MONITORING MODULE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

• US 20130082716A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Juan Luis Lopez Rodriguez, Marina Ferran Farres
• Inventors: Palacios, Marc Bautista, Farrs, Marina Ferran, Lpez Rodrguez, Juan Luis
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2836 Fault-finding or characterising G01R31/2822 - G01R31/2831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3193 with comparison between actual response and known fault free response receiver details G01R31/31924

Abstract

According to one example, there is provided a monitoring module for determining the status of electrical components in an array of N electrical components. The monitoring module comprises a resistance measurer to measure the resistance across a pair of diagnostic terminals, a comparator to compare the measured resistance with a set of reference resistances, and a diagnostic module to determine the status of at least one electrical component in the array based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A monitoring module to determine the status of electrical components in an array of N electrical components, comprising:

a resistance measurer to measure the resistance across a pair of diagnostic terminals;

a comparator to compare the measured resistance with a set of reference resistances; and

a status module to determine the status of at least one electrical component in the array based on the comparison.

2. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the resistance measurer is configured to measure to resistance of diagnostic modules of electrical components connected in parallel to the diagnostic terminals.

3. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the status module determines that at least one component in the array of components has a failed status when the measured resistance is less than or equal to a first predetermined resistance.

4. The monitoring module of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined resistance is less than 100Ω

.

5. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the status module determines that all of the components in the array have a functioning status when the measured resistance is substantially equal to a second predetermined resistance.

6. The monitoring module of claim 5, wherein the second predetermined resistance is calculated by determining the equivalent parallel resistance of each of the individual resistances of each of the N components in the array of components.

7. The monitoring module of claim 5, wherein the second predetermined resistance is equal to

8. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the status module determines that a component is disconnected from the array of N components when the measured resistance is substantially equal to

9. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the status module determines that a component is disconnected from the array of N components by comparing the measured resistance with one of a set of predetermined resistances.

10. The monitoring module of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic module of each component exhibits a first predetermined resistance when the component has failed, and a second predetermined resistance when operating correctly.

11. The monitoring module of claim 2, wherein the resistance exhibited by the diagnostic module of each component in the array of components has a unique resistance when functioning correctly, and wherein the status module determines which of the N components of the array of components are disconnected from the array by comparing the measured resistance with one of a set of predetermined resistances.

12. A printer having an array of N fans, comprising:

a monitoring module to measure a resistance across a pair of diagnostic lines to which a diagnostic module of each fan is electrically connected;

the monitoring module configured to, based on the measured resistance, determine whether all of the fans are operating correctly, whether one of the fans has failed, or whether one of the fans is disconnected from array.

13. The printer of claim 12, the monitoring module further comprising:

a resistance measurer to measure the parallel resistance of each of the diagnostic modules of each of the fans connected in the array;

a comparator to compare the determined resistance with a set of reference resistances; and

a status module to determine the status of at least one fan based on the comparison.

14. The printer of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic module of each fan is configured to exhibit a first predetermined resistance when operating correctly, and a second predetermined resistance when failed.

15. The printer of claim 14, wherein the first predetermined resistance of each fan is unique amongst the other fans in the array of fans.

16. A method of determining the status of an electrical component in an array of N electrical components, each component having a diagnostic module exhibiting a first resistance when the component is operating correctly, and a second resistance when the component is not operating correctly, the diagnostic modules of each component being electrically connected in parallel with one another, the method comprising:

measuring the resistance across the diagnostic modules of each component in the array of fans; and

determining that all of the fans are operating correctly when the measured resistance is substantially equal to a first reference resistance, determining that one of the fans has failed when the measured resistance is substantially equal to a second reference resistance, and determining that one of the fans is disconnected from the array of fans when the measured resistance is substantially equal a third reference resistance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the resistance exhibited by the diagnostic module of each component is R when operating correctly, and wherein the step of determining whether all of the components are operating correctly comprises determining whether the measured resistance is substantially equal to

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining when one of the components is disconnected from the array of components when the measured resistance is substantially equal to

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each the diagnostic module of each component has a unique resistance among the array of components, the step of determining further comprises determining which one or ones of the components are disconnected from the array of components when the measured resistance is substantially equal to one of a set of third reference resistances.