Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Temperature measuring system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-11
2003-03-04
Shah, Kamini (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Temperature measuring system
C702S132000, C379S039000, C340S540000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529848
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for thermal analysis.
Thermal analysis is a way of measuring physical changes of samples while changing the temperature, for temperatures in a range of from below-freezing temperature to 1500° C. Temperatures are measured by scanning a temperature range to be measured by raising temperature at an appropriate rate (in units of ° C./min). The length of time a measurement is made for is decided according to the rate of rising and the temperature range. The measuring time is usually somewhere around ten minutes to an hour, although a couple of hours to several days may be required for long measurements. As it is not necessary to operate the apparatus during measurements, in most cases, users merely keep on monitoring the apparatus while measurements are being taken. Therefore, cases where users carry out other work at a different location remote from the laboratory where the apparatus is installed are common.
In the situation described above, when some kind of trouble occurs that causes the measurements to be suspended, users are required to solve the problem and perform the measurements again.
However, as users are often located in a place far from the apparatus, they sometimes may not be aware that a problem has occurred. As the user may therefore neglect the apparatus without noticing that measurements have been interrupted, this may mean that an unnecessarily large amount of time may pass before measurements are restarted. The occurrence of problems rendering the apparatus uncontrollable also causes time to be wasted while carrying out measurements. Moreover, when a sample to be measured exhibits a fusion reaction, cases where proceeding with measurements beyond a certain preset value may ruin the sensor as the melted sample adheres onto it are common.
To enable more effective measurement, in the case of the occurrence of certain events such as, for example, the arrival of a signal notifying that a certain preset value is reached, the completion of a measurement, or an event where trouble has occurred within the apparatus, etc., it is preferable for the user to be notified of this situation in real time, wherever the apparatus may be.
Related technology for monitoring apparatus located at a remote location exist, such as, (1) monitoring measuring conditions via a network (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei. 9-325024), (2) suspend the operation of apparatus upon the occurrence of errors posing risks (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei. 5-19880), (3) manage the apparatus by utilizing E-mail (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hen. 9-32950),
However, the following problems exist with this related technology.
The means for monitoring the measuring conditions via a network as disclosed in (1) above requires a user to keep observing the conditions at the place the monitor is installed while operating the monitor periodically. However, this means is not effective when a user is not on location, or forgets to observe the conditions.
The means for suspending the operation of apparatus upon the occurrence of an error posing risk as disclosed in (2) above can avoid risk for the time being, but the user will not be notified of the suspension at real time.
When the system itself halts as the result of the trouble occurring at the system control unit, neither (1) nor (2) disclosed above can detect the trouble.
With (1) or (2), the apparatus is monitored only by the user executing the measurements, and a number of people therefore cannot be aware of the emergency.
The means to monitor the apparatus using e-mail as disclosed in (3) above includes a similar problem to (1) above. Moreover, a time lag exists in order to retrieve e-mail from a mail server and users therefore cannot be notified in real time.
In order to resolve the aforementioned problems, the present invention sets out to provide an apparatus for thermal analysis with a monitoring unit installed separately from the system control unit so that an event occurring within the apparatus can be detected regardless of system operation conditions in real time and regardless of the location of the users, and the detected content can be notified to one or a plurality of users by transmitting a message.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed to resolve the aforementioned problems, and the main element of the configuration comprises a heating furnace, a temperature sensor, a physical quantity sensor, control measurement means, system control means, a storage device, an input output (I/O) unit, event monitoring means, event control means, information setting transmission means, message transmission means, message receiving means, user interface means, and a communication medium.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5568535 (1996-10-01), Sheffer et al.
patent: 5729197 (1998-03-01), Cash
patent: 0920210 (1999-06-01), None
patent: 0959347 (1999-11-01), None
Adams & Wilks
Seiko Instruments Inc.
Shah Kamini
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