Cloud-based instrument reservation system and methods

Abstract

This invention discloses a cloud-based instrument reservation method applicable to a cloud-based instrument reservation system comprising a remote instrument group with multiple remote instruments, an instrument reservation system, and a defense server. The instrument reservation system provides reservation information and instrument information. The reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots, with each reserved time slot specifying one of the multiple remote instruments. The cloud-based instrument reservation method includes: the defense server, based on pairing information and reservation information, establishing a secure connection between the defense server and the remote instrument specified in any reserved time slot at the start of any reserved time slot, and establishing a dedicated connection between the specified remote instrument and the user workstation specified in any reserved time slot; and terminating the secure connection and the dedicated connection at the end of any reserved time slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cloud-based instrument, and more particularly to a cloud-based instrument reservation system and method based on an instrument reservation system and a cloud-based authorization server. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, fabless semiconductor companies need to find and rent instruments that meet their product testing needs when testing chips, and then conduct the testing at the location of the instruments. However, factors such as a shortage of suitable instruments, lack of specific speed licenses, or distance from the company's laboratory can significantly increase testing costs and uncertainty, and even affect or delay product launches, leading to missed business opportunities and substantial losses for the company. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a cloud-based instrument reservation system comprising: a remote instrument group, an instrument reservation system, a defense server, a user workstation group, and a cloud-based authorization server. The remote instrument group includes multiple remote instruments. The instrument reservation system provides reservation information and instrument information, wherein the reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots, and each reserved time slot corresponds to one of the multiple remote instruments. The defense server is coupled to the remote instrument group and is used to pair with each remote instrument to generate pairing information. The user workstation group is coupled to the defense server and the instrument reservation system, wherein the user workstation group includes multiple user workstations, and any user workstation selects one of the multiple available reservation time slots based on the reservation information through the instrument reservation system, and specifies one of the multiple remote instruments based on the instrument information. The cloud-based authorization server is coupled to the defense server and, based on the reservation information, pairing information, and instrument information, generates a speed license at the start of any of the multiple reserved time slots and transmits the speed license to the remote instrument specified in any of the reserved time slots through the defense server.

[0004] This invention provides a cloud-based instrument reservation method applicable to a cloud-based instrument reservation system comprising a remote instrument group with multiple remote instruments, an instrument reservation system, and a defense server. The instrument reservation system provides reservation information and instrument information. The reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots, with each reserved time slot specifying one of the multiple remote instruments. The cloud-based instrument reservation method includes: the defense server, based on pairing information and reservation information, establishing a secure connection between the defense server and the remote instrument specified in any reserved time slot at the start of any reserved time slot, and establishing a dedicated connection between the specified remote instrument and the user workstation specified in any reserved time slot; and terminating the secure connection and the dedicated connection at the end of any reserved time slot.

[0005] The cloud-based instrument reservation system and method provided in this invention allow user workstations to find, reserve, and select remote instruments and time slots that meet product testing requirements. A dedicated connection is established between the user workstation and the designated remote instrument at the start of any reserved time slot via a defense server, pairing information, and reservation information. A specific speed license is generated and transmitted to the designated remote instrument at the start of any reserved time slot via a cloud authorization server, instrument information, and reservation information. The dedicated connection is then terminated via the defense server at the end of any reserved time slot. This significantly reduces the location and time required to find remote instruments that meet product testing requirements, ensures the security and exclusivity of the testing environment, improves the convenience of product testing, and accelerates time-to-market.

[0006] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cloud-based instrument reservation system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cloud-based instrument reservation method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0009] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a cloud-based instrument reservation system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. A cloud-based instrument reservation system 1 includes an instrument reservation system 10, a defense server 20, a cloud authorization server 30, a remote instrument group 40, and a user workstation group 50.

[0010] The remote instrument group 40 can consist of multiple different remote instrument suppliers, providing remote instruments 40-1 to 40-M with varying test capabilities. Furthermore, each remote instrument can be configured with multiple different test modules (e.g., test modules for digital products, test modules for radio frequency products), and each test module can perform tests for specific items. For example, a test module for radio frequency products may have test items compliant with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NB-IoT communication protocols.

