Data Processing System Error Diagnosis for Measurement Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data-processing systems for measurement devices, such as liquid chromatographs, fail to accurately identify the step at which an error occurred during a step-by-step data-processing sequence, leading to incorrect results and requiring manual troubleshooting, especially in long-time automatic operations where users may not notice errors until final reports are printed.
Innovation Solution
A data-processing system equipped with an error detector, error investigator, and error message displayer that identifies and displays the cause of errors in real-time, along with a guidance information displayer to provide users with actionable steps to resolve issues, enabling quicker identification and correction of errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional data-processing systems display only final results or single-task results, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to identify error locations is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data-processing sequence into discrete tasks (peak integration, sample identification, calibration, quantitative determination, statistical calculation) and displays results for each task separately. This segmentation allows users to identify which specific task produced an error while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured presentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to error identification by displaying the sequence of tasks in chronological order. Instead of showing only final results, the system presents intermediate results across multiple time steps, enabling users to trace errors through the processing sequence without overwhelming complexity.
2Loss of information
If conventional systems display detailed intermediate results for all tasks, then error identification becomes easier, but the information presentation becomes overwhelming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by displaying detailed intermediate results selectively - showing specific parameters (peak area, retention time, concentration) only for the task that produced an error or for tasks relevant to the error location. This reduces information presentation complexity while maintaining error identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial action by displaying only the necessary intermediate results needed for error identification rather than all possible task outputs. When no error is detected, the system shows minimal information; when errors are found, it selectively displays detailed intermediate results for the affected tasks.
3Loss of time
If conventional systems require manual browsing through previous steps to locate errors, then the system design remains simple, but the time required for error diagnosis increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing intermediate results for each task in the data-processing sequence. When an error is detected, the system can immediately retrieve and display the relevant intermediate results without requiring users to manually re-execute or browse through previous steps, significantly reducing error diagnosis time.
4Ease of operation
If conventional systems display error information in a simplified format, then the user interface remains simple, but users unfamiliar with operations cannot understand the error causes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that translates technical error codes and intermediate results into user-friendly explanations. The system displays both the raw intermediate data (for technical users) and interpreted error causes in plain language (for unfamiliar users), maintaining interface simplicity while preserving error cause information through dual-level presentation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a data-processing system for measurement devices, which performs a step-by-step sequence of data-processing tasks. In a conventional data-processing system, a failure in one data-processing task also causes the subsequent tasks to be unsuccessful. In such a case, the conventional data-processing system indicates the result of each unsuccessful task or the final result of the analysis by displaying only a blank or a specific character (e.g. the digit “0”). From such simple information, users cannot immediately identify the cause of the error. In contrast, in the data-processing system according to the present invention, if a data-processing task has been incorrectly performed for some reason, an error detector detects the error, and an error investigator identifies the cause of the error. Then, an error message displayer prepares an error message indicating the reason why the data-processing task concerned was unsuccessful and then displays the error message as the result of each of the aforementioned task and the subsequent tasks. The user can immediately learn the cause of the error by checking the error message of any of the unsuccessful tasks. Thus, the problem can be identified and solved in a shorter period of time.