System and method for monitoring temperature
First Claim
1. A temperature monitoring system comprising:
- a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of its surrounding environment;
a timer for generating clock data;
a controller operatively connected to said temperature sensor and said timer, said controller having means for reading temperature measurements at predetermined intervals and having command and data storage means;
input means for entering commands and data for said controller;
display means connected to said controller for indicating time and temperature data, said display means being switchable between a normal display mode indicating the current temperature and an alarm display mode indicating an alarm time and temperature;
a first alarm indicator connected to said con-troller and activated to indicate a current alarm condition;
said controller including means for comparing the current measured temperature with a predetermined temperature value and activating said first indicator to alarm mode when the current measured temperature has exceeded said predetermined temperature value; and
,said controller including means for comparing the duration said measured temperature exceeds said predetermined temperature value with a predetermined time limit and for operating said display means in alarm display mode when the current alarm duration exceeds said predetermined time limit.
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Abstract
A temperature monitoring system comprises a sensor for measuring the surrounding temperature, a timer for generating clock data, a controller for reading temperatures at predetermined intervals and storing selected temperature data and corresponding time data in memory, input switches for entering commands and data, a data display, and first and second alarm indicators. The controller operates in predetermined steps to activate the first alarm to indicate a current alarm condition and to activate the second alarm to indicate a past alarm condition. The controller selectively switches the display between normal and alarm modes to show differing time and temperature data depending on the temperature conditions monitored. The user may review alarm histories, including total alarm time and, for each past alarm period, maximum temperature, starting time and alarm duration, which have been calculated and stored.
102 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A temperature monitoring system comprising:
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a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of its surrounding environment; a timer for generating clock data; a controller operatively connected to said temperature sensor and said timer, said controller having means for reading temperature measurements at predetermined intervals and having command and data storage means; input means for entering commands and data for said controller; display means connected to said controller for indicating time and temperature data, said display means being switchable between a normal display mode indicating the current temperature and an alarm display mode indicating an alarm time and temperature; a first alarm indicator connected to said con-troller and activated to indicate a current alarm condition; said controller including means for comparing the current measured temperature with a predetermined temperature value and activating said first indicator to alarm mode when the current measured temperature has exceeded said predetermined temperature value; and
,said controller including means for comparing the duration said measured temperature exceeds said predetermined temperature value with a predetermined time limit and for operating said display means in alarm display mode when the current alarm duration exceeds said predetermined time limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A temperature monitoring system comprising:
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sensor means for measuring the actual temperature in the surrounding environment and for generating an output signal varying as a function of measured temperature indicative of the actual temperature sensed; clock means for generating a timing signal and timer means operatively connected to said clock means indicating the date and time of day and generating output signals representative thereof; a programmable central processing unit operatively connected to said temperature sensor means and to said clock and timer means to receive input signals therefrom; memory means operatively connected to said central processor unit for storing central processing unit commands and for storing measured temperature data and corresponding time measurement data, said memory means including read-only-memory means for operating, control, calculation and display programming prestored therein and random-access-memory means for storing temperature and time data; a visual display means connected to said central processing unit and activated thereby for reviewing stored and computed time and temperature data, said display means including alphanumeric output for viewing the data in readable characters, said display means being switchable between a normal display mode indicating the current time and temperature and an alarm display mode indicating an alarm time and temperature; current and past alarm indicators connected to and operated by said central processing unit and activated to indicate current and past alarm conditions, respectively; input switch means connected to said central processing unit for entering commands and data, said input switch means allowing a user to reset the clock and timer and the central processing unit, request display of stored and computed temperature and time data, and enter a selected temperature value; said central processing unit including means for comparing the current measured temperature with said selected temperature value and activating said current alarm indicator when the current measured temperature is greater than said selected temperature value; and
,said central processing unit including means for comparing the elapsed time said measured temperature exceeds said selected temperature value with a predetermined time limit and operating said display means in alarm display mode when the elapsed time exceeds said predetermined time limit and for subsequently activating said past alarm indicator when the temperature has dropped below said selected temperature value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for operating a temperature monitoring system to automatically determine high temperature alarm conditions in response to the temperature of the surrounding environment, the method comprising:
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predetermining a selected temperature value and a selected time limit; measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment at predetermined intervals; activating a first alarm indicator in a first activated mode when the measured temperature initially exceeds said selected temperature value; determining the starting time of an alarm period when the measured temperature initially exceeds said selected temperature value; accumulating the elapsed time intervals during which the measured temperature exceeds said selected temperature value after the starting time to determine an alarm period duration; storing the starting time and the alarm period duration for each alarm period which has a duration greater than said selected time limit; displaying current temperature data when no alarm condition has been detected, an alarm condition occurring when the measured temperature exceeds said selected temperature value for more than a predetermined number of time intervals; and
,displaying alarm time and temperature data when an alarm condition has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for operating a temperature monitoring system to automatically determine high temperature alarm conditions in response to the temperature in the surrounding environment, the method comprising:
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predetermining a selected temperature value and a selected time limit; initializing the system by resetting any previously stored high temperature value, elapsed alarm time, and total time of all elapsed past alarm times; measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment at predetermined sampling intervals; activating a first alarm indicator to a first activated mode when the measured temperature initially exceeds said selected temperature value to denote an alarm condition; determining the starting time when the measured temperature initially exceeds said selected temperature value; storing the measured temperature as an alarm period high temperature when the temperature exceeds any previously stored high temperature; accumulating the elapsed number of time intervals during which the measured temperature exceeds said selected temperature value to determine an alarm period duration; switching said first alarm indicator to a second activated mode from said first activated mode when the alarm period duration has exceeded said selected time limit; activating a second alarm indicator when the measured temperature drops below said selected temperature value provided the alarm period duration has exceeded said selected time limit, said second alarm indicator remaining activated until reset; deactivating said first alarm indicator when the measured temperature drops below said selected temperature value; storing the starting time, the alarm period duration and high temperature for each alarm period which had a duration greater than said selected time limit; resetting the elapsed alarm time and the high temperature value when the temperature drops below said selected temperature value; displaying current time and temperature data when no alarm condition has been detected; and
,displaying alarm time and temperature data when an alarm condition has been detected.
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Specification