System for remote monitoring and control of an instrument

• US 20040220780A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perkinelmer Health Sciences Incorporated (Perkinelmer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PerkinElmer LAS, Inc. (Perkinelmer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Linley, Richard, Olbert, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Web-based instrument interface software executing on an instrument controller computer system receives a web file from web browsing software executing on a remote computer, extracts a command or a request for status information from the web file, generates and transmits to an analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information, receives a signal from the analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof, and generates and transmits to the web browsing software executing on the remote computer a web file based upon the received signal from the analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

Claims

1. A web-based instrument and data management system comprising:

an instrument controller computer system;

at least one analytical instrument connected to said instrument controller computer system;

at least one remote computer in communication with said instrument controller computer system via a network connection, said at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon; and

web-based instrument interface software executing on said instrument controller computer system, said web-based instrument interface software receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer, extracting a command or request for status information from the web file, generating and transmitting to said at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information, receiving a signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof, and generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer a web file based upon the received signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

2. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises a single instrument controller computer.

3. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises an instrument controller computer and a web server computer.

4. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said at least one remote computer is in communication with said instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

5. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

6. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said web-based instrument interface software confirms whether a user of said at least one remote computer is authorized for the command or request for status information before transmitting to said at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information.

7. A web-based instrument and data management system comprising:

an instrument controller computer system;

at least one analytical instrument connected to said instrument controller computer system;

an instrument database accessible by said instrument controller computer system;

at least one remote computer in communication with said instrument controller computer system via a network connection, said at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon; and

web-based instrument interface software executing on said instrument controller computer system, said web-based instrument interface software receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer, extracting a request for data from the web file, retrieving the requested data from said at least one analytical instrument or said instrument database, and generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer a web file based upon the retrieved requested data.

8. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 7 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises a single instrument controller computer.

9. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 7 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises an instrument controller computer and a web server computer.

10. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 7 wherein said at least one remote computer is in communication with said instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

11. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 7 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

12. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 7 wherein said web-based instrument interface software confirms whether a user of said at least one remote computer is authorized to view the requested data before retrieving the requested data from said at least one analytical instrument or said instrument database.

13. A web-based instrument and data management system comprising:

an instrument controller computer system;

at least one analytical instrument connected to said instrument controller computer system;

a permissions database accessible by said instrument controller computer system;

at least one remote computer in communication with said instrument controller computer system via a network connection, said at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon; and

web-based instrument interface software executing on said instrument controller computer system, said web-based instrument interface software receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer, extracting a user identifier and a requested action from the web file, determining whether a user of said at least one remote computer is authorized for the requested action based upon the user identifier, the requested action and data stored on said permissions database, performing the requested action if the user is authorized, and if the user is not authorized generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer a web file indicating that the user is not authorized for the requested action.

14. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises a single instrument controller computer.

15. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises an instrument controller computer and a web server computer.

16. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein said at least one remote computer is in communication with said instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

17. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

18. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein the requested action comprises an instrument command.

19. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein the requested action comprises a request for instrument status.

20. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 13 wherein the requested action comprises a request for data.

21. A method of web-based instrument and data management comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument controller computer system having at least one analytical instrument connected thereto;

providing at least one remote computer in communication with the instrument controller computer system via a network connection, the at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon;

receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer;

extracting a command or request for status information from the web file;

generating and transmitting to the at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information;

receiving a signal from the at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof; and

generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer a web file based upon the received signal from the at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

22. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 21 wherein the at least one remote computer is in communication with the instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

23. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 21 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

24. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 21 further comprising the step of confirming whether a user of the at least one remote computer is authorized for the command or request for status information before transmitting to the at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information.

25. A method of web-based instrument and data management comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument controller computer system having at least one analytical instrument connected thereto;

providing an instrument database accessible by the instrument controller computer system;

providing at least one remote computer in communication with the instrument controller computer system via a network connection, the at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon;

receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer;

extracting a request for data from the web file;

retrieving the requested data from the at least one analytical instrument or the instrument database; and

generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer a web file based upon the retrieved requested data.

26. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 25 wherein the at least one remote computer is in communication with the instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

27. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 25 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

28. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 25 further comprising the step of confirming whether a user of the at least one remote computer is authorized to view the requested data before retrieving the requested data from the at least one analytical instrument or the instrument database.

29. A method of web-based instrument and data management comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument controller computer system having at least one analytical instrument connected thereto;

providing a permissions database accessible by the instrument controller computer system;

providing at least one remote computer in communication with the instrument controller computer system via a network connection, the at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon;

receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer;

extracting a user identifier and a requested action from the web file;

determining whether a user of the at least one remote computer is authorized for the requested action based upon the user identifier, the requested action and data stored on the permissions database;

performing the requested action if the user is authorized; and

generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer, if the user is not authorized, a web file indicating that the user is not authorized for the requested action.

30. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 29 wherein the at least one remote computer is in communication with the instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

31. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 29 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

32. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 29 wherein the requested action comprises an instrument command.

33. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 29 wherein the requested action comprises a request for instrument status.

34. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 29 wherein the requested action comprises a request for data.