[0011] Furthermore, each test module can be configured with a specific test speed as needed, such as a general test speed (e.g., tens of Mbps), a medium test speed (e.g., hundreds of Mbps), or a maximum test speed (e.g., several Gbps). Therefore, each remote instrument has its own instrument information describing the test items and test speeds (i.e., test capabilities) that the remote instrument can provide. In one embodiment of the invention, different test speeds are configured with different levels of speed licenses. For example, a general-level speed license provides the remote instrument with a general test speed, a medium-level speed license provides a medium test speed, and a maximum-level speed license provides the remote instrument with the highest test speed. It is worth noting that speed licenses can be obtained by the remote instrument supplier from the remote instrument manufacturer through purchase or lease. Moreover, if the remote instrument itself is not configured with a speed license, the test module's functionality cannot be enabled; that is, the user workstation cannot perform product (e.g., chip) testing through a remote instrument without a configured speed license.

[0012] User workstation group 50 is coupled to defense server 20 and instrument reservation system 10, and user workstation group 50 may consist of multiple user workstations 50-1 to 50-N composed of multiple different integrated circuit (IC) design companies. In one embodiment of the invention, the integrated circuit design company may purchase or lease a specific level of speed license from the manufacturer of the remote instrument to apply to selected, designated remote instruments and endow them with the ability to perform tests at a specific level.

[0013] The instrument reservation system 10 provides reservation and instrument information to the defense server 20 and the cloud authorization server 30. The reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots (i.e., unreservable time slots), and each reserved time slot corresponds to a remote instrument (i.e., one of multiple remote instruments 40-1 to 40-M) specified by a user workstation (i.e., one of multiple user workstations 50-1 to 50-N). For example, only one user workstation is allowed to reserve each available time slot through the instrument reservation system 10. In addition to selecting an available time slot, the user workstation must also select and specify a remote instrument that meets the product's testing requirements to complete the reservation process.

[0014] Defense server 20 is coupled to remote instrument group 40 to pair with each remote instrument individually, generating pairing information and transmitting it to cloud authorization server 30. In one embodiment of the invention, defense server 20 includes multiple sub-defense servers (not shown). These sub-defense servers correspond to multiple remote instruments 40-1 to 40-M, that is, each remote instrument is paired with a specific or designated sub-defense server, and the pairing objects of these sub-defense servers are not duplicated. Since each remote instrument has a unique identifier and a unique pairing password (i.e., pairing information), defense server 20 and cloud authorization server 30 can communicate or establish connections with specific remote instruments according to the pairing information. Furthermore, the defense server is preferably a server with firewall functionality.

[0015] The cloud-based authorization server 30 is coupled to the defense server 20. Based on reservation information, pairing information, and instrument information, it generates a specific speed license at the start of any reserved time slot. This speed license is then transmitted via the defense server 20 to the designated remote instrument to activate its testing modules and assign it a specific testing speed. In other words, the remote instrument can test the product at a specific testing speed according to the test requirements.

[0016] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a cloud-based instrument reservation method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. A cloud-based instrument reservation method includes the following steps: First, as shown in step S110, the defense server 20 pairs with each of the remote instruments 40-1 to 40-M to generate pairing information.

[0017] Next, as shown in step S120, any one of these user workstations 50-1 to 50-N selects one of the multiple available time slots from the instrument reservation system 10 based on the reservation information. Simultaneously, based on the instrument information, it selects and specifies one of the remote instruments 40-1 to 40-M (i.e., a remote instrument that has not been selected or reserved by other user workstations during this available time slot) to complete the reservation procedure. At the same time, the instrument reservation system 10 updates the reservation information and instrument information synchronously, that is, it updates the available time slot selected by any user workstation to a reserved time slot, and updates the selected remote instrument to the remote instrument specified during this reserved time slot.

[0018] Then, as shown in step S130, the cloud authorization server 30 generates a speed license at the start of any scheduled time period based on the instrument information, pairing information and reservation information, and transmits this speed license to the designated remote instrument through the defense server 20 to activate the function of its test module and assign it a specific level of test speed.

[0019] Subsequently, as shown in step S140, the defense server 20 establishes a secure connection between itself and the remote instrument specified in any of the multiple reserved time periods at the start of any of the reserved time periods, and establishes a dedicated connection between the specified remote instrument and the user workstation specified in any of the reserved time periods, based on the pairing information and reservation information. At the end of any of the reserved time periods, the secure connection and the dedicated connection are terminated to ensure the security and exclusivity (i.e., proprietary nature) of the product testing.

