Remote laboratory experimentation

• US 20020147799A1
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Florida Atlantic University (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: Florida Atlantic University (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Hamza, Mohammad Khalid, Alhalabi, Bassem Abdo
• Application Number:
  US10/114,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20020147799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/18 for electricity or magnetism

Abstract

A method for hosting a remote laboratory experiment, can includes the steps of: receiving from a remote computing node through a computer communications network, student-specified control component configuration parameters; specifying a component configuration parameter filter; configuring at least one control component to provide an input to an experimental configuration according to the received configuration parameters; acquiring experimental data from the experimental configuration; and, providing the acquired experimental data to the remote computing node through the computer communications network. The method can further include the steps of: acquiring an image of the experimental configuration; and, transmitting the acquired image to the remote computing node through the computer communications network.

Claims

1. A remote laboratory experimentation system comprising:

a set of experimental components arranged to conduct an experiment;

at least one configurable control component able to modify individual ones of said experimental components, and at least one data acquisition device configured to acquire experimental data from said experiment;

a computing device communicatively linked to said at least one configurable control component and to said at least one data acquisition device, said computing device comprising a control module linked to said control component and said at least one data acquisition device through said communicative link;

a network interface able to communicatively link said computing device to a computer communications network; and

,

a network distributable user interface through which user access to said computing device can be provided over said computer communications network.

2. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 1, wherein said network distributable user interface can receive user input commands and can pass said user input commands to said, at least one configurable control component over said communicative link.

3. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 1, wherein said network distributable user interface can receive said experimental data acquired by said data acquisition device and can present said experimental data to a user.

4. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 1, further comprising a remotely controllable camera communicatively linked to said computing device.

5. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 1, wherein said distributable user interface further comprises:

a white-board component for providing annotations from at least one user; and

,

a chat-room component for hosting an on-line conference.

6. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 5, wherein said white-board component comprises logic for interactively annotating a group document.

7. The remote laboratory experimentation system of claim 6, wherein said logic comprises both asynchronous and synchronous operational modes.

8. A method for hosting a remote laboratory experiment, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a remote computing node through a computer communications network, student-specified control component configuration parameters;

configuring at least one control component to provide an input to an experimental configuration according to said received configuration parameters;

acquiring experimental data from said experimental configuration; and

,

providing said acquired experimental data to said remote computing node through said computer communications network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring an image of said experimental configuration; and

,

transmitting said acquired image to said remote computing node through said computer communications network.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

providing a white-board component for presenting annotations from at least one user; and

,

providing a chat-room component for hosting an on-line conference.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of providing interactive annotations of a group document with said white-board component.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of providing both asynchronous and synchronous operational modes for said chat-room component.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code sections for causing the machine to perform the step of providing a configuration parameter filer to filter out user-specified control component configuration parameters that are potentially destructive to experimental equipment being used in said remote laboratory experiment.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code sections for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

a acquiring an image of said experimental configuration; and

,

transmitting said acquire d image to said remote computing node through said computer communications network.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code sections for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

providing a white-board component for presenting annotations of at least one user; and

,

providing a chat-room component for hosting an on-line conference.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising code sections for causing the machine to perform the step of providing interactive annotations of a group document with said white-board component.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising code sections for causing the machine to perform the step of providing both asynchronous and synchronous operational modes for said chat-room component.

13. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program incorporating a graphical user interface for hosting a remote laboratory experiment, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving from a remote computing node through a computer communications network, student-specified control component configuration parameters;

configuring at least one control component to provide an input to an experimental configuration according to said received configuration parameters;

acquiring experimental data from said experimental configuration; and

,

providing said acquired experimental data to said remote computing node through said computer communications network.