Universal electromechanical gauge
First Claim
1. In an instrumentation system in which a sensor that monitors the value of a parameter of interest presents to a central processing unit (CPU) a data signal representing the value of the parameter of interest, the CPU presents to an indicator gauge that has an electromechanical movement a multi-bit value that correlates to the value of the data signal, and hence to the value of the parameter of interest, and the electromechanical movement of the gauge is operated in response to said multi-bit value to thereby cause the gauge to display movement as a function of said multi-bit value, and hence to indicate the value of the parameter of interest, the improvement comprising said CPU intermittently presenting said multi-bit value to said gauge, and said gauge comprising:
- a. a multi-bit latching memory circuit in which the latest multi-bit value received by the gauge from the CPU is latched;
b. timing circuit means for periodically generating a basic time interval comprising a multi-bit counting circuit;
c. correlating circuit means having inputs connected to said multi-bit latching memory circuit and to said timing circuit means and comprising means for correlating the multi-bit value latched in said latching memory circuit to the counting by said multi-bit counting circuit during each basic time interval, said correlating circuit means having an output; and
d. modulating circuit means having an input connected to the output of said correlating circuit means and comprising means for modulating a circuit that operates said movement of said gauge in accordance with the occurrence of a predetermined correlation, as determined by said correlating circuit means, of the multi-bit value latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit to the counting of said counting circuit during each basic time interval to cause the gauge to display movement as a function of the multi-bit value latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical instrumentation system comprises plural sensors that provide data signals representing values of parameters of interest to a CPU that in turn presents corresponding signals in multi-bit forms to corresponding indicator gauges. Each indicator gauge comprises a latching memory circuit in which the multi-bit data received from the CPU is latched, a free-running counting circuit, and a comparator circuit that compares the counting of the free-running counting circuit to the data in the latching memory circuit. The counter repeatedly counts from an initial to a final value, and when the comparator detects coincidence of the count to the latched data during each such counting interval, it switches the state of a bi-stable circuit. The bi-stable circuit assumes one state during the portion of each counting interval preceding the coincidence detection, and the other state during the portion of each interval succeeding the coincidence detection. The bi-stable circuit produces a pulse width modulation of the electromechanical movement of the gauge to cause the gauge to indicate the value of the latched data, and hence, the value of the corresponding parameter. Each gauge does not require the continuous attendance of the CPU thereby freeing the CPU to perform other tasks during times that it is not updating the latched data in the gauge.
26 Citations
23 Claims
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1. In an instrumentation system in which a sensor that monitors the value of a parameter of interest presents to a central processing unit (CPU) a data signal representing the value of the parameter of interest, the CPU presents to an indicator gauge that has an electromechanical movement a multi-bit value that correlates to the value of the data signal, and hence to the value of the parameter of interest, and the electromechanical movement of the gauge is operated in response to said multi-bit value to thereby cause the gauge to display movement as a function of said multi-bit value, and hence to indicate the value of the parameter of interest, the improvement comprising said CPU intermittently presenting said multi-bit value to said gauge, and said gauge comprising:
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a. a multi-bit latching memory circuit in which the latest multi-bit value received by the gauge from the CPU is latched; b. timing circuit means for periodically generating a basic time interval comprising a multi-bit counting circuit; c. correlating circuit means having inputs connected to said multi-bit latching memory circuit and to said timing circuit means and comprising means for correlating the multi-bit value latched in said latching memory circuit to the counting by said multi-bit counting circuit during each basic time interval, said correlating circuit means having an output; and d. modulating circuit means having an input connected to the output of said correlating circuit means and comprising means for modulating a circuit that operates said movement of said gauge in accordance with the occurrence of a predetermined correlation, as determined by said correlating circuit means, of the multi-bit value latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit to the counting of said counting circuit during each basic time interval to cause the gauge to display movement as a function of the multi-bit value latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An indicator gauge for use in an instrumentation system in which a central processing unit (CPU) intermittently presents to the gauge multi-bit data whose value is to be indicated by the gauge, said gauge comprising:
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a. an electromechanical movement that is operated to cause the gauge to give an indication of the value of the data that is presented to the gauge by the CPU; b. a multi-bit latching memory circuit in which the latest value of said multi-bit data received by the gauge from the CPU is latched; c. timing circuit means for periodically generating a basic time interval comprising a multi-bit counting circuit; d. correlating circuit means having inputs connected to said multi-bit latching memory circuit and to said timing circuit means and comprising means for correlating the value of the multi-bit data latched in said latching memory circuit to the counting by said multi-bit counting circuit during each basic time interval, said correlating circuit means having an output; and e. means for operating said movement comprising modulating circuit means having an input connected to the output of said correlating circuit means and comprising means for modulating current to said circuit that operates said movement in accordance with the occurrence of a predetermined correlation, as determined by said correlating circuit means, of the multi-bit value latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit to the counting of said counting circuit during each basic time interval to cause the gauge to display movement as a function of the latest value of the multi-bit data latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In an indicator gauge that has an indicator that is operated by a signal to cause the gauge to indicate the value of said signal, a circuit for developing said signal comprising:
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a. a multi-bit latching memory circuit for latching multi-bit data that designates the value of said signal; b. timing means for periodically generating a basic time interval comprising a multi-bit counting circuit; c. correlating circuit means having inputs connected to said multi-bit latching memory circuit and to said timing means and comprising means for correlating the value of the multi-bit data latched in said latching memory circuit with the counting by said multi-bit counting circuit during each basic time interval, said correlating circuit means having an output; and d. modulating circuit means having an input connected to the output of said correlating circuit means and comprising means for modulating a circuit that operates the indicator in accordance with the occurrence of a predetermined correlation, as determined by said correlating circuit means, of the value of the multi-bit data latched in said multi-bit latching memory circuit with the counting of said counting circuit during each basic time interval to cause the gauge indicator to indicate the value of the multi-bit data work latched in said latching memory circuit. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification