Instrument Capability Discovery via Automated Query and Catalog Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Researchers face challenges in managing and tracking the numerous instruments available in an organization, including determining their configurations and capabilities, especially when instruments are distributed across the organization and have varying hardware and software options, making it difficult to assemble the right experimental setup.
Innovation Solution
A data processing system method that discovers instrument attributes by sending queries across communication links, utilizing an instrument catalog database to determine installed options and capabilities, and generating a bench-top instrument database to rank potential measurement solutions based on user-defined criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If researchers manually track and manage instrument information, then they can maintain detailed records of instrument configurations and capabilities, but the time and effort required to manage and update this information increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables instruments to self-report their configuration and capability information automatically through communication links. The data processing system queries instruments and retrieves their attributes without requiring manual intervention, allowing the instrument information management to serve itself rather than requiring researcher input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of tracking and recording instrument information with an automated electronic data processing system. The system uses electronic queries and communication links to automatically discover, retrieve, and manage instrument attributes, substituting human manual work with automated computational processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If researchers manually determine instrument capabilities and configurations, then they can identify the right instruments for experimental setups, but the complexity and difficulty of the task increases with the number of instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The data processing system performs multiple functions including discovering instruments, retrieving their attributes, comparing capabilities against experimental requirements, and generating matched lists. This universal system handles various instrument types and configurations through a single integrated approach, making the process adaptable to different experimental needs without requiring separate manual procedures for each instrument.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data processing system as an intermediary between researchers and the large number of available instruments. This intermediary automatically queries instruments, retrieves their capabilities, and performs the complex matching process, thereby reducing the perceived complexity for researchers while maintaining high adaptability in matching instruments to experimental requirements.
3Ease of operation
If instruments are distributed across the organization to maximize accessibility, then instrument availability increases, but the difficulty of locating and ascertaining instrument locations and capabilities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a feedback mechanism where the data processing system sends queries to instruments through communication links and receives automatic responses containing instrument attributes and identification information. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically discover and locate distributed instruments without requiring manual searching, thereby maintaining ease of operation while overcoming the difficulty of locating dispersed instruments.
4Measurement precision
If researchers query each instrument individually to determine capabilities, then accurate instrument information is obtained, but the time required to gather complete information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data processing system continuously queries instruments through established communication links to retrieve their attributes and capabilities. Rather than performing discrete, time-consuming individual queries, the system maintains continuous automated communication with instruments, continuously discovering and updating instrument information, thereby obtaining accurate data efficiently without interruption or manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a data processing system to discover the attributes of instruments in a set of instruments connected thereto is disclosed. The method causes the data processing system to determine all instruments in the set of instruments connected thereto by sending a first query on each communication link connected to the data processing system. The data processing system receives a response that identifies one of the instruments and a model identification code for that instrument. The data processing system retrieves model configuration information from an instrument catalog database attached to the data processing system based on the manufacturer's catalog information. The model configuration information includes an option that is available on the one of the instruments having the manufacturer's catalog information and a query that will cause that instrument to provide information on whether that option is installed on the one of the instruments.