Patent Publication Number: US-2011058044-A1

Title: Measurement apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a measurement apparatus and, more particularly, to improvements in the display form of a display screen in a measurement apparatus configured to display measurement signals at a plurality of measurement points on a common display screen. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     For example, as shown in PTL 1, one kind of measurement apparatus is a paperless recorder configured to record measurement signals at a plurality of measurement points in a desired form and display the signals on a common display screen. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an example of such a paperless recorder. A display unit  1  is composed of, for example, liquid crystal, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . On the surface thereof, a touch panel  2  that an operator touches with, for example, a fingertip so as to perform predetermined operation is stacked. 
     A control unit  3  controls the overall operation of the paperless recorder, and is provided with a panel operation detection unit  31 , a group-by-group display screen generation unit  32 , a group selection unit  33 , and the like. 
     The panel operation detection unit  31  detects the operation state of the touch panel  2  by the operator and outputs a control signal associated with the operation. 
     In the group-by-group display screen generation unit  32 , a plurality of arbitrary measurement channels are combined on the basis of the operation of the touch panel  2  by the operator so as to organize a group. A desired display form is specified in units of organized groups, and display screens for digital display, vertical bar display, horizontal bar display, trend display, and an alarm announciator, etc., are generated on a group-by-group basis, and are stored in a group-by-group display screen storage unit  4 . 
     On the basis of the operation of the touch panel  2  by the operator, the group selection unit  33  selects a desired group-by-group display screen stored in the group-by-group display screen storage unit  4 , and displays the screen on the display unit  1 . 
     A measurement unit  5  converts an analog input signal of a measurement target (not shown) into a digital signal, and incorporates the converted digital signal as measured data into the control unit  3 . 
     A measured data storage unit  6  sequentially stores the measured data received by the control unit  3  via the measurement unit  5 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a display screen in the display unit  1  of the paperless recorder of  FIG. 6 . In  FIG. 7 , the upper part of the display screen  11  is provided with an operation area  12 , and a lower part thereof is provided with a data display area  13 . 
     The operation area  12  is provided with a group number display area  12   a  for displaying a group number, and a screen switching button  12   b  for switching the display form of the data display area  13  from a digital display to a desired display form, such as vertical bar display, horizontal bar display, trend display, and an alarm announciator. 
     In the data display area  13 , measured values of six channels from measurement channels Ch 001  up to Ch 006  that are grouped as group number  01  in advance on a group setting screen (not shown) are digitally displayed. 
     PTL 1 discloses a paperless recorder capable of displaying a plurality of screens as necessary at the same time. 
     PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-21386 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     However, according to the structure of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in a case where a channel to be displayed is to be added to a group, or a channel whose display is unnecessary is to be deleted from a group, it is necessary to move to a group setting screen each time so as to change the setting of the group, presenting the problem that these series of operations are complex. 
     It is not intended that a plurality of different data display forms coexist within the screen of one group. When switching the data display form, it is necessary to click on the screen switching button  12  so as to switch the entire screen in units of groups. 
     The present invention solves these problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a measurement apparatus capable of, with a comparatively simple operation, causing data display forms that are different for a plurality of measurement channels to coexist on a common display screen. 
     Solution to Problem 
     One aspect of the disclosure provides a measurement apparatus configured to display measurement signals at a plurality of measurement points on a common display screen, wherein each of a plurality of measurement channels is provided with a display form setting unit for setting a desired different display form. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provides the measurement apparatus, wherein the display form setting unit includes a measurement channel addition unit and a measurement channel deletion unit. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provide the measurement apparatus wherein the display form setting unit further includes snapshot unit for storing display screen information containing a channel number of each of the measurement channels on a display screen that is currently being displayed, types of display forms, and corresponding arrangement position information. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provides the measurement apparatus wherein the display form setting unit is operated via a touch panel. 
     ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a measurement apparatus in which data display forms that are individually different for a plurality of measurement channels coexist on a common display screen can be realized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an example of a display screen in a measurement apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows another example of a display screen in the measurement apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example of a display screen in a measurement apparatus of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an example of a measurement apparatus of the related art. 
         FIG. 7  shows an example of a display screen in the measurement apparatus of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  shows an example of a computer system which can implement an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows a detailed example of the computer which can implement an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Components common to  FIG. 6  are designated with the same symbols, and repeated description thereof is omitted. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the control unit  3  is provided with, in addition to the panel operation detection unit  31 , a display screen generation unit  34 , a measurement channel insertion unit  35 , a measurement channel deletion unit  36 , a display form selection unit  37 , and the like. 
     On the basis of the touch operation of the touch panel by an operator, the panel operation detection unit  31  determines that a click operation has been performed when a touch is released without changing the touched coordinates, determines that a dragging operation has been performed when the touched coordinates of the touch panel change while the touch panel is being touched, and determines that an operation of dropping a touch target of the drag start coordinates has been performed when the touch is released in a dragged state. 
     The display screen generation unit  34  generates, for example, a display screen  14  such as that illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 2 , similarly to  FIG. 7 , the upper part of the display screen  14  is provided with an operation area  15 , and the lower part thereof is provided with a data display area  16 . 
