Electronic Device For Counting the Number of Rotations of an Object With Storage Means

• US 20090003510A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Vial, Franck, Beranger, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,044,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 377/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/04 Resetting-mechanisms, e.g. for indicating members

Abstract

A device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a system, in which a storage means carries counting data designed to represent the number of rotations counted. The counting data is used for conditionally resetting the storage means if and only if two separate conditions are fulfilled, where at least of one of the conditions is the reception of information from an external device, thereby insuring that the counting data represents the number of rotations counted from a predetermined time.

Claims

1. An electronic device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a frame of reference, the device comprising:

storage means for holding counting information intended to represent the number of rotations counted at any time; and

means for conditional resetting of the storage means adapted to reset the storage means if and only if at least two separate conditions are satisfied, wherein at least one of the conditions comprises the reception of information contained in an electromagnetic signal emitted from an external device.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a request to send data, wherein a first of the at least two separate conditions comprises the reception of the request.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the storage means comprises a microcircuit, and wherein a second of the at least two separate conditions comprises the application of a predetermined voltage to a pin of the microcircuit.

4. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for counting a number of resets of the storage means.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the means for counting are configured to store the number of resets in a non-volatile memory.

6. The device according to claim 4, further comprising means for sending data configured to send information relating to the number of resets.

7. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for initializing the device configured to reset the storage means at a predetermined time.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the initialization means are configured to store a predetermined code in a first portion of a random access memory.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the storage means comprises a second portion of the random access memory.

10. The device according to claim 9, further comprising means for verifying the presence of the predetermined code in the first portion of the random access memory.

11. The device according to claim 10 further comprising means for sending counting information adapted to send counting information only in the event of a positive verification by the means for verifying.

12. The device according to claim 10 further comprising means for receiving the predetermined code from an external device.