Hardware-Independent Test Equipment State Browser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test equipment interfaces are typically hardware-dependent and static, making it difficult to efficiently observe and configure the operational state, especially in automated systems like semiconductor manufacturing facilities, where specialized parsers are often required for different command calls.
Innovation Solution
A hardware-independent and graphically extensible interface system that uses plugins, descriptor files, and a navigation module to display and modify the operational state of test equipment, allowing for drill-down mechanisms that invoke associated editor and content provider applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a text-based interface with commands is used to examine ATE state data, then the interface can be implemented, but the user interface is static and hardware-dependent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static text-based interface into a dynamic graphical user interface where elements can be freely positioned and customized. The GUI elements are no longer fixed in position or appearance but can be dynamically arranged to match the hierarchical structure of test equipment, allowing the interface to adapt to different hardware configurations and user preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the hardware and the user interface. This layer consists of the hierarchical GUI structure with parent-child relationships that acts as a mediator, translating hardware states into graphical representations and user actions into hardware commands, thereby achieving hardware independence while maintaining ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pre-rendered or polygon-based GUI elements are used, then the interface can be displayed, but the interface is static and cannot be easily extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the GUI into hierarchical elements with parent-child relationships, where each element represents a specific aspect of the test equipment state. This segmentation allows the interface to be built from modular components that can be independently configured and extended, rather than using monolithic pre-rendered graphics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal hierarchical element structure that can represent different aspects of test equipment through a common framework. Each GUI element can serve multiple functions depending on its context in the hierarchy, and the same structural principles apply regardless of the specific equipment being controlled, enabling easy extension to new equipment types.
3Adaptability or versatility
If specialized parsers are required for different command calls, then state information can be retrieved, but the system requires hardware-specific software
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal parser architecture that works across different hardware platforms through the hierarchical GUI structure. The same parsing mechanisms and data structures used in the graphical interface can be applied to text-based interfaces, eliminating the need for separate specialized parsers for different command calls while maintaining hardware independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A hardware independent and graphically extensible tester state browsing technique for observing and modifying operating state of test equipment includes accessing a descriptor file describing an architecture of the test equipment, invoking a set of plugins associated with one or more subsystems of the test equipment, and displaying a map with a set of drill-down mechanisms each associated with different ones of the subsystems of the test equipment which invoke the respective plugin associated with its corresponding respective subsystem.