MODELED PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY

• US 20120330623A1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Carmi, Eitan, Blumenfeld, Rafi, Segall, Tali
• Granted Patent: US 9,911,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

Systems and methods for producing an access-controlled three-dimensional environment of a facility and its assets. A method performed by an environment management system (EMS) includes receiving, from a client system, user credentials, and validating the user credentials. The method includes retrieving user-specific data corresponding to the validated user credentials and transmitting three-dimensional (3D) environment data to the client system based on the validated user credentials and the user-specific data. The method includes receiving a request for information regarding an asset of the 3D environment data and determining additional environment data on an enterprise server system (ESS) that corresponds to the received request. The method includes transmitting, to the client system, a reference to the additional environment data on the ESS. The client system can then use the reference to retrieve the additional environment data from the ESS for display on the client system.

Claims

1. A method performed by an environment management system (EMS), comprising:

receiving, from a client system, user credentials;

validating the user credentials;

retrieving user-specific data corresponding to the validated user credentials;

transmitting three-dimensional (3D) environment data to the client system based on the validated user credentials and the user-specific data;

receiving a request for information regarding an asset of the 3D environment data;

determining, based on the validated user credentials, additional environment data on an enterprise server system (ESS) that corresponds to the received request; and

transmitting, to the client system, a reference to the additional environment data on the ESS, wherein the client system can then use the reference to retrieve the additional environment data from the ESS for display on the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client system combines the 3D environment data with data from a graphic mapping server to produce a simulated 3D environment display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein 3D environment data includes data relating to a facility and a plurality of assets of that facility, and is organized into selectable logical layers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one placemark.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one viewpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information is received from a client system that transmits the request in response to a user selection of an asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional environment data includes at least one of reports, machine manuals, reports, queries, portal information, Internet web sites, ad-hoc electronic documents, pictures, multimedia files, and real-time operational data of an asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the additional environment data has an associated effective date, and the client system displays the additional environment data that has an associated effective date that corresponds to a user-specified date.

9. An environment management system (EMS), comprising:

at least one processor;

an accessible memory; and

a network communication device, the EMS configured to receive, from a client system, user credentials;

validate the user credentials;

retrieve user-specific data corresponding to the validated user credentials;

transmit three-dimensional (3D) environment data to the client system based on the validated user credentials and the user-specific data;

receive a request for information regarding an asset of the 3D environment data;

determine, based on the validated user credentials, additional environment data on an enterprise server system (ESS) that corresponds to the received request; and

transmit, to the client system, a reference to the additional environment data on the ESS, wherein the client system can then use the reference to retrieve the additional environment data from the ESS for display on the client system.

10. The EMS of claim 9, wherein the client system combines the 3D environment data with data from a graphic mapping server to produce a simulated 3D environment display.

11. The EMS of claim 9, wherein 3D environment data includes data relating to a facility and a plurality of assets of that facility, and is organized into selectable logical layers.

12. The EMS of claim 9, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one placemark.

13. The EMS of claim 9, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one viewpoint.

14. The EMS of claim 9, wherein the request for information is received from a client system that transmits the request in response to a user selection of an asset.

15. The EMS of claim 9, wherein the additional environment data includes at least one of reports, machine manuals, reports, queries, portal information, Internet web sites, ad-hoc electronic documents, pictures, multimedia files, and real-time operational data of an asset.

16. The EMS of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the additional environment data has an associated effective date, and the client system displays the additional environment data that has an associated effective date that corresponds to a user-specified date.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions which, when executed, cause an environment management system (EMS) to:

receive, from a client system, user credentials;

validate the user credentials;

retrieve user-specific data corresponding to the validated user credentials;

transmit three-dimensional (3D) environment data to the client system based on the validated user credentials and the user-specific data;

receive a request for information regarding an asset of the 3D environment data;

determine, based on the validated user credentials, additional environment data on an enterprise server system (ESS) that corresponds to the received request; and

transmit, to the client system, a reference to the additional environment data on the ESS, wherein the client system can then use the reference to retrieve the additional environment data from the ESS for display on the client system.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the the 3D environment data can be combined by the client system with data from a graphic mapping server to produce a simulated 3D environment display.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein 3D environment data includes data relating to a facility and a plurality of assets of that facility, and is organized into selectable logical layers.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one placemark.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user-specific data includes at least one viewpoint.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the request for information is received from a client system that transmits the request in response to a user selection of an asset.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the additional environment data includes at least one of reports, machine manuals, reports, queries, portal information, Internet web sites, ad-hoc electronic documents, pictures, multimedia files, and real-time operational data of an asset.