System radio transmission of liquid level data and battery saving technique

• US 5,111,201 A
• Filed: 12/26/1989
• Issued: 05/05/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Tatsuno Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Tatsuno Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsumura, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Naohiko, Shimamura, Norio, Natori, Naoaki, Ohta, Yasuto, Shimizu, Makoto, Kawabe, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/456,912
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 73/149, 73/221, 73/427, 73/428, 340/870.38, 340/624, 340/606, 455/343
• US Class Current: 340/870.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/44 using electrically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 Arrangements for signal processing

Abstract

System for radio transmission of level data of liquid contained in a tank and for converting to the level data to volume data to be indicated. A transmitter includes a cell for supplying electric power, a microcomputer connected to the cell and normally dept in a standby state in which it consumes a small amount of electric power. A timer is connected to the cell and the microcomputer to provide the latter with activation signals to place it in a activated state at a predetermined interval. A level detector if supplied with electric power from the cell only when the microcomputer is activated to provide the level data. A memory is continuously supplied with the electric power from the cell to memorize the level data, and a modulator supplied with the electric power from the cell only when the microcomputer is activated to transmit the level data in the memory by carrier waves through an antenna, whereby the system saves power consumption of the cell.

Claims

1. System for radio transmission of liquid level data and for converting the received data to liquid volume data to be indicated, comprising;

a transmitter comprising

a cell electric source,

first means intermittently supplied with electric power from the source to convert liquid level data to corresponding electric signals,

second means intermittently supplied with electric power from the source to convert said corresponding electric signals to corresponding frequency signals,

modulation means intermittently supplied with electric power from the source to transmit the received frequency signals on carrier waves through an antenna,

a computer normally maintained in a standby state,

timer means for intermittently providing activation signals to the computer to place it in an activated state at a predetermined interval, and

means for storing the last liquid level data to be inputted in the computer so that when the computer is activated said first means is actuated to give the electric signals representing the present level data to be inputted in the computer for comparison of the two data, wherein a transmitting period is selected to be longer in case where the last liquid level is higher than the present level and shorter in case where the last liquid level is lower than the present level, and after the transmission is over the last level data are cleared and the new level data are stored in said storing means; and

a receiver essentially comprising

first means for demodulation of the received frequency signals through an antenna,

second means for storing data necessary for conversion in advance so as to convert the received liquid level data to liquid volume data,

an indicator including the volume data, and wherein the storing means is adapted to set a counter number when detecting that the liquid level is not being raised up by comparison of said two level data so that the set number is decreased by one when the computer is activated to reach zero and then firstly the level signals are transmitted.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, in which said transmitter further comprises voltage regulator means supplied with electric power from the electric source at a rated voltage to act as the electric source and means for detecting voltage drop of the cell below the rated voltage to output electric signals and which are converted by said second means transmitted by said modulation means so that the receiver may convert the received signals to be indicated as warning signals.

3. System as claimed in claim 1, in which said first means of the transmitter is a rotary potentiometer having a shaft drivingly connected with a float-tape-drum assembly and a resistance arranged so that when the shaft is rotated depending on liquid level change, the rated voltage intermittently applied from the electric source is correspondingly varied to be used as the electric signal.

4. System as claimed in claim 1, in which the receiver further comprises a microcomputer arranged between said first means and said indicator and connected in series, means for storing a maximum liquid level and means for a minimum liquid level respectively in advance and respectively connected with the microcomputer so that when the received level data reaches the maximum or the minimum level, a respective signal is given to the indicator.

5. System as claimed in claim 4, in which said microcomputer is adapted to provide a warning when failing to receive the level signals in a respectively predetermined time period.

6. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined time period is set relatively longer for the case where the liquid level is not being raised up and relatively shorter for the case when the liquid level is being raised up so as to shut a valve for resupply of fresh liquid in addition to giving warning.

7. System as claimed in claim 5, in which microcomputer of the transmitter is adapted to set a count number when detecting the resupply of liquid is over by comparing the stored last level data with the present time level data and with the stored two times earlier level data to transmit the corresponding number of the level signals thereafter in order to avoid erroneous warning to be otherwise given by the microcomputer of the receiver.

8. System as claimed in claim 1, in which said transmitter is contained in an gas-tightly sealed casing, said casing mounted in a manhole of the tank, and a lead connection the transmitter with the antenna is extended out of the casing so that the antenna may be positioned out of the manhole.

9. System as claimed in claim 8, in which said casing has a base disc supporting the transmitter fixedly and the cell removable thereon a removable flanged hollow cylinder and gas-tightly engaged together, which is covered by an outer casing having a base disc and a flanged hollow cylinder to be removably engaged together, said outer base disc fixedly mounted in the tank manhole so that when the outer casing ay be readily brought out of the manhole for exchanging of the cell.