PORTABLE, HAND-HELD CONTROLLER AND INDICATOR TECHNOLOGY

• US 20150316408A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intercomp Company
• Original Assignee: Intercomp Company
• Inventors: Kroll, William P., Young, Matt
• Application Number:
  US14/581,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20150316408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/44 Electrical transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network

Abstract

A portable, hand held device for controlling the operation of a crane or other device that includes weighing means, and for displaying or indicating weighing data in hand. The indicator includes a power source, a microcontroller communicatively connected to the power source, a radio module communicatively connected to the microcontroller, a display communicatively connected to the microcontroller, and a keypad. A system including the indicator and between one and four scales, and a crane control relay, is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable controller and indicator comprising a power source, a microcontroller communicatively connected to the power source, a radio module communicatively connected to the microcontroller, a display communicatively connected to the microcontroller, and a keypad.

2. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, tor controlling and indicating the weight of at least one remote electronic, wireless communicating scale via radio frequency signals.

3. The portable controller and indicator of claim 2, wherein the at least one remote electronic, wireless communicating scale is a tension link crane scale.

4. The portable controller and indicator of claim 3, tor further controlling a crane to which the tension link crane scale is connected to the portable controller and indicator communicating with a wireless relay control communicatively connected to the crane.

5. The portable controller and indicator of claim 2, wherein four (4) remote, electronic, wireless communicating scales being controlled by and reporting weight to the portable controller and indicator.

6. The portable controller and indicator of claim 2, wherein the at least one remote electronic, wireless communicating scale has a 802.14.4 type radio connection or a 900 MHz radio connection.

7. The portable controller and indicator of claim 2 providing a single scale weight and an accumulated scale weight of multiple weighings of at least one remote electronic wireless communication scale on the display.

8. The portable controller and indicator of claim 7, providing total, gross, net, tare and peak weight of at least one remote electronic wireless communicating scale on the display.

9. The portable controller and indicator of claim 7, providing total, gross, net, tare and peak weights of up to four (4) remote electronic wireless communicating scales on the display simultaneously.

10. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, further comprising a hand holdable housing.

11. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one battery.

12. The portable controller and indicator of claim 11, further comprising a voltage regulator communicatively connected to the at least one battery, providing approximately 3.3 V power.

13. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the radio module is an IEEE 802.15.4 type wireless personal area network (WPAN) radio module.

14. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the radio module is a 900 MHZ radio module.

15. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein microcontroller is a high performance, general purpose 8-bit microcontroller.

16. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the display is a 3.3 in graphic LCD display.

17. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the display is a 2×

16 character LCD display.

18. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, further comprising a backlight for the display.

19. The portable controller and indicator of claim 1, wherein the keypad includes a Power button, a Zero button, a Accumulated/Total button, a Print button, a Clear button, a Store/Enter button and 0-9 Numeric buttons.

20. A remote weighing system comprising:

a. at least two electronic scales each having a radio module; and

b. a portable controller and indicator for controlling and indicating the weight of the at least two electronic scales, the portable controller and indicator including;

(i) a battery power source,

(ii) a voltage regulator communicatively connected to the battery power source,

(iii) a microcontroller communicatively connected to the voltage regulator,

(iv) a radio module communicatively connected to the microcontroller.

(v) a 3.3 graphic LCD display communicatively connected to the microcontroller, and

(vi) a keypad; and

c. whereby the portable controller and indicator provides at least a single scale weight and an accumulated scale weight of multiple weighings of the at least two remote electronic wireless communication scales on the display simultaneously.

21. The remote weighing system of claim 20:

a. wherein the at least two electronic scales are tension link crane scales each connected to a crane,

b. further comprising a wireless relay control adapted to be communicatively connected to the crane; and

c. whereby the portable controller and indicator is adapted to control the crane.

22. A method of remotely controlling and indicating the weight of an object or article, comprising the steps of:

a. providing at least two electronic scales each having a radio module;

b. providing a portable controller and indicator for controlling and indicating the weight of the at least two electronic scales, the portable controller and indicator including;

(i) a battery power source,

(ii) a voltage regulator communicatively connected to the battery power source,

(iii) a microcontroller communicatively connected to the voltage regulator,

(iv) a radio module communicatively connected to the microcontroller,

(v) a 3.3 graphic LCD display communicatively connected to the microcontroller, and

(vi) a keypad;

c. communicatively coupling at least one object or article to each of scales;

d. weighing the at least one object or article at each scale; and

e. establishing a radio frequency communication link between the using the portable controller and indicator and each scale, whereby the portable controller and indicator provides at least a single scale weight and an accumulated scale weight of multiple weighings of the at least two remote electronic wireless communication scales on the display simultaneously.

23. The method of method of remotely controlling and indicating the weight of an object or article of claim 22:

a. wherein the at least two electronic scales ate tension link crane scales

b. connecting each tension link crane scale to a crane prior to the step of weighing,

c. communicatively connecting a wireless relay to the crane; and

d. controlling the crane via the portable controller and indicator.