Small size apparatus for measuring and recording acceleration
First Claim
1. A small size apparatus applied to a moving body for measuring and recording acceleration with time, comprising:
- a servo-type acceleration sensor producing an analog signal;
a variable gain amplifier connected to said acceleration sensor to receive the analog signal and amplify the analog signal by a suitable factor;
a sample and hold circuit connected to said variable gain amplifier to sample and hold the amplified analog signal;
an A/D converter, having an analog portion and a digital portion, the analog portion being connected to said sample and hold circuit, for converting a sampled and held analog signal by the sample and hold circuit into a digital signal when the sample and hold circuit is actuated;
a control element, connected to said digital portion of the A/D converter, for processing the digital signal, said control element comprising;
a central processing unit;
a read only memory connected to said central processing unit;
a random access memory connected to said central processing unit;
a programmable timer connected to said central processing unit;
a programmable gain amplifier interface connected to said central processing unit;
a peripheral interface adapter connected to said central processing unit; and
a memory cassette interface connected to said central processing unit;
a detachable external memory device, connectable to said control element, having no mechanical movement, for storing data regarding a change in acceleration as time sequential data;
an I/O unit operatively connected to said control element; and
a battery for supplying electric power to said sensor, said A/D converter, said control means, said detachable external memory device, said variable gain amplifier and said sample and hold circuit, said central processing unit performing, in accordance with a program stored in said ROM, suitability of sensor signal amplification factor, generation of a sampling signal, management of said detachable external memory device, display of input commands and operation situation to said I/O unit, and controlling said variable gain amplifier to always be set to an optimum amplification factor, said small size apparatus being mounted on a moving body to be measured and the entire small size apparatus being driven by said battery.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A small size apparatus for measuring and recording acceleration comprises an acceleration sensor, an A/D converter which converts the output signal of the acceleration sensor to a digital signal, a control element which processes the digital signal, a detachable external memory device which stores data of a change in acceleration and, a battery for supplying electric power to the sensor, the A/D converter, the control element and the external memory device. The small size apparatus is mounted on a moving body to be measured and the entire small size apparatus is driven by the battery. The correct attachment of the external memory device is detected by steps of writing data into a special address, reading the data out thereafter, and comparing the written data and read data. When the read data coincides with the written data, it is judged that the external memory device is correctly attached.
185 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A small size apparatus applied to a moving body for measuring and recording acceleration with time, comprising:
-
a servo-type acceleration sensor producing an analog signal; a variable gain amplifier connected to said acceleration sensor to receive the analog signal and amplify the analog signal by a suitable factor; a sample and hold circuit connected to said variable gain amplifier to sample and hold the amplified analog signal; an A/D converter, having an analog portion and a digital portion, the analog portion being connected to said sample and hold circuit, for converting a sampled and held analog signal by the sample and hold circuit into a digital signal when the sample and hold circuit is actuated; a control element, connected to said digital portion of the A/D converter, for processing the digital signal, said control element comprising; a central processing unit; a read only memory connected to said central processing unit; a random access memory connected to said central processing unit; a programmable timer connected to said central processing unit; a programmable gain amplifier interface connected to said central processing unit; a peripheral interface adapter connected to said central processing unit; and a memory cassette interface connected to said central processing unit; a detachable external memory device, connectable to said control element, having no mechanical movement, for storing data regarding a change in acceleration as time sequential data; an I/O unit operatively connected to said control element; and a battery for supplying electric power to said sensor, said A/D converter, said control means, said detachable external memory device, said variable gain amplifier and said sample and hold circuit, said central processing unit performing, in accordance with a program stored in said ROM, suitability of sensor signal amplification factor, generation of a sampling signal, management of said detachable external memory device, display of input commands and operation situation to said I/O unit, and controlling said variable gain amplifier to always be set to an optimum amplification factor, said small size apparatus being mounted on a moving body to be measured and the entire small size apparatus being driven by said battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A small size apparatus applied to a moving body for measuring and recording changes in acceleration in three axes with respect to time, comprising:
-
three acceleration sensors located at right angles along three dimensional axes for measuring fine time changes in X, Y and Z axis accelerations, respectively, each of the three acceleration sensors producing an analog signal corresponding to the X, Y and Z axis accelerations, respectively; three variable gain amplifiers each connected to each of said three acceleration sensors respectively, to receive the analog signal from each of said acceleration sensors and to amplify each analog signal by a suitable factor, respectively; three sample and hold circuits each connected to a respective one of said three variable gain amplifiers to sample and hold each of the amplified analog signals of each of the three variable gain amplifiers; an A/D converter having an analog portion and a digital portion, the analog portion connected to each of said three sample and hold circuits, for converting sampled and held analog signals from each of said three sample and hold circuits, into digital signals, respectively, when each of said three sample and hold circuits are actuated; a control element connected to said digital portion of said A/D converter, for processing the digital signal, said control element comprising; a random access memory connected to said central processing unit; a programmable timer connected to said central processing unit; a programmable gain amplifier interface connected to said central processing unit; a peripheral interface adapter connected to said central processing unit; and a memory cassette interface connected to said central processing unit; a detachable external memory device having no mechanical movement, operatively connected to said control element, for storing data regarding changes in X, Y and Z axis accelerations as time sequential data; an I/O unit connected to said control element; and a battery for supplying electric power to said sensors, said variable gain amplifier, said sample and hold circuit, said A/D converter, said control element, said detachable external memory device, and said I/O unit, said central processing unit performing, in accordance with a program stored in said ROM, suitability of a sensor signal amplification factor, generation of a sampling signal, management of said detachable external memory device, display of input commands and operation situations to said I/O unit, and controlling the variable gain amplifier to always be set at an optimum amplification factor, said apparatus being mounted on said moving body to be measured, and the entire small size apparatus being driven by said battery.
-
Specification