Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Measuring devices generally comprise a measuring unit for executing the measurement and a user interface allowing a user to control the measurement and to read out measurement results. While most measurement devices generally physically incorporate such user interface, it is also known to provide such user interface through a computer system coupled to the measuring device e.g. through a GPIB-bus, or another known bus system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved measuring system. The object is solved by the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are shown by the dependent claims.  
         [0003]     According to the present invention, a measuring device comprises at least one measuring unit, each being adapted for (preferably physically) executing at least one measurement function. Such measurement function can be, for example, to measure a physical parameter (e.g. power, loss, frequency, etc.) of a device under test (DUT). The measuring device further comprises an application control unit adapted for controlling and/or administering competing processes caused by plural application interfaces acting on and/or cooperating with the measuring device.  
         [0004]     The term “application interface” as used herein shall represent any kind of application initiating and/or executing a measurement function, or a part thereof, and/or handling a measurement result of a measurement function. Handling a measurement result might be any kind of visualization (e.g. printing, plotting, displaying, et.), data deposition (e.g. storing), data processing (e.g. pre- or post-processing of measuring results), etc. The application interface might be represented by a user interface, a program (such as a computer program) or algorithm, feedback system, etc. The application interface might be internal or external with respect to the measuring device, and couple with the measuring device through any kind of transmission path (e.g. wired or wireless) again internal or external with respect to the measuring device. A connection unit might be provided at the measuring device allowing coupling one or more external application interfaces to the measuring device.  
         [0005]     Competing processes can be caused e.g. by at least one of the following: one measurement function and/or result is accessed by different application interfaces, different but interrelated measurement functions and/or results are accessed by at least one application interface, different application interfaces are differently controlling one measuring unit or plural but interrelated measuring units at the same time or as long as a current measurement function is executed, representing and/or modifying (e.g. same) measuring results by different application interfaces, etc.  
         [0006]     While the measuring device might comprise an own local application interface, one or more external application interfaces might be coupled through the connection unit to the measuring device. The application control unit administers the access of all application interfaces (whether external or internal) onto each measuring unit and further controls access of the application interfaces for competing processes, so that e.g. a measurement function and/or result controlled by one application interface (coupled to the measuring device) will not be interfered by another measurement function and/or result controlled by another application interface (also coupled to the measuring device).  
         [0007]     In case that e.g. one of the application interfaces modifies measurement results, the application control unit will coordinate such modification with the one or more other application interfaces also accessing those measurement results. Such coordination can be e.g. that any modification executed will be automatically provided to all other application interfaces representing those measurement results.  
         [0008]     Each external application interface adapted to be coupled to the measuring device preferably comprises an application connection unit for coupling the external application interface through the transmission path to the connection unit of the measuring device. Further, each external application interface preferably comprises a control unit for controlling measurement function(s) to be executed, and/or for controlling a representation unit for representing information e.g. about the measurement function(s) to be executed, control parameters set by the control unit, and/or measurement results provided from the measuring device. The representation unit might comprise a display, monitor, or the like.  
         [0009]     In one embodiment, one or more application interfaces can be applied for controlling the measuring device as well as for only representing information about measurements actually controlled e.g. by a different application interface.  
         [0010]     In case that one application interface wants to act on a measurement controlled by a different application interface, the application control unit of the measuring device will examine that request for potential influences on this or other measurement functions and/or results and will preferably either allow, reject or postpone such request, e.g. dependent on information available to the application control unit such as e.g. priorities, overrides, algorithms, rule-sets, etc. The application control unit can thus allow and control coexistence of plural application interfaces without adversely influencing each other or the measurements.  
         [0011]     In a preferred embodiment, the transmission path is embodied as a network, which can be provided as wired and/or wireless network. Preferably, a LAN or a WAN is used.  
         [0012]     In one embodiment, each application interface further comprises an identification unit allowing unambiguously identifying each application interface. This is in particular useful when plural (e.g. external) application interfaces act on the measuring device. Identification can be realized by (e.g. automatically) adding a unique identifier ID of the requesting application interface to each request. This ID may e.g. be passed to the application interface by the application control unit when the application interface contacts the measuring device the first time.  
