Measuring equipment and method of preparing measurement data

• US 20030037255A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Katamata, Hiroyuki, Fukuhara, Tatsuya, Tsuchiya, Tsuyoshi, Yoshino, Yasuhiro
• Application Number:
  US10/166,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037255A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/007 Data loggers attached to transport containers for perishable products, e.g. food or medicines

Abstract

The present invention is characterized by the following. Data for administrating equipment and measurement results are prepared prior to measurement of the prescribed input signal, measurement files consisting of measurement results are prepared and recorded on a storage medium during measurement, and a digital signature is affixed to these files after measurement. These characteristics enable the data to be handled as official data enabling restriction of access to the equipment and measurement data, operation logs and records of measurement conditions, and writing of signatures.

Claims

1. Measuring equipment which digitizes the prescribed input signals and records them as measurement data on a storage medium, provided with:

a measurement administration part in which administration data for equipment and measurement results are prepared prior to measurement,

a measurement files creating part in which measurement files composed of said measurement results are prepared and recorded on a storage medium during measurement, and

a sign-in part in which a digital signature is affixed to these measurement files after measurement.

2. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said measurement administration part is provided with:

an administrator registration means which prepares the equipment administrator data,

an administrator attestation means which attests utilization of the equipment to said administrator,

an operating environment setting means in which said administrator prepares the data for equipment operating environment, and

a user registration means in which said administrator prepares the user list.

3. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said measurement files creating part is provided with:

a user attestation means which attests utilization of the equipment to the user registered in said measurement administration part,

a measurement conditions setting means in which said user sets up measurement conditions for the equipment, and

a measurement execution means in which said user executes start and stop of measurement.

4. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sign-in part is provided with a signature attestation means which attests the digital signature of the user registered in said user list.

5. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein said measurement files creating part records at least one of the operation logs in the measurement conditions setting means, the data set up to the equipment at the time of measurement, and logs of changes to equipment settings, on a storage medium corresponding to the measurement data.

6. A method of creating measurement data, in which measurement data corresponding to the prescribed setup data are created by the following procedure:

(a) a process to prepare administration data for the equipment and measurement results prior to measurement,

(b) a process to create measurement files and records them on a storage medium during measurement, and

(c) a process to affix a digital signature to said measurement files from the equipment after measurement.

7. A method of creating measurement data in accordance with claim 6, wherein said process (a) includes at least one of the following processes:

a process for preparing administrator data for the equipment,

a process for attesting utilization of the equipment to said administrator,

a process in which said administrator prepares operating environment data for the equipment, and

a process in which said administrator prepares a user list.

8. A method of creating measurement data in accordance with claim 6, wherein said process (b) includes at least one of the following processes:

a process for attesting utilization of the equipment to the user registered in said measurement administration part,

a process in which said user sets up measurement conditions for the equipment,

a process in which said user executes start and stop of measurement, and

a process for recording measurement files prepared by making at least one of the operation logs, setup data in the equipment at the time of measurement, and logs of changes to equipment settings correspond to measurement data, on a storage medium.

9. A method of creating measurement data in accordance with claim 6, wherein said process (c) includes at least one of the following processes:

a process for attesting the digital signature of the user registered in said user list, and

a process for affixing a digital signature to said measurement files.

10. Measuring equipment recording digitized measurement data on a storage medium, in which user information including registration of the users who are given equipment operating authority and sign information on the user who has attested the equipment operating logs and measurement data, are made corresponding to said measurement data and recorded on said storage medium.

11. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 10, wherein the following means are provided:

an operation means in which the equipment is operated,

a sign-in means in which a digital signature is affixed to measurement data, and

an access permission means in which access by the user registered in said user information is permitted and the functions of said operation means and said sign-in means are enabled for permitted access.

12. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 11, wherein said user name permitted by said access permission means is recorded on said storage medium by making it correspond to measurement data.

13. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 11, wherein said access permission means permits a plurality of sign-ins to be input in the setup sequence respectively.

14. Measuring equipment in accordance with any of claims 10 to 13 (both inclusive), wherein said storage medium is provided on each side or both sides of the inside and outside of the equipment.

15. Measuring equipment that is provided in number greater than one and configured to be individually or collectively controlled by spatially transmitting at least identification codes for collation and character symbol codes for setup input, from a remote control common to each measuring equipment, and control of the measuring equipment by said remote control being enabled by executing log-in operation based on the operation authority.

16. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 15, wherein user information including registration of users having operation authority, operation logs for the equipment, and sign information on the user who attested measurement data, are recorded on a storage medium by being made to correspond to measurement data.

17. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 15 or claim 16, having a sign-in means by which digital signatures are affixed to measurement data.

18. Measuring equipment in accordance with claim 17, wherein inputting is permitted to a plurality of sign-ins in the sequence set individually.

19. Measuring equipment in accordance with any of claims 15 to 18 (both inclusive), wherein said storage medium is provided at least on either the inside or outside of the equipment.