In-place dynamically re-sizeable persistent historical database
First Claim
1. In an embedded microcontroller based control system reading field parameters and keeping a historical database of the field parameters in a memory device, a method of storing the historical data comprising:
- a) grouping a first parameter and a second parameter into a first segment;
b) writing a data value for the first parameter and a data value for the second parameter to the historical database;
c) writing a first segment time-stamp associated with both the data values for the first and second parameters;
d) grouping a third parameter and a fourth parameter into a second segment;
e) writing a data value for the third parameter and a data value for the fourth parameter to the historical database;
f) writing a second segment time-stamp associated with both the data values for the third and fourth parameters;
g) repeating steps b) and c) at a first sample rate; and
h) repeating steps e) and f) at a second sample rate different than the first sample rate.
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Abstract
The specification discloses a method of maintaining a historical database of information. The method describes up to eleven segments, each segment corresponding possibly to a different data logging rate in the historical database. Points, whether measured or calculated parameters, are grouped into segments based on which points may have their data logged at the same frequency. The points, in turn, contain pointers to logs, with entries in the log data corresponding to a timestamp or tag of the segment to which the log belongs. Thus, points (and their corresponding logs) in different segments may be logged at different rates. The specification also discloses a method for dynamically resizing the historical database, which, in the case of increasing the number of entries, results in no loss of historical information.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. In an embedded microcontroller based control system reading field parameters and keeping a historical database of the field parameters in a memory device, a method of storing the historical data comprising:
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a) grouping a first parameter and a second parameter into a first segment;
b) writing a data value for the first parameter and a data value for the second parameter to the historical database;
c) writing a first segment time-stamp associated with both the data values for the first and second parameters;
d) grouping a third parameter and a fourth parameter into a second segment;
e) writing a data value for the third parameter and a data value for the fourth parameter to the historical database;
f) writing a second segment time-stamp associated with both the data values for the third and fourth parameters;
g) repeating steps b) and c) at a first sample rate; and
h) repeating steps e) and f) at a second sample rate different than the first sample rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for maintaining a historical database of information comprising:
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a microcontroller;
a read only memory (ROM) device coupled to the microcontroller, the ROM device storing programs executable by the microcontroller that stores data in the historical database;
a random access memory (RAM) device coupled to the microcontroller and containing the historical database, the RAM device comprising a set of continuously addressed memory locations, and wherein a first portion of the memory locations comprises a segment component, a second portion of the memory locations comprises a point component, a third portion of the memory locations comprises time-stamp data, and fourth portion of the memory locations comprises log data; and
wherein the first portion is continuous with the second portion which is continuous with the third portion which is continuous with the fourth portion. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a microcontroller based flow computer calculating volumetric flows and keeping a historical database of field parameters in a memory device, a method of storing the historical data comprising:
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a) writing an entry for a first parameter and an entry for a second parameter to the historical database;
b) writing a first grouping time-stamp associated with both the entries for the first and second parameters;
c) writing an entry for the third parameter and an entry for the fourth parameter to the historical database;
d) writing a second grouping time-stamp associated with both the entries for the third and fourth parameters;
e) repeating steps a) and b) at a first frequency; and
f) repeating steps c) and d) at a second frequency different than the first frequency. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A natural gas flow measurement computer comprising:
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a microcontroller;
a read only memory (ROM) device coupled to the microcontroller and storing a software programs executable by the microcontroller that calculate natural gas volumetric flow; and
a historical database of volumetric flow data stored in a random access memory (RAM) device coupled to the microcontroller, the RAM device comprising a set of memory locations, and wherein a first portion of the memory locations comprises a segment component, a second portion of the memory locations comprises a point component, a third portion of the memory locations comprises time-stamp, and fourth portion of the memory locations comprises log data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method comprising:
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operating a volumetric flow computer;
maintaining a historical database of calculated volumetric flows, each calculated volumetric flow having a fixed number of entries in the historical database; and
increasing a number of entries in the historical database for a calculated volumetric flow without loss of existing log entries. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification