Measuring apparatus with a validation capability of its previous calibration

• US 20050021271A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Original Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/007 Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden references"

Abstract

An improved measuring apparatus includes a calibration-related data storage section for storing calibration-related data including, at least, user identifiers for identifying users who have calibrated the apparatus, and calibration date and time data indicative of the date and time of calibration. A display output section is operative to fetch data related to the latest calibration from the calibration-related data storage section by reference to the calibration date and time data and then display an indication of a user identified by a user identifier included in the data related to the latest calibration as a calibrator identifiably together with the measurement outcome.

Claims

1. A measuring apparatus comprising:

a detecting section having a pair of electrode portions and operative to output a potential difference which occurs when the pair of electrode portions are brought into contact with a test subject for measurement;

a main body operative to display a characteristic value of the test subject determined from the potential difference as a measurement outcome;

a calibration-related data storage section for storing calibration-related data including, at least, user identifiers for identifying users who have previously calibrated the apparatus, and a calibration date and time data indicative of the date and time of the previous calibration; and

a display output section operative to fetch data related to a latest calibration from the calibration-related data storage section by reference to the calibration date and time data and then display an indication of a user identified by a user identifier included in the data related to the latest calibration as a calibrator identifiably together with the measurement outcome.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user identifier input receiving section for receiving an input of a user identifier identifying a user; and

a function range setting section for setting a range of functions which can be used by the user identified by the user identifier inputted.

3. In an instrument which requires periodic calibration to maintain reliability, the improvement of:

a storage member for storing historical calibration-related data including an inputted identification of a prior calibration and data correlated to the prior calibration to determine the specific calibration results of the instrument; and

an output unit to provide the stored calibration-related data.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the storage member stores a security program that limits the operation of the instrument depending on a predetermined ranking of a user.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein the instrument automatically records and stores the inputted identification of the calibrator along with data representative of the procedural acts of calibration.

6. An instrument which requires periodic calibration to maintain reliability comprising:

a detecting unit for performing a measurement on a test subject and providing a representative output signal; and

a controller unit for processing the output signal to provide a measurement output including input controls and a calibration-related data storage section for storing calibration-related data including user data setting forth user information enabling the controller unit to operate when a predetermined user code is entered by the input controls and a ranking-related data storage section to store a level of operation permitted by a predetermined user, the controller unit processing the ranking-related data associated with the predetermined user code to enable the instrument to a corresponding level of operation including automatically entering and storing calibrated data associated with a specific user as historical calibration data to insure traceability of the calibration of the instrument.

7. The instrument of claim 6 further including maintenance data that is used to calculate the operative status of the detecting unit in response to the input of the stored calibration data and a display screen for displaying the status of the detecting unit.