Method and apparatus for controlling an instrumentation system
US5724272A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 4, 1994 |
| Grant date | Mar 3, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 4, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/105
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling instrumentation systems and for providing a user with the capability to develop instrument drivers and application software for controlling instrumentation systems. The present invention provides a system including a software architecture which defines the control and management of an instrumentation system. The method of the present invention utilizes a device resource independence approach whereby the individual capabilities of devices are broken down into a plurality of objects called resources and these resources are then used to develop instrument drivers or instrument control applications. The method of the present invention also uses object oriented technology which allows device resources to be easily combined to create higher level applications. The present invention is independent of I/O interface type, operating system, and programming language while also providing a common look and feel and consistent API to the user. The present invention includes novel methods for access control, event handling, resource management, and resource addressing, among others.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.