Sensor signal debouncing

• US 7,092,850 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wall, Gary C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHUU, HIEN DIEU THI
• Application Number:
  US11/238,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 702/189, 374/1, 374171-172
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

One disclosed method includes retrieving a sensor reading, incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading, reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance, incrementing the stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading, resetting the stable reading counter and reading change counter in response to the stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance, reporting a state change event and setting the most-recent stable sensor reading equal to the sensor reading in response to the sensor reading not being equal to the most-recent stable sensor reading, and setting the previous sensor reading to the sensor reading.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a present sensor reading;

incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the present sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading;

reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance;

incrementing said stable reading counter in response to the present sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading;

resetting said stable reading counter and reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to said stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance;

reporting a state change event and setting said most-recent stable sensor reading equal to said present sensor reading in response to said present sensor reading not being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading; and

setting said previous sensor reading to said present sensor reading.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said retrieving, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said retrieving, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to the reading change counter being less than a reading change tolerance.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said retrieving, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to said stable reading counter being less than a stable reading tolerance.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said retrieving, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to said present sensor reading being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a present sensor reading, previous sensor reading and a most-recent stable sensor reading to each be equal to a default sensor state, prior to said retrieving;

setting a stable reading counter and reading change counter at a predetermined value, prior to said retrieving.

7. A method comprising:

retrieving a present sensor reading;

determining if the present sensor reading equals an immediately previous sensor reading;

incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the present sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading;

determining if a change in the reading change counter is greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance;

reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance;

incrementing said stable reading counter in response to the present sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading;

determining if a change in said stable reading counter is greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance;

resetting said stable reading counter and reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to said stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance;

determining if said present sensor reading is not equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading;

reporting a state change event and setting said most-recent stable sensor reading equal to said present sensor reading in response to said present sensor reading not being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading; and

setting said previous sensor reading to said present sensor reading.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating said retrieving, determinings, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating said retrieving, determinings, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to the reading change counter being less than a reading change tolerance.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating said retrieving, determinings, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to said stable reading counter being less than a stable reading tolerance.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating said retrieving, determinings, incrementings, reportings, resetting and setting in response to said present sensor reading being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initializing a present sensor reading, previous sensor reading and a most-recent stable sensor reading to each be equal to a default sensor state, prior to said retrieving;

setting a stable reading counter and reading change counter at a predetermined value, prior to said retrieving.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to, in iterative fashion;

retrieve a sensor reading;

determine if said sensor reading represents a changed sensor reading;

increment a reading change counter and set a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the sensor reading having changed;

determine if a changed sensor reading is indicative of toggling;

report a sensor reading bouncing error and reset the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change indicating the sensor reading is toggling;

increment said stable reading counter in response to the sensor reading having not changed;

determine if the unchanged sensor reading is stable;

reset said stable reading counter and said reading change counter to a predetermined value in response then unchanged sensor reading being stable;

determine if a stable unchanged sensor reading is different from a most-recent stable sensor reading;

report a state change event and set said most-recent stable sensor reading to be equal to the stable unchanged sensor reading; and

set a previous sensor reading to be equal to said sensor reading.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means further comprises code means for causing a computer to:

initialize a present sensor reading to be equal to a default sensor state value;

initialize said previous sensor reading to be equal to a default sensor state value;

initialize said most-recent stable sensor reading to be equal to a default sensor state value;

initialize said stable reading counter at a predetermined value; and

initialize said reading change counter at a predetermined value.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means loops in response to first said sensor reading not toggling.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means loops in response to said sensor reading not being stable.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means loops in response to said sensor reading being the same as a most-recent stable sensor reading.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means determines if said sensor reading represents a changed sensor reading by determining if the retrieved sensor reading equals an immediately previous sensor reading.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means determines if a changed sensor reading is indicative of toggling by determining if a count of changes in the sensor state value has achieved a threshold.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said code means determines if the unchanged sensor reading is stable by determining if a count of stable sensor readings is greater than or equal to a stable reading sensor tolerance.

21. A system comprising:

means for retrieving a present sensor reading;

means for determining if the present sensor reading equals an immediately previous sensor reading;

means for incrementing a reading change counter and setting a stable reading counter to a predetermined value in response to the present sensor reading not equaling an immediately previous sensor reading;

means for determining if a change in the reading change counter is greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance;

means for reporting a sensor reading bouncing error and resetting the reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to the reading change counter being greater than or equal to a reading change tolerance;

means for incrementing said stable reading counter in response to the present sensor reading equaling the immediately previous sensor reading;

means for determining if a change in said stable reading counter is greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance;

means for resetting said stable reading counter and reading change counter to a predetermined value in response to said stable reading counter being greater than or equal to a stable reading tolerance;

means for determining if said present sensor reading is not equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading;

means for reporting a state change event and setting said most-recent stable sensor reading equal to said present sensor reading in response to said present sensor reading not being equal to said most-recent stable sensor reading; and

means for setting said previous sensor reading to said present sensor reading.