Position-Sensitive GUI for Analyzer Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Monitoring and controlling analyzers in a laboratory is complex and error-prone, especially when multiple analyzers perform different analyses on various samples, as operators must manually manage consumables and samples, and remote control can lead to accidental harm or contamination.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use a data entry terminal to authenticate users and determine their position relative to an analyzer, allowing access to specific functions only when the user is within a physical operating area, using position-sensitive GUI elements to control potentially harmful actions and provide fine-grained access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the operator uses local keyboard and data entry interfaces at each analyzer, then the operator can directly control the analyzer, but the operator has to walk to each analyzer which is highly time-consuming and the operator may easily lose the overview on all analyses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple analyzer control interfaces into a single centralized graphical user interface that displays and controls multiple analyzers simultaneously. This allows the operator to monitor and control all analyzers from one location without physically moving between them, thus merging the functionality of multiple local interfaces into one unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized control system with graphical user interface as an intermediary between the operator and the analyzers. This intermediary layer allows the operator to interact with multiple analyzers remotely through a single interface, eliminating the need for direct local interaction at each analyzer while maintaining full control capability.
2Ease of operation
If the system allows remote triggering of analyzer functions, then the operator can control analyzers from a distance, but the user may trigger harmful functions accidentally without being able to physically interact with or visually inspect the instrument
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different access control policies to different functions based on their location and potential harm. Position-sensitive GUI elements are enabled or disabled based on the user's physical proximity to the analyzer. Functions that pose higher risk require the user to be physically present near the instrument, while less critical functions can be accessed remotely. This creates localized security zones around different analyzer functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preemptively prevents potentially harmful remote actions by disabling position-sensitive GUI elements when the user is not in the required physical proximity to the analyzer. Before allowing certain operations, the system checks the user's location and blocks access to functions that would be unsafe to trigger remotely, thus preventing accidental harm before it can occur.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system provides full access control to each instrument workstation, then the user may have full control of each instrument, but the user is overloaded by the plurality of different graphical user interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate graphical user interfaces for different analyzers into a single unified interface that displays information from multiple analyzers simultaneously. This consolidated interface maintains full control capabilities for each individual analyzer while presenting a unified view, thereby reducing the number of separate interfaces the operator must switch between.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified graphical user interface is segmented into distinct sections or panels, each representing a different analyzer or function. This segmentation allows the operator to access full control of each instrument through organized, labeled sections within the single interface, making it easier to navigate and manage multiple analyzers without being overwhelmed by a monolithic interface.
Data Source
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Figure 2a~2c
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AI summary
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for providing access control to a function of an analyzer (202, 212, 315-317), the method comprising: - receiving (101) a user's (209) log-in data from a first data entry terminal (201, 210, 213, 301-303), - obtaining (102) information being descriptive of a position of the first data entry terminal; a) determining (103) if the position of the first data entry terminal is within a physical operating (PO) area (220-223, 313, 314) of the analyzer; b.1) displaying (104) a user activatable position sensitive (PS) GUI element (320.1, 321.1, 322.2, 323.2, 324.2, 408) on the display of the first data entry terminal in case the position of the first data entry terminal is determined to be within the PO area, the activatable PS GUI element being adapted for triggering, upon activation, the execution of the function of the analyzer, the execution of said function comprising the execution of a physical action by said analyzer; b.2) otherwise prohibiting (105) the display of the user activatable PS GUI element or displaying a non-activatable PS GUI element (322.1, 323.1, 320.2, 321.2, 501, 601), the non-activatable PS GUI element being indicative of the function.