Methods, systems and computer program products for dynamic scheduling and matrix collecting of data about samples

A method of scheduling data collection of characteristics of a plurality of samples, wherein values of the characteristics change over time, the method comprising:

• storing in a database, a plurality of past values of the characteristics of the plurality of samples that were data collected during at least one past time interval;
• storing in a rule base, a plurality of rules that determine whether a characteristic of a sample is to be data collected and, if so, that identify the characteristic which is to be data collected, based on values of characteristics of samples;
• applying the plurality of rules to the plurality of past values that are stored in the rule base to identify target samples to be data collected from the plurality of samples and to identify at least one target characteristic to be data collected for the target samples that are identified;
• and
• generating user instructions to collect data for the at least one target characteristic to be data collected in the target samples to be data collected.

A system for scheduling data collection of characteristics of a plurality of samples, wherein values of the characteristics change over time, the system comprising:

• means for storing in a database, a plurality of past values of the characteristics of the plurality of samples that were data collected during at least one past time interval;
• means for storing in a rule base, a plurality of rules that determine whether a characteristic of a sample is to be data collected and, if so, that identify the characteristic which is to be data collected, based on values of characteristics of samples;
• means for applying the plurality of rules to the plurality of past values that are stored in the rule base to identify target samples to be data collected from the plurality of samples and to identify at least one target characteristic to be data collected for the target samples that are identified;
• and
• means for generating user instructions to collect data for the at least one target characteristic to be data collected in the target samples to be data collected.

A computer program product that schedules data collection of characteristics of a plurality of samples, wherein values of the characteristics change over time, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• computer-readable program code that is configured to store in a database, a plurality of past values of the characteristics of the plurality of samples that were data collected during at least one past time interval;
• computer-readable program code that is configured to store in a rule base, a plurality of rules that determine whether a characteristic of a sample is to be data collected and, if so, that identify the characteristic which is to be data collected, based on values of characteristics of samples;
• computer-readable program code that is configured to apply the plurality of rules to the plurality of past values that are stored in the rule base to identify target samples to be data collected from the plurality of samples and to identify at least one target characteristic to be data collected for the target samples that are identified;
• and
• computer-readable program code that is configured to generate user instructions to collect data for the at least one target characteristic to be data collected in the target samples to be data collected.