Mobile Optical Capture for Non-Networked Production Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in efficiently capturing data from non-networked production equipment within facilities, leading to friction and potential human errors during manual data entry, especially in environments like pharmaceutical production where security requirements prevent network connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a mobile device, such as an augmented reality headset, to automatically detect and capture data from displays on non-networked equipment by leveraging optical sensors, localization maps, and data extraction models, allowing for automated data recording and reducing manual entry errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual data entry is used for non-networked production equipment, then operators can capture data from equipment displays, but human errors occur during manual data entry and operators are tied up in data recording tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service data capture by allowing the mobile device to automatically detect equipment displays, extract data values, and store them in procedure files without requiring manual operator intervention for data transcription. The optical sensor and data extraction model work autonomously to capture data from the equipment display.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of operators reading and writing data is replaced with an automated optical system. The mobile device uses an optical sensor to capture images of the display, and software algorithms automatically extract and store the data, eliminating the need for manual data entry operations.
2Reliability
If automated data capture is implemented using mobile devices, then data accuracy improves and operators are freed for procedure steps, but device complexity increases due to integration of optical sensors and data extraction models
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a guide for operators through procedure steps, functions as an automated camera for data capture, performs optical character recognition for data extraction, and stores data in procedure files. This consolidates multiple specialized devices into one universal tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the equipment display and the data storage system. The mobile device captures images of the display, processes the images through data extraction models, and automatically stores the extracted data, serving as a bridge that eliminates direct manual intervention.
3Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring of display positions is performed, then data capture accuracy improves, but computational resources and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-stores the location information of equipment displays within the facility. When data capture is needed, the mobile device retrieves the stored display location and compares it with the current device position, rather than continuously analyzing all possible display positions. This preliminary preparation reduces real-time computational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuously monitoring all possible display positions at full resolution, the system performs partial monitoring by checking whether the current display position falls within the field of view based on stored location data and current device position. This selective approach reduces computational energy consumption while maintaining sufficient accuracy for data capture.
Data Source
AI summary
One variation of a method for automatically capturing data from non-networked production equipment includes: detecting a location of a mobile device within a facility, the mobile device manipulated by an operator while performing a step of an augmented digital procedure at a machine in the facility; estimating a position of a display on the machine relative to a field of view of an optical sensor in the mobile device based on the location of the mobile device and a stored location of the machine within the facility; in response to the position of the display falling within the field of view of the optical sensor, selecting an image captured by the optical sensor; extracting a value, presented on the display, from a region of the image depicting the display; and storing the value in a procedure file for the augmented digital procedure completed at the machine.