Method and device for controlling ionization

• US 6,985,346 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Credence Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kraz, Vladimir, Martin, Kirk Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benenson, Boris
• Application Number:
  US10/434,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 361/212, 361/213, 361/235, 361/225, 361/226, 361/230
• US Class Current: 361/230
• CPC Class Codes: H01T 23/00 Apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. into the atmosphere

Abstract

A device and method for ionization control is provided. The device and method controls the ionization balance using a sensor element, a control circuit that produces output signal as a function of an input signal from the sensor and transmits that output signal to the ionizer being controlled. The device also has a mechanism for detecting rapid changes in the input signal and a mechanism for disabling changes in the control signal for the duration of presence of said rapidly-changing signal.

Claims

1. A device for controlling ionization balance, the device comprising:

a sensor element that receives an input signal and generates a sensor signal in response to the input signal;

a control circuit that produces an ionizer control output signal as a function of the sensor signal; and

a discrimination circuit, coupled to the control circuit, that disables the ionizer control output signal when a rapidly changing sensor signal is detected for the duration of the rapidly changing sensor signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the discrimination circuit disables the ionizer control signal for a wait period following the detection of the rapidly changing sensor signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the discrimination circuit further comprises a detector circuit, coupled to the sensor signal, that detects rapid changes in the sensor signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor element further comprises a current path to ground.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a balance circuit that is capable of adjusting the ionization balance of an associated ionizer device based on the ionizer control signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the balance circuit adjusts the speed of balance adjustment as the desired level of ionization balance is approached.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the balance circuit does not adjust the ionization balance when the balance level is in a predetermined acceptance range.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit further comprises a processing unit, the processing unit having a learning mode wherein the processing unit is capable of learning the reaction of an ionizer being controlled and adjusting its control parameters based on the reaction time of the controlled ionizer, the control circuit further comprising a switch to place the processing unit in the learning mode.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an indicator that indicates the determined balance of the ionizer.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising a switch that places the device into an observation mode for manual adjustment of the balance of the ionizer being controlled.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the indicator generates an alarm indication if the balance is outside a predetermined range.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure wherein the sensor element forms a top portion of the enclosure.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is located at a different location than the location of the control circuit and the discrimination circuit.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sensor elements wherein the sensor elements are connected to each other in a chain.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the sensor elements are wirelessly connected to each other.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein each sensor element controls a particular ionizer and wherein the device correlates each sensor element to the ionizer that the sensor element controls.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising a communications unit that provides communications between the device and the ionizer being controlled.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the communications unit further comprises a wireless communications unit.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising a photovoltaic element that provides power to the sensor element.

20. The device of claim 19 further comprising an energy storage device that stores the power necessary for communications.

21. The device of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure wherein a ground reference to the device is provided by an electrical contact between the enclosure and a conductive surface.

22. The device of claim 1 further comprising an internal battery that provides power to the device.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is incorporated into the ionizer being controlled.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit further comprises a circuit that produces a signal corresponding to a positive and negative voltage value, a circuit that produces an indication of voltage swing and a circuit that produces an indication of a voltage rise time.

25. The device of claim 1 further comprising a circuit that determines a particular ionizer being controlled by the device.

26. A method for controlling ionization balance, comprising:

generating a sensor signal in response to a received input signal;

producing an ionizer control output signal as a function of the sensor signal; and

disabling the ionizer control output signal when a rapidly changing sensor signal is detected for the duration of the rapidly changing sensor signal.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising disabling the ionizer control signal for a wait period following the detection of the rapidly changing sensor signal.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising adjusting the ionization balance of an associated ionizer device based on the ionizer control signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the speed of the balance adjustment as the desired level of ionization balance is approached.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprises disabling the adjustment when the balance level is in a predetermined acceptance range.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising a learning mode wherein a processing unit is capable of learning the reaction of an ionizer being controlled and adjusting its control parameters based on the reaction time of the controlled ionizer.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising indicating the determined balance of the ionizer.