GAS SENSOR WITH SMART PELLISTOR

• US 20090223278A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Safety Distribution AG (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Life Safety Distribution AG (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilby, Jonathan H., Davies, David F., Cowburn, Anthony R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.310
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/16 caused by burning or catalytic oxidation of surrounding material to be tested, e.g. of gas

Abstract

A gas sensor includes a gas responsive pellistor and associated information specific to that pellistor. The information can include environmental compensation information, such as temperature or humidity compensation information or other manufacturing information, and is stored in a computer readable medium. Such information can be used by local circuitry in compensating the sensor while making ambient gas level determinations.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a housing;

at least one resistive, gas responsive sensor carried by the housing; and

a representation of information carried, in a computer readable medium, by the housing the representation includes at least one of sensor temperature compensation information, or humidity compensation information.

2. An assembly as claim 1 where the computer readable medium includes at least one of a storage device for the compensation information, the storage device is coupled to the sensor, or, a bar coded label carried by the housing which exhibits the representation of the information.

3. An assembly as in claim 2 which includes a second resistive sensor carried by the housing.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the sensors are coupled in one of, series or parallel.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 where the device is coupled in parallel with at least one sensor and comprises a storage circuit.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 where the housing carries a plurality of contacts external thereto with the contacts coupled to the sensors.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 where first and second of the contacts are coupled to one sensor with second and third contacts coupled to the other sensor.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 where the sensors are series coupled between the first and third contacts.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8 which includes a resistive bridge circuit, external to the housing and coupled to the contacts.

10. An apparatus as in claim 8 which includes control circuits coupled to the contacts, responsive to sensor outputs that provide indicia indicative of sensed ambient gas.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10 where the control circuits include a programmable processor and associated control software.

12. A method comprising:

detecting temperature variation characteristics of a selected resistive gas sensor;

storing a representation of the detected temperature characteristics in a computer readable medium;

associating the stored representation of the detected temperature characteristics with the sensor; and

using the stored representation to temperature compensate the sensor.

13. A method as in claim 12 where storing includes storing the representation in at least one of a computer readable database, a computer readable bar code, or, a computer readable storage circuit.

14. A detector comprising:

a housing;

a socket carried by the housing;

a gas sensor which includes a gas responsive pellistor and associated environmental compensation information specific to the pellistor releasably carried by the housing; and

gas level detecting control circuits, coupled to the sensor and temperature compensation information, and responsive thereto.

15. A detector as in claim 14 which includes a socket coupled to the control circuits, the sensor releasably engages the socket.

16. A detector as in claim 15 where the information is carried by the sensor in a computer readable medium.

17. A detector as in claim 16 where the computer readable medium comprises at least one of an electronic storage circuit, or a printed bar code.

18. A detector as in claim 14 where the information is selected from a class which includes at least temperature compensating information and humidity compensating information.

19. A method comprising:

providing a gas responsive pellistor;

establishing temperature compensation information relative to that pellistor;

coupling the information to the pellistor; and

incorporating the pellistor and the information into a gas detector.

20. A method as in claim 19 which includes, exposing the pellistor to a selected ambient atmosphere;

making a determination of an ambient gas concentration taking into account pre-stored temperature compensation information specific to that pellistor; and

generating at least one of a visually perceptible gas level indicating indicium, or an audible gas level indicating indicium.

21. A method as in claim 20 which includes, replacing the pellistor with another pellistor and associated temperature compensation information;

and

making a determination of an ambient gas concentration taking into account pre-stored temperature compensation information specific to that another pellistor; and

generating at least one of a visually perceptible gas level indicating indicium, or an audible gas level indicating indicium.