System and method for online specification of measurement hardware

US7043393B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• National Instruments Corporation · US

Inventors

• David W Fuller, III · Austin, US
• Michael L. Santori · Austin, US
• Brian Sierer · Austin, US
• Ganesh Ranganathan · Austin, US
• John Pasquarette · Austin, US
• Joseph E. Peck · Round Rock, US
• Matthew Novacek · Austin, US
• Hugo Andrade · Austin, US
• Newton G. Petersen · Emporia, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 10, 2002
• Grant date: May 9, 2006
• Expiry date: Sep 26, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/02
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for online configuration of a measurement device for a measurement system. The user accesses a server with a client computer over a network and specifies a desired measurement task. If the user lacks the hardware required to perform the task, hardware specifications and configuration software and/or data specific to the user's application, i.e., to perform the task, are sent to a manufacturer, who pre-configures the hardware with the configuration software and/or data to perform the task and sends the pre-configured hardware to the user. The hardware may be re-configurable hardware, such as a programmable hardware element or processor/memory based device. Configuration software and/or data for configuring the user's measurement system hardware (and/or software) to perform the desired task may also be sent to the user. The configuration software sent to the user may comprise a graphical program usable by the measurement system to perform the task.