Compact, low-cost semiconductor device for receiving arbitrary input parameters and driving selected display devices, and methods

• US 6,202,039 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1997
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Curtis Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Curtis Instruments Incorporated
• Inventors: Finger, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman, Hal
• Application Number:
  US08/963,989
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/712, 364/488-491, 364/485, 364/487, 257/370, 257/401, 395/921, 340/870.19, 340/870.24, 340/438, 340/459, 340/461, 340/525, 340/462, 340/501, 340/825.57, 324/76.12, 324/76.19, 324/166, 324/160, 324/161, 701/1, 701/14, 701/99, 701/102, 701/116, 701/123, 701/211, 345/519, 345/30, 345/33-36, 345/38-42, 345/44-46, 345/98, 702/57, 702/62, 702/64, 702/65, 702/66-68, 702/70, 702/73, 702/124, 702/126, 702/189, 702/190, 702/198, 702/127, 702/104, 702/188, 702/142, 702/145, 702/148, 702/FOR.103, 702/FOR.104, 702/FOR.106, 702/FOR.110, 702/FOR.131, 702/FOR.141, 702/FOR.150, 700/260, 734/88--91, 734/95
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/52 Input signal integrated with linear return to datum
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/56 Input signal compared with linear ramp
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/60 with intermediate conversion to frequency of pulses

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, a system of physical measurement and display of a parameter, including: accepting an input signal representative of a value of the parameter, the input signal having an arbitrary shape and amplitude; and displaying the value of the parameter in an arbitrary shape; including the use of analog and digital circuitry and nonvolatile memory.

Claims

1. An apparatus for physical measurement and display of a parameter, comprising:

(a) a programmable semiconductor element;

(b) said programmable semiconductor element having means to accept an input signal representative of a value of said parameter, said input signal having arbitrary shape and amplitude;

(c) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide an output signal to cause a display to display said value of said parameter in an arbitrary shape;

(d) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate a mating transducer in at least one power conserving mode;

(e) said programmable semiconductor element having means to treat said input signal in one of a normal ascending mode and an inverted descending mode;

(f) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in one of an absolute and a ratio mode;

(g) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in a selected degree of damping or slew rate control;

(h) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide at least one over and/or under warning output signal;

(i) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive at least one light-emitting diode;

(j) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive light-emitting diodes in one of pointer and bar graph modes;

(k) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a liquid crystal display;

(l) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a low power liquid crystal display in one of pointer and bar graph modes;

(m) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to drive a continuously operating liquid crystal display;

(n) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide color coded status information;

(o) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide flashing modes at at least one range limit;

(p) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide various conversion rate intervals to reduce apparent flicker when a borderline reading is made in a noisy environment;

(q) said programmable semiconductor element having means to introduce hysteresis against said input signal to lessen likelihood of borderline flicker;

(r) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide for programming all integratable options in a non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element at the time of manufacture of an instrument of which said apparatus is a part;

(s) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate said apparatus at a low quiescent current while maintaining high current drive capability;

(t) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim an oscillator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element; and

(u) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim a band gap voltage regulator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said nonvolatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element.

2. An apparatus for physical measurement and display of a parameter, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said programmable semiconductor element has external height and width dimensions not exceeding about 0.11 inch by about 0.11 inch.

3. An apparatus for physical measurement and display of a parameter, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said semiconductor element includes therein integrated digital circuitry, analog circuitry, and nonvolatile memory.

4. A method of physical measurement and display of a parameter, comprising:

(a) providing a programmable semiconductor element;

(b) using said programmable semiconductor element to accept an input signal representative of a value of said parameter, said input signal having arbitrary shape and amplitude;

(c) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide an output signal to cause a display to display said value of said parameter in an arbitrary shape;

(d) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate a mating transducer in at least one power conserving mode;

(e) using said programmable semiconductor element to treat said input signal in one of a normal ascending mode and an inverted descending mode;

(f) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate in one of an absolute and a ratio mode;

(g) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate in a selected degree of damping or slew rate control;

(h) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide at least one over and/or under warning output signal;

(i) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive at least one light-emitting diode;

(j) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive light-emitting diodes in one of pointer and bar graph modes;

(k) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive a liquid crystal display;

(l) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive a low power liquid crystal display in one of pointer and bar graph modes;

(m) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to drive a continuously operating liquid crystal display;

(n) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to provide color coded status information;

(o) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to provide flashing modes at at least one range limit;

(p) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide various conversion rate intervals to reduce apparent flicker when a borderline reading is made in a noisy environment;

(q) using said programmable semiconductor element to introduce hysteresis against said input signal to lessen likelihood of borderline flicker;

(r) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide for programming all integratable options in a non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element at the time of manufacture of an instrument of which said programmable semiconductor is a part;

(s) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate said instrument at a low quiescent current while maintaining high current drive capability;

(t) using said programmable semiconductor element to trim an oscillator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element; and

(u) using said programmable semiconductor element to trimming a band gap voltage regulator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said nonvolatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element.

5. A method of physical measurement and display of a parameter, as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

providing said programmable semiconductor element having external height and width dimensions not exceeding about 0.11 inch by about 0.11 inch.

6. A method of physical measurement and display of a parameter, as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

providing said programmable semiconductor element including therein integrated digital circuitry, analog circuitry, and said non-volatile memory.