Electronic thermometer

• US 4,644,481 A
• Filed: 07/26/1984
• Issued: 02/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wada, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/634,421
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 364/557, 374/100, 374/103, 374/185, 377/19, 377/20, 377/25
• US Class Current: 702/131
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/028 arrangements for numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/245 in an oscillator circuit

Abstract

An electronic thermometer comprises an oscillator operatively connectable to a temperature-sensitive resistance, a counter for counting an oscillation frequency of the oscillator, a timer for timekeeping a time of counting by providing the counter, a memory responsive to the counter for storing temperature data, in such a manner that each address stores a specific data representative of the presence and the absence of the temperature increase in a divided temperature measurement interval, and a calculation circuit for calculating temperature data with the count of the counter and the specific data of the memory.

Claims

1. An electronic thermometer comprising:

oscillating means operatively connected to a temperature-sensitive resistance for producing an oscillation signal that corresponds to a resistance value for said temperature-sensitive resistance;

first counter means for counting an oscillation frequency of said oscillation signal;

counter-control means for controlling a temperature measurement interval, said temperature measurement interval being a time interval for operation of said first counter means;

memory means responsive to said first counter means for storing temperature data, having a plurality of addresses, each address of said memory means storing a specific data related to a temperature increase in a division of said temperature measured interval,

said memory means producing output signals corresponding to said specific data from an address that is accessed by a signal from said counter means; and

calculation means responsive to said counter control means and said output signals from said memory means for calculating temperature data, said calculating means accumulating said output signals ouput from said memory means in accordance with the count of said first counter means, said calculation means including second counter means for producing an accumulation of said specific data from said output signals.

2. The electronic thermometer of claim 1, further comprising a reference resistance operatively connected to said oscillating means.

3. The electronic thermometer of claim 2, wherein said reference resistance is provided for defining said temperature measurement interval.

4. The electronic thermometer of claim 3 further comprising display means for displaying said temperature data calculated by said calculation means.

5. The electronic thermometer of claim 4, wherein said calculation means comprises a temporary latching means for temporary storage of a maximum value of said accumulation of said specific data prior to displaying as said temperature data, and comparing means for comparing said maximum value stored in said latching means and said accumulation.

6. The electronic thermometer of claim 5, wherein said calculation means further comprises a preset means for loading an initial value into said second counter, said initial value corresponding to a scale boundary of said electronic thermometer.

7. The electronic thermometer of claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying temperature data calculated by said calculation means.

8. The electronic thermometer of claim 7 wherein said calculation means comprises a temporary latching means for temporary storage of a maximum value of said accumulation of said specific data prior to displaying as said temperature data;

and comparing means for comparing said maximum value stored in said latching means and said accumulation.

9. The electronic thermometer of claim 8 wherein said calculation means further comprises a preset means for loading an initial value into said second counter, said initial value corresponding to a scale boundary of said electronic thermometer.