Method for calibrating scales

• US 5,878,376 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Soehnle-Waagen GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: Soehnle-Waagen GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Schurr, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, KAMINI S
• Application Number:
  US08/858,558
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 364/567, 364/571.01-571.05, 364/528.4, 702/85, 702/87, 702/101, 702/102, 702/173, 172/25.13
• US Class Current: 702/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/015 by adjusting to the local gravitational acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/017 Securing calibration against fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network

Abstract

The invention relates a to method for calibrating scales having a weight-determining weighing system with a processor-controlled computer and with a memory unit for storing information regarding gravitational acceleration. The method can be executed at any arbitrary location without there being a possibility of performing manipulations contrary to the intended use, which includes the following steps: transmission of data regarding the location or place of operation of the scales via a wire or wireless telephone network from the location or place of operation to a receiving location; determination of information associated with the location or place of operation regarding the value of the gravitational acceleration at the location or place of operation of the scales on the basis of the data received at the receiving location; triggering the scales connected at the location or place of operation to the telephone network by a serial interface and a modem; and transmitting the determined information from the receiving location to the computer of the scales at the memory unit.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a scale having a weight-determining weighing system with a processor-controlled computer and with a memory unit for storing information regarding gravitational acceleration (g), using a wire or wireless telephone network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting data regarding the location or place of operation of the scale via the wire or wireless telephone network from the location or place of operation to a receiving location, the data regarding the location or place of operation of the scales being the local area code of the telephone network at the location or place of operation;

determining the information associated with the location or place of operation regarding the value of the gravitational acceleration at the location or place of operation of the scale on the basis of the data received at the receiving location;

triggering the scale connected at the location or place of operation to the telephone network by means of a serial interface and a modem, and transmitting the determined information from the receiving location to the computer of the scale at the location or place of operation, where they are stored in the memory unit.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data regarding the location or place or operation of the scale is transmitted to the receiving location by means of a modem connected to the telephone network.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein further data, for example the serial number of the scale to be calibrated, is transmitted from the location or place of operation to the receiving location and is checked there.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein a determination is made by means of said further data whether the respective scale has already been previously re-calibrated.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein in the course of transmitting said determined information from the receiving station to the computer of the scale, additional data is also transmitted, in particular the local area code of the location or place of operation, which makes it possible to check at the location or place of operation of the scale for which location the scale was calibrated.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the additionally tranmitted data is stored in the memory unit and in this way can be called up at the scale at any time.

9. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the data regarding the location or place of operation of the scale is the local area code of the telephone network at the location or place of operation.

7. A scale, to be calibrated via a wire or wireless telephone network, comprising:

a weighing system for determing weight;

processor-controlled computer;

a memory unit for storing information regarding the gravitational acceration (g);

a modem; and

a serial interface for connection to said modem, wherein the local area code of the telephone network at the location or place of operation of the scale is transmitted via the wire or wireless telephone network to a receiving location, and information from the receiving location is transmitted back via the wire or wireless telephone network.

8. The scale in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

a display unit on which the data, preferably the local area code, regarding the location or place of operation of the scale can be displayed.