Measurement System State Validation for Calibration and Environment Checks

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining the validity of measurement systems rely heavily on manual checks and human judgment, often neglecting important parameters, leading to measurement errors due to incomplete calibration or environmental factors.

Innovation Solution

A method that automatically collects and compares information on measurement system components, environmental conditions, and calibration status to ensure the system is in a valid state, including the use of local storage devices to track components without built-in identification functionality, and generates a signature for integrity verification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual check methods are used to determine measurement system validity, then human judgment and documentation review are required, but measurement errors occur due to incomplete parameter consideration and dependency on human factor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement system validity determinationVSAvoidmeasurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement system performs self-validation by automatically checking its own components, calibration status, and environmental conditions. The system reads out information from its components, compares it with reference values, and determines its own valid state without requiring manual intervention, thereby eliminating human factor errors and ensuring complete parameter consideration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual documentation review with automated electronic information reading and comparison. The system automatically reads out component information, calibration data, and environmental parameters, then compares them against reference values stored in memory, substituting human judgment with automated computational validation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If automatic reading of component information is implemented, then validation completeness is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional readout mechanisms and information processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalidation completenessVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement system integrates multiple functions into a single validation mechanism. The same readout mechanism reads component identification, calibration status, and operational parameters. The comparison mechanism handles multiple parameter types uniformly by comparing against stored reference values. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite the added automation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital copy of all component information and calibration data stored in memory. This information copy is then automatically read out, compared with reference values, and used to determine validity. The copying approach allows comprehensive validation without physically inspecting each component, simplifying the validation process while maintaining completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If environmental conditions are monitored and compared, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the system requires additional sensors and reference data storage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines environmental condition monitoring with the existing component validation process. Environmental sensors integrate with the readout mechanism, and environmental data is processed through the same comparison logic used for component validation. This merging approach validates multiple parameter types through a unified system, reducing overall complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12602556B2Systems and methods for determining a valid state of measurement systems

Publication Date: 2026.04.14 ADVANTEST CORP

AI summary

Methods and systems for determining whether a measurement system is used in a valid state, includes: automatically reading out a plurality of information items; automatically obtaining information on current operating environmental conditions; automatically reading reference information items identifying the measurement system components and/or representing one or more characteristics of the measurement system components and information on reference operating environmental conditions; and comparing the read out information items identifying the measurement system components and/or representing one or more characteristics of the measurement system components with the reference information items identifying the measurement system components and/or representing one or more characteristics of the measurement system components, and checking whether the current operating environmental conditions comprise an allowable value or are within an allowable range defined by the information on the reference operating environmental conditions, in order to determine whether the measurement system comprising the plurality of measurement system components is used in the valid state.