System for remote monitoring and control of an instrument

• US 6,766,279 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Perkinelmer Instruments LLC (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Parkinelmer Instruments LLC
• Inventors: Linley, Richard, Olbert, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman, Hal D
• Application Number:
  US10/262,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/217, 709/219, 702/FOR.134, 702/FOR.135, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 700/266, 700/9, 700/3, 340/5.5, 340/5.55, 340/236.01, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Web-based instrument interface software executing on an instrument controller computer system receives a web file from web browsing software executing on a remote computer, extracts a command or a request for status information from the web file, generates and transmits to an analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information, receives a signal from the analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof, and generates and transmits to the web browsing software executing on the remote computer a web file based on the received signal from the analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

Claims

1. A web-based instrument and data management system comprising:

an instrument controller computer system;

at least one analytical instrument connected to said instrument controller computer system;

at least one remote computer in communication with said instrument controller computer system via a network connection, said at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon; and

web-based instrument interface software executing on said instrument controller computer system, said web-based instrument interface software receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer, extracting a command or request for status information from the web file, generating and transmitting to said at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information, receiving a signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof, and generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer a web file based upon the received signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

2. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises a single instrument controller computer.

3. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said instrument controller computer system comprises an instrument controller computer and a web server computer.

4. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said at least one remote computer is in communication with said instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

5. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

6. The web-based instrument and data management system of claim 1 wherein said web-based instrument interface software confirms whether a user of said at least one remote computer is authorized for the command or request for status information before transmitting to said at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information.

7. A method of web-based instrument and data management comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument controller computer system having at least one analytical instrument connected thereto;

providing at least one remote computer in communication with the instrument controller computer system via a network connection, the at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon;

receiving a web file from the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer;

extracting a command or request for status information from the web file;

generating and transmitting to the at least one analytical instrument a signalindicative of the extracted command or request for status information;

receiving a signal from the at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof; and

generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on the at least one remote computer a web file based upon the received signal from the at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.

8. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 7 wherein the at least one remote computer is in communication with the instrument controller computer system via the Internet.

9. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 7 wherein the web files comprise HTML files.

10. The method of web-based instrument and data management of claim 7 further comprising the step of confirming whether a user of the at least one remote computer is authorized for the command or request for status information before transmitting to the at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information.

11. A web-based instrument and data management system comprising:

an instrument controller computer system;

at least one analytical instrument connected to said instrument controller computer system;

at least one remote computer In communication with said instrument controller computer system via a network connection, said at least one remote computer having web browser software executing thereon; and

web-based instrument interface software executing on said instrument controller computer system, said web-based instrument interface software receiving a HTML file from the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer, extracting a command or request for status information from the HTML file, generating and transmitting to said at least one analytical instrument a signal indicative of the extracted command or request for status information, receiving a signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof, and generating and transmitting to the web browsing software executing on said at least one remote computer a HTML file based upon the received signal from said at least one analytical instrument indicative of the status thereof.