Method and system for optimizing use of coordinate measuring devices

A computer system for optimizing simultaneous use of a multitude of coordinate measuring devices at a multitude of locations, the system comprising one or more server computers, wherein the one or more server computers comprise memory for storing a digital-twin database, the digital-twin database comprising individual digital twins for the multitude of coordinate measuring devices, each individual digital twin comprising information about the respective individual coordinate measuring device, wherein the computer system is configured to perform

• a method for optimizing simultaneous use of a multitude of coordinate measuring devices at a multitude of locations, the method comprising:
• obtaining job information about a multitude of coordinate measuring jobs at the multitude of locations, each job involving one or more of the coordinate measuring devices and one or more objects to be measured, the job information comprising:
• the position of the one or more objects to be measured;
• a time for performing the job, particularly comprising a deadline and/or a timeframe;
• required capabilities of the involved coordinate measuring devices, the capabilities comprising at least one of measuring precision and measuring speed, and
• required certifications and/or calibrations for the involved coordinate measuring devices,
• determining, for each of the multitude of coordinate measuring devices, a current position and a current condition of the respective coordinate measuring device, wherein determining the current condition comprises, upon obtaining job information regarding a new job, requesting and receiving condition data from the respective coordinate measuring device, the condition data comprising information about the current condition of the coordinate measuring device, the current condition comprising:
• measuring capabilities of the device, the measuring capabilities comprising at least a measuring precision and a measuring speed,
• current individual conditions of a plurality of actuators and sensors of the coordinate measuring device,
• a maintenance status, particularly including a kind and date of the last maintenance, and
• a certification and/or calibration status, particularly including a kind and date of the last certification or calibration, respectively,
• performing a job analysis involving the obtained job information and the determined positions and conditions, and
• performing, based on a result of the analysis, an assignment optimization for assigning at least a subset of the coordinate measuring devices to the jobs, the assignment optimization including at least an optimization regarding:
• usage and maintenance for each of the multitude of measuring devices, and paths between the positions of the objects to be measured and the positions of the coordinate measuring devices.

Computer program product comprising program code which is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, and having computer-executable instructions for performing, when run on a computer system, a method for optimizing simultaneous use of a multitude of coordinate measuring devices at a multitude of locations, the method comprising:

• obtaining job information about a multitude of coordinate measuring jobs at the multitude of locations, each job involving one or more of the coordinate measuring devices and one or more objects to be measured, the job information comprising:
• the position of the one or more objects to be measured;
• a time for performing the job, particularly comprising a deadline and/or a timeframe;
• required capabilities of the involved coordinate measuring devices, the capabilities comprising at least one of measuring precision and measuring speed, and
• required certifications and/or calibrations for the involved coordinate measuring devices,
• determining, for each of the multitude of coordinate measuring devices, a current position and a current condition of the respective coordinate measuring device, wherein determining the current condition comprises, upon obtaining job information regarding a new job, requesting and receiving condition data from the respective coordinate measuring device, the condition data comprising information about the current condition of the coordinate measuring device, the current condition comprising:
• measuring capabilities of the device, the measuring capabilities comprising at least a measuring precision and a measuring speed,
• current individual conditions of a plurality of actuators and sensors of the coordinate measuring device,
• a maintenance status, particularly including a kind and date of the last maintenance, and
• a certification and/or calibration status, particularly including a kind and date of the last certification or calibration, respectively,
• performing a job analysis involving the obtained job information and the determined positions and conditions, and
• performing, based on a result of the analysis, an assignment optimization for assigning at least a subset of the coordinate measuring devices to the jobs, the assignment optimization including at least an optimization regarding:
• usage and maintenance for each of the multitude of measuring devices, and paths between the positions of the objects to be measured and the positions of the coordinate measuring devices.