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Impact detection apparatus

  • US 4,745,564 A
  • Filed: 02/07/1986
  • Issued: 05/17/1988
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1986
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. The method of sensing physical variables affecting an item while it is subjected to handling operations such as packaging and shipping, and recording a portion of the time history of those sensed physical variables which meet predetermined criteria, comprising the steps of:

  • (A) attaching to the item a housing containing transducer means for sensing the physical variables, clock means, memory means, communication means, microprocessor means, and power supply means, operable to sense and quantify the values of the physical variables and to record the quantified sensed physical variables and their times of occurrence in the memory means under the control of a program comprising instructions to the microprocessor means, the housing being attached in a manner so that the values of the physical variables sensed by the transducer means are substantially similar to the values of the physical variables affecting the item;

    (B) causing the item to be sujected to the handling operations so that the housing is subjected to the same physical variables as the item;

    (C) sensing the physical variables experienced by the housing;

    (D) storing intervals of the time history of the values of those sensed physical variables which meet predetermined criteria in the memory means, the intervals being of predetermined duration and beginning with the values of those sensed physical variables which first meet the predetermined criterion in each interval; and

    (E) reading the stored values of the physical variables from the memory means to a device external to the housing, whereby the magnitude of, and the time and frequency content of the occurrence of the sensed physical variables, experienced while the item is being handled, can be determined after the handling operations are performed on the item.

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