System and method for enabling an operator to analyze a database of acquired signal pulse characteristics

• US 6,584,419 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies Europe BV (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, Jay A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US09/686,776
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 702/66-71, 702/75, 702/76, 702/78, 702/79, 702/80, 702/107, 702/109, 702/117, 702/120, 702/124, 702/177, 702/178, 702/183, 702/189, 702/FOR-104, 702/FOR-107, 702/FOR.134, 702/FOR.138, 702/FOR-170, 345/771, 345/773, 345/965, 345/835, 345/839, 345/796, 345/440.1, 345/840, 345/781, 345/764, 345/763, 707/1-4, 707/9, 707/10, 324/77.R, 324/77.A
• US Class Current: 702/68
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/027 Indicating that a pulse characteristic is either above or below a predetermined value or within or beyond a predetermined range of values

Abstract

A pulse management system configured to perform a plurality of pulse measurements on each of a plurality of pulses of an acquired signal and to store results of the pulse measurements in an accessible data structure. The pulse management system includes a pulse analyzer that searches the data structure for pulses of the acquired signal that satisfy operator-provided search criteria. Similarly, the pulse analyzer can sort the selected subset of pulses based on sort criteria provided, for example, by an operator. The pulse analyzer can provide the operator with a user interface environment in which the operator specifies the search and sort criteria and in which the pulse analyzer displays the selected pulses with their associated pulse measurement results. The operator can advance through the selected pulses in any manner desired to display different pulses together or separately. The pulse analyzer thereby provides an operator with the capability to gain insights into a large number of acquired pulses through the selection of individual pulses meeting desired characteristics or relative time of occurrence, through the filtering or selection of pulses meeting specified criteria, and through the arrangement of those pulses according to the same or different criteria.

Claims

1. A signal measurement system comprising:

an acquisition memory having stored therein data samples of an acquired signal;

a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of a plurality of the pulses of the acquired signal, wherein said pulse characteristics include a plurality of pulse measurement results;

a user interface; and

a pulse analyzer configured to search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of one or more acquired signal pulses satisfying a search criteria that includes at least one pulse characteristic, wherein for an operator-selected one of said subset of one or more acquired pulses, said pulse analyzer is configured to retrieve for display on the user interface said pulse measurement results and said acquisition data from said pulse data memory and said acquisition memory, respectively,

wherein said search criteria comprises a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics, and wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to store separately an identifier for each of said one or more selected acquired pulses.

2. The signal measurement system of claim 1, wherein said pulse analyzer comprises:

a search module configured to perform said search and to generate a subset array, wherein said subset array is a list of said pulse identifiers indexed by a subset index that indicates a relative time of occurrence of said one or more selected pulses.

3. The signal measurement system of claim 2, wherein said pulse analyzer further comprises:

a pulse locator module configured to utilize said subset array to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory pertaining to a specific one of said selected pulses in response to an operator request to display said specific pulse.

4. The signal measurement system of claim 3, wherein said pulse manager further comprises:

a sort module configured to sort said selected pulses in accordance with sort criteria specifying one or more pulse characteristics, and to generate a sort array comprising a list of said subset array indices ordered to reflect the sorted order of said selected pulses associated with said subset array indices in said subset index array, and sort indices each of which is associated with one of said search index array indices.

5. The signal measurement system of claim 4, wherein said pulse locator module is further configured to utilize said sort array to arrange said selected pulses in accordance with a sort query specifying sort criteria.

6. The signal measurement system of claim 1, wherein said pulse characteristics further comprise:

a time of occurrence of said pulse relative to a trigger event that caused acquisition of said acquired signal.

7. The signal measurement system of claim 5, wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to provide a graphical interactive environment on said user interface to receive operator inputs to generate said search and sort queries.

8. The signal measurement system of claim 1, wherein said pulse analyzer is further constructed and arranged to perform statistical measurements of said pulse measurement results and to store results of said statistical measurements in said pulse data structure.

9. The signal measurement system of claim 8, wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to reply to operator queries that include a request for said measurement statistics.

10. The signal measurement system of claim 5, wherein said logical combination of said search criteria is represented by a Boolean expression.

11. The signal measurement system of claim 5, wherein said pulse analyzer causes a display of one or more graphical data entry fields in which the operator can enter said search and sort criteria.

12. The signal measurement system of claim 11, wherein one or more of said plurality of data entry fields has an associated menu with menu items which can be graphically selected by the operator for entry into the associated data entry field, said menu being displayed in response to a graphical menu display request.

13. The signal measurement system of claim 12, wherein for each search criterion, said data entry fields comprise:

a characteristic data entry field to receive an entry of the pulse characteristic which is to be the subject of said criterion;

a negate field through which the operator can select whether it is the existence or non-existence of the specified characteristic that is desired;

two value data entry fields in which a single or range of values can be specified; and

a relational operator field configured to receive an operator input defining a logical relationship between said pulse characteristic and said values entered into said value data entry fields.

14. The signal measurement system of claim 5,

wherein said search module provides the operator with the capability of specifying search and sort criteria using a natural language data entry format, and

wherein said searcher comprises a natural language interpreter configured to interpret a search query received in a natural language format.

