External API Mapping for Test Instrument Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test instruments lack a mechanism to securely provide third-party access to proprietary APIs while maintaining control over the level of access and functionality, hindering the development of additional software and revenue opportunities due to the proprietary nature of these interfaces.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of two external APIs that map internal physics and measurement functions to external sets, with optional activation keys, allowing restricted access and usage, while hiding internal details and enabling differential pricing and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary APIs are kept internal and undisclosed, then internal control and security are maintained, but third-party software development is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the API system into multiple layers: internal proprietary APIs for core functionality and external standardized APIs for third-party access. This segmentation allows the internal control mechanisms to remain protected while providing controlled access points for external developers through the standardized interface layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces external standardized APIs as intermediary interfaces between third-party software and the internal proprietary system. These intermediaries translate external standardized calls into internal proprietary calls, enabling third-party development without exposing internal implementation details.
2Adaptability or versatility
If full API access is provided to third parties, then software development capability is enhanced, but proprietary information is exposed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential functionality needed for third-party applications into the external standardized API interface, leaving the proprietary implementation details within the internal system. This extraction provides sufficient development capability while minimizing information exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates standardized copies of internal API interfaces that mimic the essential functionality without revealing the actual internal implementation. These standardized copies serve as safe interfaces for third-party developers while the original proprietary interfaces remain protected.
3Productivity
If proprietary APIs are made accessible, then revenue opportunities increase, but control over access levels is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control where the standardized API interfaces can be selectively activated or deactivated based on licensing agreements. Access rights, usage limits, and functionality availability can be dynamically adjusted without changing the underlying proprietary system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter-based control mechanisms where access permissions, rate limits, and functionality scopes are defined as configurable parameters. These parameters can be modified to control access levels while maintaining the same standardized interface structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A test instrument and method for operating the same are disclosed. The data acquisition system within the instrument generates signals and couples the signals to a device and/or receives signals from the device. The data processor within the instrument includes measurement specific software that generates measurements from the received signals, a restricted software application that utilizes the measurement data, and a physics API that interfaces the measurement specific software with the data acquisition system. The physics API provides a plurality of internal physics functions that are used by the measurement specific software to access the measurement data. The instrument includes an external API that maps the physics functions to an external set of physics functions that are available to the restricted software application and that hide the internal physics functions from the restricted software while providing access to a portion of the measurement data.