MEDICAL DEVICE WITH A DATA TRANSFER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENSURING THE COMPLETENESS OF A DATA STREAM

Abstract

A medical device includes a data transfer system with a transmitter device designed to send a data stream. At least one receiver device receives the data stream, and at least one transfer device transfers the data stream from the transmitter device to the receiver device. The transmitter device divides the data stream into individual data packets with a predetermined format. The receiver device includes a completeness checking mechanism that receives the individual data packets in the predetermined format and ensures the completeness of the data stream.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A medical device having a data transfer system comprising: a transmitter device configured to transmit a data stream; at least one receiver device configured to receive the data stream; and at least one transfer device configured to transfer the data stream from the transmitter device to the at least one receiver device, the transmitter device configured to split the data stream into data packets having a predetermined format, and the at least one receiver device being provided with a completeness checking mechanism configured to receive the data packets in the predetermined format and to ensure completeness of the data stream, the transmitter device also configured to generate a plurality of events, with each data packet associated with a corresponding event of the plurality of events.

13. The medical device having a data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein each data packet is generated with the following information: a time stamp that determines a time at which the corresponding event occurred; an information element configured to unambiguously identify the data packets in the data stream; and a live load that comprises all information about the corresponding event.

14. The medical device having a data transfer system according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined format of each data packet for transfer of the data stream is defined by the time stamp, the live load, and the information element, the data stream being formed by a plurality of sequential information elements, wherein each of the plurality of sequential information elements is provided in one of the data packets, and wherein the data packets are stored in a memory unit.

15. The medical device having a data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter device, the at least one transfer device, and the at least one receiver device are configured to check and ensure integrity of each data packet.

16. The medical device having a data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one receiver device is configured to ensure single error detection of the integrity of each data packet and the completeness of the data stream for a predetermined time span.

17. The medical device having a data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one transfer device is a wired transfer device, a wireless transfer device, or a memory unit.

18. The medical device having data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein a data transfer and a data storage are provided and configured to transfer each data packet and the data stream completely, and to check that the data transfer is successful immediately after said data transfer and/or at a later time.

19. A method for ensuring completeness of a data stream during a data exchange between a transmitter device and a receiver device via a transfer device, comprising the following steps: generating events by the transmitter device and creating data packets corresponding to the events; generating a time stamp for each data packet; generating an information element for each data packet to unambiguously identify each data packet in the data stream; and generating a live load with all information about each event.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the information element in the transmitter device is generated according to a rule CNR.sub.new=CNR.sub.prev+1, wherein the information element is stored in a memory unit to keep an order in case of a failure as well as to check for completeness of the data stream after the failure, and wherein the receiver device applies the rule during a predetermined time span to check for completeness of the data stream.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the method is performed with a data transfer system comprising: the transmitter device, which is configured to transmit the data stream; the receiver device, which is configured to receive the data stream; and the transfer device, which is configured to transfer the data stream from the transmitter device to the receiver device, wherein the transmitter device is configured to split the data stream into the data packets having a predetermined format, wherein the receiver device is provided with a completeness checking mechanism configured to receive the data packets in the predetermined format and to ensure completeness of the data stream, and wherein the transmitter device is provided and configured to generate events and to create a corresponding data packet for each generated event.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0038] The invention is explained in more detail below based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a representation of the components of the data transfer system; and

[0040] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method for ensuring completeness of a data stream.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In the following, an embodiment of the present disclosure is described based on the accompanying figures. The figures are merely schematic in nature and are provided for the purpose of understanding the invention. Identical elements are designated by the same reference signs.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a representation of the components of the data transfer system 1. The data transfer system 1 has a transmitter device 2, which is configured to transmit a data stream 3. Furthermore, the data transfer system 1 has a receiver device 4, which is configured to receive the data stream 3. The data transfer system 1 also has a transfer device 5 that is configured to transfer the data stream 3 from the transmitter device 2 to the receiver device 4.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows the data stream 3, which is split by the transmitter device 2 into individual data packets 6. In FIG. 1, four data packets 6 are shown on the side of the transmitter device 2, hereinafter referred to as the transmitter side, as well as on the side of the receiver device 4, hereinafter referred to as the receiver side. The four data packets 6 on the transmitter side together form the complete data stream 3 over a certain time span, which is transmitted/transferred via the transfer device 5 to the receiver side to the receiver device 4. The four data packets 6 on the receiver side correspond to the four data packets 6 on the transmitter side and together also form the complete data stream 3.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows the events 7 generated by the transmitter device 2. An event 7 is generated, for example, with a change of state of the transmitter device 2. A corresponding data packet 6 is shown for each generated event 7. Each individual data packet 6 has a predetermined format/message format. The predetermined format is defined by a time stamp 8, an information element 9, an integrity test 14 and a live load 10, as well as the number of events 7 or data packets 6, respectively.

