Expand Collapse Measurement Diagram Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scientists and engineers face difficulties in designing and implementing measurement systems due to the complexity of various testing and control situations, as well as the array of instruments and devices available, often requiring custom software programs that are error-prone and challenging to distribute across distributed systems.
Innovation Solution
A software application, referred to as the Measurement System Designer (MSD) environment, allows users to create and design measurement systems graphically, with tools and interfaces to select and experiment with components, enabling the expansion or collapse of components in diagrams to view details at different levels of granularity, facilitating the design and implementation of measurement systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a measurement system includes multiple instruments and devices to handle various testing and control situations, then the system's functionality and versatility are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is divided into modular functional components (instruments, devices, subsystems) that can be independently selected and configured. Each component can be expanded or collapsed in the diagram view, allowing users to manage complexity by focusing on relevant segments while maintaining access to the full system capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs hierarchical nesting where complex measurement systems contain subsystems, which in turn contain individual instruments and devices. The expandable/collapsible diagram structure visually represents this nesting, allowing users to view the system at multiple levels of detail from a single comprehensive view.
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom software programs are developed to control the measurement system, then the system's adaptability to specific testing situations is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to error-proneness and distribution challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system includes self-service capabilities where instruments and devices can be automatically discovered, configured, and integrated through the expandable diagram interface. The system automatically manages software distribution and configuration across distributed components, reducing manual intervention and errors while maintaining customization options.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable measurement system diagram serves as an intermediary interface between the user and the complex distributed system. It provides a simplified visual representation and control mechanism that mediates between user intentions and system actions, making operation easier while preserving full system capability.
3Loss of information
If the measurement system diagram displays all components and details at maximum granularity, then the information completeness is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to visual complexity and difficulty in locating specific components
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system diagram is implemented as a dynamic interface where components can be expanded and collapsed based on user needs. This dynamic structure allows the diagram to adapt its level of detail, transitioning from a high-level overview to detailed component views and back, maintaining both information completeness and operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The diagram adds a temporal dimension to information display by allowing users to expand and collapse components over time. This transforms the static all-or-nothing information display into a multi-level hierarchical view, where users can navigate through different levels of detail as needed without losing access to complete system information.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a method for displaying a diagram of a measurement system, in which various components in the diagram may be expanded or collapsed as desired. It may be desirable to allow the user to view various aspects of a measurement system at various levels of granularity. For example, the user may desire to view details regarding one or more components in the measurement system but may not want to see details for other components. Providing the ability to expand or collapse components in a measurement system diagram may allow the user to view a compact diagram illustrating the measurement system from a high level, or to expand various components in the diagram to “drill down” into particular sub-systems or components to view details regarding those sub-systems or components.