Wireless object counter

• US 7,206,514 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mesa Laboratories Inc.
• Original Assignee: Point Six Wireless LLC (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Compton, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US10/635,403
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 398/151, 398/106, 250/221, 250/221.1, 250/224, 250/338.1, 340/825.65, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/600, 340/942, 340/693.3, 377/6, 377/53
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A battery powered transmitter circuit has a LED of a continuously cycling microcomputer transmit a beam of a predetermined number of infrared pulses at predetermined time periods to a sensor of a battery powered receiver circuit. Only a clock circuit of each circuit of the same frequency is continuously powered. The two clock circuits are synchronized each time that the sensor senses the predetermined number of infrared pulses. When an object breaks the beam, the sensor causes a count of the object by a microcomputer of the receiver circuit. The receiver microcomputer is inactivated when the sensor does not sense the predetermined number of infrared pulses during one or more cycles of operation of the receiver microcomputer. There is only one count incremented on a count display after the beam is interrupted until the sensor again senses the predetermined number of infrared pulses.

Claims

1. A wireless object counter comprising:

a transmitter circuit comprising;

a continuously cycling microcomputer;

a continuously operating clock circuit connected to said microcomputer;

an infrared generator producing a burst of a predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses as a beam during a predetermined time period;

and said microcomputer controlling said infrared generator to produce a burst of the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses as a beam during the predetermined time period;

a receiver circuit comprising;

a microcomputer;

a continuously operating clock circuit connected to said microcomputer, said clock circuit having the same frequency as said clock circuit of said transmitter circuit and synchronized with said clock circuit of said transmitter circuit so that activations of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit are synchronized when said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is to be activated for a cycle of operation;

an infrared receiver aligned with the beam of each of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses for receiving the infrared pulses of each of the bursts of the infrared pulses, said infrared receiver being spaced from said infrared generator to provide a path therebetween along which objects to be counted move;

said microcomputer rendering said infrared receiver effective a predetermined time period before each of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses is transmitted from said infrared generator when said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for a cycle of operation;

said infrared receiver communicating with said microcomputer if said infrared receiver receives the burst of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during a cycle of operation of said microcomputer;

a counter in said microcomputer for counting each time that the beam of the pulses of each of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses is interrupted by an object to be counted;

and said microcomputer ceasing to cycle for a predetermined period of time when said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer;

a first battery for powering said transmitter circuit;

and a second battery for powering said receiver circuit.

2. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 comprising means for selecting one of at least two different power levels for energizing said infrared generator of said transmitter circuit.

3. The wireless object counter according to claim 2 in which each of the predetermined time periods of each cycle of operation of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit in which at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses is produced is a constant.

4. The wireless object counter according to claim 3 in which said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated a predetermined time period before said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit is activated.

5. The wireless object counter according to claim 4 comprising means for energizing said infrared generator from said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit during each activation of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit.

6. The wireless object counter according to claim 5 in which:

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for at least one cycle of operation after ceasing to cycle for the predetermined period of time to determine if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated;

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit ceasing to cycle again for a predetermined period of time if said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated;

and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit continuing to cycle if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated until said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer of said receiver circuit.

7. The wireless object counter according to claim 6 comprising a display for displaying as a count of the number of objects counted only the first count of any plurality of successive counts received by said counter in said microcomputer of said receiver circuit until there is an interruption of the successive counts.

8. The wireless object counter according to claim 7 in which said infrared generator is a LED.

9. The wireless object counter according to claim 2 in which said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated a predetermined time period before said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit is activated.

10. The wireless object counter according to claim 9 comprising means for energizing said infrared generator from said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit during each activation of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit.

11. The wireless object counter according to claim 10 in which:

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for at least one cycle of operation after ceasing to cycle for the predetermined period of time to determine if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated;

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit ceasing to cycle again for a predetermined period of time if said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated;

and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit continuing to cycle if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated until said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer of said receiver circuit.

12. The wireless object counter according to claim 11 comprising a display for displaying as a count of the number of objects counted only the first count of any plurality of successive counts received by said counter in said microcomputer of said receiver circuit until there is an interruption of the successive counts.

13. The wireless object counter according to claim 12 in which said infrared generator is a LED.

14. The wireless object counter according to claim 2 in which:

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for at least one cycle of operation after ceasing to cycle for the predetermined period of time to determine if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated;

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit ceasing to cycle again for a predetermined period of time if said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated;

and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit continuing to cycle if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated until said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer of said receiver circuit.

15. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 in which said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated a predetermined time period before said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit is activated.

16. The wireless object counter according to claim 15 comprising means for energizing said infrared generator from said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit during each activation of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit.

