Data logger having a RAM that accepts electro-magnetically a sensor table and a sample table

• US 5,502,656 A
• Filed: 10/19/1994
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Minister of Transport In Her Britannic Majesty's Government of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Original Assignee: The Minister of Transport In Her Britannic Majesty's Government of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Inventors: Fulcher, Malcolm, Storeton-West, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Application Number:
  US08/318,810
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/554, 364/557, 364/559, 364/558, 364/565, 364/567, 364/569, 364/571.01-571.05, 364/556, 364/571.07, 364/178, 364/179
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/90 Sorting, grading, counting or marking live aquatic animals, e.g. sex determination
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 79/00 Methods or means of catching fish in bulk not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K77/00, e.g. fish pumps; Detection of fish; Whale fishery
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/186 using one or more living organisms, e.g. a fish
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23265 Select device driver for actuator, sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23269 Program provides for communication protocol with device, equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23311 Load new program together with test program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25192 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25289 Energy saving, brown out, standby, sleep, powerdown modus for microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25353 Inductive coupling of power, transformer

Abstract

A data logger includes a housing containing at least one sensor; programmable controller including a pre-programmed Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM) containing control instructions and sensor drivers for all sensors; a Random Access Memory (RAM) providing data storage for storing data from each sensor; a power supply; and electromagnetic transfer device for accessing the logger and recovering data from the data storage from external to the casing; the RAM being adapted to accept, from external to the housing and via the electro-magnetic transfer device, instructions on the sensor drivers to evoke a desired sample regime; the logger also including a power up coil is provided within the housing to enable power from the external to the housing to be supplied during programming and during recovery of data.

Claims

1. A data logger including

a housing containing at least one sensor;

programmable control means;

a Random Access Memory (RAM) providing data storage means for storing data from the at least one sensor;

power means;

electro-magnetic transfer means for accessing the logger and for recovering data from the data storage means from external to the housing, wherein the programmable control means includes a pre-programmed Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM) containing control instructions including an operating program, and a sensor driver for each of said at least one sensor;

the RAM is adapted to accept, from external to the housing and via the electro-magnetic transfer means, a sensor table accessible by the operating program for commanding the appropriate sensor driver to operate the required sensor and a sample table accessible by the operating program containing instructions on the operation of each sensor to evoke a desired sampling regime; and

a power up coil is provided within the housing to enable power from external to the housing to be supplied during programming and during recovery of data.

2. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the instructions in the EPROM include a communications program.

3. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the control instructions in the EPROM include a test procedure program.

4. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the housing (20, 22) is waterproof.

5. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the power means are in the form of electric cells (42).

6. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that logger is designed to protect stored data by switching to a disabled state automatically once it has completed a sample table, when the mass data store is full, or when it detects that the power supply is low.

7. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the logger includes a standby cell (40) for operation in the disabled state.

8. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that it is suitable for attachment to a fish.

9. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the electro-magnetic transfer means use light.

10. A data logger as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that the light is infrared.

11. A data logger as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that it includes a plurality of sensors including sensors selected from a group for measuring temperature, pressure, light level, speed, direction of movement, compass heading, current flow speed, current flow direction, inclination, conductivity, heart-beat, earth'"'"'s magnetic field, acceleration and tilt angle.

12. A data logger as claimed in claim 11 characterised in that it is programmed for operation of a selection of sensors, at least one of the sensors being individually programmed.