Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Utility Patent
1997-12-10
2001-01-02
Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 2785)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C700S079000, C700S108000, C700S245000, C714S047300, C709S217000
Utility Patent
active
06170019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a means, a system and a method for operating an apparatus, particularly a complex medical apparatus such as, for example, a tomography apparatus or an angiography apparatus. The term “operating” with respect to this invention is to be understood in the broadest sense and includes, in particular, the control, adjustment, maintenance, adaptation and/or monitoring of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Complex apparatus like those cited above require regular maintenance. Specific programs have been utilized for such maintenance, these programs making it possible—when used by the maintenance engineer—to implement measurements, set internal parameters or execute other functions.
Such specifically programmed maintenance applications, however, have little flexibility when the user interface is to be redesigned or some other computer platform is to be utilized. If remote maintenance of the apparatus is to be performed, a display rerouting must be set up at a high cost.
HTML documents (HTML=Hypertext Markup Language; text marking language with cross-reference functions) are a known user interface on, for example, the Internet. These HTML texts are retrieved from a WWW server (WWW=World Wide Web), loaded into a WWW browser and displayed by the latter, as is known.
This way of implementing a user interface, however, has only been used until now for simple and non-critical control tasks. Security-related or interactive functions, as are indispensable for the maintenance of complex systems, have not been capable of being realized or were only inadequately realized. A reliable access protection against unauthorized use, a reasonable handling of hardware faults, for example connection aborts, and the possibility of being able to interactively influence the execution of a program are thereby important aspects for such complex systems.
The meanings of the terms “browser” and “browsing” as used herein are presented on page 125 of the publication L
EXIKON DER
I
NFORMATIK UND
D
ATENVERARBEITUNG
, H. -J. Schneider, Ed., 3rd Edition, Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich 1991.
The article, “The Ultimate Middleware” by John Kador in the periodical BYTE, April 1996, pp. 79-83, describes the employment of services of the WWW (World Wide Web) as a replacement for what is referred to as “middleware” in order to interrogate central data banks. The structure of such systems is only superficially described. The use of middleware for operating an apparatus is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,652 discloses a work station computer wherein passwords are employed for different access authorization levels.
Pages 7-73 and 7-74 of the report, “Mikrocomputer in der Sicherheitstechnik” by H. Hölscher and J. Rader, Verlag T{umlaut over (U)}V Rheinland, Cologne 1984, describe a method of temporal program run monitoring wherein a “watchdog time” outputs an alarm or shuts the system off when it is not retriggered by a suitable program instruction within a predetermined time window.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is based on the object of solving these problems and providing a means, a system and a method in order to realize a user interface with security-related functions or interactive functions where the user interface is flexible and requires little programming outlay. In particular, standard modules should be utilized to a large extent in the user interface insofar as possible.
This and other objects and advantages of the intention are achieved by a device for operating an apparatus, including a server that is configured for sending data to a connectable browser and receiving data therefrom, a monitoring module, means for communicating between the server and the monitoring module, a plurality of control, maintenance and/or monitoring programs, and means for communicating between the control, maintenance and/or monitoring programs on the one hand as well as the server and/or the monitoring module on the other hand.
A system for the operation of an apparatus is also provided, including a device as set forth above and a browser connected to the server via an interface, the browser providing a user interface.
The present invention also provides a method for the operation of an apparatus, including the steps of: receiving a message deriving from a browser with a server; calling a program with the server; communicating by the program called by the server with a monitoring module; and calling or aborting a control, maintenance and/or monitoring program by the program called by the server or by the monitoring module.
The inventive means thereby comprises the server-side components of the system to which a known browser can be connected.
The invention is based on the fundamental idea of providing a central monitoring module (or “watchdog”) at the server side that is informed of all significant events in the system and that realizes the desired functions in collaboration with the browser and the further system components.
The present invention makes it possible to also utilize the above-described technique of implementing a user interface with HTML documents for complex apparatus for which security-related functions or interactive functions are required. The invention can be utilized for all types of apparatus.
Since there are highly convenient development tools for HTML documents, the user interface can be directly designed as an HTML document by an HTML designer and can be easily modified as needed. The previously required step of programming the user interface is eliminated.
The data exchange between the server and the browser is possible in many ways via an interface. The browser can be connected locally to the apparatus, for example via a connecting cable. In the extreme case, the server and the browser are run as two processes on a single computer. A non-local connection (for example, a modem connection) is also possible without requiring individual programming because WWW servers and WWW browsers are already designed for use in a client-server mode from the very outset.
The invention preferably exhibits one or more of the following three aspects, which are not necessarily bound to the inventive system structure:
1. Access control to the individual apparatus functions,
2. Recognition of connection aborts, or crashes, and
3. Offering interactive functions.
For access control, server-side components of the system are preferably configured for implementing an authentication of the authorization of a user. To that end, the user enters his or her user name and a password. The user is granted access to the user interface only after a successful authentication.
Different access authorization levels can preferably be assigned to different users, so that, for example, specific functions can only be executed by users who are specifically authorized for the function. The apparatus to be operated can also be set to different enable levels. The HTML pages displayed for the user are preferably dynamically adapted to the user's access authorization.
The recognition of connection aborts, or crashes, preferably ensues in that the ongoing arrival of periodic message (“ping messages”) sent by the browser is monitored. When the ping messages fail to arrive, all running processes are preferably aborted.
Interactive functions, which in particular include the possibility of being able to abort running processes at any time and with little delay, are preferably offered in that an interactive-bidirectional connection is maintained between the user interface and the running process via the monitoring module.
HTML documents are preferably employed for implementing the user interface; however, other page description languages can also be utilized. Likewise, other servers and browsers can be utilized instead of the known WWW servers and WWW browsers. The server preferably starts programs via a CGI interface (CGI=Common Gateway Interface, a standard interface in WWW servers for calling external progr
Dresel Holger
Goertler Georg
Beausoliel, Jr. Robert W.
Crockett Robert G.
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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