17. The wireless object counter according to claim 16 in which:

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for at least one cycle of operation after ceasing to cycle for the predetermined period of time to determine if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated;

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit ceasing to cycle again for a predetermined period of time if said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated;

and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit continuing to cycle if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated until said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer of said receiver circuit.

18. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 in which:

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated for at least one cycle of operation after ceasing to cycle for the predetermined period of time to determine if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer of said receiver circuit is activated;

said microcomputer of said receiver circuit ceasing to cycle again for a predetermined period of time if said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated;

and said microcomputer of said receiver circuit continuing to cycle if said infrared receiver receives one of the bursts of at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses during the at least one cycle of operation that said microcomputer is activated until said infrared receiver fails to receive one of the bursts of the infrared pulses for a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said microcomputer of said receiver circuit.

19. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 in which each of the predetermined time periods of each cycle of operation of said microcomputer of said transmitter circuit in which at least the predetermined minimum number of the infrared pulses is produced is a constant.

20. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 comprising a display for displaying as a count of the number of objects counted only the first count of any plurality of successive counts received by said counter in said microcomputer of said receiver circuit until there is an interruption of the successive counts.

21. The wireless object counter according to claim 1 in which said infrared generator is a LED.

22. A method of wireless counting of objects moving along a predetermined path comprising:

transmitting a beam of at least a predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses, under control of a continuously cycling first battery powered microcomputer having a continuously operating clock circuit, across the predetermined path during each cycle of operation of the continuously cycling first battery powered microcomputer so that the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses will be blocked by an object moving along the predetermined path;

receiving the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses at an infrared receiver disposed on the opposite side of the predetermined path unless the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses is blocked, the receiver being under the control of a second battery powered microcomputer having a continuously operating clock circuit of the same frequency as the clock circuit of the first battery powered microcomputer during each cycle of operation of the second battery powered microcomputer, and the receiver being activated by the second battery powered microcomputer prior to transmission of the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses;

counting each time that the receiver does not receive the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses and storing each count in the second battery powered microcomputer;

and synchronizing the second battery powered microcomputer with the first battery powered microcomputer each time that the second battery powered microcomputer is to be activated for a cycle of operation.

23. The method according to claim 22 comprising displaying a count of the number of objects by adding only a count of one to a count display irrespective of the number of consecutive cycles of operation of the second battery powered microcomputer that the infrared receiver does not receive the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses.

24. A method of wireless counting of objects moving along a predetermined path comprising:

transmitting a beam of at least a predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses, under control of a continuously cycling first battery powered microcomputer having a continuously operating clock circuit, across the predetermined path during each cycle of operation of the continuously cycling first battery powered microcomputer so that the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses will be blocked by an object moving along the predetermined path;

receiving the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses at an infrared receiver disposed on the opposite side of the predetermined path unless the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses is blocked, the receiver being under the control of a second battery powered microcomputer having a continuously operating clock circuit of the same frequency as the clock circuit of the first battery powered microcomputer during each cycle of operation of the second battery powered microcomputer, and the receiver being activated by the second battery powered microcomputer prior to transmission of the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses;

counting each time that the receiver does not receive the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses and storing each count in the second battery powered microcomputer;

stopping activation of the second battery powered microcomputer for a predetermined period of time after the receiver has not received the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses for a predetermined period of time;

activating the second battery powered microcomputer for a predetermined period of time after the second battery powered microcomputer has been stopped for the predetermined period of time;

continuing to stop the second battery powered microcomputer after each of its activations for a predetermined period of time if the receiver has not received the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses during each activation of the second battery powered microcomputer for the predetermined period of time;

and synchronizing the second battery powered microcomputer with the first battery powered microcomputer each time that the second battery powered microcomputer is to be activated irrespective of whether the second battery powered microcomputer has been inactivated for one or more cycles of operation of the first battery powered microcomputer.

25. The method according to claim 24 comprising displaying a count of the number of objects by adding only a count of one to a count display irrespective of the number of consecutive cycles of operation of the second battery powered microcomputer that the infrared receiver does not receive the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses.

26. The method according to claim 25 in which each predetermined period of time that the second battery powered microcomputer is stopped is a constant.

27. The method according to claim 26 in which the predetermined period of time that the receiver has not received the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses is a constant.

28. The method according to claim 24 in which each predetermined period of time that the second battery powered microcomputer is stopped is a constant.

29. The method according to claim 28 in which the predetermined period of time that the receiver has not received the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses is a constant.

30. The method according to claim 24 in which the predetermined period of time that the receiver has not received the beam of at least the predetermined minimum number of infrared pulses is a constant.