15. The signal measurement system of claim 2, wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to display a command line entry field on the user interface and to receive said search query in a form of a command string, and

wherein said search module includes a syntax checker that verifies the search query command string entered by the operator.

16. The signal measurement system of claim 5, wherein said pulse analyzer is further configured to save and retrieve said search and sort queries.

17. The signal measurement system of claim 4, wherein said sort module is configured to cause said user interface to display data entry fields in which the operator can enter said sort query, wherein said sort query is comprised of one or more sort criterion.

18. The signal measurement system of claim 7, wherein said pulse locator causes said user interface to display a pulse selection window to enable the operator to select specific pulses of interest from said subset and said ordered subset of pulses.

19. The signal measurement system of claim 5, wherein said pulse locator utilizes said subset array and said sort array to display a specified pulse and pulse measurement results, wherein said specified pulse is identified by one or more of the group consisting of:

a pulse identifier;

a search occurrence number indicating the subset array index; and

a sorted occurrence number indicating a sort array index.

20. The signal measurement system of claim 18, wherein said pulse analyzer further comprises:

a time finder configured to receive as an input an operator-generated time value.

21. The signal measurement system of claim 20, wherein said operator-generated time value is the horizontal delay of a waveform display.

22. The signal measurement system of claim 21, wherein said operator-generated time value is entered into a data entry field displayed on the user interface.

23. The signal measurement system of claim 20, wherein said operator-generated time wherein said data entry field is displayed in said pulse selection window.

24. The signal measurement system of claim 20, wherein said time finder repeatedly queries said pulse data memory for pulse center times until said time finder converges on a pulse having a center time that is closest to said operator-generated time value.

25. The signal measurement system of claim 24, wherein said time finder implements a binary search algorithm to search said pulse data memory.

26. A method for analyzing one or more pulses of an in acquired signal in a signal measurement system having a display device, wherein samples of the acquired signal are stored in an acquisition memory and wherein pulse characteristics of each of said acquired signal pulses are stored in a pulse data memory of the signal measurement system, the method comprising the steps of:

1) receiving a search query specifying search criteria each comprising a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics;

2) searching said pulse data memory for pulses that satisfy said search criteria;

3) displaying on said display a waveform of a particular one or more of said selected pulses and pulse measurement results associated with said particular pulse;

4) generating a subset array of pulse numbers identifying said pulses that satisfy said specified search criteria;

5) receiving through the user interface, an operator request to display a particular one of said selected pulses; and

6) accessing said acquisition memory and said pulse data memory with an identifier of said particular pulse retrieved from said subset array to retrieve acquisition data of at least said particular pulse and pulse measurement results associated with said particular pulse.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

7) receiving, through the user interface, operator-generated sort criteria by which said subset of pulses are arranged;

8) generating a sort array of subset array indices ordered in accordance t with said arrangement of said selected pulses;

9) generating a cross-reference array of said sort array indices ordered in accordance with said subset array indices;

10) displaying indication of said subset array and said sort array;

11) receiving an operator-generated request to display a particular one of said selected pulses; and

12) displaying on said display a waveform of said particular pulse and said results of said pulse measurements of said particular pulse.

28. A method for providing a graphical interactive environment to enable an operator of a signal measurement system having a display device to analyze pulses of an acquired signal, wherein samples of the acquired signal are stored in an acquisition memory and wherein pulse characteristics of each of said acquired signal pulses are stored in a pulse data memory of the signal measurement system, the method comprising the steps of:

1) receiving, through the user interface, operator-generated search query specifying search criteria each comprising a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics;

2) displaying on said user interface an indication of a subset of pulses satisfying said search criteria;

3) receiving, through the user interface, operator-generated sort criteria by which said subset of pulses are logically arranged to form a sorted subset of pulse numbers;

4) displaying a pulse selection data field through which the operator can select a pulse from said subset or sorted subset of pulses;

5) receiving an operator-generated request to display a particular one of said selected pulses; and

6) displaying on said display a waveform of said particular pulse and said results of said pulse measurements of said particular pulse.

29. In a signal measurement system having an acquisition memory with data samples of an acquired signal stored therein, a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of each of a plurality of pulses of the acquired signal, said pulse characteristics comprising a plurality of pulse measurement results, a pulse analyzer configured to cause, for an operator-specified pulse, display of a waveform of said specified pulse and said associated pulse measurement results on a display device operatively coupled to the signal measurement system, wherein said pulse analyzer comprises:

a search module to search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of said acquired signal pulses which satisfy a search criteria; and

a pulse locator module configured to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory pertaining to a specific one of said selected pulses in response to an operator request to display said specific pulse,

wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to provide a graphical interactive environment on said user interface to receive operator inputs to generate said search queries.

