Electronic device for counting and storing the number of rotations of an object and the number of counter resets

• US 8,044,338 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Beranger, Marc, Vial, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Thanh X
• Application Number:
  US12/162,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 25023113-23118, 340/870.02, 731/46
• US Class Current: 250/231.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/04 Resetting-mechanisms, e.g. for indicating members

Abstract

A device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a system, in which a storage means carries counting data designed to represent the number of rotations counted. The counting data is used for conditionally resetting the storage means if and only if two separate conditions are fulfilled, where at least of one of the conditions is the reception of information from an external device, thereby insuring that the counting data represents the number of rotations counted from a predetermined time.

Claims

1. An electronic device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a frame of reference including a magnetic field, the electronic device rotating with the object and including a coil configured to act as a magnetic sensor, the device further comprising:

storage means for holding counting information intended to represent the number of rotations counted at any time; and

means for conditional resetting of the storage means adapted to reset the storage means if and only if at least two separate conditions are simultaneously satisfied, wherein at least one of the conditions comprises the reception of information contained in an electromagnetic signal emitted from an external device, and a second condition comprises application of a voltage,

wherein the coil is configured to send measurement information to a microcontroller in a first frequency band and configured to act as an electromagnetic antenna receiving information in a second frequency band.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a request to send data, wherein a first of the at least two separate conditions comprises the reception of the request.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the storage means comprises a microcircuit, and wherein the second of the at least two separate conditions comprises the application of a predetermined voltage to a pin of the microcircuit.

4. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for counting a number of resets of the storage means.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the means for counting are configured to store the number of resets in a non-volatile memory.

6. The device according to claim 4, further comprising means for sending data configured to send information relating to the number of resets.

7. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for initializing the device, wherein the means are configured to reset the storage means at a predetermined time.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the initialization means are configured to store a predetermined code in a first portion of a random access memory.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the storage means comprises a second portion of the random access memory.

10. The device according to claim 9, further comprising means for verifying the presence of the predetermined code in the first portion of the random access memory.

11. The device according to claim 10 further comprising

means for sending counting information adapted to send counting information only in the event of a positive verification by the means for verifying.

12. The device according to claim 10 further comprising means for receiving the predetermined code from an external device.