Method and apparatus for accessing and executing internal diagnostic tests stored on a piece of equipment

• US 6,694,204 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermo Electron Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GSLE Development Corporation (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Elwood, Bryan M., Bair, Richard H. III, Luyckx, Ronald W., Tipton, Walter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US10/237,898
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 700/108, 701/37, 714/27, 702/184, 702/187, 340/540
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system

Abstract

A method and apparatus that includes a storage device for storing diagnostic executable code, a remote receiver and a processor that executes the diagnostic executable code. A remote signal is received at the remote receiver to access any portion of the code and obtain data from the processing of the diagnostic executable code.

Claims

1. An apparatus that permits wireless access to information stored on the apparatus, comprising:

a storage device wherein diagnostic executable code and apparatus related data is stored and available for retrieval;

upon a request from an authorized user for the diagnostic code, a processor, linked to the storage device, executes the diagnostic executable code;

upon a request from an authorized for the apparatus related data, the processor retrieves the data;

a receiver linked to the processor, the receiver receives the requests from an authorized user; and

a transmitter linked to the processor to transmit a result of the requests from the processor to a remote device.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the storage device is non-volatile memory.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the executable code is secured on the storage device.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the executable code is secured by assigning read and write privileges.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the executable code determines the readings of a sensor.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the receiver is an infrared detector.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an infrared transmitter.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the receiver is a BLUETOOTH™

detector.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a BLUETOOTH™

transmitter.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein data is a serial number.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the data is a model number.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the data is details the specific type of parts that makeup the apparatus.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the diagnostic executable code obtains performance data from the apparatus.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the performance data is related to the refrigerant compressor.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the performance data is related to a sensor.

16. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the performance data is related to electrical system.

17. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein data is a maintenance history.

18. A method that permits wireless access to information stored on an apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request from an authorized user for the information;

if the request is for diagnostic executable code, processing the request by a processor;

if the request is for data related to the apparatus, retrieving the data by the processor;

transmitting a response from the request wirelessly to a remote device.

19. The method as in claim 18, further comprising determining the level of access granted to an authorized user based upon the request.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the diagnostic executable code analyzes a subsystem of the apparatus.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the subsystem is a temperature sensor.

22. The method as in claim 20, wherein the subsystem is the central processing unit.

23. An apparatus that permits wireless access to information stored on an apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a request from an authorized user for the information;

if the request is for diagnostic executable code, means for processing the request;

if the request is for data related to the apparatus, means for retrieving the data; and

means for transmitting a response from the request wirelessly to a remote device.

24. The apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising means for determining the level of access based upon the request.

25. An apparatus for remotely receiving a request to access and execute diagnostic executable code and/or data related to the apparatus comprising:

a storage device wherein the diagnostic executable code and data are stored;

a remote access for receiving the request from an authorized user; and

a processor linked to the storage device and the remote access, the processor executes the diagnostic executable code or retrieves the data.