Transducer specification database

• US 7,373,356 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Potter, David L., Shah, Mohammed Kamran
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/219,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 707 1- 3, 707/10, 707100-102
• US Class Current: 369/30.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/022 having an ideal characteristic, map or correction data stored in a digital memory

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for operating a transducer database includes creating an electronic datasheet for a type of sensor on a computer, and registering the electronic datasheet for the type of sensor in a transducer database. Creating an electronic datasheet may include specifying attribute values for the type of sensor in the transducer database via a network connection. Registering may include storing the first electronic datasheet in the database. A sensor may be coupled to a system that obtains the electronic datasheet over a network and configures a device or software program. The sensor may have only analog interface connections.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for operating a transducer database, the method comprising:

creating a first electronic datasheet for a first type of sensor on a first computer, wherein said creating comprises specifying a plurality of attribute values for the first type of sensor;

accessing the transducer database over a network, wherein the transducer database is a central database for storing electronic datasheets for a plurality of different types of sensors from different manufacturers; and

registering the first electronic datasheet for the first type of sensor in the transducer database, wherein said registering comprises storing the first electronic datasheet in the transducer database, wherein the first type of sensor does not contain an electronic datasheet.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said accessing the transducer database over a network comprises using one or more of:

client-server communication;

email;

ftp; and

a web browser.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said creating, said accessing and said registering are performed for a plurality of different types of sensors.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein said creating, said accessing and said registering are performed for a plurality of different manufacturers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling a first sensor to a system, wherein the system is coupled to the network, wherein the first sensor is of the first sensor type;

obtaining the first electronic datasheet from the transducer database for the first sensor, wherein said obtaining includes one or more of;

accessing the transducer database over the network;

accessing at least a partial local copy of the transducer database;

after said obtaining, performing at least one of;

     1) configuring at least one of a device or a software program based on data in the first electronic datasheet; and

     2) storing at least a portion of the first electronic datasheet in the system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the first sensor;

wherein said obtaining is performed based on the user input.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein the first sensor does not include a digital interface connection.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the system includes a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a software program, wherein said obtaining comprises the computer system execute the software program to programmatically obtain the first electronic datasheet.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying purchase of a first sensor for a system, wherein the system is coupled to the network, wherein the first sensor is of the first type of sensor;

obtaining the first electronic datasheet from the transducer database for the first sensor, wherein said obtaining includes accessing the transducer database over the network; and

storing at least a portion of the first electronic datasheet in the system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the first sensor in response to the purchase;

coupling the first sensor to the system; and

configuring at least one of a device or a software program based on data in the first electronic datasheet.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the transducer database is stored in a server, the method further comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface on the server, wherein the graphical user interface is useable in guiding the user in selecting and purchase of a sensor.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first type of sensor is at least one of:

an analog sensor operable to measure analog phenomena;

a digital sensor operable to measure digital phenomena.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a datasheet for a sensor model, wherein the first electronic datasheet is an instance of the datasheet for the sensor model.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the datasheet for a sensor model comprises a plurality of distinct first electronic datasheets, wherein each one of the plurality of distinct first electronic datasheets corresponds to a type of a sensor.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein the transducer database comprises one or more of following categories for categorizing electronic datasheets:

a type;

a sub-type;

a model; and

a specific instance, wherein a specific instance comprises a serial number of a sensor.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein said accessing comprises using encrypted access over the network.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein said registering further comprises using security features, wherein said using the security features comprises confirming one or more of a user name or a user password, wherein said registering further comprises using encrypted access over the network.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein the transducer database comprises a distributed database.

19. A method for configuring operation of a sensor in a measurement system, the method comprising:

coupling a first sensor to a system, wherein the system is coupled to the network, wherein the first sensor is of a first sensor type, wherein the first sensor type does not contain an electronic datasheet;

obtaining a first electronic datasheet from a transducer database for the first sensor, wherein the first electronic datasheet corresponds to sensors of the first sensor type, wherein said obtaining includes one or more of;

accessing the transducer database over the network, wherein the transducer database is a central database for storing electronic datasheets for a plurality of different types of sensors from different manufacturers;

accessing at least a partial local copy of the transducer database;

after said obtaining, performing at least one of;

     1) configuring at least one of a device or a software program based on data in the first electronic datasheet; and

     2) storing at least a portion of the first electronic datasheet in the system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the first sensor;

wherein said obtaining is performed based on the user input.

21. A system, the system comprising:

a network;

a transducer database, wherein the transducer database is coupled to the network;

a first computer, wherein the first computer is coupled to the network;

a first type of sensor;

wherein the first computer is operable to;

create a first electronic datasheet for the first type of sensor, wherein said creating comprises specifying a plurality of attribute values for the first type of sensor, wherein the first type of sensor does not contain an electronic datasheet;

access the transducer database over the network, wherein the transducer database is a central database for storing electronic datasheets for a plurality of different types of sensors from different manufacturers; and

register the first electronic datasheet of the first type of sensor in the transducer database, wherein said registering comprises storing the first electronic datasheet in the transducer database.

22. The system of claim 21,

wherein the first type of sensor is coupled to the first computer.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a computer system, wherein the computer system is coupled to the network;

a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is coupled to the computer system, wherein the first sensor is of the first sensor type;

wherein the computer system is operable to;

obtain the first electronic datasheet from the transducer database for the first sensor, wherein said obtaining includes one or more of;

accessing the transducer database over the network;

accessing at least a partial local copy of the transducer database;

after said obtaining, perform at least one of;

     1) configure at least one of a device or a software program based on data in the first electronic datasheet; and

     2) store at least a portion of the first electronic datasheet in the computer system.

24. The method of claim 23,

wherein the first sensor does not include a digital interface connection.

25. The method of claim 21,

wherein the first type of sensor is an analog sensor operable to measure analog phenomena.