[0020] In summary, the cloud-based instrument reservation system and method provided in this invention allow user workstations to find, reserve, and select remote instruments and time slots that meet product testing requirements. A dedicated connection is established between the user workstation and the designated remote instrument at the start of any reserved time slot via a defense server, pairing information, and reservation information. A specific speed license is generated and transmitted to the designated remote instrument at the start of any reserved time slot via a cloud-based authorization server, instrument information, and reservation information. The dedicated connection is then terminated via the defense server at the end of any reserved time slot. This significantly reduces the location and time required to find remote instruments that meet product testing requirements, ensures the security and exclusivity of the testing environment, improves the convenience of product testing, and accelerates time-to-market.

[0021] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the scope of the present invention to create equivalent embodiments. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cloud-based instrument reservation system, characterized in that, include: A remote instrument group, comprising multiple remote instruments; An instrument reservation system is used to provide reservation information and instrument information, wherein the reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots, and each reserved time slot corresponds to one of the remote instruments, and the instrument information includes the testing speed of each of the remote instruments. A defense server, coupled to the group of remote instruments, is used to pair with each of the remote instruments to generate pairing information; A group of user workstations is coupled to the defense server and the instrument reservation system. The group of user workstations includes multiple user workstations. Each user workstation can select one of the available time slots based on the reservation information and specify one of the remote instruments based on the instrument information through the instrument reservation system. as well as A cloud-based authorization server, coupled to the defense server, generates a speed license at the start of any of the scheduled time periods based on the reservation information, pairing information, and instrument information. This speed license is then transmitted via the defense server to the remote instrument specified for that scheduled time period. The pairing information contains a pairing password corresponding to each of the remote instruments. Based on the pairing information and the reservation information, the defense server establishes a secure connection between itself and the specified remote instrument at the start of any scheduled time period, and establishes a dedicated connection between the specified remote instrument and the user workstation specified for that scheduled time period. Finally, the secure connection and the dedicated connection are terminated at the end of any scheduled time period.

2. The cloud-based instrument reservation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The defense server includes multiple sub-defense servers, each corresponding to one of the remote instruments.

3. The cloud-based instrument reservation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The instrument information includes the test items and maximum test speed for each remote instrument.

4. The cloud-based instrument reservation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pairing information includes the identifier and pairing password for each remote instrument.

5. A cloud-based instrument reservation method, applicable to a cloud-based instrument reservation system, characterized in that, The cloud-based instrument reservation system includes a remote instrument group with multiple remote instruments, an instrument reservation system, and a defense server. The instrument reservation system provides reservation information and instrument information. The reservation information includes multiple available reservation time slots and multiple reserved time slots, with each reserved time slot specifying one of the remote instruments. The instrument information includes the testing speed of each remote instrument. The cloud-based instrument reservation method includes: Based on pairing information and reservation information, the defense server establishes a secure connection between itself and the remote instrument specified for that reserved time slot at the start of any of the reserved time slots, and establishes a dedicated connection between the specified remote instrument and the user workstation specified for that reserved time slot. At the end of any reserved time slot, it terminates both the secure connection and the dedicated connection. The pairing information includes a pairing password corresponding to each of the remote instruments. Before terminating the secure connection and the private connection, the cloud authorization server generates a speed license at the start of any scheduled time period based on the reservation information, the pairing information and the instrument information, and transmits the speed license to the designated remote instrument through the defense server.

6. The cloud-based instrument reservation method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The cloud-based instrument reservation system further includes a user workstation group with multiple user workstations and a cloud authorization server. Based on the pairing information and the reservation information, when any of the reserved time slots begins, the defense server establishes a secure connection between itself and the designated remote instrument for that reserved time slot, and establishes a dedicated connection between the designated remote instrument and the designated user workstation for that reserved time slot. Before terminating the secure connection and the dedicated connection at the end of any reserved time slot, the system further includes: The defense server pairs with each of the remote instruments to generate pairing information; and Each of these user workstations can select one of the available time slots through the instrument reservation system based on the reservation information, and specify one of the remote instruments based on the instrument information.

7. The cloud-based instrument reservation method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, This speed permit is used to start the designated remote instrument and assign it a specific, special-grade test speed at the start of any scheduled time slot.

8. The cloud-based instrument reservation method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The instrument information includes the test items and maximum test speed for each remote instrument.

9. The cloud-based instrument reservation method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The pairing information includes the identifier and pairing password for each remote instrument.

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