         [0013]     In a preferred embodiment, the application control unit provides control for competing processes caused by requests from one coupled application interface, e.g. resulting from concurrently initiating or executing competing measurement functions. (by the same or different measuring units). For that purpose the application control unit might execute a consistency check for each request for a measurement function or result.  
         [0014]     In operation when only one application interface is coupled to the measuring device, the application control unit will e.g. fully allow the coupled application interface to control each measuring device or restrict access of the application interface e.g. depending to a predefined set of rules.  
         [0015]     In operation when plural (internal and/or external) application interfaces are coupled to the measuring device, the application control unit will receive all requests from each application interface (e.g. to control a respective measuring unit or to receive or modify information about measurements including measurement results). The application control unit preferably uses the application interface ID, which preferably is a part of the request, to identify the initiator of the request and to decide whether to allow the execution of the request, to postpone or to reject the request. In addition depending on its configuration, the application control unit may inform other application interfaces about the request. The actual behavior of the application control unit depends on the current access rights of the application interface to the measuring device.  
         [0016]     In a preferred embodiment, plural measuring devices are coupled through respective connection units to a network. Each measuring device preferably has a unique address within the network. Each application interface coupled within the network can then individually address each measuring device for providing control or exchanging information as explained above. Thus, each measuring device within the network can be controlled e.g. from remote by a remote (e.g. external) application interface coupled to the network. Accordingly, each application interface can receive information from each measuring device within the network.  
         [0017]     In a preferred embodiment, a synchronization is provided in order to reduce or avoid dead lock situations caused e.g. when more than one application interfaces access on more than one measuring units (of one or more measuring devices). Such dead lock situation might arise e.g. when two application interfaces are each holding an exclusive access on a respective one of the measuring units, but both application interfaces are ‘waiting’ to access other one of the measuring units (for example before resuming from the exclusive access). Such synchronization can be accomplished e.g. by establishing a ‘master-slave’ relationship, so that one application control unit is the ‘master’ application control unit and all other ‘slave’ application control units must synchronize requests with this ‘master’ application control unit.  
         [0018]     Deadlock situation can be avoided, if every application interface has only exclusive access to one set of measuring units at one time and first has to give back access rights of the complete set once it needs a modified set of measuring units and to acquire exclusive access rights to the modified set from the application control unit within one step. Depending on the current state of the measuring device, the application control unit may give exclusive access or not.  
         [0019]     Preferred embodiments of the invention thus allow providing an entirely new architecture for measuring devices by breaking off—without virtually any limitation —the conventionally rigid linkage between measuring unit and application interface. Embodiments of the invention even allow to fully separate (e.g. physically) measuring units from application interfaces, so that no local application interface is required. On the other hand, since plural measuring devices in preferred embodiments are controllable e.g. by one application interface, effective control, e.g. on production floor with several measuring devices can be achieved e.g. even from (physically) remote.  
         [0020]     In a preferred embodiment, an external application interface can be embodied as either one of a standard server or desktop computer, a notebook computer, a pen tablet computer, a handheld computer, or pocket computer, as well as a PDA or a mobile phone, or a hardware feedback system, e.g. an automatic positioning system. If the external application interface runs on a computer, it may be either equipped with a graphical user interface or may run as a service without any graphical representation. If the external application interface is equipped with a graphical user interface, it preferably uses a touch-screen for easy pen-based operation. Examples for those touch-screen based computers are the LifeBook B Series notebook PC or the Stylistic 3500, Stylistic LT P-600 or PenCentra 200 pen tablet PC provided from Fujitsu Computers.  
