain inventory, then equipment can be monitored, but it becomes difficult to correlate equipment with related software, logical and physical topology, status information, security access, and documentation
Solution Approach 1:
The portable computing system serves multiple functions: it identifies equipment through wireless signals, retrieves operational data, accesses documentation, manages security credentials, and correlates information across different systems. This single universal device replaces multiple specialized tools and systems that would otherwise be needed to perform these various functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable computing system acts as an intermediary that correlates information between physical equipment and digital records. It receives identification signals from transceivers on equipment, uses these identifiers to query multiple data sources including operational databases, documentation repositories, and security systems, then integrates and presents all correlated information to the user in a unified interface.
3Ease of operation
If information is displayed on fixed workstations or centralized systems, then comprehensive data can be accessed, but users cannot easily access equipment information while moving through the industrial environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static information display at fixed workstations to dynamic information access that moves with the user. The portable computing system can be carried throughout the industrial environment, continuously receiving identification signals from nearby equipment and retrieving updated information in real-time. This dynamic approach maintains information consistency while enabling mobile access.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable computing system continuously monitors its proximity to equipment through wireless identification signals and automatically retrieves and updates information based on current location. This feedback loop ensures that users always have access to current, relevant equipment information without needing to manually refresh or navigate to different systems, maintaining information reliability while enabling mobile access.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques to facilitate identification of industrial equipment using micro-location services in an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, an identification signal is detected transmitted from a wireless transceiver associated with an asset of the industrial automation environment. The identification signal is processed to determine an identity of the asset. A level of proximity of the portable computing system to the wireless transceiver is detected. Information associated with the asset is retrieved based on the identity of the asset. The information associated with the asset is displayed on a display system of a computing system based on the level of proximity.