Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Remote supervisory monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-30
2004-07-20
Wachsman, Hal D (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Remote supervisory monitoring
C702S183000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06766279
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved analytical instrument, and more particularly to an analytical instrument incorporating remote monitoring and control features.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous types of analytical instruments are well known and widely used in many settings. Common examples of such instruments include molecular spectroscopy instruments, thermal and elemental analysis instruments, inorganic analysis instruments, chromatography instruments, and numerous others. Such instruments can often be found in research laboratories, universities, medical laboratories, and in many other locations.
Traditionally, analytical instruments included some integrated type of user interface which allowed a user to control operation of the instrument and to observe instrument output. However, this arrangement suffered from a number of disadvantages. One such disadvantage was that the interface, being an integral part of the instrument, was not easily modified or upgradeable. If it was desired to upgrade the interface in any significant way, it was often necessary to replace the entire interface. Another disadvantage was that, although the integrated interfaces may have allowed for some rudimentary storage and manipulation of output data, such functions were typically severely limited.
With the advent of the personal computer, these disadvantages were obviated by interfacing analytical instruments with an instrument controller computer rather than or in addition to the integrated interface. The user interface could then comprise computer software executing on the instrument controller computer. This allowed for the provision of more complex instrument operations as well as facilitating the storage and manipulation of output data. Connecting the instrument to an instrument control computer having instrument interface software executing thereon also provided the benefit of allowing the instrument control interface to be easily modified or updated simply by updating the software. However, such arrangements still suffered from a number of disadvantages. One of such disadvantages was that the instrument could only be controlled by, and the instrument output data could only by viewed on, the particular instrument control computer directly connected to the instrument.
It was discovered that this and other disadvantages could be obviated if the instrument controller computer was connected to a network of computers. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a known network
10
incorporating an instrument controller computer
12
is shown. Instrument controller computer
12
generally comprises a CPU, a memory, and various input and output devices, as is commonly known. One or more analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
are directly connected to instrument controller computer
12
by way of some hard-wired connection, such as a serial or parallel connection. Executing on instrument controller computer
12
is instrument interface software. The instrument interface software is used to control each of analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
connected to instrument controller computer
12
. More specifically, instrument interface software receives user input, for example, by receiving commands via keystrokes, menus, icons, etc., and translates this user input into control signals which are transmitted to the appropriate one of analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
by way of the hard-wired connection. The instrument interface software also receives signals output by each of analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
via the hard-wired connection, translates the signals into data useful to the user, and displays the data. The data may also be stored on an instrument database
20
connected to instrument controller computer
12
.
It should be noted that the instrument interface software is typically unique to each instrument
14
,
16
,
18
being controlled. Thus, different software must be employed to control different types or even different models of instruments supplied by the same manufacturer and to control the same types of instruments supplied by different manufacturers. As such, the particular instrument cannot be controlled by instrument controller computer
12
unless the unique instrument interface software which is appropriate for the particular instrument desired to be controlled has been installed on instrument controller computer
12
.
One or more additional computers
22
,
24
,
26
may be in communication with instrument controller computer
12
by a network connection
28
, such as an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN) or the like. Computers
22
,
24
,
26
may be used to control one or more of instruments
14
,
16
,
18
so long as computer
22
,
24
,
26
has the unique instrument interface software which is appropriate for the particular instrument desired to be controlled installed thereon. When such is the case, instruments
14
,
16
,
18
are controlled by computers
22
,
24
,
26
as described above with respect to instrument controller computer
12
. More specifically, the instrument interface software executing on computers
22
,
24
,
26
receives commands via keystrokes, menus, icons, etc., and translates this user input into control signals which are transmitted to the appropriate one of analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
via network connection
28
, instrument controller computer
12
and the hard-wired connection. The instrument interface software also receives signals output by each of analytical instruments
14
,
16
,
18
via the hard-wired connection, instrument controller computer
12
and network connection
28
, translates the signals into data useful to the user, and displays the data.
Although network
10
allows a user to control instruments
14
,
16
,
18
using computers
22
,
24
,
26
other than instrument controller computer
12
directly connected to instruments
14
,
16
,
18
, network
10
still suffers from a number of disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that any of computers
22
,
24
,
26
which are utilized to control instruments
14
,
16
,
18
must have the appropriate instrument interface software installed thereon. This is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. For example, it may be desirable for a user to be able to control an instrument from a computer which is not typically used for instrument control (e.g., from home or while traveling). It would be highly disadvantageous to require the user to install the appropriate instrument interface software on such computers. Moreover, when the instrument interface software is updated, network
10
would require that the instrument interface software be updated on each of the (possibly numerous) computers
22
,
24
,
26
on network
10
in addition to instrument controller computer
12
. This would be a time-consuming and inefficient process.
What is desired, therefore, is an analytic instrument which incorporates remote monitoring and control features, which includes an interface which is easily modifiable or upgradeable, which facilitates storage and manipulation of output data, and which does not require that instrument interface software unique to the instrument be installed on computers used to remotely monitor and control the instrument.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an analytic instrument which incorporates remote monitoring and control features.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an analytic instrument having the above characteristics and which includes an interface which is easily modifiable or upgradeable.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an analytic instrument having the above characteristics and which facilitates storage and manipulation of output data.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an analytic instrument having the above characteristics and which does not require that instrument interface software unique to the instrument be installed on computers use
Linley Richard
Olbert John A.
ParkinElmer Instruments LLC
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
Wachsman Hal D
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