Fluorescent light temperature sensor

• US 8,193,726 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yamatake Corporation
• Inventors: Kinugasa, Seiichiro, Kato, Atsushi, Ichida, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail, Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): LO, CHRISTOPHER KWOK YEUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/424,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 315/312, 315/360, 315/362, 315/307, 315/291, 315/178, 315/179, 315/149, 315/153, 315/154, 315/302, 315/208, 362/285, 362/800, 374/120, 374/121, 374130-132, 374161-162, 374/4, 374/57, 374/45
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/3213 using changes in luminescence, e.g. at the distal end of the fibres

Abstract

A fluorescent light temperature sensor for producing a temperature signal from a fluorescent light of an optically stimulated fluorescent material is provided with: an LED for projecting light onto the fluorescent material; a driving circuit for driving the light projecting element; a photo diode for receiving the fluorescent light that is emitted from the fluorescent material; a signal processing circuit for producing the temperature signal from the output signal from the photo diode; and an APC circuit for controlling the driving of the driving circuit so as to maintain a uniform light projecting intensity from the LED based on the output signal of the photo diode.

Claims

1. A fluorescent light temperature sensor, comprising:

a fluorescent material;

a light projecting element projecting light onto the fluorescent material;

a driving circuit driving the light projecting element;

a light receiving element receiving fluorescent light emitted from the fluorescent material and producing an output signal based on the fluorescent light;

a signal processing circuit generating a temperature signal, for a temperature measurement environment separate from the light projecting element, from the output signal of the light receiving element;

a controlling circuit controlling the driving of the driving circuit through sending a control signal to the driving circuit so as to maintain a uniform intensity for the fluorescent light of the fluorescent material based on the output signal from the light receiving element; and

an evaluating device evaluating the service life of the light projecting element in advance based on a control signal from the controlling circuit,

wherein the control signal is based on at least one of an actuation frequency of the controlling circuit and a compensating current provided to the light projecting element.

2. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the driving circuit drives the light projecting element so as to project light at uniform intervals; and

the controlling circuit controls the intensity of the projected light in one cycle based on the intensity of the fluorescent light of the fluorescent materials due to the projected light in the previous cycle.

3. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the evaluating device evaluates the service life of the light projecting element in advance based on the frequency of outputting of the control signal per unit time.

4. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the evaluating device evaluates the service life of the light projecting element in advance based on a controlled variable expressed by the control signal.

5. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaluating device first determines the actuation frequency of the controlling circuit and then determines the compensating current.

6. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the evaluating device only generates a warning when the control signal is based only on the actuation frequency.

7. The fluorescent light temperature sensor as set forth in claim 6, wherein the evaluating device generates one of a warning or a termination of generating the temperature control signal when the control signal is based on both the actuation frequency and the compensating current.