Method for the central control of resources in expandable medical platforms

• US 8,117,310 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Becker, Detlef, Dorn, Karlheinz, Pusztai, Artur, Löcher, Sten
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/318,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/226, 709/229, 718/103, 718/104, 718/102, 717/103, 705/7.12
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations

Abstract

A method of at least one embodiment uses a central instance for receiving all orders within the platform. A meta interface regulates the assignment of resources to orders. In addition, in at least one embodiment, each order is performed by at least one process handler. This assures the deadlock-free use of resources within the platform. Furthermore, at least one embodiment of the invention allows controlled stopping of active process handlers and hence interruption of running processes.

Claims

1. A method for controlling allocations of resources to processes in expandable medical platforms with a central instance and a meta interface for resources, the method comprising:

receiving an order for a process by a central instance within a medical platform, the order including an order type, wherein at least one order type is a medical emergency process;

assigning the order to a queue allocator on the basis of the order type, wherein each order type is assigned an individual queue within a plurality of queues;

ascertaining a multiplicity of process resources, required for performing the order, from resources available within the platform, and ascertaining a queue name by the queue allocator;

requesting the process resources, by the central instance, from the meta interface;

allocating the process resources to the order, so that the process resources are available for performing the process; and

dead-lock freely performing the order for the process, by at least one process handler, provided that all of the process resources are available, the process resources being released following conclusion of the process and the meta interface being informed, wherein each of the at least one process handler is configured to be stopped and enabled again for further handling based on a notification from the central instance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of orders are simultaneously receivable and wherein a plurality of processes are simultaneously performable, provided that it is possible for the respective process resources to be allocated to the plurality of orders.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central instance instructs the at least one process handler to perform the order, and the at least one process handler is determined by the order type of the order.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one process handler is started by the central instance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

stopping a running process handler in order to ensure deterministic interruption of the process.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a warning at the central instance, the central instance not starting another process handler upon receipt of the warning.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central instance stops at least one of the process handlers following receipt of a notification.

8. The method as claimed in claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

expanding the medical platform by a new order type for performing a new process.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the medical platform is dynamically expandable at runtime.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the queue allocator, the at least one process handler and the meta interface are implementable and alterable independently of one another.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the order includes a multiplicity of order parameters in addition to the order type.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to implement the method of claim 1.

14. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the central instance instructs at least one process handler to perform the order, and the at least one process handler is determined by the order type of the order.

12. An apparatus for controlling allocations of resources to processes in expandable medical platforms, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors executing;

a central instance within a medical platform, configured to receive an order for a process, the order including an order type, wherein at least one order type is a medical emergency process;

a queue allocator, configured to allocate the order received in a reception module to a queue on the basis of the order type;

an ascertainment unit, configured to ascertain a multiplicity of process resources, required for performing the order, from resources available within the platform and to ascertain a queue name by the queue allocator;

a requesting module in the central instance to request the process resources from a meta interface;

an allocation module in the meta interface configured to allocate the process resources to the order, so that the process resources are available to perform the process; and

a process handler configured to deadlock-freely perform the process provided that all process resources are available, the process resources being released following conclusion of the process and the meta interface being informed, wherein the one process handler is configured to be stopped and enabled again for further handling based on a notification from the central instance.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the order includes a multiplicity of order parameters in addition to the order type.