[0045] The time stamp 8 determines the time at which the event 7 occurred. The information element 10 serves to mark the individual data packets 6 so that they can be clearly identified in a data stream 3. The live load 10 contains all information about the generated event 7. The order of the data packets 6 is defined by the time stamp 8 and the information element 9 as a function of time according to the time's arrow 11 in FIG. 1. Thus, the time span between the first event 7 and the last event 7 of a complete data stream 3 defines the predetermined time span. The integrity test 14 results from a check sum of the live load 10 and the data of the time stamp 8 and serves to ensure the completeness of a data packet 6.

[0046] The transfer arrow 12 in FIG. 1 represents the transfer of data packets 6 in the data transfer system 1 from the transmitter device 2 via the transfer device 5 to the receiver device 4.

[0047] The receiver device 4 receives the data packets 6 after a transfer. The format of the received data packets 6 corresponds to the format of the data packets 6 transmitted by the transmitter device 2 and is/was maintained during the entire transfer process. The receiver device 4 receives the data packets 6 in the same order depending on the time according to the time's arrow 13 on the receiver side in which the data packets 6 were transmitted by the transmitter device 2. By maintaining the order and based on the information element 9, the verification of the completeness of the data stream 3 from receiver device 4 is possible.

[0048] If the number of transmitted data packets 6 corresponds to the number of received data packets 6 and their orders based on the information element, and the integrity check of the individual data packets 6 was successful, the data stream 3 has completely arrived at the receiver device 4.

[0049] The receiver device 4 processes the received data packets 6 and the events 7. During the entire transfer process, the data packets 6 are stored in a preferably non-volatile memory unit (not shown). The memory unit is located in the transmitter device. Such a memory unit has the advantage that during the entire transfer process a backup is available, which can be used in case of an incomplete transfer or respectively a data loss during the transfer.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method for ensuring completeness of a data stream 3. The method for ensuring completeness of a data stream 3 during a data exchange between a transmitter device 2 and a receiver device 4 via a transfer device 5 is performed with the following steps.

[0051] In a step S100, at least one event 7 is first generated in the transmitter device 2 by the transmitter device 2. In a next step S101, a corresponding data packet 6, which is provided with a predetermined format, is created for each generated event 7.

[0052] In accordance with the predetermined format, a time stamp 8, an information element 9 for unambiguous identification of the individual data packet 6 in a data stream 3 and a live load 10 are generated for each created data packet 6, said live load 10 comprising all information/data belonging to the respectively generated event 7. In other words, data of a data stream 3 is acquired and the live load 10 is split among different data packets 6, wherein the individual data packets 6 are in turn provided with additional information. The entire data packet 6 consisting of live load 10, time stamp 8, and information element 9 is subjected to an integrity test 14 and stored on the receiving unit in order to be able to verify the integrity of the individual data packets 6 and the completeness of the data stream 3 immediately but also after a time span defined by e.g. regulatory requirements after a transfer.

[0053] As an exemplary information element 9 of the data packets 6, for example, the sequential numbers 1 to 4 or the letters A to D may be provided to define an order which can be followed by the receiver device 4.

[0054] In a step S102, the data packets 6 are transmitted via the transfer device 5. Here, the predetermined format is maintained and the data packets 6 are stored during the entire transfer process. In a last step S103 the data packets 6 are received by the receiver device 4. The individual data packets 6 are subjected to an integrity check and the data stream 3 is checked for completeness based on the assigned information elements 9.