Method and apparatus for management of calibration data

• US 20060047455A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Columbus, Ryan Victor, Catelani, Mark Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/006 Intermittent recalibration

Abstract

An apparatus and method for management and maintenance of one or more periodic calibrations provides an alert regarding the current calibration status.

Claims

1. An electronic measurement apparatus comprising:

an instrument requiring at least one periodic calibration including an instrument processor for maintaining and managing a current status of said at least one periodic calibration, and

instructions configured to be executable on said processor for providing an alert regarding said current status of said at least one periodic calibration.

2. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said instrument also includes a display and said alert is presented on a display of said instrument.

3. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said instrument also includes LEDs and said alert is presented on said LEDs.

4. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the instrument is connected to a communications network and said alert comprises a message sent over said communications network.

5. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a computer communicates with at least one of said instruments and polls each instrument as to a current status of said at least one periodic calibration.

6. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising instructions configured to be executable for interactive definition of said at least one periodic calibration.

7. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said interactive definition permits establishment of one or more calibration types.

8. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said interactive configuration permits establishment of at least one calibration alert.

9. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising instructions configured to be executable on said processor for retention and optional retrieval of calibration traceability information for each of said at least one periodic calibration.

10. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising instructions configured to be executable on said processor for retention and optional retrieval of a calibration history of said instrument.

11. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising instructions configured to be executable on said processor for identifying and reporting a calibration invalidation condition.

12. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a calibration icon is presented on a display of said instrument that reflects a current status of one of said at least one periodic calibration.

13. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said calibration icon is updated after performance of a calibration.

14. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said calibration icon visually changes when said current status of an active one of said at least one periodic calibration changes.

15. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said calibration icon visually changes by changing color.

16. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said calibration icon visually changes by changing shape.

17. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said calibration icon visually changes by changing shape and color.

18. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said alert is a first alert that is issued a predefined period of time before one of said at least one periodic calibration is due.

19. An electronic measurement apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein a second alert is issued a predefined period of time after said first alert is issued.

20. A method for managing calibration in an instrument comprising the steps of:

providing a calibration component in the instrument for local storage and retrieval of calibration information relating to a current calibration status of the instrument,

calibrating the instrument,

updating the calibration information,

displaying a calibration status indication responsive to said step of updating.

21. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 20 wherein said step of displaying a calibration status comprises displaying a calibration icon to indicate a current status of said calibration.

22. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 21 wherein said calibration icon changes to indicate a change in said current status of said calibration.

23. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 22 wherein said calibration icon changes a color to indicate said change in said current status of said calibration.

24. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 22 wherein said calibration icon changes shape to indicate said change in said current status of said calibration.

25. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 22 wherein said calibration icon changes color and shape to indicate said change in said current status of said calibration.

26. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 20 wherein said step of displaying a calibration status further comprises the step of issuing an alert when said calibration expires.

27. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 26 wherein the step of issuing an alert comprises the step of displaying a message.

28. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 26 wherein the step of issuing an alert comprises the step of sending a message over a communications network.

29. A method for managing calibration in an instrument as recited in claim 28 and further comprising receiving said message and scheduling a calibration for said instrument.

30. A system for managing periodic calibrations comprising:

A plurality of instruments on a communications network, each instrument storing information relating to at least one periodic calibration and a current status of said at least one periodic calibration,

A computer in communication with said communications network, said computer receiving information from one or more of said instruments in said plurality of instruments concerning an identity of said one or more of said instruments when a calibration is due.

31. A system for managing periodic calibrations in an instrument as recited in claim 30 wherein said computer receives said message and schedules a calibration for said instrument.