     The operation area  15  is provided with a data display addition button  15   a  for adding the data display of a desired measurement channel in the data display area  16 , and a deletion icon  15   b  for deleting the data display of a measurement channel displayed in the data display area  16 . 
     In the data display area  16 , measured values of a plurality of measurement channels are displayed in such a manner as to be set individually. More specifically, the measured values of the measurement channels  001 ,  002 ,  004 , and  005  are digitally displayed, the measured values of the measurement channel  003  are subjected to horizontal bar display, and the measured values of the measurement channel  011  are subjected to vertical bar display. 
     When the data display addition button  15   a  of the operation area  15  is touch-selected, the measurement channel addition unit  35  is started, and a vacant data display unit is added to the data display area  16 . In  FIG. 2 , a vacant data display unit  16   a  has been added below the measurement channel  004 . 
     Furthermore, on the display screen  14  of  FIG. 2 , when each item of data display is clicked on, the display form selection unit  36  is started, and a data display setting dialog  17  such as that shown in  FIG. 3  is pop-up-displayed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the data display setting dialog  17  is provided with a display type selection display unit  17   a  for selectively displaying the type of display form, a display channel selection display unit  17   b  for selectively displaying a measurement channel, an OK button  17   c  for setting and displaying the type of display form and the display channel, and a cancel button  17   d  for cancelling the type of display form and the display channel, which are selectively displayed. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , when each item of data display in the data display area  16  of the display screen  14  is dragged and dropped onto the deletion icon  15   b , the measurement channel deletion unit  37  is started, and the data display that has been dragged and dropped is deleted. 
     As described above, by touch-operating a predetermined portion corresponding to the display screen  14  of the touch panel  2 , which is made to overlap the display unit  1  by the operator while data is being displayed, it is possible to add, change, or delete the display data without reading an instruction manual or the like, and it is possible to intuitively generate a simplified custom screen. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. Components common to those of  FIG. 1  are designated with the same reference numerals. In  FIG. 4 , a snapshot control unit  38  is added to the control unit  3 , and a display screen information storage unit  8  is provided therein. 
       FIG. 5  shows an example of a display screen in the measurement apparatus of  FIG. 4 . Components common to those of  FIG. 2  are designated with the same reference numerals. In  FIG. 5 , a snapshot button  15   c  is provided in the operation area  15 . 
     By touch-selecting the snapshot button  15   c  by the operator while data is being displayed as shown in  FIG. 5 , the snapshot control unit  38  of the control unit  3  is started. Display screen information including the channel number of each measurement channel on the display screen that is currently being displayed, types of display forms, and corresponding arrangement position information is stored in the display screen information storage unit  8 . 
     This display screen information stored in the display screen information storage unit  8  can be called up anytime and displayed on the display screen of the display unit  1 . With this display screen information calling function, the display screen information stored in the display screen information storage unit  8  can be used instead of the group-by-group display screen in the structure of the related art, shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     Furthermore, on the basis of the operation of the touch panel  2 , by dragging the display data of one of the measurement channels and dropping the display data onto the display data of another measurement channel, the arrangement position can be interchanged between these measurement channels. By utilizing this measurement channel arrangement position interchanging function, it is possible to intuitively realize, as a custom screen, the arrangement of each measurement channel close to the preference of a user. 
     Furthermore, by setting image data associated with measured data stored in the measurement apparatus as a selection target and image data of a camera that is externally provided to the measurement apparatus, in the display type selection display unit  17   a  of the data display setting dialog  17  of  FIG. 3 , it is possible to display measured data and image data of a measurement target on a common display screen as necessary in such a manner as to be associated with each other. Thus, the measurement function of the measurement apparatus can be extended and fully prepared. 
     Furthermore, by adding a network function, it is possible to obtain the data of another measurement apparatus. By causing the display type selection display unit  17   a  of the data display setting dialog  17  of  FIG. 3  to display the data information of another measurement apparatus that is set as a target, the data of a plurality of measurement apparatuses can be displayed with one measurement apparatus. 
     Furthermore, the arrangement information stored using the above-mentioned snapshot button  15   c  can be shared among a plurality of measurement apparatuses via a network. 
     In each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which, on the basis of the touch operation of the touch panel, a desired display form is set to each measurement channel. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to a measurement apparatus of an operation panel type. 
     As has been described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a measurement apparatus in which different data display forms can be made to individually coexist in a plurality of measurement channels and a screen that a user intuitively wants to display can be generated comparatively easily, and is suitable for use in a paperless recorder that performs measurement display recording of measurement signals at a plurality of various measurement points. 
       FIG. 8  shows a computer  40  configured to perform the tasks of the control unit  3 . Computer  40  has various external input means such as a keyboard  43  and mouse  42 . Computer  40  may also have a display, such as display unit  1 . Display unit  1  may also include a touch panel  2  (not shown). Computer  40  can be connected to other computer or input devices such as measurement devices, storage devices and display devices. 
       FIG. 9  shows a more detailed view of computer  40 . Computer  40  includes among other things, a central processing unit (CPU)  44  configured to perform the functions discussed with respect to control unit  3 . Computer  40  may also include a network interface  45 , output  46 , memory  48  and hard drive  47 , all connected via a bus  49 .