Low power electronic measuring system
First Claim
1. In an electronic measuring system comprising measuring transducer means operative when electrically powered to provide an electrical measurement signal output indicative of the magnitude of an entity being measured thereby;
- power means for providing power for said measuring system;
control means operating to provide spaced energizing pulses from said power means to said measuring transducer means to cause said transducer means to provide a pulsed electrical measurement signal; and
indicator means operative to receive said electrical measurement signal for providing an indication of the magnitude of the entity being measured at a predetermined resolution;
the improvement comprising microprocessor means for determining an optimal pulse width and interval for each of said energizing pulses in accordance with said predetermined resolution for said measurement signal; and
means operatively connected to said microprocessor means for varying said predetermined resolution, said microprocessor pulse width and interval determining means comprising means for determining an optimal frequency and duty cycle for said predetermined resolution and for varying said frequency and duty cycle in accordance with variations in said predetermined resolution for providing a variable pulse control signal to said control means in accordance with said variations in said predetermined resolution, said control means variably pulsing said measuring transducer means in response to said variable pulse control signal for pulsing said measuring transducer means in accordance with said predetermined resolution at any given time;
whereby said system power is preserved by pulsing said measuring transducer means only when necessary in accordance with said resolution.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A microprocessor (8) controlled power-saving electronic measuring system is disclosed. A load cell (1) generates an output signal indicative of the magnitude of the load applied to the cell (1). A DC power supply (2) is switched to supply the load cell (1) with power pulses (10) at varying frequencies and duty cycles determinable by the microprocessor (8) to optimize battery life. The microprocessor (8) determines the optimal duty cycle and frequency for the power pulses responsive to desired parameters. The circuitry of the present invention is located in close proximity to a temperature sensor (34) which accurately reads the temperatures of all of the components and compensates for all heat related inaccuracies simultaneously. The microprocessor (8) determines a temperature corrected value for the load cell (1) output via a previously programmed table containing the temperature response characteristics for the load cell (1) and the circuitry. In an over/under indicator mode, segments of the display (36) LED'"'"'s are configured to graphically indicate whether the current weight on the scale is within a desired tolerance. A power saving sleep mode in described in which the system voltage level is reduced, and most of the circuitry is disabled.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. In an electronic measuring system comprising measuring transducer means operative when electrically powered to provide an electrical measurement signal output indicative of the magnitude of an entity being measured thereby;
- power means for providing power for said measuring system;
control means operating to provide spaced energizing pulses from said power means to said measuring transducer means to cause said transducer means to provide a pulsed electrical measurement signal; and
indicator means operative to receive said electrical measurement signal for providing an indication of the magnitude of the entity being measured at a predetermined resolution;
the improvement comprising microprocessor means for determining an optimal pulse width and interval for each of said energizing pulses in accordance with said predetermined resolution for said measurement signal; and
means operatively connected to said microprocessor means for varying said predetermined resolution, said microprocessor pulse width and interval determining means comprising means for determining an optimal frequency and duty cycle for said predetermined resolution and for varying said frequency and duty cycle in accordance with variations in said predetermined resolution for providing a variable pulse control signal to said control means in accordance with said variations in said predetermined resolution, said control means variably pulsing said measuring transducer means in response to said variable pulse control signal for pulsing said measuring transducer means in accordance with said predetermined resolution at any given time;
whereby said system power is preserved by pulsing said measuring transducer means only when necessary in accordance with said resolution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- power means for providing power for said measuring system;
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22. An electronic measuring system comprising measuring transducer means operative when electrically powered to provide an electrical measurement signal output indicative of the magnitude of an entity being measured thereby;
- indicator means operative to receive said electrical measurement signal for providing a visual display indication with respect to said magnitude of said entity being measured in response to said electrical measurement signal; and
display control means operatively connected between said measuring transducer means and said indicator means for selectively providing a display control signal to said indicator means for controllably providing an over/under visual display indication in a checkweigher mode of said measuring system in response to said electrical measurement signal and a magnitude visual display indication of said magnitude of said entity in a weight display mode of said measuring system in response to said electrical measurement signal, said indicator means comprising visual display means, said visual display means comprising a plurality of selectively illuminable segmented portions for selectively displaying said over/under visual display indication or said magnitude visual display indication in response to said display control signal dependent on said mode of said measurement system, said visual display means selectively illuminating a portion of said segmented portions for providing said over/under indication in said checkweigher mode. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- indicator means operative to receive said electrical measurement signal for providing a visual display indication with respect to said magnitude of said entity being measured in response to said electrical measurement signal; and
Specification