         [0021]     The invention can be partly or entirely embodied or supported by one or more suitable software programs, which can be stored on or otherwise provided by any kind of data carrier, and which might be executed in or by any suitable data processing unit. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated and become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considering in connection with the accompanied drawings. Features that are substantially or functionally equal or similar will be referred to with the same reference signs).  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     In  FIG. 1 , a plurality of measuring devices  10 A, . . .  10   i  are coupled to a network  20 . A plurality of external (with respect to the measuring devices  10   i ) application interfaces  30 A, . . . ,  30   j  are further coupled to the network  20 , which can be any kind of network e.g. using wired and/or wireless transmission.  
         [0025]     Each measuring device  10  comprises at least one measuring unit  35  each for executing a respective measurement function, an application control unit  40  for controlling access of one or more application interfaces, and a connection unit  50  for connecting to the network  20 . Each external application interface  30  also comprises an application connection unit  60  for connecting to the network  20 .  
         [0026]     In the example of  FIG. 1 , the measuring device  10 A further comprises a local application interface  70 A having a display  80 A and control unit  90 A. While the control unit  90 A allows controlling measurement functions provided by each measuring unit  35 A, the display  80 A allows displaying measurement information such as measuring results provided by each measuring unit  35 A. In contrast to the measuring device  10 A, the measuring device  10   i  does not comprise an own local application interface.  
         [0027]     In the example of  FIG. 1 , the external application interface  30 A comprises a display  100 A and a control unit  110 A just in accordance with the functions of the display  80 A and the control unit  90 A. The external application interface  30   j  in the example of  FIG. 1  is embodied as a general data processing unit having a monitor  100   j  and a control unit  110   j  comprised of a standard processing unit with a terminal.  
         [0028]     Each device coupled to the network  20  is provided with a unique address within the network  20 .  
         [0029]     In the example as shown here, the application interfaces substantially represent user interfaces each allowing a user interaction. However, other type of application interfaces with or without option for user invention can be applied accordingly, or example for periodically and/or automatically executing measuring functions and/or to periodically and/or automatically requesting measuring results (e.g. for graphical representation or storing).  
         [0030]     In operation, each measuring unit  35  of each measuring device  10  can be controlled by one or more of the (local or external) application interfaces ( 70 / 30 ). In an example wherein the measuring device  10 A is to be controlled by its local application interface  70 A as well by the external application interface  30 A, the application control unit  40 A will control each access of the local application interface  70 A as well as of the external application interface  30 A onto the measuring unit  35 A. In case that the application control unit  40 A detects competing processes requested by both application interfaces  70 A and  30 A, the application control unit  40 A will administer such competing processes and provides control to either one of the application interfaces  70 A and  30 A, dependent on pre-given information such as access priorities etc.  
         [0031]     In an example, wherein the local application interface  70 A presently controls a measurement executed by the measurement unit  35 A, and the external application interface  30 A requests the measurement unit  35 A to execute a different measurement, the application control unit  40 A will—dependent on its setting—either refuse the request from the external application interface  30 A, pause the current measurement requested from the local application interface  70 A, or wait with an execution of the request from the external application interface  30 A until the currently measurement controlled by the local application interface  70 A has been terminated.  
         [0032]     In an example wherein the measuring unit  35 A presently executes a measurement requested and controlled by the external application interface  30 A, and the local application interface  70 A requests a modification of the current measurement, the application control unit  40 A determines the priority of the application interfaces  70 A and  30 A and will assign control of the measuring unit  35 A to either one of the external application interfaces  30 A or  70 A dependent which one has the higher priority. In case that the external application interface  30 A has higher priority, the application control unit  40 A might reject the request from the local application interface  70 A. In case that the priority of the local application interface  70 A is higher than the priority of the external application interface  30 A, the application control unit  40 A might allow the request to modify the measurement.  
         [0033]     In case that plural application interfaces  30  request control over one of the measuring units  35 , the corresponding application control unit  40  will handle such request accordingly.  
         [0034]     As seen from the example of  FIG. 1 , the measuring device  10   i  can also be provided without local application interface and might be controlled by any one or plural of the external application interfaces  30  or even by the local application interface  70 A of a different measuring device  10 A.

Technology Category: 5