PDA instrument/process calibrator

• US 6,584,421 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Vandewater, Ken, Wang, Xu-Ming, Tetreault, Tim, Frank, Lewis, Gustafson, Bill, Pantano, Mike, Clarridge, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/638,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/104, 702/116-117, 709/213, 709/214, 709/216, 710/62, 710/72-74, 379/93.05, 379/93.25, 439/928.1, 439/945-946
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/125 for digital multimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

An instrument of process calibrator includes a housing, a traceable, controllable calibration source in the housing, the calibration source including memory for storing identifying information about the calibration source, a data connector coupled to the calibration source, a removable hand held computer preferably a PDA, attached to the housing, and connected to the data connector, the computer including user input means for receiving a control input user for controlling the calibration source, and output means, preferably graphical output means for displaying the identifying information and calibration results to the user.

Claims

1. A calibrator comprising:

a housing;

a traceable, controllable calibration source in the housing, the calibration source including memory for storing information identifying the calibrator source;

a data connector coupled to the calibration source;

a hand held computer removably attached to the housing and connected to the data connector, the computer including input means for receiving input from a user for controlling the calibration source and output means for displaying the identifying information to the user.

2. The calibrator of claim 1 in which the hand held computer comprises means for receiving and storing calibration data from the user.

3. The calibrator of claim 2 in which the hand held computer comprises means for transferring the stored calibration data, and the identifing information to another computer.

4. The calibrator of claim 1 in which the input means comprises a touch-screen.

5. The calibrator of claim 1 in which the hand held computer comprises hot sync means for transferring data to a database computer.

6. The calibrator of claim 1 comprising a controller connected to the calibration source and responsive to signals generated by the hand held computer for controlling the magnitude of the source signals.

7. The calibrator of claim 6 comprising a digital to analog converter, connected to the controller for adjusting the value of a source signal.

8. The calibrator of claim 1 comprising a signal sensor for measuring the value of an electrical signal and an interface coupled to the signal sensor and the data connector for transferring a value of the sensed signal to the hand held computer.

9. The calibrator of claim 1 in which the hand held computer if responsive to user input to generate a command signal and the calibrator includes a detector responsive to the comma signal for initiating execution of the command.

10. The calibrator of claim 1 comprising memory for sequentially storing measured values and a controller for transferring the most recent measured value to the hand held computer in response to a request therefor.

11. The calibrator of claim 1 comprising measurement means in the housing for providing measured data to the data connector.

12. The calibrator of claim 11 in which the hand held computer comprises means for storing measured data.

13. The calibrator of claim 12 in which the hand held computer comprises means for displaying the measured data.

14. An instrument/device calibrator adapted to be connected to a hand held computer, comprising:

a connector for connecting the calibrator to a hand held computer;

a controller connected to the connector for receiving a control signal from the hand held computer and transferring data signals from the calibrator to the hand held computer in response to data requests;

a controllable calibration source responsive to signals generated by the hand held computer for producing calibration signals;

memory in the calibrator for storing calibration results and transferring the calibration results through the connector.

15. The calibrator of claim 14 comprising a memory storing data identifying the calibrator and responsive to a request from a hand held computer for transferring the data to the hand held computer.

16. The calibrator of claim 14 including a data base for storing instrument records and related data records showing the results of calibration of an instrument.