A computer-implemented method for
thinning scalar measurement data to reduce storage space required in a second data storage device to store the scalar measurement data, wherein the scalar measurement data was initially recorded in a first data storage device during a measurement period, the method comprising: (a) accessing the scalar measurement data from the first data storage device; (b) defining an amplitude range with which a plurality of amplitude values of the scalar measurement data are compared; (c) setting a first or subsequent one of the amplitude values as a reference amplitude value and setting a time corresponding to the first or subsequent one of the amplitude values as a reference time value; (d) storing the reference amplitude value and the reference time value in the second data storage device; (e) accessing a next amplitude value of the plurality of amplitude values from the first data storage device; (f) Determine whether an
absolute difference between the reference amplitude value and the nearest amplitude value is greater than the amplitude range, and if the
absolute difference between the reference amplitude value and the nearest amplitude value is not greater than the amplitude range: - discarding the next amplitude value by not storing it in the second data storage device; - Calculating an average measurement value based on a sum of the discarded next amplitude value and the previously discarded amplitude values that are temporally adjacent to the discarded next amplitude value; - calculating a
time gap value indicating a total
time duration associated with the discarded next amplitude value and the previously discarded amplitude values that are temporally adjacent to the discarded amplitude value; and - storing the average measurement value and the
time gap value in the second data storage device; and - Go to step (g) or if the
absolute difference between the reference amplitude value and the nearest amplitude value is greater than the amplitude range: - storing the next amplitude value and a time at which the next amplitude value was recorded in the second data storage device; and - setting the next amplitude value as the reference amplitude value and setting the time at which the next amplitude value was recorded as the reference time value; and (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until all scalar measurement data recorded during the measurement period have been processed; and (h) generating a graphical amplitude-time representation of the scalar measurement data stored in the second data storage device, the graphical representation including one or more data gaps caused by discarding amplitude values in step (f), the one or more data gaps having a
time duration corresponding to the
time gap value, and the amplitude values discarded in step (f) in the one or more data gaps being replaced by artificially generated amplitude values having amplitudes randomly distributed around the average measurement value.