Apparatus and Method for Computer-Implemented Determination of Sensor Positions in a Simulated Process of an Automation System

A method for computer-implemented determination of sensor positions in a simulated process of an automation system, the simulated process including a digital process description of an automation task to be executed by a plurality of components of the automation system, the process description including a movement specification describing a movement of the plurality of components during the execution of the automation task, and including a digital sensing description defining a sensing task to be performed by a sensor during the execution of the automation task and a plurality of sensor parameters of the sensor, and the plurality of sensor parameters comprising at least one sensing constraints of the sensor and a sensor volume of the sensor, the method comprising:

• a) determining a placement volume based on the movement specification, the placement volume being within a predetermined area surrounding the plurality of components and the placement volume does not overlap with the plurality of components and any other object during the execution of the automation task;
• and
• b) determining a sensor arrangement volume defining a volume of sensor positions of the sensor, the sensor volume of the sensor being at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume completely inside the placement volume and the sensing task being performable during the execution of the automation task at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume by the sensor with respect to the least one sensing constraints.

The method according to claim 4, wherein the determination of the sensor arrangement volume further comprises:

• determining an intermediate volume defining a volume of sensor positions of the sensor, at each sensor position within the intermediate volume the sensing task being performable by the sensor with respect to the plurality of sensing constraints without considering the placement volume;
• determining an intersection between the intermediate volume and the placement volume;
• and
• determining as the sensor arrangement volume that area within the intersection at which the sensing task is performable by the sensor with respect to the plurality of sensing constraints considering the placement volume and at which the sensor volume lies completely within the placement volume.

An apparatus for computer-implemented determination of sensor positions in a simulated process of an automation system, the apparatus comprising:

• a sensor;
• and
• a plurality of components, the simulated process including a digital process description of an automation task to be executed by the plurality of components of the automation system, the process description including a movement specification describing movement of the plurality of components during the execution of the automation task, and including a digital sensing description defining a sensing task to be performed by the sensor during the execution of the automation task and a plurality of sensor parameters of the sensor, the plurality of sensor parameters comprising at least one sensing constraint of the sensor mean and a sensor volume of the sensor;
• wherein the apparatus is configured to:
• a) determine a placement volume based on the movement specification, the placement volume being within a predetermined area surrounding the plurality of components and the placement volume does not overlap with the number of components and any other object during the execution of the automation task;
• and
• b) determine a sensor arrangement volume defining a volume of sensor positions of the sensor, the sensor volume of the sensor being at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume completely inside the placement volume and the sensing task being performable during the execution of the automation task at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume by the sensor with respect to the plurality of sensing constraints.

A non-transitory machine-readable carrier encoded with program code stored on the machine-readable carrier which, when executed by a processor of a computer causes determination of sensor positions in a simulated process of an automation system, the simulated process including a digital process description of an automation task to be executed by a plurality of components of the automation system, the process description including a movement specification describing a movement of the plurality of components during the execution of the automation task, and including a digital sensing description defining a sensing task to be performed by a sensor during the execution of the automation task and a plurality of sensor parameters of the sensor, and the plurality of sensor parameters comprising at least one sensing constraints of the sensor and a sensor volume of the sensor, the computer program code comprising:

• a) computer program code for determining a placement volume based on the movement specification, the placement volume being within a predetermined area surrounding the plurality of components and the placement volume does not overlap with the plurality of components and any other object during the execution of the automation task;
• and
• b) computer program code for determining a sensor arrangement volume defining a volume of sensor positions of the sensor, the sensor volume of the sensor being at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume completely inside the placement volume and the sensing task being performable during the execution of the automation task at each sensor position within the sensor arrangement volume by the sensor with respect to the least one sensing constraints.