Calibration process management system and data structure

• US 7,406,388 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southern California Edison Company (Edison International)
• Original Assignee: Southern California Edison Company (Edison International)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Laurence E., Casto, Curtis V., Sullivan, Kevin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, Jr.; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEIXEIRA MOFFAT, JONATHAN CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US10/527,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/025 concerning dedicated user interfaces, e.g. GUI, or dedicated keyboards G01R31/31912 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/24 Marginal checking or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests

Abstract

A method for calibration process management of a calibration testing unit and a plurality of units under test, comprising configuring a user interface in communication with a calibration process management software system, configuring a communications link in communication with the software system, the software system capable of communicating with the calibration testing unit and the plurality of units under test, wherein the software system manages the user interface and the communications link in a manner permitting an operator to calibrate the plurality of units under test. Tracking of the calibrated units under test uses a permanent unique identifier and a dynamic unique identifier.

Claims

1. A system for calibration process management of one or more than one unit under test (UUT), each UUT being an instance of a UUT equipment type, comprising:

a first computer readable medium for storing one or more first data objects representing calibration data from the one or more than one UUT;

a second computer readable medium for storing a first globally unique identifier in an association relationship to one of the one or more first data objects;

a third computer readable medium for storing one or more second data objects representing a reference standard for the UUT equipment class;

a fourth computer readable medium for storing a second globally unique identifier in an association relationship to one of the one or more second data objects;

a calibration management control program embodied on a fifth computer-readable medium for calibration of the one or more than one UUT, the calibration management control program in communication with the first data objects, second data objects, first globally unique identifier and second globally unique identifier, wherein the calibration management control program permits contemporaneous calibration of more than one UUT; and

an application program interface embodied on a sixth computer-readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with the calibration management control program, wherein the application program interface program is configured for contemporaneous calibration of more than one UUT.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the application program interface comprises a user interface and each UUT is an instance of the same UUT equipment type.

3. A system for calibration process management of one or more than one unit under test (UUT), each UUT being an instance of a UUT equipment type, comprising:

a first computer readable medium for storing one or more first data objects representing calibration data from the one or more than one UUT;

a second computer readable medium for storing a first globally unique identifier in an association relationship to one of the one or more first data objects;

a third computer readable medium for storing one or more second data objects representing a reference standard for the UUT equipment class;

a fourth computer readable medium for storing a second globally unique identifier in an association relationship to one of the one or more second data objects;

a calibration management control program embodied on a fifth computer-readable medium for calibration of the one or more than one UUT, the calibration management control program in communication with the first data objects, second data objects, first globally unique identifier and second globally unique identifier; and

an application program interface embodied on a sixth computer-readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with the calibration management control program, wherein the application program interface is configured to receive identification of the UUT equipment type, and a value as found for a specific calibration function, and display tolerance limits for the UUT based upon the UUT equipment type.

4. The system of claim 3, where the application program interface comprises a user interface.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for displaying a test accuracy ratio and an estimated measurement uncertainty.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the interface is further configured to receive an asset number for the UUT, and a value as left for the specific calibration function.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for indicating whether the value as found or the value as left is within the tolerance limits.