30. The pulse analyzer of claim 29, wherein said search module is further configured to generate a subset array, wherein said subset array is a list of said pulse identifiers indexed by a subset index that indicates a relative time of occurrence of said one or more selected pulses;

wherein said pulse analyzer further comprises a sort module configured to sort said selected pulses in accordance with sort criteria specifying one or more pulse characteristics, and to generate a sort array comprising a list of said subset array indices ordered to reflect the sorted order of said selected pulses, each of said subset array indices having an associated sort index; and

wherein said pulse locator module is configured to utilize said subset and sort arrays to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory.

31. The pulse analyzer of claim 29, wherein said pulse characteristics further comprise:

a time of occurrence of said pulse relative to a trigger event that caused acquisition of said acquired signal.

32. The pulse analyzer of claim 31, wherein said pulse analyzer is further constructed and arranged to perform statistical measurements of said pulse measurement results and to store results of said statistical measurements in said pulse data structure.

33. The pulse analyzer of claim 30, wherein said logical combination of said search criteria is represented by a Boolean expression.

34. The pulse analyzer of claim 30, wherein said pulse analyzer causes a display of one or more graphical data entry fields in which the operator can enter said search and sort criteria.

35. The pulse analyzer of claim 34, wherein one or more of said plurality of data entry fields has an associated menu with menu items which can be graphically selected by the operator for entry into the associated data entry field, said menu being displayed in response to a graphical menu display request.

36. The pulse analyzer of claim 30, wherein said pulse analyzer further comprises:

a time finder configured to receive as an input operator-generated time value, said time finder repeatedly queries said pulse data memory for pulse center times until said time finder converges on a pulse having a center time that is closest to said operator-generated time value.

37. The pulse analyzer of claim 36, wherein said time finder implements a binary search algorithm to search said pulse data memory.

38. A computer software product that includes a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions that, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to provide an interactive environment on a user interface coupled to a signal measurement system having an acquisition memory with data samples of an acquired signal stored therein and a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of each pulse of a plurality of pulses of the acquired signal, wherein, in response to operator-generated inputs to the interactive environment, said processor searches said pulse characteristics and selects a subset of one or more acquired signal pulses satisfying a search criteria comprising a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics, and for an operator-selected one of said subset of one or more acquired pulses, retrieving for display on the user interface said pulse measurement results and said acquisition data from said pulse data memory and said acquisition memory, respectively,

wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to provide a graphical interactive environment on said user interface to receive operator inputs to generate said search queries.

39. The computer software product of claim 38, wherein said sequence of instructions comprises:

a first sequence of instructions that search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of said acquired signal pulses that satisfy a search criteria that includes a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics, and to store separately an identifier of said selected pulses, wherein said first sequence of instructions is further configured to generate a subset array, wherein said subset array is a list of said pulse identifiers indexed by a subset index that indicates a relative time of occurrence of said one or more selected pulses;

a second sequence of instructions to sort said selected pulses in accordance with sort criteria specifying one or more pulse characteristics, and to generate a sort array comprising a list of said subset array indices ordered to reflect the sorted order of said selected pulses, each of said subset array indices having an associated sort index; and

a third sequence of instructions that utilize said subset and sort arrays to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory pertaining to a specific ones of said selected pulses in response to an operator request to display said specific pulse.

40. A signal measurement system comprising:

an acquisition memory having stored therein data samples of an acquired signal;

a pulse data memory having stored therein characteristics of a plurality of the pulses of the acquired signal, wherein said pulse characteristics include a plurality of pulse measurement results and a time of occurrence of said pulse relative to a trigger event that caused acquisition of said acquired signal;

a user interface; and

a pulse analyzer configured to cause, for an operator-specified pulse, display of a waveform of said specified pulse and said associated pulse measurement results,

wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to search said pulse characteristics to select a subset of said acquired signal pulses that satisfy a search criteria that includes a logical combination of one or more pulse characteristics, and to store separately an identifier of said selected pulses.

41. The signal measurement system of claim 40, wherein said pulse analyzer comprises:

a search module configured to perform said search and to generate a subset array, wherein said subset array is a list of said pulse identifiers indexed by a subset index that indicates a relative time of occurrence of said one or more selected pulses.

42. The signal measurement system of claim 41, wherein said pulse analyzer further comprises:

a pulse locator module configured to utilize said subset array to retrieve said pulse measurements from said pulse data memory and said acquisition data from said acquisition memory pertaining to a specific one of said selected pulses in response to an operator request to display said specific pulse.

43. The signal measurement system of claim 41, wherein said pulse manager further comprises:

a sort module configured to sort said selected pulses in accordance with sort criteria specifying one or more pulse characteristics, and to generate a sort array comprising a list of said subset array indices ordered to reflect the sorted order of said selected pulses associated with said subset array indices in said subset index array, and sort indices each of which is associated with one of said search index array indices.

44. The signal measurement system of claim 43, wherein said pulse locator module is further configured to utilize said sort array to arrange said selected pulses in accordance with a sort query specifying sort criteria.

45. The signal measurement system of claim 44, wherein said pulse analyzer is configured to provide a graphical interactive environment on said user interface to receive operator inputs to generate said search and sort queries.

46. The signal measurement system of claim 44, wherein said pulse analyzer causes a display of one or more graphical data entry fields in which the operator can enter said search and sort criteria.