Apparatus for and method of providing an indication of the magnitude of a quantity

• US 6,127,936 A
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments Japan Limited (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gendel, Alon, Eliezer, Oren
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/196,958
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 340/326, 340/327, 340/328, 340/329, 340/331, 340/332, 340/573.4, 340/573.1, 340/692, 340/460, 340/511, 340/514, 340/539, 340/515, 455/67.7, 455/154.1, 455/154.2, 455/156.1, 455/157.2
• US Class Current: 340/692
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of providing a visual and/or audible indication of a numerical quantity. The quantity may be derived from any source such as an analog or digital quantity. The invention has utility in any application wherein it is desirable to visually and/or audibly display the magnitude of a quantity. An example system is described which provides a visual and/or audible indication of the received signal strength (RSSI) in an RF receiver. A visual indicator such as an LED is flashed a number of times corresponding to the magnitude of an input signal. Alternatively, or in combination, an audible indicator such as a buzzer can be beeped a number of times corresponding to the magnitude of the input signal. A digitized quantity to be indicated can be calculated by or input to a microcontroller or other processor that is suitably programmed to convert the magnitude of the digitized quantity to a number representing the number of flashes or beeps. An analog quantity can be digitized by an external A/D converter or by an A/D converter integral with the microcontroller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for indicating the magnitude of a numerical quantity, comprising:

indicating means adapted to indicate the magnitude of said quantity via one or more consecutive annunciations;

conversion means adapted to determine a number corresponding to the magnitude of said quantity in accordance with the following equation ##EQU4## where Δ

=MAX(INPUT)-MIN(INPUT);

NUM_-- OF_-- ANNUN=number of annunciations;

INPUT=the magnitude of the numerical quantity or value representing the quality to be indicated;

FULL_-- SCALE=the highest number of annunciations corresponding to the maximum input or best quality;

Δ

=the dynamic range of the input from minimum to maximum;

means for annunciating said indicator means a number of times corresponding to said NUM OF ANNUN value; and

wherein said annunciations occur in consecutive fashion, with a predetermined duty cycle, and have a period that is independent of the magnitude of said quantity.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said indicator means comprises visual indicator means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said visual indicator means comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said indicator means comprises audible indicator means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a buzzer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a piezo element.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a speaker.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for clipping said input to said maximum before conversion to said number.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means comprises a suitably programmed microcontroller.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means comprises a suitably programmed microprocessor.

11. An apparatus for indicating the magnitude of an analog quantity, comprising:

indicating means adapted to indicate the magnitude of said analog quantity via one or more consecutive annunciations;

analog to digital converter means for converting said analog quantity into a digital representation;

conversion means adapted to determine a number corresponding to the magnitude of said quantity in accordance with the following equation ##EQU5## where INPUT=the magnitude of said quantity;

Δ

=MAX(INPUT)-MIN(INPUT);

NUM_-- OF_-- ANNUN=number of annunciations;

INPUT=the magnitude of the analog quantity or value representing the quality to be indicated;

FULL_-- SCALE=the highest number of annunciations corresponding to the maximum input or best quality;

Δ

=the dynamic range of the input from minimum to maximum;

means for annunciating said indicator means a number of times corresponding to said NUM OF ANNUN value; and

wherein said annunciations occur in consecutive fashion, with a predetermined duty cycle, and have a period that is independent of the magnitude of said quantity.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for performing analog signal processing of said input before being converted by said analog to digital converter means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for digitally processing the output of said analog to digital converter means before being input to said conversion means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said indicator means comprises visual indicator means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said visual indicator means comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said indicator means comprises audible indicator means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a buzzer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a piezo element.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said audible indicator means comprises a speaker.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for clipping said input to said maximum before conversion to said number.

21. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said conversion means comprises a suitably programmed microcontroller.

22. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said conversion means comprises a suitably programmed microprocessor.

23. A method of indicating the magnitude of a numerical quantity, said method comprising the steps of:

providing indicating means for indicating the magnitude of said quantity via one or more consecutive annunciations;

calculating a number corresponding to the magnitude of said quantity in accordance with the following equation ##EQU6## where INPUT=the magnitude of said quantity;

Δ

=MAX(INPUT)-MIN(INPUT);

NUM_-- OF_-- ANNUN=number of annunciations;

INPUT=the magnitude of the numerical quantity or value representing the quality to be indicated;

FULL_-- SCALE=the highest number of annunciations corresponding to the maximum input or best quality;

Δ

=the dynamic range of the input from minimum to maximum;

annunciating said indicating means a number of times corresponding to said NUM OF ANNUN value; and

wherein said annunciations occur in consecutive fashion, with a predetermined duty cycle, and have a period that is independent of the magnitude of said quantity.

24. A method of indicating reception quality based on the measurement of a quantity, said method comprising the steps of:

providing indicating means for indicating the reception quality via one or more consecutive annunciations;

calculating a number corresponding to the magnitude of said quantity in accordance with the following equation ##EQU7## where ##EQU8## NUM_-- OF_-- ANNUN=number of annunciations;

INPUT=the magnitude of the reception quality or value representing the quality to be indicated;

FULL_-- SCALE=the highest number of annunciations corresponding to the maximum input or best quality;

Δ

=the dynamic range of the input from minimum to maximum;

annunciating said indicating means a number of times corresponding to said NUM OF ANNUN value; and

wherein said annunciations occur in consecutive fashion, with a predetermined duty cycle, and have a period that is independent of the magnitude of said quantity.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said quantity representing the quality of reception is derived from an analog measurement.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said quantity representing the quality of reception is derived from a digital measurement.